Book report: The Luck Factor, by Richard Wiseman
Read this book!
We all know lucky people, whose lives sail along on a sea of good fortune. They get into the right schools effortlessly, meet and marry their perfect mate, move from triumph to triumph in their jobs, enjoy good health, have many friends, and receive gifts from the world. They're lucky, and it's tempting to dismiss this as fate or happenstance.
Richard Wiseman has gone far beyond this, however. He has studied both lucky and unlucky people, and has made the amazing discovery that lucky people behave differently from other people, usually without realizing it. They unconsciously act in ways that bring them "luck" constantly. What's even better, the less lucky can learn these behaviors and make their own lives luckier. You can't escape random misfortune: no one can do that. But you can change the way you are in the world and reap many benefits.
The author is a scientist, an experimental psychologist, and writes very clearly and understandably. He describes a number of fascinating experiments that he and others have carried out, which teach various lessons about luck. He also uses many examples and anecdotes from the lives of the lucky and unlucky people who were part of his studies. All along the way are brief questions that can reveal where you are on various aspects of the world of luck, and suggestions about how to change your luck.
As part of his research, he started a "Luck School" to teach people in his studies how to improve their luck. Some very unlucky people made some dramatic improvements in their luck. Even people who were already pretty lucky were able to increase their own luck. He explains what to do to bring this about in your own life.
After reading this book, I am aware of several simple and concrete actions that I can do in my own life to improve my own luck. Anybody can do these actions: it ain't rocket science. But here's the interesting thing: unlucky people probably won't read this book or follow its suggestions. That's one of their characteristics and one way that they unconsciously perpetuate their own bad luck.
So, the question is: are you feeling lucky?
Read this book!
We all know lucky people, whose lives sail along on a sea of good fortune. They get into the right schools effortlessly, meet and marry their perfect mate, move from triumph to triumph in their jobs, enjoy good health, have many friends, and receive gifts from the world. They're lucky, and it's tempting to dismiss this as fate or happenstance.
Richard Wiseman has gone far beyond this, however. He has studied both lucky and unlucky people, and has made the amazing discovery that lucky people behave differently from other people, usually without realizing it. They unconsciously act in ways that bring them "luck" constantly. What's even better, the less lucky can learn these behaviors and make their own lives luckier. You can't escape random misfortune: no one can do that. But you can change the way you are in the world and reap many benefits.
The author is a scientist, an experimental psychologist, and writes very clearly and understandably. He describes a number of fascinating experiments that he and others have carried out, which teach various lessons about luck. He also uses many examples and anecdotes from the lives of the lucky and unlucky people who were part of his studies. All along the way are brief questions that can reveal where you are on various aspects of the world of luck, and suggestions about how to change your luck.
As part of his research, he started a "Luck School" to teach people in his studies how to improve their luck. Some very unlucky people made some dramatic improvements in their luck. Even people who were already pretty lucky were able to increase their own luck. He explains what to do to bring this about in your own life.
After reading this book, I am aware of several simple and concrete actions that I can do in my own life to improve my own luck. Anybody can do these actions: it ain't rocket science. But here's the interesting thing: unlucky people probably won't read this book or follow its suggestions. That's one of their characteristics and one way that they unconsciously perpetuate their own bad luck.
So, the question is: are you feeling lucky?
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