Description
Book SynopsisPeople play two kinds of games. In finite zero-sum games, like football, the goal is to defeat your opponent within the fixed timeframe of the game. In infinite non-zero games, such as a loving friendship, the goal is to keep the game going by continually enhancing the status of all players so they will want to continue the game. In finite games, there are clear winners and losers; in infinite games-the most important relationship games of life-everybody wins. This book is for people who want to play more infinite games and it presents the Golden Rule as the ultimate strategy for playing well. his provocative and challenging exploration of the Golden Rule, widely accepted as humanity's moral true north, neither praises the Rule uncritically nor naively insists that it is applicable in every situation. Rather, it looks critically at the Rule in the context of game theory to see where it works and where it doesn't, when it is applicable and when it isn't. It shows you why knowing the difference can offer you a powerful way to transform your life from one driven by fear to one driven by love. This philosophical game changer is written for people of all faiths or none who praise the Rule and yet violate it over and over again. It invites you into the fascinating world of ethical decision making in a way that helps you use the Golden Rule as a fulcrum for shifting your life from fearful and often unethical competition to compassionate and even loving cooperation.
Trade Review"Brilliantly clear, easy to read, well-informed in relevant science, philosophy and religion ... a real contribution to our understanding of the Golden Rule." —Jeffrey Wattles, author, The Golden Rule; associate professor of philosophy, Kent State University “The Golden Rule may not be golden for the reasons you think! In this provocative book, Rabbi Rami leads us to a life of 'infinite play,' where the outcome of the game is a gorgeous paradox: everyone wins.” —Mirabai Starr, author, God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and Caravan of No Despair: A Memoir of Loss and Transformation “Intriguing.... Reverently considering scripture from a multitude of spiritual traditions while at the same time stripping the Golden Rule of its religious trappings, [it] calls and challenges us to live in the truly golden nonzero sum world of interdependence.” —Steven Greenebaum, author, Practical Interfaith: How to Find Our Common Humanity as We Celebrate Diversity “Provides a fresh look at the substance of the Golden Rule that has the potential to make it far more accessible and useful.” —Pastor Don Mackenzie, coauthor, Getting to the Heart of Interfaith: The Eye-Opening, Hope-Filled Friendship of a Pastor, a Rabbi and an Imam “[Does] all of us a big favor: help[s] us understand why we humans and our religions have so often failed in our practice of the Golden Rule, and give[s] us invaluable insights and practical tools to make the Golden Rule a lived reality.” —Paul McKenna, coordinator, Scarboro Missions Interfaith Department “Shapiro has an important message: either we play the game of life by trying to win at the expense of others (in which case we’ll likely all suffer) or we try to cooperate and treat others as we want to be treated (in which case we may all end up winning).” —Harry J. Gensler, author, Ethics and the Golden Rule; professor of philosophy, Loyola University Chicago
Table of ContentsPreface Introduction 1. The Games People Play: An Introduction to Game Theory 2. Warning: The Golden Rule May Be Hazardous to Your Faith 3. Evading the Rule in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism 4. Evading the Rule in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam 5. What Have We Learned? Is God Necessary for Morality? 6. What's Love Got to Do with It? The Golden Rule and Reciprocity 7. Who Am I? The Golden Rule and the Nature of Self 8. To Do or Not to Do: The Golden Rule and Free Agency 9. Living the Rule: Toward a Global Ethic 10. Play Different: Shifting the Game Notes Bibliography and Suggestions for Further Reading
