Games People Play  (English, Paperback, Berne Eric)

Games People Play is a classic work of psychology and transactional analysis by Dr. Eric Berne.

Summary of the Book

Dr. Berne discusses how human beings play games constantly during social interactions. He explains that transactions at any form are always a playground for these games, due to our childhood affection for games and the world itself. He explains that these games are necessary for social interaction, but that it is up to us to decide whether they are desirable. He advocates elimination of bad psychological games, showing scenarios where humans behave irrationally due to such games. He tries to shed light on how intimacy works, and how we can benefit from a better understanding for our fellow human beings. The 106 games he describes are an exhaustive coverage of the human psyche during all its transactions with another human, and shows that man is a social creature, but the social behaviour patterns must be controlled to have a happier, more fulfilling life.

About Eric Berne

Eric Berne was a Canadian-American psychiatrist best remembered for pioneering transactional analysis. A graduate of Montreal's McGill University, he continued his education at Yale University, studying psychoanalysis. A World War II veteran, Dr. Berne attained the rank of Major, and worked at Bushnell Army Hospital in Ogden, Utah.

Dr. Berne also wrote: The Mind in Action, The Structures and Dynamics of Organizations and Groups, The Happy Valley, A Layman's Guide to Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis, and What Do You Say After You Say Hello?