Author Description
What is gamesmanship? Most difficult of questions to answer briefly. The Art of Winning Games Without Actually Cheating that is my personal working definition. What is its object? There have been five hundred books written on the subject of games. Five hundred books on play and the tactics of play. Not one on the art of winning. "Stephen Potter has used his extensive experience as a master gamesman to compile this instructional text on the techniques, strategies and etiquette of gamesmanship. Here you will learn how to win games you have no idea how to play, and manoeuvre your opponents into losing when they really should be winning. This funny, charming book is brought to life with helpful diagrams, anecdotes and hilarious conversations. A must read for any sporting chap or chapette. It was first published in 1947.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
The core question investigated is how one may consistently secure victory in competitive games without resorting to overt cheating. Stephen Potter, a British author and humorist, utilizes his background in social observation and satire to construct a framework for psychological manipulation. He argues that the technical mastery of a game is secondary to the ability to disrupt an opponent's confidence and composure through calculated social maneuvering.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A comprehensive taxonomy of psychological ploys and conversational gambits
- Instructional diagrams illustrating the positioning and timing of disruptive tactics
- Anecdotal evidence derived from social and sporting environments
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide technical rules or strategies for specific athletic or board games
- It does not address the ethics of fair play in a serious or philosophical capacity
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Critics and readers frequently identify this work as a foundational text in the genre of satirical self-help literature. Experts note that while the prose is presented as a serious instructional manual, it is primarily valued for its dry wit and its accurate, if exaggerated, depiction of human competitiveness.
Page Count:
103
Publication Date:
1977-09-29
Publisher:
PENGUIN
ISBN-10:
0140018263
ISBN-13:
9780140018264
Humor
Philosophy
Politics & Social Sciences
Satire
Ethics & Morality
Miscellaneous
classic
Reference
Social Commentary
Sports Psychology
Games
Humor
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