Hooked by Design by Ramya Ranganathan asks why our minds feel so overwhelmed in a world designed to keep us clicking, comparing, striving and wanting more. She reveals how modern hyper-stimulating culture hijacks ancient brain systems built for survival, belonging and reward—leaving us distracted, anxious and disconnected from what makes us feel fully alive.
About Hooked by Design
Blending neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, coaching insights and personal experience, Ranganathan introduces a memorable cast of inner characters—from Captain Storm, our threat detector, to Dopamma, the restless force of pursuit, and Serona, the voice of steadiness and enoughness. Through examples from coaching clients, classrooms, family life, social media, work culture and her own struggles, she shows how these circuits shape everyday behaviour: comparing oneself to a colleague’s promotion, overgiving in group chats, working without rest, using humour to avoid difficult conversations, expecting instant responses, buying more than needed, and mistaking information consumption for learning.
The book’s argument is compassionate rather than shaming: these behaviours are not personal failures but predictable outcomes of ancient circuits placed inside exploitative modern systems. Published by Penguin Business (Penguin Random House India), this 296-page paperback (ISBN 9789377306472) is scheduled for October 2026 with an India MRP of ₹499.
