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Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships [Paperback]

Eric Berne
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (100 customer reviews)

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Book Description

7 Jan 2010

The bestselling Games People Play is the book that has helped millions of people understand the dynamics of relationships, by psychiatrist Eric Berne.

We all play games. In every encounter with other people we are doing so. The nature of these games depends both on the situation and on who we meet.

Eric Berne's classic Games People Play is the most accessible and insightful book ever written about the games we play: those patterns of behaviour that reveal hidden feelings and emotions. Wise and witty, it shows the underlying motivations behind our relationships and explores the roles that we try to play - and are forced to play.

Games People Play gives you the keys to unlock the psychology of others - and yourself. You'll become more honest, more effective, and a true team player.

'A brilliant, amusing, and clear catalogue of the psychological theatricals that human beings play over and over again' Kurt Vonnegut

Eric Berne was a prominent psychiatrist and bestselling author.After inventing his groundbreaking Transactional Analysis, he continued to develop and apply this new methodology leading him to publish Games People Play. This became a runaway success and Berne leaves a remarkable legacy of over 30 other books and articles, as well as the founding of the International Transactional Analysis Association.

Dr Berne's other works include Principles of Group Treatment, A Layman's Guide to Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis', and What Do You Say After You Say Hello? He died in 1970.


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Product details

  • Paperback: 176 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin (7 Jan 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0141040270
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141040271
  • Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 1.1 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (100 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 847 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

A brilliant, amusing, and clear catalogue of the psychological theatricals that human beings play over and over again. (Kurt Vonnegut)

About the Author

Eric Berne was a prominent psychiatrist and bestselling author.After inventing his groundbreaking Transactional Analysis, he continued to develop and apply this new methodology leading him to publish Games People Play. This became a runaway success and Berne leaves a remarkable legacy of over 30 other books and articles, as well as the founding of the International Transactional Analysis Association.

Dr Berne's other works include Principles of Group Treatment, A Layman's Guide to Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis', and What Do You Say After You Say Hello? He died in 1970.


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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
175 of 176 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Seductive, amusing, ahead of its time... 27 July 2002
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is a gem. While it lacks a coherent structure, and leaves the reader sometimes puzzled by gaps in the exposition, overall it is original, insightful and amusing. Dr Berne's 'game' theory of human relationships was later refined by him, but this slim book outlines his main argument (the principles of Transactional Analysis) and is the first of the books that gained him public acclaim.

Dr Berne's theory is based on the idea that 'Games' provide a means to an end. They structure our time, and enable us to 'belong' to social groups: an important factor in survival. However, they are limiting, in the sense that they are almost always negative; learned from our parents, or based on narrow influences. The games have names such as: 'See What You Made Me Do' ; 'Ain't It Awful'; and 'I'm Only Trying To Help You'. It is easy to recognise games in action, having read the book. Ultimately, the individual has the choice to continue to play games, or to stop playing games (not easy) and to strive for autonomy.

It is hard to believe this book was written in 1964 - it feels so modern. 'Timeless' is probably the best way to describe it. Are you 'Waiting For Rigor Mortis To Set In', or (essentially the same) spending your days playing 'Waiting For Santa Claus' ?

Read this book, and see how many games you and yours play in your daily life - and why! This book is a must for anyone interested in psychotherapy, or in books which aim to help the individual live a more rewarding life.
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209 of 212 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Eye-opening 19 Dec 2002
Format:Paperback
Years ago I chose not to pursue an education in psychology, but I retain a strong interest, if only to make sense of a world where motivations are often misguided and true intent is hard to perceive.

'Games People Play' explains and analyses, with pertinent real-life examples, the continual stuggle between our inner child, parent and adult to dominate a social situation, colloquially termed as 'games'. It explains that the outcome of these games are a fundamental human requirement, and by understanding the way these games are played we learn to understand the motivations of ourselves and our peers.

The first time I read this book, I instantly recognised real life occasions where the information contained was relevant and useful. If you have only a passing interest in psychology, you will still occassionally sit upright while reading and say to yourself - 'So this is why people act like that'.

Some of the passages are eminently quotable - "Everyone carries a little boy or girl around inside of him", and at the very least by remembering some of these key phrases, you will begin to understand the desires and reactions of others.

This is no pop-psychology rubbish - it is clinical psychology explained at a fundamental level, and crafted to be accessible and useful for everyone. The book is rarely dry and monotonous, and I was pleased to find some extremely humorous passages.

I challenge anyone to read this book and not find a revelation or two inside.

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129 of 133 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Oh so true... 16 July 2003
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I had heard of Transactional Analysis as part of a self-development training course at work, where TA was used to explain how conflicts in the workplace occur and what can be done to prevent them.

With some serious relationship problems outside the workplace, I bought Games People Play with the hope it could help to explain some of the things that have been going wrong. I wasn't disappointed, and quite apart from help me do some self-analysis, it has allowed me to see just how many "games" are played by others.

As well as being of great personal benefit, I found descriptions of some of the games (such as Alcoholic and Courtroom) very interesting. Alcoholic, in particlar, is given several pages, as one of the most complicated and destructive games that people play - and even goes some way to explaining how and why AA are effective in helping people.

If the book has a down side, it's perhaps only that it doesn't work as a self-help title without some serious thinking, honesty and soul-searching by the reader. However, it is really not meant as a self-help title and it would be wrong to judge it as one.

On the whole, though, a very interesting study of human behaviour and a good set of "worked examples" for anyone trying to understand Transactional Analysis.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars Not the intro I expected
If you are new to TA, read Harris' "I'm ok-you're ok" first. This book reads like coming into a conversation part way through and some of the listing of games was tedious. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Elli Rhodes
5.0 out of 5 stars Great to pick up and put down
This is a great book to pick up and put down, just diping in for pieces of information when you need them.
You don't have to read the whole book. Read more
Published 9 days ago by P. Hone
3.0 out of 5 stars Out-dated but interesting..
Transactional analysis and the adult, parent, child ego state is a topic of interest so I purchased this book. Read more
Published 12 days ago by Ms. S. J. Whelan
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book!
Not only did it come very quickly but the quality of the book was great too despite it not being brand new.
Published 19 days ago by morningstar
5.0 out of 5 stars Games People Play
Excellent quality, fast delivery and well packaged. I had looked for this book for a while and had read the reviews on Amazon and I wasn't disappointed. Read more
Published 23 days ago by A. Gaisford
4.0 out of 5 stars A tool for my get out plan!
I was lead to this book from 'Counselling for Toads'. It is a very interesting and like my title said a great tool for my get out plan which is to train to become a counsellor.
Published 1 month ago by Ian K
1.0 out of 5 stars Odd. Wish I'd read the reviews before buying!
It's a great title, and it has a great blurb written about it on the back cover, but that's as far as my praise goes. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Lulubelle
5.0 out of 5 stars Deep reading
Good book for my Granddaughters school work.It should help a lot.She is still reading it, but so far it has been helpful
Published 1 month ago by julia
5.0 out of 5 stars Uni books!
I'm yet to read it, it is for a book review its a comparative text I chose, it arrived on time, and in perfect condition thankyou
Published 2 months ago by Jenna K Connor
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but a bit complicated.
I found this book hard to read, though parts of it were interesting. I didn't read it all the way through.
Published 2 months ago by moneysaver
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