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.
PUBLISHED BY HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW PRESS ON APRIL 29. 2025.
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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.
Bob Goodson’s original sketch of the like button,
18th May 2005
(Source: Photo by author, courtesy of Yelp)
REVIEWS, MEDIA, AND EVENTS
“…innovation very rarely takes the form of an entirely new idea; instead, it recombines existing ones. And people often reach the same conclusions independently. That is the message of “Like”, an entertaining new book by Martin Reeves and Bob Goodson on the origins of the “like” button.”
“A stimulating inquiry into the creation and consequences of the “like” button.”
EVENT:
Join Martin Reeves and Tom Friedman at the Planet Word Museum in Washington, D.C. for a live book talk, where they will explore the creation and evolution of the like button and its connection to innovation, business, culture, and modern human interaction.
The Economist columnist Andrew Palmer talks about what Like tells us about convergent innovation and idea recombination on The Intelligence podcast. Mentions of Like from 18:30 mins.
“A riveting, insider’s look at the creation and evolution of the like button, and what it reveals about business, technology, innovation, and us.”
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Listen to Martin Reeves on the Finding Genius podcast discuss “The Power of The Like: Exploring Digital Marketing, Online Innovation, & The Future of Social”.
Bob Goodson takes a walk down memory lane to his undergraduate alma mater – the University of East Anglia – to discuss the development of the like button, his path into tech, and the journey of writing Like.
ENDORSEMENTS
BIZ STONE, cofounder, Twitter
“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.”
ANNA LEMBKE, MD, NYT bestselling author, Dopamine Nation
“Like is a must-read for anyone interested in how digital technology is shaping our lives and re-wiring our brains. Fascinating, 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, including where it began, how it works, and what tomorrow may bring. Two thumbs up!”
PAUL BUCHHEIT, creator, Gmail; cofounder, FriendFeed
“Like, WOW!”
W. BRIAN ARTHUR, author, The Nature of Technology
“The story of how a seemingly small innovation—the like button—was birthed, surged into prominence, and went on to change whole industries. Innovation in technology, Reeves and Goodson tell us, is by no means orderly, planned, and predictable. Rather it is disorderly, unruly, and unguided. A riveting tale.”
DAVID DE ROTHSCHILD Chairman and Trustee, Voice for Nature Foundation
“Two thumbs up! A must-read for those interested in how our individual digital interactions shape our world view.”
NIELS LUNDE, Editor in Chief, Dagbladet Børsen
“Like is wildly original. Who would have thought that such a simple button could hide a deep understanding of technology, money, and regulation? Martin Reeves shows once again that he is a unique thinker, possessing one of the most valuable human qualities: curiosity.”
AZEEM AZHAR, founder, Exponential View
“Moving from ancient Roman gestures to modern-day social media empires, Reeves and Goodson brilliantly trace how the like button became the foundation of our digital experience. It’s an essential read for anyone interested in understanding how seemingly minor innovations can reshape not just business but human interaction.”
KAI-FU LEE, coauthor, AI 2041
“Through the fascinating story of the like button, the authors show us the bigger picture of how tech innovation works, how industries are created and disrupted, and how unintended consequences arise and can be dealt with through adaptive regulation.”
RITA MCGRATH, strategist; professor at Columbia Business School
“If you’re looking for a book to ‘like’ I strongly recommend this one. It’s a can’t-put-it-down page-turner about the significance of something (and its serendipitous route into the world) you probably never appreciated. It’s full of twists, turns, interesting characters, and even biology and neuroscience. A fun and instructive read!”
GARY SHTEYNGART, bestselling author, Super Sad True Love Story
“Don’t press the like button! Buy this book instead.”
CASS R. SUNSTEIN, author, How to Become Famous
“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.”
TIGER TYAGARAJAN, former President and CEO, Genpact
“Reeves and Goodson trace the curious origins of the like button and how it facilitated the creation of a new, multibillion dollar industry. The connections between innovation, technology, anthropology, brain science, and cultural history are fascinating. A must-read!”
KARIM R. LAKHANI, Professor at Harvard Business School; coauthor, Competing in the Age of AI
“Like is a captivating exploration of the like button’s evolution, 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.”
W. BRIAN ARTHUR, author, The Nature of Technology
“The story of how a seemingly small innovation—the like button—was birthed, surged into prominence, and went on to change whole industries. Innovation in technology, Reeves and Goodson tell us, is by no means orderly, planned, and predictable. Rather it is disorderly, unruly, and unguided. A riveting tale.”
DAVID DE ROTHSCHILD Chairman and Trustee, Voice for Nature Foundation
“Two thumbs up! A must-read for those interested in how our individual digital interactions shape our world view.”
ANNA LEMBKE, MD, NYT bestselling author, Dopamine Nation
“Like is a must-read for anyone interested in how digital technology is shaping our lives and re-wiring our brains. Fascinating, 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, including where it began, how it works, and what tomorrow may bring. Two thumbs up!”
NIELS LUNDE, Editor in Chief, Dagbladet Børsen
“Like is wildly original. Who would have thought that such a simple button could hide a deep understanding of technology, money, and regulation? Martin Reeves shows once again that he is a unique thinker, possessing one of the most valuable human qualities: curiosity.”
AZEEM AZHAR, founder, Exponential View
“Moving from ancient Roman gestures to modern-day social media empires, Reeves and Goodson brilliantly trace how the like button became the foundation of our digital experience. It’s an essential read for anyone interested in understanding how seemingly minor innovations can reshape not just business but human interaction.”
KAI-FU LEE, coauthor, AI 2041
“Through the fascinating story of the like button, the authors show us the bigger picture of how tech innovation works, how industries are created and disrupted, and how unintended consequences arise and can be dealt with through adaptive regulation.”
RITA MCGRATH, strategist; professor at Columbia Business School
“If you’re looking for a book to ‘like’ I strongly recommend this one. It’s a can’t-put-it-down page-turner about the significance of something (and its serendipitous route into the world) you probably never appreciated. It’s full of twists, turns, interesting characters, and even biology and neuroscience. A fun and instructive read!”
GARY SHTEYNGART, bestselling author, Super Sad True Love Story
“Don’t press the like button! Buy this book instead.”
PAUL BUCHHEIT, creator, Gmail; cofounder, FriendFeed
“Like, WOW!”
KARIM R. LAKHANI, Professor at Harvard Business School; coauthor, Competing in the Age of AI
“Like is a captivating exploration of the like button’s evolution, 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.”
BIZ STONE, cofounder, Twitter
“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.”
CASS R. SUNSTEIN, author, How to Become Famous
“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.”
TIGER TYAGARAJAN, former President and CEO, Genpact
“Reeves and Goodson trace the curious origins of the like button and how it facilitated the creation of a new, multibillion dollar industry. The connections between innovation, technology, anthropology, brain science, and cultural history are fascinating. A must-read!”
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
MARTIN REEVES
Martin is a managing director and senior partner in BCG’s San Francisco office, and Chair of the BCG Henderson Institute, BCG’s think tank.
Martin joined BCG in London in 1989 and later moved to Tokyo, where he was responsible for BCG’s business with Western clients. His consulting career has focused on strategy – with equal emphasis on idea origination and development, and application by consulting with clients on their strategy challenges.
He is the co-author of Your Strategy Needs a Strategy (HBR Press, 2015) and The Imagination Machine (HBR Press, 2021) Martin holds a triple first-class MA in natural sciences from Cambridge University and an MBA from Cranfield School of Management.
LINKEDIN | X (FORMERLY TWITTER)
BOB GOODSON
Bob President and Founder of Quid, a Silicon Valley-based company whose AI models are used to understand customer context by a third of the Fortune 50.
Before starting Quid, he was the first employee at Yelp, where he played a role in the genesis of the like button and observed firsthand the rise of the social media industry. After Quid received an award in 2016 from the World Economic Forum for “Contributions to the Future of the Internet,” Bob served a two-year term on WEF’s Global Future Council for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics.
While at Oxford University doing graduate research in language theory, Bob co-founded Oxford Entrepreneurs to connect scientists with business-minded students.