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Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World by Jane McGonigal
ladybaela's review
3.0
I'm not quite sure what to say about this book.
I would rate it somewhere between 2 and a half and 3 stars.
I really wanted to like Reality is Broken and some parts of it were very interesting and enlightening. I can see how there is potential to make the world a better place. For example, I have started to play the online game Free Rice, which donates 10 grains of rice to the World Hunger Fund for every correct answer.
However, unfortunately I'm not convinced that the ideas for 'fixing reality' are actually possible, in addition I found some of them to be wishful thinking on the authors part.
I would rate it somewhere between 2 and a half and 3 stars.
I really wanted to like Reality is Broken and some parts of it were very interesting and enlightening. I can see how there is potential to make the world a better place. For example, I have started to play the online game Free Rice, which donates 10 grains of rice to the World Hunger Fund for every correct answer.
However, unfortunately I'm not convinced that the ideas for 'fixing reality' are actually possible, in addition I found some of them to be wishful thinking on the authors part.
orsuros's review
4.0
This is a fun book. Not only does it show the good that games do now, but it also shows us the current and future possibilities of games and applying game design to new problems. When we can make the mundane fun and put together the problem-solving power of millions through games, the world will be a much better place.
holly_keimig's review against another edition
4.0
This book was full of good ideas and interesting tidbits I want to research further. I checked it out as an audio book at the library and intended to listen to it before GenCon, but it ended up taking me quite a bit longer to listen to. It is not a quick read, but I think it's an important one. McGonigal discusses all of the good that games do and dispelled some of the widespread myth that gamers are wasting their time. She introduces all of the ways people have figured out how to gamify research and even journalism investigations and talks about some ways we might use games to help solve huge problems in the future. This is a good read for anyone who wants some evidence to back up their opinion that playing games is a very worthwhile pursuit that teaches real life skills. One of my favorite thoughts of the book was how games all start with the prospect of success, so we approach them with an optimism that we don't usually approach real life with. Her ideas on how games can help make things like work and chores more satisfying are very interesting and are things I would never have thought about without reading this book. I highly recommend this one if you are interested in how to make games solve some of the problems inherent in real life. I ran right out and bought a paper copy of the book as soon as I finished the audio so I could have a copy for my personal shelf. This will be one I reference for a long time.
onewildnight's review
3.0
Interesting view comparing the "game life" with the "real life". Basically, real life is boring (which is in some aspects) and the game life is full of challenges. The book tries to pick up interesting aspects of games and correlate or apply it in real life situations.
It's like a self-help book based on games concepts. If you enjoy games, it's an interesting reading.
It's like a self-help book based on games concepts. If you enjoy games, it's an interesting reading.
wrentheblurry's review against another edition
5.0
I'm a gamer, that is no secret to those that know me. Because of that, I picked this title up from the library based on its title alone. During the introduction, I rolled my eyes a few times and thought the author's premise seemed like just some fanciful hooey. Yet I was intrigued enough to continue, and before I had hit 150 pages, I was sold, completely. I read most of this during a plane trip from NC to CA, and used my Southwest snack napkin, torn into many strips, to mark page after page that I wanted to refer to later. Earlier in the book, I figured I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars. Then I went to a 5...and considered a 4.5. In the end, it was the acknowledgement section where McGonigal assigned her friends, family and colleagues various ratings, gaming-style, on the back of the conclusion (that reminded me of all the ideas suggested) that decided this title's 5 star rating.
And what is the premise? That games can be used for positive change on a personal, local AND global level. That gamers can affect that change. Reality is broken, in many ways, and McGonigal suggests that it can be fixed by thinking about our real life (and its problems) the same way that gamers think in their approach to whatever game they play. Crazy talk? Read it, and determine for yourself if it is. I like it so much, I'm ordering a hardcover copy for myself--something I can't remember doing for a borrowed library book before.
I loved McGonigal's game examples, both the reality-based ones she created and the more familiar ones. I loved the positive psychology theories she discusses. I love it all! This could be an important book. My friends in the gaming industry that could directly do some truly good things, please read this title. Heck, you could even do it while you're working--it's related!
And what is the premise? That games can be used for positive change on a personal, local AND global level. That gamers can affect that change. Reality is broken, in many ways, and McGonigal suggests that it can be fixed by thinking about our real life (and its problems) the same way that gamers think in their approach to whatever game they play. Crazy talk? Read it, and determine for yourself if it is. I like it so much, I'm ordering a hardcover copy for myself--something I can't remember doing for a borrowed library book before.
I loved McGonigal's game examples, both the reality-based ones she created and the more familiar ones. I loved the positive psychology theories she discusses. I love it all! This could be an important book. My friends in the gaming industry that could directly do some truly good things, please read this title. Heck, you could even do it while you're working--it's related!