Games People Play

The Basic Handbook of Transactional Analysis

By: Eric Berne

Narrated by: David Colacci

Over 40 years ago, Games People Play revolutionized our understanding of what really goes on during our most basic social interactions. More than five million copies later, Dr. Eric Berne's classic is as astonishing and revealing as it was on the day it was first published. We play games all the time---sexual games, marital games, power games with our bosses, and competitive games with our friends. Detailing status contests like "Martini" (I know a better way), to lethal couples combat like "If It Weren't For You" and "Uproar," to flirtation favorites like "The Stocking Game" and "Let's You and Him Fight," Dr. Berne exposes the secret ploys and unconscious maneuvers that rule our intimate lives. Explosive when it first appeared, Games People Play is now widely recognized as the most original and influential popular psychology book of our time. It's as powerful and eye-opening as ever.

©1964 Dr. Eric Berne (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"An important book...a brilliant, amusing, and clear catalogue of the psychological theatricals that human beings play over and over again." (Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Life magazine)

Difficult to follow

I found the book difficult to follow as someone with ADD trying to puzzle the authors story together. This is more of a book for someone studying psychology/psychiatry.

Interesting, needs diagrams included

This is a fascinating and entertaining book. Unfortunately, audio book is not the best format for it. In a lot of ways it is almost like a text book. If the diagrams mentioned were included it would be a huge help. It's difficult to keep track of the terminology.

A background knowledge in psychoanalysis and game theory will certainly help, as there is a lot of lingo that many people will not be familiar with.

I would be interested to read a version where the original example stories are updated to reflect modern times.

I'm definitely going to read more on this subject.

Amazing Insight into Human Drama

This book should be required reading for every mental health professional or educator. Simply written, you will still likely need to read it through several times.

Blunt and accurate!

This book is well worded and read and funny, too. I’m ordering a copy for my shelf.

One of the most useful books of my damn life

This is a book I’m gonna have to relisten at least twice a year to remind myself that am I an adult parent or a child and when is it useful?

A Must Read for Everyone

I found the book very interesting. It helped me realize how as human beings we take advantage of each other. We all have some of all the characters in this book to some point. All I ask is, where is our compassion for one another? Where do you draw the line? Why is competition taught to us from the very beginning? To divide us because divided we fall! If we all were United the world our planet would be a place where we can travel and help one another. Instead of taking from one another, cheating our children from knowing about love vs. money. Life isn’t a gain! At the end we all are here and all will leave with nothing.

So thankful for this masterpiece

This book offers such brilliant insight and analysis that my only regret is I didn't read it 20 years ago. It has opened up a fascinating and useful topic for me to explore in more depth

insightful. humbling despite having to read again

have to read again! but I do know he goes into into great detail. love Von closure quote

great book. behavioral analysis

book is a great read for people who are interested in behavioral analysis. loved the narrator! its a little outdated in style for modern time (in terms of stereotypes), but it goes back to the roots of this method - transactional analysis.

Great content, hard subject

Great information and well thought out thesis and antithesis arguments but it is difficult to follow on audio and lacks some of the needed diagrams