Remarkable

Finite and Infinite Games

James Carse — 2011

“There are at least two kinds of games,” states James Carse as he begins this extraordinary book. “One could be called finite; the other infinite.” 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.

Reviews

Jb@jbr1992

Mar 1, 2024

Strong start, then it fizzles out. One of those books that puts words to things you’ve never had words for before.

Bouke van der Bijl@bouk

Mar 1, 2023

I found this book to be a drag, and not very insightful. The author’s writing is unnecessarily cryptic and just painful to get through at times. My (probably wrong summary) 1. Life is one big game 2. It contains smaller games within it 3. It contains many players 4. You are one of those players, and not the others 5. The players interact with each other through the smaller games 6. They have various reasons for doing things 7. You can make your own choices 8. Some players realize the existence of the games, some don’t 9. Enjoy your life That’s it kind of?

Andrew Louis@hyfen

Feb 6, 2023

About 20% was really good

Kyle S@kylesq9

Aug 5, 2022

The book has a lot of good ideas but I feel like Carse gets lost and rambly after the first chapter. The last two chapters were alright and had some good points but it doesn't redeem the rest of the book. If you're interested in the subject matter you're better off with reading a blog post summarizing the book.

Maggie Delano@maggiedelano

Jan 2, 2022

I couldn't make it past page 70 of this book. Not only was it incredibly repetitive, it kept making ridiculous sweeping generalizations like every situation was either a finite or infinite game. I skipped to the end to try to figure out if he went anywhere with all the banter but it appeared to be more of the same.

Ivaylo Durmonski@durmonski

Oct 29, 2021

While short, this book is so deep and thought-provoking that it’s hard to define the spectrum of the content. It’s about how to approach life, but it’s also about much more than that. Finite and Infinite Games is a book about everything. A philosophical examination of how we live our lives and how we are to live our lives. Carse presents the world as a playground where you’re either a finite player or infinite. The first group, is focused solely on winning the game – on the outcome, the gains from the end result – whereas the second is more interested in the continuation of the game – the process, doing the actual activity. The difference? While finite players pursue rewards that are solely chased to give them titles so other players can see them as more than what they are. Infinite players, in contrast, focus on doing things that will be remembered even long after their gone. They are not interested in how others perceive them. They are more concerned now the world can benefit from their deeds. Infinite players, also referred to as Master Players, don’t perceive the limitations set by society as obstacles. They see them as part of the game. Therefore, they play with the rules, they don’t feel oppressed by them. But these are just part of the insightful concepts presented in this short, but intriguing book. If you want to carve your own path and find a worthy game to involve yourself in, this book will surely aid you. If you consider yourself an expert, a guru loved by everyone, you’ll surely reject the ideas inside. Not because they are not true, but because they will take away the (false) perception you’ve built for yourself. Key takeaway? A finite player trains to be prepared. He believes that his preparation will be enough to get him the prize he so desperately desires. The infinite player knows that preparation is good but also realizes that you cannot be fully prepared. He is perfectly aware that he will be surprised, no matter how hard he trains. Read the full summary: https://durmonski.com/book-summaries/...