When you pick up a book like “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products” by Nir Eyal, you might expect another prosaic guide on product management, laden with terminology and stale examples. But what unfolds is an insightful examination, a playbook almost, for understanding what makes users click, literally and figuratively.

As a tech person but with an artist’s heart, I’ve learned that the real art in any creation, whether it be in code or on canvas, lies in the connection it makes with the audience. Eyal’s book is a masterful study of this connection, more precisely, how to make it irresistible.

The book divides itself into an elegant framework known as the “Hook Model.” In essence, it lays down a step-by-step approach to engage users, turning them from passersby into aficionados of a product. The ‘Hook’ works through four stages: Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment. Each step is meticulously detailed, its implications dissected with an almost scientific precision.

What strikes you most is the realism in Eyal’s approach. He neither promises magic nor leaves you stranded in abstractions. As an entrepreneur, I can affirm the power of creating products that people not only want but feel a compulsive need to use. That, however, is a path fraught with ethical dilemmas, something Eyal doesn’t shy away from.

A subtle yet significant aspect of the book lies in its ethical reflections. In an era where we have more tools than ever to manipulate user behavior, the moral compass of a designer can sway like a fragile leaf in a storm. Eyal acknowledges this and provides guidance to walk the fine line between manipulation and engagement.

The book’s examples are contemporary yet timeless. Just like Lisp, a language that continues to fascinate me with its purity and simplicity, the principles in “Hooked” seem to transcend the fickleness of trends. These are principles grounded in the very psychology of human behavior.

If I were to point out a flaw, it could only be in the potential misapplication of these principles. Eyal’s “Hooked” is a powerful tool, and like all tools, it can cut both ways. It could create enriching experiences or pave the way for addiction. The choice, as the author emphasizes, remains in the hands of the one wielding it.

I’d recommend “Hooked” not just to entrepreneurs or product designers, but to anyone curious about why we do what we do in our digital lives. The insights spill over from the confines of product management into the broader domain of human behavior.

It’s a book that compels you to think, much like how Lisp challenges your understanding of programming. In both cases, you emerge with a clarity that feels new yet familiar.

In a world teeming with products vying for a slice of our time, “Hooked” offers a thoughtful way to build something that doesn’t just occupy space on a screen, but in the minds and habits of people. That’s a formidable challenge, but it’s what every creator, hacker, and artist strives for. Nir Eyal provides a roadmap for that very journey, one click at a time.