Reality Is Broken

Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World

By: Jane McGonigal

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

In today’s society, games are fulfilling real human needs in ways that reality is not. Hundreds of millions of people globally — 174 million in the United States alone — regularly inhabit game worlds because they provide the rewards, stimulating challenges, and epic victories that are so often lacking in the real world. Instead of futile handwringing about this exodus from reality, world-renowned game designer Jane McGonigal argues that we need to figure out how to make the real world—our homes, our businesses and our communities—engage us in the way that games do.

Drawing on positive psychology and cognitive science, McGonigal reveals how game designers have hit on core truths about what makes us happy, from social connection to having satisfying work to do. Game designers intuitively understand how to optimize human experience. Reality is Broken shows that games can teach us essential lessons about mass collaboration, creating emotional incentives, and increasing engagement that will be relevant to everyone.

©2011 Jane McGonigal (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Great thesis with practical examples.

I highly recommend this book to any millennial that games. The book also has further implications in reshaping the work place.

I loved the concept

What did you love best about Reality Is Broken?

I am a huge gamer. I'm also the Director of Education at a small private school for troubled teen boys. The ideas and concepts presented in this book resonated deeply with me. I'm so interested in this, I started a Master's Program at Texas A&M Commerce on Global eLearning. The ideas presented in this book are at the leading edge of education today. It is a fantastic read!

What does Julia Whelan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Julia Whelan's reading style and approach lent itself very well to this book. Her tone is lively and excited. Her enthusiasm for the topic is apparent though out.

Offers a fascinating idea!

Would you listen to Reality Is Broken again? Why?

Reality is Broken contains some very good ideas about games, design and how we can get the most from life.

Facinating!

If you could sum up Reality Is Broken in three words, what would they be?

Games create possbilites.

What other book might you compare Reality Is Broken to and why?

Haven't read anything like this before. Inspiring.

What about Julia Whelan’s performance did you like?

Julia's voice was soothing yet kept my attention. Sounded authoritative as well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It is 12 hours. Listened while driving to and from work.

Any additional comments?

I watched both of the TED talks that Jane has recorded on YouTube. Very inspiring.

This book definitely adjusts reality.

A perspective shift is always welcome.

This book is evidence that so much of what we believe is true is just not. Most of our assumptions are based on things we hear based on others assumptions. NOT science.

the research shared in this book has had me thinking for weeks. In fact, as I have read other books, the ideas found in this one about organization, flow, and so many other principles have appeared in less effective ways all around me. I can suddenly see things that need to be improved, changed, or just plain reworked from the ground up.

Jane McGonical is a genius. Her ideas are crucial to the future.

EVERYONE should read this book.

#Inspiring
#Mindbending
#Shapethefuture
#tagsgiving
#sweepstakes

Needs an Abridged Version

Reality Is Broken is excellent, but the amount of detail provided is excessive for making and demonstrating the author's points. For most readers it would be a better book if it were abridged. In particular the second half of the book seems to be a discussion of every game project the author had ever been involved with.

Interesting read

The book is interesting but the reading is a bit monotonous and robotic. Likely better in book format

Overall Good, Dry Ending

Truly a book for anyone planning on living past the current year.
Very interesting. Fun to listen to.
Gets progressively drier after the first section, but that wasn't unexpected.
The meat of what she is trying to say is found there.

A must read book. Jane nailed it

Jane create intrinsic value in every paragraph. it doesn't matter what you do, or what you wanna be, you will enjoy this book and learn a lot.

Very intriguing

A very encouraging take on how to make our lives as well as those around us better