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The Luck Factor [Hardcover]

Richard Wiseman (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)


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Book Description

April 2, 2003
Is luck just fate, or can you change it?

A groundbreaking new scientific study of the phenomenon of luck—and the ways we can bring good luck into our lives. What is luck? A psychic gift or a question of intelligence? And what is it that lucky people have that unlucky people lack? Psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman put luck under a scientific microscope for the very first time, examining the different ways in which lucky and unlucky people think and behave. After three years of intensive interviews and experiments with over 400 volunteers, Wiseman arrived at an astonishing conclusion: Luck is something that can be learned. It is available to anyone willing to pay attention to the Four Essential Principles:

. Creating Chance Opportunities
. Thinking Lucky
. Feeling Lucky
. Denying Fate

Readers can determine their capacity for luck as well as learn to change their luck through helpful exercises that appear throughout the book. Illustrated with anecdotes from the lives of the famous such as Harry Truman and Warren Buffett, The Luck Factor also richly portrays the lives of ordinary people who have been extraordinarily lucky or unlucky. Finally Dr. Wiseman gives us a look into "The Luck School" where he instructs unlucky people and also teaches lucky people how to further enhance their luck.

Smart, enlightening, fun to read, and easy to follow, The Luck Factor will give you revolutionary insight into the lucky mind and could, quite simply, change your life.



Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Filled with real-life stories from hundreds of interviews; inspirational quotes from the likes of Benjamin Franklin and Oprah Winfrey; and graphed research data from his eight-year study of luck, Wiseman's book promises to offer "a scientifically proven way to understand, control, and increase your luck." While many believe luck is a mystical force influenced by superstitious rituals, Wiseman, psychology chair at the University of Herfordshire in England, claims lucky people simply possess four basic psychological traits unlucky people don't: the ability to maximize chance opportunities, to listen to "gut feelings," to expect good fortune and to see the bright side of bad luck. Questionnaires and exercises offer guidance on how to acquire or enhance luckiness while keeping a "luck journal" and incorporating techniques to increase intuition, stop negative self-fulfilling prophecies and learn how to effectively network. The format is marked by redundant chapter summaries, but Wiseman's upbeat, charismatic tone might persuade even skeptical readers of the transformative effect luck can have in their personal and professional lives.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Might persuade even skeptical readers of the transformative effect luck can have in their personal and professional lives." -- Publishers Weekly

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  • Hardcover: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Miramax (April 2, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0786869143
  • ISBN-13: 978-0786869145
  • Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #292,027 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard Wiseman is Britain's only professor for the Public Understanding of Psychology and has an international reputation for his research into unusual areas including deception, luck, humour and the paranormal. He is the psychologist most frequently quoted by the British media and his research has been featured on over 150 television programmes in the UK. He is regularly heard on Radio 4 and feature articles about his work have appeared prominently throughout the national press.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 41 people found the following review helpful
It really does work! July 27, 2005
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
All I can say is that we got this book, and things actually DID strart going better, including getting a better job, having more positive things happen, etc. Things literally turned around. And that was within one month. I liked the exercises - very practical and doable.

In regard to the idea that he didn't have any objective test for luck - Dr. W. had subjects go into rather lengthy descriptions of what in their lives had happened to support their perception of themselves as lucky or unlucky. By most people's standards, the unlucky people WERE having rather hard times. The lucky people were having a much easier time.

It's important to remember that Dr. W. is sort of professional skeptic - he's not into the paranormal. He got these principles out of hard-headed investigation. I learned in the lab - don't argue with the results you have gotten! He's gotten good results - try it for yourself and see!
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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
The Luck Factor by Richard Wiseman is definitely one of the more interesting/entertaining books I have read in my lifetime. I am not much of an avid book reader, but I do know a good book when I read one. Throughout the book, the doctor details the data gathered from many people of various types who he studied to discover just what exactly makes one person "luckier" than another. One thing he found was that persons who exert themselves socially create more contacts and more opportunities for "lucky" events. He spent eight years doing many elaborate tests and comparing the data from these tests. And with the results, he compiled this masterpiece book that everyone should read--especially the unlucky!
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27 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Fortune's foursome July 24, 2004
Format:Hardcover
This 10-year study with volunteers reveals that good fortune is not primarily due to talent, hard work or intelligence. The scientific investigation is based upon interviews and experiments with people who consider themselves lucky; the author concludes that luck is a state of mind that may be cultivated.

Wiseman identifies four principles that underlie a life of good fortune, adherence to which will draw good luck into the life of the individual. These are 1. The belief that you are lucky (lucky people create, notice and act upon chance opportunities. They also have a relaxed attitude to life). 2. Lucky people make success happen by using their intuition and gut feelings. 3. One must expect good fortune, hold fast to this belief and persevere in attempting to achieve your goals. 4. Lucky people have a knack for transforming back luck into good luck. One must affirm your good fortune and have a strong conviction that everything will work out for the best.

The text is illustrated by graphs illustrating the research results plus some black and white illustrations of playing cards. Overall the conclusions are quite impressive and I find the results of the study very convincing. There are plenty of exercises and the book concludes with notes that include bibliographic references. It is heartening to finally see scientific proof of the claims made by sages and esotericists down the ages
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Good book, bad condition..
This book was in a very used condition, as opposed to how it was described by the seller. I even found a piece of a medication package in the book (what the hell???!! Read more
Published 7 days ago by Adnène
Good Ideas, Poorly writen.
Good Ideas, Poorly written.
The Book has some good Ideas and concepts. Is poorly written, to many examples of peoples experiences that don't really add to a "Scientific"... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Hoyos
The Luck Factor
So far I understand the first essentital principle and why some people make their own luck. It's not me so I'm reading the other 3 essentital priniciples and I hope I fall into... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Luck
Author Is A Moron, He Missed The Most Important Reasons For Good Luck!
It's been shown that beautiful people get higher interest rates on investments! Why didn't he know this, he must have been living under a rock. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Steve C
The Luck Factor
Good Book with very good suggestions for improving your luck. The book also has various exercises in it to check your luck factor and evaluate yourself. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Ann B.
Fantastic
This book is fantastic. It's not only an interesting read but brings to light a lot of great points to what 'luck' really is.
Published 22 months ago by Adam Boschma
Could Be Called Creating Our Own Luck
Luckily, I caught Richard Wiseman in a radio interview late one night on my way home from the airport. Read more
Published on March 13, 2010 by Jim Clemmer
Relax, Open, Positive
And so it is with luck - unlucky people miss chance opportunities because they are too focused on looking for something else. Read more
Published on February 16, 2010 by Pax Romana
Silly Self-Help Book, just a bunch of anecdotes
I had hoped it would describe experiments that reveal habits that differentiate self-described "lucky" and "unlucky" people, along the lines of "Freakonomics" or "Portfolios of the... Read more
Published on October 24, 2009 by Steve
Excellent Life Management Guide
Richard Wiseman has written an excellent book providing an effective and efficient guide to improve your personal life management within a short time. Read more
Published on August 17, 2009 by Peter de Toma sen.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Luck exerts a dramatic influence over our lives. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
lucky expectations, bad luck into good fortune, unlucky people, many lucky people, luck score, other lucky people, lucky hunches, general life situation, dream wishing, unlucky events, unlucky life, extreme expectations, neutral people, having insomnia, chance opportunities, unlucky person, unlucky things, counterfactual thinking, more bad luck, page xviii
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Luck Journal, Luck School, Luck Profile, Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, New York, Luck Questionnaire, Principle Four, Principle Three, Personal Financial Health Career, National Lottery, Daruma Doll, Expect Good Fortune Principle, Luck Project, Maximize Your Chance Opportunities Principle, Nancy Davis, Subprinciples One, Woody Allen
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