Book cover of Finite and Infinite Games

Book description

"There are at least two kinds of games," states James P. Carse as he begins this extraordinary book. "One could be called finite; the other infinite. A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play."

Finite games are the…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Finite and Infinite Games as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Finite games aim at winning, whereby the game is over. Infinite games aim at continuing the play and are never over.

One’s career is a finite game that ends with success; one’s life is an infinite game that aims at continuation. What does this have to do with political rhetoric?

Some people make arguments in order to win them, while other people offer arguments in order to continue the game of argumentation. Some people tell stories for power or profit, while others tell stories to elicit other stories and keep the game going. Philosopher James Carse argues that we treat…

After the first edition of Psychology for a Better World was published, I was on the search for a symbol or metaphor to capture the drive of so many people to contribute to the common good. It needed to be something that worked in secular settings and would resonate with the big social movements for the environment, justice, and wellbeing. I heard Carse speak about the infinite game on a podcast and immediately bought his book.

The notion is simple – in life, there are at least two kinds of games: finite games in which the object is to win,…

From Niki's list on living well together.

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Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

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