Scarcity Brain

Fix Your Craving Mindset and Rewire Your Habits to Thrive with Enough

By: Michael Easter

Narrated by: Michael Easter

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Comfort Crisis asks: Are we hardwired to crave more? From food and stuff to information and influence, why can’t we ever get enough?

“Reveals the biological and evolutionary foundations behind your brain’s fixations, so you can stop seeking and start living.”—Melissa Urban, Whole30 CEO and author of The Book of Boundaries

“Michael Easter’s genius is that he puts data around the edges of what we intuitively believe. His work has inspired many to change their lives for the better.”—Dr. Peter Attia, author of Outlive

Michael Easter, author of The Comfort Crisis and one of the world’s leading experts on behavior change, shows that the problem isn’t you. The problem is your scarcity mindset, left over from our ancient ancestors. They had to constantly seek and consume to survive because vital survival tools like food, material goods, information, and power were scarce and hard to find. But with our modern ability to easily fulfill our ancient desire for more, our hardwired “scarcity brain” is now backfiring. And new technology and institutions—from dating and entertainment apps to our food and economic systems—are exploiting our scarcity brain. They’re bombarding us with subversive “scarcity cues,” subtle triggers that lead us into low-reward cravings that hurt us in the long run. Scarcity cues can be direct and all-encompassing, like a sagging economy. Or they can be subtle and slight, like our neighbor buying a shiny new car.

Easter traveled the world to consult with remarkable innovators and leading scientists who are finding surprising solutions for our scarcity brain. He discovered simple tactics that can move us towards an abundance mindset, cement healthy habits, and allow us to live our lives to the fullest and appreciate what we have, including how to:

• Detect hidden scarcity cues to stop cravings before they start, from a brilliant slot machine designer in a Las Vegas casino laboratory
• Turn alone time into the ultimate happiness hack, from artisanal coffee-making Benedictine monks
• Reignite your exploration gene for a more exciting and fulfilling life, from an astronaut onboard the International Space Station
• Reframe how we think about and fix addiction and bad habits, from Iraq’s chief psychiatrist
• Recognize when you have enough, from a woman who left a million-dollar career path to adventure the world

Our world is overloaded with everything we’re built to crave. The fix for scarcity brain isn’t to blindly aim for less. It’s to understand why we crave more in the first place, shake our worst habits, and use what we already have better. Then we can experience life in a new way—a more satisfying way.

©2023 Michael Easter (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“This book is for anyone desperate to break the cycle of doom scrolling, constant cravings, and the relentless drive for more—more validation, more sugar, more money, more stuff. Scarcity Brain reveals the biological and evolutionary foundations behind your brain’s fixations, so you can stop seeking and start living.” —Melissa Urban, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Boundaries

“Michael Easter brings to light that our challenges with behavior change can be better understood—and conquered—if we know how driven we are by our scarcity mindset. With deep science-backed insights, personal stories, practical guidance, and a relatable approach, Easter’s book is for anyone interested in embarking on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment with the goal of living a healthier, more satisfying, and actualized life.” —Juliet Starrett & Dr. Kelly Starrett, New York Times bestselling authors of Built to Move

“Michael Easter illuminates how humans are hardwired to seek more, even when our reward-seeking behaviors become at odds with our well-being. His vulnerable weaving of his own personal experiences alongside cutting edge research and current events compel you to examine your own life and patterns. Consider this engaging read a mandate to get curious, a more effective tool for meaningful, positive, lasting change than shame or judgement, the traditional tools of the trade.” —Liz Plosser, editor in chief of Women’s Health

Fascinating data on why we repeat behaviors

Comfort Crisis opens your eyes and mind to our current unseen crisis. Scarcity Brain shows they whys behind our behavior. Makes your feel like you could actual start to change some potentially negative habits, for good.

Great book to supplement knowledge of the law of attraction

This book is great in providing a scientific background on how one can go in and out of an abundance mindset. This would be a good supplement for someone who is interested in the law of attraction and what happens in one’s body when you’re out of alignment with an abundant vibration.

Now I patiently have to wait for the 3rd book…

I remember after finishing the comfort crisis and when Michael announced the release date for scarcity brain, it seemed like I would have to wait an eternity for it to be released. Well, scarcity brain definitely did not disappoint at all, but have to repeat this cycle waiting for the 3rd book and of course, will wonder what the hell else he could write about that could top the first two books!

Just what I needed to hear

There is so much packed into here. The truth you need and the curiosity to change something for the better. It doesn’t do it for you of course so take a few if the many nuggets and go to work on using them.

Phenomenal book

Honest well researched and personal. Extraordinary book. Read it and comfort crisis. You will want to get out there and conquer life

Very insightful

I really enjoyed this book! The author went to so much effort to research each topic and it comes through in his writing. He dissected what drives our behavior with past and present examples - And didn’t take the easy road of vilifying modern lifestyle and technology as the end all be all of our problems. It’s thoughtful, researched, and challenging.

Comfort crisis set a high bar

Good read especially food, stuff, and happiness chapters. The transition sounds were annoying and didn’t seem to be deliberately placed. Also the book lacked the one common thread to make it a great story- was a but jumping around of different stories. Good book but I loved comfort crisis much more

Secrets of our nature in plain nature

Like his previous book The Comfort Crisis, this book reveals deep insights about how we humans function in ways we cannot change but can learn to adapt to. In our current time we have more and more groups leveraging these insights in order to influence us to behave as they want us to. Understanding ourselves the way modern companies and political institutions do can offer us freedom and ways to take more control over our own experience of life. I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t benefit from listening to this work and considering it’s ideas seriously.

The

The most common way of dealing with this is by having a conversation and having a good discussion and discussion with

Consistency

Mike and his point of view is a breath of fresh air. Love the detailed stories and chapter diversity. His commitment to the big picture is unmatched.