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The Button That Changed the World

Martin Reeves Bob Goodson

$57.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English
Harvard Business Review Press
29 April 2025
A riveting, insider's look at the creation and evolution of the like button, and what it reveals about business, technology, and innovation

and us.

Over seven billion times a day, someone taps a like button.

How could something that came out of nowhere become so ubiquitous and so familiar

and even so addictive? What problem does it solve for people, and why does a 'like' feel so good? And by the way, who invented the like button in the first place?

In Like, bestselling author and renowned strategist Martin Reeves and coauthor Bob Goodson

Silicon Valley veteran and participant in the invention of the like button

take readers along on a fascinating quest to find out what's behind the world's friendliest icon. It's a story that starts out as simply as a thumbs-up cartoon but ends up presenting surprises and new mysteries at every turn, some of them as deep as anthropological history and others as speculative as the AI-charged future.

But this isn't just the story of the like button. It's so much more.

Using the origin story and evolution of the like button as a jumping-off point, the authors take readers on a fun and fascinating journey through the world of business, offering smart and surprising insights into technology, innovation, creativity, invention, and even us.

For such a small and unassuming invention to take on such scale and power, it must be tapping into something very, very big.
By:   ,
Imprint:   Harvard Business Review Press
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 234mm,  Width: 155mm, 
ISBN:   9798892790451
Pages:   272
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming

Martin Reeves is the chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, BCG's think tank for developing new ideas in business. He is a coauthor of two other HBR Press books: Your Strategy Needs a Strategy (2015) and The Imagination Machine (2021). Martin also shares his ideas and research on business strategy and innovation in articles, podcasts, speeches, and other formats. Bob Goodson is the president and founder of Quid, a visual analytics company. He has extensive experience working in Silicon Valley, including as part of the founding team at Yelp, where he was employee number one and played a key role in the genesis of the like button.

Reviews for Like: The Button That Changed the World

Advance Praise for Like: ""This book isn't just about a button—it's a compelling journey through the messy process of innovation and a must-read for anyone curious about the hidden stories behind the things we click every day."" — Biz Stone, cofounder, Twitter ""Terrific, fun, and keenly illuminating. Reeves and Goodson tell the remarkable tale of the like button—and use it as the foundation for a host of insights into innovation, the brain, and our species."" — Cass R. Sunstein, author, How to Become Famous; coauthor, Nudge ""If you’re looking for a book to 'like,' I strongly recommend this one. It's a can't-put-it-down page-turner. A fun and instructive read!"" — Rita McGrath, strategist; professor, Columbia Business School; and author, Seeing Around Corners and The End of Competitive Advantage ""Like is wildly original. Who would have thought that such a simple button could hide a deep understanding of technology, money, and regulation?"" — Niels Lunde, Editor in Chief, Dagbladet Børsen ""Fast-paced and full of original insights, this book will open your eyes to a much richer and more textured story of the rise of social media."" — Anna Lembke, MD, New York Times bestselling author, Dopamine Nation ""A captivating exploration, revealing how this humble icon transformed the way people all over the world interact. A must-read for those intrigued by the power of simple innovations to influence society."" — Karim R. Lakhani, Dorothy and Michael Hintze Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School; coauthor, Competing in the Age of AI ""Innovation in technology is by no means orderly, planned, and predictable. A riveting tale."" — W. Brian Arthur, author, The Nature of Technology ""Like, WOW!"" — Paul Buchheit, creator, Gmail; cofounder, FriendFeed


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