This book is generally aimed at entrepreneurs and tech people, but it can be useful for anyone who wants to be more productive with their internet and device usage. It's full of data and key examples, yet is made into a very easy and interesting (to me) read.

I however read it as a consumer, who is becoming very mindful of how much tech I consume. So rather than read it as a 'how to' guide, I read it as a 'what to look out for' guide to make sure I use my daily set of products... productively.

It didn't disappoint. It was full of data, yet managed to be a very easy read.

The author also spent enough time, for me, discussing the ethics of persuasion for me not to be too concerned that this book will be used for nefarious reasons (though I am sure bad people will be able to use it to create addictive tech).

Either way it's important for the wider world to know these concepts. ( )

(actlly finished this last year) I got a friend to change the password of my facebook account yesterday. Today I visited the login page of Facebook at least 20 times. (oh god)

2 of the many main ideas he introduced- vitamins-vs-painkillers and the 3 variable rewards -sum up most of my life wAAAAay too well.



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presents a simplified roadmap towards creating an addictive model of engagement for an app. even while short, it was stretched out. there is a token admission that making addictive products could be bad, but it’s a hollow gesture, evidenced by its insistence that existing platforms are morally good, actually.

i get the sense that the author did not really care about the ethical implications of designing habit-forming products, but rather was concerned about looking like he didn’t care. the bible chapter seemed like an ad or a puff piece rather than a case study or interview.

2 stars for having some informative content. ( )

After hearing Nir give a local talk at a user group, I knew I had to check out his book. It's been on my list to read for far too long. The concepts from the book a 10/10. They're a great dive into user behavior and what triggers change in people. I feel like I learned a lot, even if the book is rather short.

The downsides though - the audiobook narrator feels like he's reading a technical manual. It's just not a good listen. Looking at the Audible reviews it's non-stop 1 star reviews for performance. The other side is that this book requites a good deal of reflection time. That's not a good fit for the audio format. I felt like I learned more from hearing Nir talk live for an hour than from the book, but I still look forward to referencing it later in products I'm building. ( )

Great book explaining how to create "sticky" applications, as a product designer, which will keep users coming back. A very simple concept but challenging to implement. One of my favorite parts -- Nir describes 4 different types of designer (mmm, 2x2 matrix); whether the creator is a user, and whether the creator genuinely believes in the product -- and advocates strongly for the "facilitator" pattern, where someone is both a user and believes the product is useful.

The book itself is well structured, with per-chapter review of core concepts and "do this now" exercises. Strongly recommend.

(Audible audiobook) ( )

Good book. A great intro to some of the research behind forming habits and psychology (borrows heavily from the work by B.J. Fogg) and some interesting insights about applying the findings to a real project. However, it's not exhaustive. Think of it as an 101 class on habit forming. ( )

Very few insights. Feels like a good blog post turned into a book. The examples are overknown, the scientific studies anecdotic. And as othe reviews mentionned, the ethical question is brushed of very easily. ( )

This is a short review as, frankly, it is more appropriate to comment this book within the context of other books.

The concept of designing "addictive products" might make most (myself included) cringe- but, frankly, I read this book only because it was quoted within another one on digitalization.

The framework anyway is interesting for at least two purposes: product and service design, as any product and any service is now working on moving from the "customer experience" to the "ecosystem" concept.

So, in order to design an ecosystem, you need to undestand what would motivate people to join your ecosystem- you do not sell a product, you welcome within a community.

The second purpose is for (both private and corporate) customers- to avoid being "hooked" when it is not worthwhile to you, and to instead embrace one (or more) ecosystems.

Examples of "hooked" to avoid: when somebody offers your something "free" that is useful to them to gain more information needed to offer you more- and delivers no value to you unless you retain them, while absorbing a large amount of time; in these cases, ask explicitly what is the value for you if you were, after the experience, to halt, as anyway "free" is not- you will have to allocate scarce resources.

Examples of "hooked" when you would like to embrace more than one ecosystem: when your supplier adds more services that you do not need, while not improving what they are supposed to offer in exchange of what you pay; you could be better off by belonging to more than one ecosystem, in these cases.

Therefore, "hooked" lessons can be used in both a manipulative and a constructive way: it is up to you.

Value added: if you buy the book, you receive additional free (and useful) material from the author, as well as a newsletter than sometimes is interesting not for the articles per se, but for the questions that they raise- so that you can find your own answers.

[Review released on 2018-05-22} ( )

This is a manual for how to build contempt and cynicism toward your users directly into your application. It shows you how to monetize quirks of the human brain and behavior by turning your software into a Skinner box, and your users into addicts.

Even if that's what you want to do, this book is still mostly fluff. The useful content could have been written on both sides of an index card. ( )

Very clear and useful information on how to build habit-forming products using the "Hook Cycle". Highly recommended to anyone building a website/app or any tech product. ( )

Has some really good information, but is also somewhat wordy and redundant. ( )

I found this book to be very interesting, informational and easy-to-read. My only complaint with it is a minor one in that, at one point, the author started a sentence with a number written numerically. You should never do that. ( )

Author Nir Eyal synthesized and dispensed some of the best work from his website into this great book on consumer behavior and building products that encourage their usage. Organized into chapters that break down basic human habits and responses in a theoretical way, it offers concrete examples of organizations that are now among the most successful at building habit-forming products. Its Hook Model is an easy-to-understand method for applying complex concepts related to human behavior and responses to business applications. Although focused largely on the technology sector, the ideas the author presents are applicable to any company or individual looking to build something better.

Mr. Eyal’s book itself is a habit-forming product. He leaves the reader with a memorable model that they can use in their own businesses and encourages them to return to his website for more insights. Not many theory books take applicability to the level Mr. Eyal’s does. I appreciated his sincere caution that the Hook Model be used for positive ends and acknowledgement that it can be used to foster addictions.

This relatively short book is a great road map that points the reader in the right direction to build great products but may not go far enough for some. It will also be dated in a year or two when today’s “hot” companies become passé. Nevertheless, his theories on human behavior may well prove timeless.

I give the book five stars and highly recommend it to anyone looking to design better content, goods, or services. ( )