The Luck Factor: Why Some People Are Luckier Than Others and How You Can Become One of Them [Paperback]

Max Gunther (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 25, 2010

Max Gunther's classic text brought back into print

Luck. We can't see it, or touch it, but we can feel it. We all know it when we experience it. It's an obvious description of obvious events. But does it go deeper than this? And if it goes deeper, does it do so in any way which we can harness to our own and others' advantage?

Taking us on a richly anecdotal ride through the more popular theories and histories of luck - from pseudoscience to paganism, through mathematicians to magicians - Max Gunther arrives at a careful set of scientific conclusions as to the nature of luck, and the possibility of managing it.

Based entirely on drawing out the logical truths hidden in some examples of outrageous fortune (and some of the seemingly absurd theories of its origins), he presents readers with the concise formulae which make up what he calls "The Luck Factor" - the five traits that lucky people have in common - and shows how anyone can improve their luck.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Max Gunther is the author of several books, including 'The Zurich Axioms' (9781897597491) 'How to Make Your Man More Sensitive' and 'The Very Rich and How They Got That Way'. He is very lucky.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: Harriman House (February 25, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1906659494
• ISBN-13: 978-1906659493
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #367,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anyone interested in probability should read this book, June 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Luck Factor (Mass Market Paperback)

Intuition tells us (as does this book) that all things are not equal when it comes to the way that seemingly random occurences affect individuals. Some people are just luckier than others in terms of how these events appear and play out in their favor. Gunther takes an open-minded approach to the question of luck, and interviews unquestionably lucky and unlucky individuals to see what the common factors are. His analysis includes the expected (lucky people have more opportunities by virtue of their personalities), but he isn't afraid to talk about findings that don't fall nicely into a causal, classical model. Why should a person's state of mind matter in determining their luck, above and beyond how it changes their outward behavior? This book doesn't present the whole answer to that question, but it does lay a good foundation for giving the matter some serious thought.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to an elusive element, March 19, 2003

By 

Narayanan (NEW DELHI, India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Luck Factor (Mass Market Paperback)

Believe me. This is one book anybody who feels fate has give them a hard kick must have. This book will tell you why your less 'talented' friend did better than one of your apparently more talented ones. I'd read a lot of self-help books of all kind before I read this but this one ranks right there with Think and Grow Rich and How to win Friends and Influence People. It tells you exactly what luck is and how you can make it work for you. It is obvious that the author did extensive research before writing this. A unique thing in this book is the study of comparative luck-beliefs like probability. This book may not turnaround somebody's luck at once, but will be a great help in understanding luck and improving once chances in life. As a bonus, it is factually entertaining!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I bought each of my three children a copy of this book!, June 24, 2003

By 

M.L. Lindsey (MainLine, Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Luck Factor (Mass Market Paperback)

I saw Max Gunther on a late night talk show when he was prmoting the book. his informal, casual discussion highlights from his research really impressed me. I purchased the book a few days later. The kind of information in this book is whatever person in their late 20s should know. what he wrote about 25 years ago still stands today. Great stuff!