Finite and Infinite Games by James P. Carse

Before we begin, we should clarify that the word “game” here does not refer to games in the traditional sense like hide and seek, or modern-day mobile and online games. Instead, the word is used to refer to worldviews, values, and philosophies of life. The ways we navigate around major topics and issues in life. In this book, the author, Professor James P. Carse, distinguishes between two types of games, finite and infinite.

To interpret this usage and illustrate the difference between these two types of games, as an example, let’s consider the competition between two corporate giants, Microsoft and Apple. In order to defeat iPod, Microsoft launched Zune. However, what surprised everyone at that time is not limited their product to music player, Apple brought iPhone to the world. That’s clearly a finite and an infinite game.

The book is Dr. Carse’s magnum opus, comprised of 101 short chapters,. Kevin Kelly, the author of Out of Control, claims that it “altered my thinking about life, the universe, and everything. The wisdom held in this brief book now informs most of what I do in life. Its key distinction, that there are two types of games, finite and infinite, resolves my uncertainties about what to do next.