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The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship: Or the Art of Winning Games Without Actually Cheating

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The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship: Or the Art of Winning Games Without Actually Cheating (Paperback)

by Stephen Potter (Author)

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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Lifemanship:Some Notes on Lifemanship with a Summary of Recent Research in Gamesmanship

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One-Upmanship: Being Some Account of the Activities and Teachings of the Lifemanship Correspondence College of One-Upness and Games Lifemastery by Stephen Potter
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
For any gameplayer, here's a book that focuses on the subject of gamesmanship as a civilized art as old as the competitive spirit in man. Stephen Potter points out "the true Gamesman is always the Good Sportman".

About the Author
Stephen Potter was educated at Westminister School and Merton College, Oxford, where he took honours in English. A lecturer in English Literature at London University, he joined the BBC as a writer-producer, becoming a book and drama critic after the war.

Product Details

Paperback: 80 pages
Publisher: Moyer Bell (May 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1559212233
ISBN-13: 978-1559212236
Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #721,325 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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	78% buy the item featured on this page: The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship: Or the Art of Winning Games Without Actually Cheating 4.7 out of 5 stars (10) $9.95
	7% buy One-Upmanship: Being Some Account of the Activities and Teachings of the Lifemanship Correspondence College of One-Upness and Games Lifemastery 4.8 out of 5 stars (5) $9.95
	6% buy Parkinson's Law 4.5 out of 5 stars (20) $17.13
	5% buy The Complete Upmanship: Including, Gamesmanship, Lifemanship, One-Upmanship, Supermanship. 4.8 out of 5 stars (5)

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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute classic, and a must read!, December 11, 1999

By	David S. Rose (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Stephen Potter's series of semi-tongue-in-cheek works (Gamesmanship, Lifemanship, One-Upsmanship) are among the funniest and most accurate books of their type ever written. They have been justifiably in print for over 50 years, and deserve to be discovered by yet another generation. These are not 'how to' books, although they purport to be dispatches from the 'Lifemanship Institute'. Rather, they are exquisitely dry and droll riffs on the games people play in interpersonal [non-romantic] relationships, set in early- to mid-twentieth century England. If you like things such as Parkinson's Law, or The Peter Principle, or even the works of Evelyn Waugh, you will get a real kick out of these. Try the current omnibus reprint edition which includes all three works. It's the kind of thing that either (a) you will be quoting for the rest of your life, or (b) you just won't understand why anyone would find it even the least it amusing. I'm obviously in the former camp.

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Potter Was Great - Hysterical Stuff!, January 14, 2000

By	"fronker" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

'Gamesmanship' is the first and (in my opinion) best of the inimitable '_manship' series that Stephen Potter wrote in the early 1950's. Other works include 'Lifemanship', 'One-Upmanship', and 'Supermanship'. What makes this so funny is the absolute deadpan style. The text is buttressed with ample illustrations, diagrams, charts, and a thorough index.

I shall never forget the great gambits, ploys, hampers, such as Nice Chapmanship, Jack Rivers Opening, Simpson's Statue, Snooker-player's Drivel, the author's 'Potter's Opening', to name only a few.

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this perfect little book, June 4, 2006

By	Konrad Baumeister - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I came across this at some rummage sale, and once I started reading it I was instantly hooked on Potter's dustbowl-dry wit and bought all his other books. Each is outstanding, but this is still the best. For the uninitiated, this has nothing to do with playing games; it has everything to do with attitude, games people play with and against one another in life, and poking fun at our egos and self importance...and the egos and self-importance of others. There's no explaining Potter's humor - you either love it, or you don't get it at all. I love it. Even the 'diagrams' are absolute screams. Only Wodehouse was as funny or funnier than Potter.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars dry british humor
The British or should I say the English have a biting and laconic wit. This book is a primer for the method of carving up the opposition without being overtly rude. Read more

Published 11 months ago by James S. Donahoo

5.0 out of 5 stars What depth!
I agree with the majority of reviewers here, but I think you have to be an intelligent reader to appreciate it. Read more

Published on January 30, 2007 by Sunan Peebles

3.0 out of 5 stars Humourous, but bounded by time and culture...
I first bought this book, thinking it would be along the lines of Sun Tzu meets Frazier...I wasn't disappointed, but the '50s writing style is not fluid to read

Published on December 28, 2006 by Jay Busari

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Treatise
This tome offers a complete introduction to the theory and practice of gamesmanship. Though some of the ploys are outdated, if properly executed, these gambits will most... Read more

Published on September 10, 2005 by B. M. Kessler

5.0 out of 5 stars The original
This book instantly turned me into a Potter fiend, and I subsequently tracked down first editions of all four -manship books. Read more

Published on September 13, 2004 by Viktor

5.0 out of 5 stars Gamesmanship - a must
I have read the Spanish version of this classical book by Stephan Potter. It is a must, really! After reading it, you'll never see a game the way you used to. Read more

Published on October 28, 2002 by Marcelo Garcia

5.0 out of 5 stars Ive nothing much to add
The book is about exactly what the title says it is about. Truly funny, and I expect accurate enough, except that (ahem) I'm not unscrupulous enough to check. Read more

Published on April 3, 1999

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