Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility by James P. Carse
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Book Reviews of Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility
Book Review: Practically a unified-field theory of human relationships
Summary: 5 Stars
Professor Carse writes in the first chapter, "There are at least two kinds of games. 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." From that beginning he broadly defines "game" in a way that includes, defines, and lays an analytical foundation for all relationships. The book's subtitle is "A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility," and it is a profound work, practically a unified-field theory of human relationships.For example, the book contains an interesting theory about sexuality, as being either a finite game (§§ 54-59) or an infinite game (§§ 60-62). The contrast between perceiving sexual relationships as finite or infinite is startling. On a broader (yet surprisingly even more personal) level, in his chapter titled "A Finite Game Occurs Within a World" (ch. 4), Carse explores the individual's struggle with defining, regarding, and regulating the world around oneself in a way that includes everyone around one, or just oneself alone.
The first step in appreciating this book is understanding that any relationship or process can be characterized in "finite" or "infinite" terms. The second step is recognizing that that characterization is almost always a matter of choice and that, by choosing to characterize a relationship as "infinite," one can redefine it in a meaningful and healthy way. After reading this book, you may never look at the world around you, or at any relationship, or at yourself in quite the same way. This book reconfigures thinking about interpersonal reality as deeply as Kuhn's "Structure of Scientific Revolutions" reconfigured thinking about the scientific method.
Book Review: Really interesting construction, sometimes difficult
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of my favorite books because it attempts to construct a new view of the world piece by piece and actually succeeds. This is not to say that the view is right or wrong. It is just rare that someone constructs a view that could be viewed as a "revolt" against our daily experience of structure, but does so in a logical, fun, and non-threatening way. We end up left with the choice to change how we participate in the daily activities or not. There is no requirement to overthrow or denounce your own past actions or anyone else's.
I like Carse's use of a game as the base structure because it makes it easy to say, "Hey, we're just playing a game here...suspend your normal judgment and play by these rules." He then proceeds to detail specific definitions of many terms to set up contrasting ways of looking at the world. He also uses some humorous analogies. It is common when I am in certain situations to remember that people do compete passionately to become the "baton twirling champion of Indiana."
For me, the beginning sections of this book move rather quickly. It sometimes seems as if much is obvious and that this is more of a clever, pun book. But, it definitely gets more difficult a third to a half-way through. So, be prepared to reread some sections. But, the consistency of thought never ends and the building of deeper ideas on top of simpler ones makes the book have a definite flow versus just be some inspirational passages.
This is highly recommended. I have purchased many copies as gifts over the years.
Book Review: Rethinking all that we do - in a creative way
Summary: 5 Stars
James Carse's seemingly simplistic reduction of all human life to either finite or infinite games is not so simple after all.
The ring of truth in the reduction, that games are played either toward an end with a victor or toward continuation with meaning, holds because one can easily understand its application in any setting in life. (War, love, marriage, work, religion, politics, etc.)
However, what does one do with this recognition? The reader is challenged to apply Carse's informing model into one's own life. For example, sitting on a non-profit's board one can either seek to enact one's own agenda no matter what (finite) or find, through relationships and openness, an agenda which serves a larger constiuency (infinite).
I was often reminded of Edwin Markham's little (but epic) poem:
"He drew a circle which shut me out,
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win,
We drew a circle that took him in."
Finite and Infinite - which would you choose? Are you more about titles or inherent identity? Are you more about success or relationships?
What would a world (part of the vast infinite reality of existence) look like if it were structured on infinite games only? And isn't that, maybe, just what existence itself is trying to teach us but we haven't reach the level of spiritual complexity at which we can learn and remember that simple truth.
Book Review: Freedom In A Little Black Book
Summary: 5 Stars
I read Finite and Infinite Games by James P. Carse when it came out in paperback and I still remember the THRILL of the opening premise, about there being two kinds of games, finite and infinite.
I bought multiple copies, giving them to my family and friends; keeping several around the house to remind me of the premise whenever I saw their thin black edges on my shelves.
If there is a Western writer of "koans" equal in power to the Zen Buddhists, it must be Carse. He starts with simple premises in the best Western logical style and builds on them. Before you know it you're going, whoa...
Out of nowhere, from reading toward the back of the book I gained an appreciation of why my mother enjoyed collecting silver (something I'd only rolled my eyes at before). And for that matter, why people collect ANYthing.
From reading toward the front of the book I gained a whole new insight about people (including me) wanting to make records that would "stand for all time". And how to still aspire to those without taking them (quite) so seriously. From that "aha" my life perspective gained a new calm and poise.
If there were one word to summarize what this book encompasses (and no, there is no such word), it's "freedom". Freedom to aspire, freedom to achieve, freedom to take life fully seriously but with a mischevious, fun, impish spirit behind it all saying something like, There, there, good job!
Book Review: What kind of game are you playing?
Summary: 5 Stars
Everything that you do can be thought of as a game. All human activities take place within boundaries, all have a limited duration, and all are directed towards some sort of end or goal. There are rules for chess and rules for polite conversation, rules for checkers and rules for driving, rules for soccer and rules for the boardroom, rules for football and rules for the bedroom. You play games by yourself, game with friends, games with coworkers and games with strangers. Everyone is a player, weather they realize it or not, but what type of player are you?As James P Carse puts it, there are two types of games, finite and infinite. And two types of players. Finite players play -within- rules, infinite players play -with- rules. Finite players play to end the game (with their victory), infinite players play to continue the game (by whatever means they see fit). Finite players play to win, infinite players play to play.
This book helped me see things in ways I hadn't seen them before. By putting my attention on the rules I play by, I realized I could do more with those rules, and change those rules, more than I had thought possible. I became better at playing all my games, because I no longer played for the same reasons as I had before.
Read the book and you might play a different game as well.