Game of Life [Paperback]

Timothy Leary (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1989

Eagerly awaited and long out of print, this new edition is already an instant hit! Written in the 70's with all the influence of the wild and wonderful 60's, The Game Of Life reflects the depth of mind of one of the unique human beings of this century. Extensively illustrated

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: New Falcon Pubns (February 1989)
• ISBN-10: 0941404641
• ISBN-13: 978-0941404648
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,607,349 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leary's Neuro-Circuits via Tarot, February 23, 2000

By 

rareoopdvds (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Game of Life (Future History Series, Vol. 5) (Paperback)

Dr. Timothy Leary's book 'The Game of Life' (Part 4 of his Future-History Series) is by far one of his best and most accessible. Although, like most of his books, they are chaotic and disorganized and for the most part confusing, this book catergorizes Leary's own philosophy into the scientific-occult world of Aleister Crowley and Tarot. Leary begins with evolution and Darwin, along with Mendeleyev and his classification of chemical elements. Along with neurological thoughts of the nervous system, DNA, synaptic connections, I-Ching and Hindu Mythology. This is the first part, which may seem random and non-linear, he eventually connects all of this to the system of Tarot, which is the ancient occult divination practice in which picture symbols unconsciously give your brain suggestions in e-volving your DNA consciousness while in-volving your body/mind circuitry. Highly regarding Aleister Crowley's work in his "Book of Thoth" and his own Tarot deck, he understands that Crowley was on a similar path, only using different language. The second part is a chapter dedicated to each Tarot card alloting it its own intelligence in the chain of evolutionary process. Leary does expand the set giving it 24 major cards instead of the standard 22. An excellent book and highly reccomended to all!. At first glance this book may look like an issue of Mad Magazine, but once studied and practiced, it all comes together. Although its hard to appreciate on its own, I would suggest reading Crowley's own "Book of Thoth" along with it. Also reccomended is Leary's "Info-Psychology" in which he explains the 24 neuro-circuits more scientifically. And for an even more accessible view and understanding of Leary's 24 neuro-circuits is Robert Anton Wilson's "Prometheus Rising." These books together will give you a 3-Dimensional understanding and insight into the wisdom of the body/brain. This book also has contributiuons by R. A. Wilson.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Evolutionary Masterpiece & Manual For Post Terrestrial Life, January 14, 2006

By 

Cthulhu (Roanoke, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Game of Life (Paperback)

For a nominal fee: It Will Shock! It Will Amaze! Step right this way...

This is my favorite Timothy Leary book, and that's saying a lot when compared to the likes of The Politics Of Ecstasy, Neuropolitics, Exo-Psychology, The Intelligence Agents, Confessions Of A Hope Fiend, Flashbacks, etc. This is the one that ties it all together. Presented in sensational tabloid fashion, tongue-in-cheek, he masterfully combines and correlates the Periodic Table, chemistry, evolutionary theory, microbiology, psychology, Tarot, astrology, mysticism, religion, history, terrestrial politics, science-fiction, and so forth. An amazing bit of propaganda for progress and higher intelligence (sorely needed on this backward and primitive orb). He should have won the governorship of California and gone on to be President of these United States---not Reagan. This land would have turned out very very different (all kidding aside, man), and we might now be colonizing space (with H.O.M.E.s---that's High Orbital Mini Earths), the moon and Mars instead of talking about it. His laissez faire and mercantilist outlook would certainly have been better for the economy, to say the least, especially nowadays (argh!). More than a nod is given to such divergent luminaries, psychotics and "futants" as Aleister Crowley (whose scholarship, among others, was an inspiration for this book), Werner von Braun, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Edward Teller, Adolf Hitler, etc.

Each consecutive page is presented as a whole, that is (for one thing), they don't end with sentences that need to be completed on the next page. They are complete texts (along with whatever provocative titles and graphics that are attendant). This, as well as the fact that the book is roughly 8 1/2 X 11 inches, makes it ideal for those copy shop guerilla Intelligence Agents who like to make illicit postings in public places. I suppose that was the idea... (heh heh)

The book is not only immensely informative and inspiring---it is fun! Also, since he deals with his subject matter with patient good humour and high (sorry) spirits, it is absolutely hilarious. And though Leary treats terrestrial politics with the biting satire it so richly deserves, it is easy to see that he was quite serious about humankind's future and evolution, as symbolized in his oft referenced acronym S.M.I.L.E (Space Migration, Intelligence <squared> Increase, and Life Extension). The self-described "cheerleader for change" promoted his passion for space migration and evolution with the zeal of an evangelist and the skill of a mass media marketing wizard.

The Game Of Life is absolutely essential to any post-larval wondering what happened to the electric kool-aid 60s party.

And remember: INTELLIGENCE IS THE ULTIMATE APHRODISIAC.

© 2006 RAPWreckerds

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Einstein of Psychology will turn on your genius circuit., February 15, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Game of Life (Future History Series, Vol. 5) (Paperback)

An ultimate Trip Manual and yogic navigation guide. A Bible.

This is my favorite book and my second-most influential. It can literally turn on your genius circuit (the 7th circuit of the 8 described). It will seem ridiculous and mostly metaphorical until you realize that Timothy Leary (at least while he was 'high') was, and is, literally communicating here as DNA consciousness, aka the Word of God.

I think there are some small inaccuracies in the correspondences, but the scope of knowledge integration here is overwhelming. Your mind will blow and re-fuse relentlessly on the first and subsequent readings.

Like all scriptures, it will seed your mind with key ideas that will pop open and grow synergistically.

What other book sythesizes the key patterns in psychology, ontogeny and phylogeny, technological development, sociology, neurochemistry, physics, linguistics and yoga?

Leary himself never mastered the 8 circuits of consciousness he describes in The Game of Life, or he wouldn't have suffered from cancer or even old age. But he actualized and demonstrated the use of all 8 of these neurological systems in his lifetime and I suppose he is in the same business now in the Hyperlife.

Timothy Leary will be recognized as the Einstein of Psychology early this century. Did you know he wrote the seminal 'Interpersonal Diagnosis of Personality' in the 50's? And that was before he 'discovered' his brain and then his DNA via inter- and intra-neuronal yoga, using the biochemical keys that can be used to activate these domains of experience.

This book is real magic and is inspired by the Holy Spirit though it appears blasphemous. It is for many an initiation like the Gospel of John or Yogananda's Autobiography, and it reveals many of the same principles; though with more humor than either.