about goodreads

our mission

Goodreads' mission is to improve the process of reading and learning throughout the world.

why we're gonna do it

Let's make reading fun again. Somehow, reading books seems to have gotten a bad rap. People are working too hard and not making time to read, people are watching TV because they can veg out and turn their brains off — hey, we feel it too! But every once in a while you run into a friend who tells you about this "great new book I'm reading." And suddenly you're excited to read it. It's that kind of excitement that Goodreads is all about.

how we're gonna do it

Most book recommendation websites work by listing random people’s reviews. On Goodreads, when a person adds a book to the site, all their friends can see what they thought of it. It’s common sense. People are more likely to get excited about a book their friend recommends than a suggestion from a stranger.

who are we?

Goodreads is a privately run website started in 2006 by software engineer and entrepreneur Otis Chandler. Before founding Goodreads, Otis was Product Manager of LoveHappens.com, a subsidiary of Tickle.com. Monster Worldwide, the leading purveyor of online jobs, purchased the company in 2004. Otis graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. Along with a passion for building websites, he’s also a voracious reader.

Chief Librarian and wordsmith Elizabeth Khuri initially provided moral support and a few literary insights. She now helps out with all things fuzzy and unrelated to engineering on the site. Before Goodreads, Elizabeth graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in English (with a focus in creative writing) and a Masters from USC Annenberg in journalism. She's a big fan of old, musty fiction and anything with a bit of whimsy such as Calvino, Dahl, Kafka and Wilde.

a letter from our founder

When I was in second grade, I discovered the Hardy Boys series. Ever since, I've loved to read — both for fun and to improve my mind. And I'm always looking for the next great book. Reviews on Amazon and other sites are helpful, but I thought there might be a better way.

One afternoon while I was scanning a friend's bookshelf for my next great read, it struck me. When I want to know what books to read, I'd rather turn to a friend than any random person, bestseller list or algorithm. So I thought I'd build a website — a website where I could see my friends' bookshelves and learn about what they thought of all their books.

Goodreads is that site. It is a place where you can see what your friends are reading and vice versa. You can create "bookshelves" to organize what you've read (or want to read). You can comment on each other's reviews. And on this journey with your friends you can explore new territory, gather information, and expand your mind.

Knowledge is power; and power is best shared among friends.