The Luck Factor: Why Some People Are Luckier Than Others and How You Can Become One of Them Paperback – February 25, 2010

I learned of this book from a course on Strategic Thinking Skills. Luck and a strategic approach to life seem at odds, but the concept of improving my statistical chances for good fortune intrigued me. If it intrigues you, I expect that you'll see the book's value; if not, you probably should pass on it.Roughly the first half of the book consists largely of a series of anecdotes gathered by the author from his work as a journalist. The author analyzes the various ways that different people describe and theorize about luck in their efforts at understanding. He expressly states that he does not try to judge these efforts (randomness, psychic, synchronicity, etc.). The book is an easy read and the author uses a light hand in his approach. For instance, a psychic description of almost anything would ordinarily cause me to throw a book across the room, but the author's touch was sufficiently light to allow me to get through the subject. You could skip the first half of the book that addresses the various theories of luck and still get the real value of the author's thoughts.The second half of the book entitled "The Quest" contains the author's five critical points and it is this half that you must read. The first point was that people to whom good luck seems to happen develop a spiderweb structure of relationships with other people. Lucky people tend to have relationships with a lot of people so their chance for encountering a lucky opportunity from others is enhanced simply because they know and are known by many people. Secondly, lucky people tend to work on their judgment (a hunching skill) which improves their odds of making good judgments as they encounter opportunities. This skill struck me as the closest thing to a black art in the analysis. Thirdly, when a judgment or hunch appears justified, the lucky person will pursue the opportunity more boldly than will the less lucky or unlucky. Fourthly, lucky people use a ratchet effect (I would call it a willingness to cut their losses) to limit their loss if fortune, luck or circumstances turn adverse. Lastly, lucky people are surprisingly pessimistic. The author provides explanations of why this constellation of characteristics enhance one's luck. I recommend the book highly. It won't take long to read and the practical tips may improve your luck (whatever you may mean by luck).

I read the Zurich Axioms by the same author before reading this book. Both books are very interesting and thought provoking however there is close similarities in portions of both books. The body of this book is research and interviews the author had with a number of people for reasons that are apparent. This part of the book in not as exciting as the last part where the author lists his conclusions. All in all a very worth while reading.

This is an excellent read. Though the beginning merely explores (and dispels) different hypotheses concerning luck, it's the second half that provides real value and insight.He backs his theories with solid research and examples and provides an excellent paradigm that anybody can follow to improve their luck in life. It was enjoyable to read and made lots of sense. I've since recommended it to about a dozen people and would recommend it to anybody. In life you need to find any edge you can to achieve success and happiness. This about luck can help people achieve both.

Just because The Luck Factor was written in the seventies does not make it irrelevant. Human nature remains the same. The author has a flair for storytelling that makes for an enjoyable read, and the book contains some interesting, and sometimes counterintuitive, insights. Don't expect earth shattering revelations, just a handful of well considered observations that you will probably not encounter elsewhere.

A must read for anyone graduating from school. Be it High School or College, this book will help you manage your luck, and EVERYONE gets lucky at sometime or another.Luck comes in two forms, Good or Bad. It's more important to learn how to avoid bad luck than to just look for good luck and good luck can come from just minimizing bad luck.This great book will show you where to look for both. As a poker player, you learn that luck is actually part of your skill set, it's part of learning the odds of everything pertaining to poker hands and the types of people who play poker."Happy go Lucky" is actually a formula for disaster, it's part of the 'gambler's fallacy' that a lot of poker players follow, google it. You need cautious optimism tempered with cautious pessimism to attract the right kind of luck.Using the practices taught in this book will improved your chances of getting lucky, but more importantly how to see where bad luck may be lurking. I've read other books with the same name, different author. Those are also good books but pale in comparison to the values you can get by applying the principles shown in this one.I highly recommend this book as a guide to living your life, you can't go wrong here.I've also read his companion book, The Zurich Axioms. Another must read. Both should be read more than once.Luck is a marathon of making the right choices, not a sprint through life.

This book is written in the Old School style - lots of stories about people you've never heard from, like Napoleon Hill. That was a style of writing in the 30s and 40s, I believe. I stuck with the book, skipping large sections, until the final few chapters, which had a few sentences that made it worth the time it took to read it.I felt like the author wasn't very clear himself about what he might be saying until he got to the end, and there was a massive amount of repetition. It was OK and if it had been great I would have bought a large number and given them for gifts, but in the end, it wasn't all that impressive or helpful.

Nice anecdotal storytelling, but lack the rigor of the scientific experimental method of an extensive database. An easy and fun read. In terms of luck, the book didn't talk much about how chance favors the prepared mind. Knowledge tilts the odds in the lucky direction.

O livro é bem interessante, mas há uma expectativa superior ao que realmente entrega. O fator sorte é mais forte que qualquer outro fator na vida das pessoas, o livro deixa isso claro. Tudo pode mudar num golpe de sorte, mas há poucas coisas práticas que se pode tirar dessa leitura. Os axiomas de Zurique são, sem sombra de dúvidas, a obra de arte desta autor.

This book has an interesting look at how some people are lucky and others are not and how those that are lucky seem to be intuned with the inner laws of attraction based on facts. The only thing that lacks from the book based on the title is the How you can become one of them. This part is less than 30 pages and it seems like they rushed through this section, not giving it the attention like the rest of the book.Otherwise, it was an easy read and quite compelling to understand theories around how some people are luckier than others.

Ok Ok not that great not bad.

A must read by every investor or speculator. It is great work and rules that every trader must use, tight stop loss and great work

Gives a good overview of the various "theories" about luck, although you could have wished for a more thorough account of the theories. Instead, it ends up having too many anecdotes to exemplify the arguments. The recommendations at the end make sense and are useful.