Hooked
Hooked by Nir Eyalby Nir Eyal
Ranked 6 of 12 design books by recommenders
People recommend it as a readable introduction to the habit-forming patterns behind addictive products. One critic said they were not hugely impressed.
People recommend it as a readable introduction to the habit-forming patterns behind addictive products. One critic said they were not hugely impressed.
10 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 8
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 80%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 8 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 4 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Explains addictive product design patterns
“If you haven't already I would check out the book "Hooked" as well to learn more about the addictive patterns that are put out there to trap you.”
Comment from 9 Dec 2025 in “Paramount launches hostile bid for Warner Bros” “There are some good books on how to make products addictive, like Hooked.”
Comment from 5 Jun 2026 in “Leak Reveals Microsoft Wants Its AI to Be 'Addictive'” “Nir Eyal's Hooked was an interesting and informative read on this topic.”
Comment from 19 Dec 2025 in “TikTok Deal Is the Shittiest Possible Outcome, Making Everything Worse”
Other design books people recommend
The four most recommended other design books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Design of Everyday Thingsby Don Norman | 29 | 2 | 94% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Refactoring UIby Adam Wathan and Steve Schoger | 14 | 3 | 82% | 3 | — | — |
| Don't Make Me Thinkby Steve Krug | 12 | 1 | 92% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Practical Typographyby Matthew Butterick | 10 | 3 | 77% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Hookedby Nir EyalThis page | 8 | 2 | 80% | 5 | — | — |
What people said
7 of the 10 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I hope this website replaces TikTok and Instagram one day.”
“It's been a really cool resource for me to find more classic novels to read.”
“There are some good books on how to make products addictive, like Hooked.”
“Its the "lean startup" culture as well as books like "Hooked, how to build habit forming products"”
“I'm not hugely impressed.”
“Nir Eyal's Hooked was an interesting and informative read on this topic.”
“If you haven't already I would check out the book "Hooked" as well to learn more about the addictive patterns that are put out there to trap you.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.