The Tetris Effect

Author : Dan Ackerman
Publisher : PublicAffairs
ISBN 13 : 161039612X
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.27/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The Tetris Effect written by Dan Ackerman and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2016-09-06 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The definitive story of a game so great, even the Cold War couldn't stop it Tetris is perhaps the most instantly recognizable, popular video game ever made. But how did an obscure Soviet programmer, working on frail, antiquated computers, create a product which has now earned nearly 1 billion in sales? How did a makeshift game turn into a worldwide sensation, which has been displayed at the Museum of Modern Art, inspired a big-budget sci-fi movie, and been played in outer space? A quiet but brilliant young man, Alexey Pajitnov had long nurtured a love for the obscure puzzle game pentominoes, and became obsessed with turning it into a computer game. Little did he know that the project that he labored on alone, hour after hour, would soon become the most addictive game ever made. In this fast-paced business story, reporter Dan Ackerman reveals how Tetris became one of the world's first viral hits, passed from player to player, eventually breaking through the Iron Curtain into the West. British, American, and Japanese moguls waged a bitter fight over the rights, sending their fixers racing around the globe to secure backroom deals, while a secretive Soviet organization named ELORG chased down the game's growing global profits. The Tetris Effect is an homage to both creator and creation, and a must-read for anyone who's ever played the game—which is to say everyone.

Author : Dan Ackerman
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1780749597
Total Pages : 223 pages
Book Rating : 4.94/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The Tetris Effect written by Dan Ackerman and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-09-01 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 21 February 1989. Three men fly into Moscow, representing software giants from Britain, America, and Japan. Each of them is determined to undercut the others in order to secure a technology so powerfully addictive it has brought the government department that created it to a standstill. In a country on the brink of seismic change, where spycraft is about to give way to cut-throat capitalism, Tetris has become the grand prize. Featuring corporate espionage, unmarked government organizations, courtroom drama and international conspiracies, the origin of the world’s most popular video game is a gripping, fast-paced thriller of the highest order. Not only this, but it is also the tale of a one-in-a-million software start-up – a unique example of an idea, a product, and an era coming together at exactly the right moment. Tetris was perfectly (if accidentally) crafted to hit primal triggers in our minds and in Ackerman’s hands its story is unputdownable.

Author : Shawn Achor
Publisher : Crown Currency
ISBN 13 : 0307591565
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.62/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The Happiness Advantage written by Shawn Achor and published by Crown Currency. This book was released on 2010-09-14 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • An engaging, deeply researched guide to flourishing in a world of increasing stress and negativity—the inspiration for one of the most popular TED Talks of all time “Powerful [and] charming . . . A book for just about anyone . . . The philosophies in this book are easily the best wire frames to build a happy and successful life.”—Medium Happiness is not the belief that we don’t need to change; it is the realization that we can. Our most commonly held formula for success is broken. Conventional wisdom holds that once we succeed, we’ll be happy; that once we get that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But the science reveals this formula to be backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. Research shows that happy employees are more productive, more creative, and better problem solvers than their unhappy peers. And positive people are significantly healthier and less stressed and enjoy deeper social interaction than the less positive people around them. Drawing on original research—including one of the largest studies of happiness ever conducted—and work in boardrooms and classrooms across forty-two countries, Shawn Achor shows us how to rewire our brains for positivity and optimism to reap the happiness advantage in our lives, our careers, and even our health. His strategies include: • The Tetris Effect: how to retrain our brains to spot patterns of possibility so we can see and seize opportunities all around us • Social Investment: how to earn the dividends of a strong social support network • The Ripple Effect: how to spread positive change within our teams, companies, and families By turns fascinating, hopeful, and timely, The Happiness Advantage reveals how small shifts in our mind-set and habits can produce big gains at work, at home, and elsewhere.

Author : Box Brown
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 162672315X
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.53/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Tetris written by Box Brown and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2016-10-11 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Documents the history of the video game Tetris and looks at the role games play in art, culture, and commerce.

Author : Ian Bogost
Publisher : Basic Books
ISBN 13 : 0465096506
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.03/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Play Anything written by Ian Bogost and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2016-09-13 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How filling life with play-whether soccer or lawn mowing, counting sheep or tossing Angry Birds -- forges a new path for creativity and joy in our impatient age Life is boring: filled with meetings and traffic, errands and emails. Nothing we'd ever call fun. But what if we've gotten fun wrong? In Play Anything, visionary game designer and philosopher Ian Bogost shows how we can overcome our daily anxiety; transforming the boring, ordinary world around us into one of endless, playful possibilities. The key to this playful mindset lies in discovering the secret truth of fun and games. Play Anything, reveals that games appeal to us not because they are fun, but because they set limitations. Soccer wouldn't be soccer if it wasn't composed of two teams of eleven players using only their feet, heads, and torsos to get a ball into a goal; Tetris wouldn't be Tetris without falling pieces in characteristic shapes. Such rules seem needless, arbitrary, and difficult. Yet it is the limitations that make games enjoyable, just like it's the hard things in life that give it meaning. Play is what happens when we accept these limitations, narrow our focus, and, consequently, have fun. Which is also how to live a good life. Manipulating a soccer ball into a goal is no different than treating ordinary circumstances- like grocery shopping, lawn mowing, and making PowerPoints-as sources for meaning and joy. We can "play anything" by filling our days with attention and discipline, devotion and love for the world as it really is, beyond our desires and fears. Ranging from Internet culture to moral philosophy, ancient poetry to modern consumerism, Bogost shows us how today's chaotic world can only be tamed-and enjoyed-when we first impose boundaries on ourselves.

Author : Tom Bissell
Publisher : Vintage
ISBN 13 : 0307474313
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.15/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Extra Lives written by Tom Bissell and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2011-06-14 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Extra Lives, acclaimed writer and life-long video game enthusiast Tom Bissell takes the reader on an insightful and entertaining tour of the art and meaning of video games. In just a few decades, video games have grown increasingly complex and sophisticated, and the companies that produce them are now among the most profitable in the entertainment industry. Yet few outside this world have thought deeply about how these games work, why they are so appealing, and what they are capable of artistically. Blending memoir, criticism, and first-rate reportage, Extra Lives is a milestone work about what might be the dominant popular art form of our time.

Author : Melissa Storm
Publisher : Sunday Potluck Club
ISBN 13 : 1496726685
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.81/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Manic Monday, Inc. written by Melissa Storm and published by Sunday Potluck Club. This book was released on 2021-10-26 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: USA Today bestselling author Melissa Storm reunites the members of the Sunday Potluck Club—and their adorable rescue animals—in a heartwarming story of friendship and second chances. Live in the moment . . . Nichole Peterson increasingly believes in rituals, routines, and checklists—especially after almost losing her father to cancer two years ago. Now she lives in constant fear of saying the wrong thing, knowing any conversation could be their last. She met her best friends—and their cherished canine companions—at the hospital right before each lost a parent. As the only member of the Sunday Potluck Club with a surviving loved one, she has a hard time opening up to her friends about the struggles that come with remission. When a new doctor diagnoses Nichole with obsessive-compulsive disorder, she refuses to accept it. Then a series of unexpected events further throws her carefully scheduled life off-kilter and her anxieties into overdrive. It seems the only person she can confide in is her best friend’s older brother, Caleb—her polar opposite. A free spirit, Caleb treasures spontaneity, avoiding structure as much as possible. Yet he’s the happiest person Nichole has ever met. As they grow closer, might their unlikely alliance help Nichole rediscover the more relaxed self she can scarcely remember—and even find something extra special along the way?

Author : Celia Hodent
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000194760
Total Pages : 105 pages
Book Rating : 4.60/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The Psychology of Video Games written by Celia Hodent and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-10-07 with total page 105 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What impact can video games have on us as players? How does psychology influence video game creation? Why do some games become cultural phenomena? The Psychology of Video Games introduces the curious reader to the relationship between psychology and video games from the perspective of both game makers and players. Assuming no specialist knowledge, this concise, approachable guide is a starter book for anyone intrigued by what makes video games engaging and what is their psychological impact on gamers. It digests the research exploring the benefits gaming can have on players in relation to education and healthcare, considers the concerns over potential negative impacts such as pathological gaming, and concludes with some ethics considerations. With gaming being one of the most popular forms of entertainment today, The Psychology of Video Games shows the importance of understanding the human brain and its mental processes to foster ethical and inclusive video games.

Author : Brian K. Smith
Publisher : CreateSpace
ISBN 13 : 9781500542191
Total Pages : 42 pages
Book Rating : 4.99/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Tricks of the Classic Nes Tetris Masters written by Brian K. Smith and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-07-15 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The classic Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) version of Tetris has been enjoyed by millions since its release 25 years ago. However, only a select few players have been able to discover all of the obscurities and nuances of the game in order to truly master it.... until now. With this book learn all of the tricks of the classic NES Tetris masters to push your skills to new limits and take your Tetris game to a whole new level. This comprehensive guide covers all of the advanced techniques that the world's best NES Tetris players use.

Author : Shawn Achor
Publisher : Currency
ISBN 13 : 1524761532
Total Pages : 242 pages
Book Rating : 4.30/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Big Potential written by Shawn Achor and published by Currency. This book was released on 2018-01-30 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “With cutting-edge research, penetrating insights, and practical examples, Shawn Achor describes a new conception of ‘success,’ and in doing so, reveals exciting new strategies we can use to meet our highest potential.”—Gretchen Rubin, bestselling author of The Happiness Project “A vibrant book on how to bring out the best in others—and how they can bring out the best in us.”—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the podcast WorkLife In a world that thrives on competition and individual achievement, we’re measuring and pursuing potential incorrectly. Pursuing success in isolation—pushing others away as we push ourselves too hard—not only limits our potential but makes us more stressed and disconnected than ever. Harvard-trained researcher Shawn Achor reveals a better approach. With exciting new research combining neuroscience and psychology with Big Data, Achor shows that our potential is not limited by what we alone can achieve. Instead, it is determined by how we complement, contribute to, and benefit from the abilities and achievements of people around us. When we—as individuals, leaders, and parents—chase only individual achievement, we leave vast sources of potential untapped. But once we put “others” back into the equation, and work to make others better, we ignite a Virtuous Cycle of cascading successes that amplify our own. The dramatic shifts in how we approach work today demand an equally dramatic shift in our approach to success. In Big Potential, Achor draws on cutting-edge original research as well as his work with nearly half of the Fortune 100 and with places like NASA, the NFL and the NBA, and offers a new path to thriving in the modern world.