Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World

Publisher Marketing: More than 174 million Americans are gamers, and the average young person in the U. S. will spend 10,000 hours gaming by the age of 21. According to world-renowned game designer Jane McGonigal, the reason for this mass exodus to virtual worlds is that videogames are increasingly fulfilling genuine human needs. In this groundbreaking exploration of the power and future of gaming, McGonigal reveals how we can use the lessons of game design to fix what is wrong with the real world. Drawing on positive psychology, cognitive science, and sociology, "Reality is Broken" uncovers how game designers have hit on core truths about what makes us happy and utilized these discoveries to astonishing effect in virtual environments. Videogames consistently provide the exhilarating rewards, stimulating challenges, and epic victories that are so often lacking in the real world. But why, McGonigal asks, should we use the power of games for escapist entertainment alone? Her research suggests that gamers are expert problem-solvers and collaborators because they regularly cooperate with other players to overcome daunting virtual challenges, and she helped pioneer a fast-growing genre of games that aims to turn game-play to socially positive ends. In "Reality is Broken," she reveals how these new alternate reality games are already improving the quality of our daily lives, fighting social problems such as depression and obesity, and addressing vital 21st-century challenges and she forecasts the thrilling possibilities that lie ahead. "As addictive as Tetris, McGonigal's penetrating, entertaining look into gaming culture is a vibrant mix of technology, psychology, and sociology, told with the vision of a futurist and the deft touch of a storyteller." "Publishers Weekly" (starred review)" Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 01/08/2012 pg. 28 (EAN 9780143120612, Paperback) Choice 07/01/2012 (EAN 9780143120612, Paperback) Audio File 08/01/2011 pg. 26 (EAN 9781611064254, Compact Disc) New York Times Book Review 02/13/2011 pg. 17 (EAN 9781594202858, Hardcover) New York Times Book Review 02/20/2011 pg. 22 (EAN 9781594202858, Hardcover) Booklist 12/01/2010 pg. 8 (EAN 9781594202858, Hardcover) Publishers Weekly 11/22/2010 (EAN 9781594202858, Hardcover) - *Starred Review Chronicle of Higher Education 01/14/2011 pg. 13 (EAN 9781594202858, Hardcover) People Weekly 01/31/2011 pg. 49 (EAN 9781594202858, Hardcover) Discover 03/01/2011 pg. 23 (EAN 9781594202858, Hardcover) Choice 10/01/2011 (EAN 9781594202858, Hardcover) Wilson Public Library Catalog 01/01/2013 pg. 192 (EAN 9781594202858, Hardcover) Contributor Bio:  McGonigal, Jane Jane McGonigal is the director of Game Research and Development at the Institute for the Future. Her work has been featured in The Economist, Wired, and The New York Times and on MTV, CNN and NPR. In 2009, BusinessWeek called her one of the ten most important innovators to watch. She has given keynote addresses at TED, South by Southwest Interactive, and the Game Developers Conference and was a featured speaker at The New Yorker Conference. Contributor Bio:  Whelan, Julia Earphones Award winner Julia Whelan grew up in the Pacific Northwest, but currently resides in Los Angeles. She is a former child actor, having appeared in multiple television shows, most notably ABC's "Once and Again." After receiving her college degree, she returned to acting and is pursuing a career in the film industry, as well as creative writing. Her audiobook credits include romance, supernatural thrillers, young adult and adult fiction.