Product Description
For any gameplayer, here's a book that focuses on the subject of gamesmanship as a civilized art as old as the competitive spirit in man. Stephen Potter points out "the true Gamesman is always the Good Sportman".

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 10 reviews)

dry british humor

The British or should I say the English have a biting and laconic wit. This book is a primer for the method of carving up the opposition without being overtly rude. The reader will appreciate the sardonic and subtle manner of the art of the riposte.
August 22, 2008

What depth!

I agree with the majority of reviewers here, but I think you have to be an intelligent reader to appreciate it. For example, on page 20, in golf the author discourages distracting activities while opponents are playing, but you could disturb opponents, especially musically competent ones, while you yourself are playing, "by constantly whistling a phrase with one note - always the same note - wrong." In the footnote he actually writes the musical notation of a suggested phrase, the horn motiv from Wagner's Ring, with the second note changed from an A to a D# with a glissando (sliding up to the high note). I laughed out load before I even tried to play the phrase on the guitar. I realize that some won't see the humor here, but what incredible depth in the descriptions of these tactics!
January 31, 2007

Humourous, but bounded by time and culture...

I first bought this book, thinking it would be along the lines of Sun Tzu meets Frazier...I wasn't disappointed, but the '50s writing style is not fluid to read
December 29, 2006

Buy this perfect little book

I came across this at some rummage sale, and once I started reading it I was instantly hooked on Potter's dustbowl-dry wit and bought all his other books. Each is outstanding, but this is still the best. For the uninitiated, this has nothing to do with playing games; it has everything to do with attitude, games people play with and against one another in life, and poking fun at our egos and self importance...and the egos and self-importance of others. There's no explaining Potter's humor - you either love it, or you don't get it at all. I love it. Even the 'diagrams' are absolute screams. Only Wodehouse was as funny or funnier than Potter.
June 05, 2006

An Excellent Treatise

This tome offers a complete introduction to the theory and practice of gamesmanship. Though some of the ploys are outdated, if properly executed, these gambits will most certainly put the gamesman in the one-up position. The coverage of countergamesmanship, while sparse, is essential reading for gamesman at any level.
September 10, 2005

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