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Hacker News Comments on
Finite and Infinite Games

James Carse · 9 HN comments

HN Books has aggregated all Hacker News stories and comments that mention "Finite and Infinite Games" by James Carse.

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Amazon Summary

“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 familiar contests of everyday life; they are played in order to be won, which is when they end. But infinite games are more mysterious. Their object is not winning, but ensuring the continuation of play. The rules may change, the boundaries may change, even the participants may change—as long as the game is never allowed to come to an end. What are infinite games? How do they affect the ways we play our finite games? What are we doing when we play—finitely or infinitely? And how can infinite games affect the ways in which we live our lives? Carse explores these questions with stunning elegance, teasing out of his distinctions a universe of observation and insight, noting where and why and how we play, finitely and infinitely. He surveys our world—from the finite games of the playing field and playing board to the infinite games found in culture and religion—leaving all we think we know illuminated and transformed. Along the way, Carse finds new ways of understanding everything, from how an actress portrays a role to how we engage in sex, from the nature of evil to the nature of science. Finite games, he shows, may offer wealth and status, power and glory, but infinite games offer something far more subtle and far grander. Carse has written a book rich in insight and aphorism. Already an international literary event, Finite and Infinite Games is certain to be argued about and celebrated for years to come. Reading it is the first step in learning to play the infinite game.

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Hacker News Stories and Comments

All the comments and stories posted to Hacker News that reference this book.

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May 05, 2022 · coderintherye on What game are you playing?

If you find this interesting, then you would probably enjoy reading "Finite and Infinite Games" https://www.amazon.com/Finite-Infinite-Games-James-Carse/dp/...

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Dec 22, 2020 · thunderbong on Nature invented play long before it invented us

I've found 'Finite and Infinite Games' by James Carse to be amazing thorough and enriching book along these lines.
https://www.amazon.com/Finite-Infinite-Games-James-Carse/dp/...

⬐ iamcreasy
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll read it.

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Dec 04, 2019 · thunderbong on How to play with people who are better than you

This is probabley a bit off topic, but for me, the James Carse book, "Finite and Infinite Games" is the last word on all games!
https://www.amazon.com/Finite-Infinite-Games-James-Carse/dp/...

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Oct 16, 2019 · ohduran on The Myth of 10,000 hours

Agreed. So 10'000 hours of practice isn't just doing it, it's actually becoming obsessed with doing it BETTER. I can make sandwiches all day long, but only if I focus on how precise I am in the dose of mayonnaise, how seamless my spreading it over the bread, and how exact is the time the sandwich spends on which part of the refrigerator, then I'll improve.
Sorry I'm tremendously eager to eat a sandwich right now. A good follow up book after reading Outliers is James P Catse's "Finite and Infinite Games": https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1476731713/ref=as_li_tl?ie...

⬐ bluGill
I know a lot of people who have 6 months of practice, repeated dozens of times. Most drivers for example have about that much, and it shows in how they drive.

⬐ ohduran
Can't describe it better (unless it involves food). Good job!

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Feb 06, 2019 · ehosca on Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?

Finite and Infinite Games
https://www.amazon.com/Finite-Infinite-Games-James-Carse/dp/...
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquir...

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Apr 25, 2018 · tlb on Introspect Yourself

There is indeed a good book's worth of depth: https://www.amazon.com/Finite-Infinite-Games-James-Carse/dp/...

⬐ gglitch
I wish I'd read this book when I was in my teens. It's transformative even now; but I'm now so firmly entrenched in exigencies, attitudes, and ancient habits that I feel like I need near-daily reminders and affirmations to begin to turn the ship around.

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Apr 11, 2016 · jacobolus on The rituals we perform and the games we play

My two favorite books on this subject:
1) James Carse, Finite and Infinite Games, http://amzn.com/1476731713
2) Antoine de St.-Exupéry, Wisdom of the Sands (Fr. Citadelle) http://amzn.com/0226733726

⬐ Jasamba
I love you for this, the first book is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks! - author

⬐ Paul_S
Russians do it better. Gulag Archipelago, War and Peace. OK, so they use more pages...

⬐ Jasamba
I started reading that one once. It's been 9 years..

⬐ jacobolus
These are both great books, but they aren’t really the same subject per se.

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Oct 25, 2014 · kqr2 on A Culture of Envy

The book which this article is based on is Finite and Infinite Games by James Carse.
http://www.amazon.com/Finite-Infinite-Games-James-Carse/dp/1...
For some reason, the article mentions the author but does not explicitly mention the title of the book.

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Nov 13, 2013 · DustinCalim on End of Inception decoded [video]

There is a book called "Finite and Infinite Games" that you should read. http://www.amazon.com/Finite-Infinite-Games-James-Carse/dp/1...
It's really metaphor for life.

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Hacker News Comments on
Finite and Infinite Games