Katy Milkman is an engineer turned behavioral economist who co-directs the Behavior Change for Good Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania with Angela Duckworth. In Milkman’s new book, How to Change, she tells a story about the first time she realized that perhaps she could change her own habits if she tackled her inability to change as if it were an engineering problem. Her success with this approach led her into behavioral economics, and she is now a leading expert in the field.

Because developing virtue involves cultivating habits, How to Change is a helpful guide to becoming more effective and efficient in pursuing good. It does not define moral purpose or character, but assumes that readers want to make changes that align with good ends. Indeed, at one point Milkman cautions that her findings on social conformity could be used for harm as well as good, and admonishes readers to practice discernment and moral courage if they sense others are using the tactics to coerce them. While not explicitly about virtue, How to Change provides practical guidance and insights into psychology that can help individuals who have reflected on moral purpose put intentions into practice.