In his bestselling book The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg shared how changing habits can help people reach their fullest potential. He goes a step further in his new book, Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business (Random House, $28), where he explores how to think differently in order to become a more effective worker and person. He’ll be discussing his findings at Politics and Prose on Friday, March 11 at 7 p.m.

Similar to The Power of Habit, Duhigg uses scientific studies and anecdotes to frame his thesis in Smarter Faster Better. He sees eight central factors to productivity in any field or activity: teams, motivation, focus, goal setting, decision making, managing people, absorbing information, and innovation.

He addresses each of these in a chapter of the book, backing it up thoroughly using evidence and concepts that some readers may remember from psychology class. “Locus of control,” mental modeling, and “SMART” goals become applicable principles that can be used in many daily situations.

And while anecdotes in books like this can sometimes make your eyes roll, that is not the case in Smarter Faster Better. Duhigg’s engrossing writing style and clear commitment to the facts brings life and inspiration to the stories he uses.

For example, scientists at Google spent four years studying how to build great teams, and learned that how a group interacts matters much more than who comprises the group—a lesson that could give hope to a lot of struggling offices or families out there. Duhigg explains how that principle made Saturday Night Live the institution it now is.

And, in the chapter on control, the author shows how across the spectrum of environments—whether it’s the Marine Corps, nursing home, or anywhere in between—people need a sense of control to feel motivated at their jobs. Giving them some can have profound effects.

Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times. He grew up in New Mexico, studied history at Yale, and received his MBA from Harvard. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and children.

The event is free and open to the public.

Duhigg will speak at Politics and Prose (5015 Connecticut Ave. NW) on Friday, March 11 at 7 p.m.