Saying No to New: Why New Things Are Stealing Your Time, Money, and Happiness—and How to Take Back Your Life

Eric Athas

Sep 2026 · Sold by Balance

Ebook

304

Pages

Eligible

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About this ebook

From New York Times editor Eric Athas comes a groundbreaking solution on how to rewire our impulses to consume new things and reclaim control of our lives and spending habits.

New things are everywhere—and they’re causing us to disconnect from what we value most in life. One of the biggest lies of modern times is that new is always better. A new phone is always better than the previous edition. A new pair of sunglasses is always better than the one you wore last summer. The new fitness app is always better than the one you already downloaded. Influencers are constantly promoting the latest trends, and retailers are designing frictionless experiences that optimize for speedy checkouts. Sooner or later, we can’t help but feel like a new product, trend, or fad is too good to resist.

Saying No to New recognizes that instead of improving our lives, new things often distract us from our goals. They steal our time, money and attention—and even our joy and happiness. As a solution to today’s challenges, Saying No to New will help you:

Understand how your own brain may be pushing you to newness for brief dopamine hits
Become knowledgeable about the landscape of new things and the forces pulling you in
Master the art of detecting persuasion in humans and technology
Make smarter decisions about what to embrace and what to deflect
Develop a calmer, healthier, clutter-free lifestyle

In Saying No to New, Eric Athas draws upon his experiences and the latest research—as well as interviews with scientists, philosophers, tech insiders, happiness gurus, decision-making experts, and others—to provide a framework for reshaping your relationship with new things. You will learn how to break the flow of new things into your life and take a more intentional approach to the ones you do encounter.

From New York Times editor Eric Athas comes a groundbreaking solution on how to rewire our impulses to consume new things and reclaim control of our lives and spending habits. New things are everywhere—and they’re causing us to disconnect from what we value most in life. One of the biggest lies ...

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About the author

Eric Athas is an editor at the New York Times, where he helps journalists learn new tools and skills they can use to tell stories. Before joining the Times in 2016, he worked at NPR and the Washington Post. His work has been published in the New YorkTimes, the Washington Post, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and the Nieman Journalism Lab. Athas lives with his wife and two children in Brooklyn.

Eric Athas is an editor at the New York Times, where he helps journalists learn new tools and skills they can use to tell stories. Before joining the Times in 2016, he worked at NPR and the Washington Post. His work has been published in the New YorkTimes, the Washington Post, Fast Company, Harva...

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