Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World

Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World by Jane McGonigal

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Have you ever wondered if you're wasting your time playing games? Jane McGonigal wants us to believe that we're not, and that we in fact are preparing ourselves for the future, to create a better world. While that may seem a bit too optimistic and over-enthusiastic at first, she does present a good case for why games can help us improve reality - her TED talk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE1Du...) has reached over 700000 views.

The book is based on research on how to motivate individuals, and provides practical solutions (or fixes, as she calls them) on aspects of games that can be applied to real life. She is perhaps a bit too eager to jump to conclusions with regards to how games are the best embodiment of some aspect of research, there is good reason to believe that a balanced amount of playing games can be useful both for the individual and humanity at large.

Is the book worth reading? Definitely. There are many aspects of games that can be used to apply in our everyday lives, and this book provides many of ideas on what to look for and where.

(This book was actually so enjoyable that I went on to read the appendices as well. Mind you, they were practical tips for gamers, so maybe that has something to do with it too.)



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