The Control Heuristic

Understand why action-taking is so difficult and how to change habits

2nd edition

Ergodicity book cover

Some reviews

"This book is like a magnificent suspension bridge, linking the science of the human brain to the practical craft of applying it in everyday life. I loved it."

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Rory Sutherland

Vice-Chairman, Ogilvy

"A SUPERB book […] by one of the profound thinkers in our field [behavioral economics]."

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Michael G. Bartlett

CCXP

"This book was so helpful to my work. Opened my eyes to some more reasons why change is so hard."

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Chris Murman

IT Consultant

"One of the most illuminating books I have ever read."

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Jordan Gabriels

Lead PM, Culture AMP

About the book

We often thing we have a decision-making problem, but what we have is an action-taking problem.

The reason we often do not do what we want (such as learning a new habit), or do what we do not want (such as eating one more slice of cake) is that the part of the brain which takes decisions and the part of the brain which decides what orders to send our muscles are different.

In this book, author and researcher Luca Dellanna explains why it's so hard to change our habits and what to do about it. He also covers many apparently irrational behaviors and the perceptual illusions that cause them.

What's inside

  1. A split brain

    the part of the brain which takes decisions and the part of the brain which decides what orders to send our muscles are different.

  2. The gating rules

    that determine whether we act according to our plans.

  3. How to change our conditioning

    to enable us to take actions we keep procrastinating.

  4. Brain Inc.

    How the brain doesn't take decisions as a single entity but rather as multiple independent areas of the brain each acting on its individual knowledge and incentives – just like companies do not take decisions as a single entity but rather it's their manager who take decisions, each based on what they individually know and on their individual incentives.

  5. Why we have moods

    and why it's good to be moderately moody.

  6. The Control Heuristic

    the overarching algorithm detrmining our behavior.

  7. And much more…

Get the book

The Control Heuristic cover

"This book is like a magnificent suspension bridge, linking the science of the human brain to the practical craft of applying it in everyday life. I loved it."

avatar

Rory Sutherland

Vice-Chairman, Ogilvy

About the author

Luca Dellanna

Luca Dellanna is the author of more than ten books. He is a researcher in adaptive systems and a management advisor.

Luca has also been teaching risk management and related topics for over ten years at the University of Genoa (as an external lecturer), and frequently gives guest lectures at many public and private institutions.

He has been a speaker at some of the most prestigious conferences and podcasts, such as Nudgestock (the largest behavioral sciences conference) and Econtalk (twice). He has been featured on The Spectator and other famous newspapers.

Luca lives in Turin, Italy, with his wife Wenlin and his dog Didi. He frequently spends time in Singapore for business and to visit family.

Part of Luca's portfolio / trusted by leaders at…

Société Génerale
Shopify
DuPont
McKinsey and Company
Standard Chartered
Shopify
Marriott
Genova University
Mises Institute
Upstart Wealth Management
Société Génerale
Shopify
DuPont
McKinsey and Company
Standard Chartered
Shopify
Marriott
Genova University
Mises Institute
Upstart Wealth Management
Société Génerale
Shopify
DuPont
McKinsey and Company
Standard Chartered
Shopify
Marriott
Genova University
Mises Institute
Upstart Wealth Management
Société Génerale
Shopify
DuPont
McKinsey and Company
Standard Chartered
Shopify
Marriott
Genova University
Mises Institute
Upstart Wealth Management

Luca is fluent in EN, IT, FR, ES, and has experience in the following industries: automotive, chemical, pharmaceutical, logistics, agricultural, fast-moving consumer goods, food, finance, fintech, tech, software, electronics, retail, hospitality, and consulting.

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They say about Luca

"Everybody should follow Luca Dellanna. Quality is very reliable. His signal-to-noise ratio is among the best."

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Xavier Faure

Founder, Spring Invest

"Luca is an extraordinary, insightful, thought-provoking author. He's one of those people who can explain anything in a simple way, and does so to prodigious effect."

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Sebastian Steele

PM, Flexciton

"Working with Luca was fantastic! He was straightforward and well-prepared, pinpointing numerous opportunities I had overlooked in my business plan. I wholeheartedly recommend him."

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Christopher Samulliah

Tech Lead, CGS Digital

"Really helpful, I'm a different person… [Luca's work] fundamentally affected the way I communicate with people."

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Daniel Webb

CEO, Cobwebb

"Luca's Best Practices for Operational Excellence took my management to the next level. It's been almost a month since I started implementing the principles, but I can already say that I've noticed a significant improvement in my company's morale […] That feels amazing."

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Molson Hart

CEO, Viahart

"One of the most important books I’ve read, period. It’s short, articulate, and expansive on a singular subject matter — ergodicity, which is really the key ingredient to success in life, marriage, business, family, happiness, health, etc."

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Blake Janover

CEO, Janover Inc.

In the welcome email, you will find:

  • ✔ A guide on how to bring clarity to your teams
  • ✔ A 33% discount code for my book "Best Practices For Operational Excellence"
  • ✔ An archive of my top Twitter threads, including the ones market with a ⭐️ that are my favorite
  • ✔ A digital copy of my book "The Employee Engagement Handbook," with plenty of concrete advice to increase talent retention and commitment