{"product_id":"the-myth-of-luck-9781350149298","title":"The Myth of Luck","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHumanity has thrown everything we have at implacable lucknovel theologies, entire philosophical movements, fresh branches of mathematicsand yet we seem to have gained only the smallest edge on the power of fortune. \u003ci\u003eThe Myth of Luck\u003c\/i\u003e tells us why we have been fighting an unconquerable foe.  Taking us on a guided tour of one of our oldest concepts, we begin in ancient Greece and Rome, considering how Plato, Plutarch, and the Stoics understood luck, before entering the theoretical world of probability and exploring how luck relates to theology, sports, ethics, gambling, knowledge, and present-day psychology. As we travel across traditions, times and cultures, we come to realize that it's not that as soon as we solve one philosophical problem with luck that two more appear, like heads on a hydra, but rather that the monster is altogether mythological. We cannot master luck because there is nothing to defeat: luck is no more than a persistent and troubling illusion.  By introducing us\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA fascinating discourse on the nature and significance of luck that draws on a diverse range of sources; a delightful and enlightening journey. * Duncan Pritchard, UC Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Irvine, USA *\u003cbr\u003eIn this book, Steven Hales challenges what we often take to be uncontentious assumptions about luck and its significance in our lives, both morally and epistemically. The result is a novel and provocative account of luck, one that will be an important reference point for future work in the area. * J. Adam Carter, Lecturer of Philosophy, University of Glasgow, UK *\u003cbr\u003eA lively, richly illustrated romp through a deep human topic, all in hopes of freeing us from Lady Fortuna's grip. We confuse luck for chance and fortune, Hales suggests, and we re-gain our sense of agency by knowing which is which. * Aaron James, author of Assholes: A Theory and Surfing with Sartre, and Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Irvine, USA *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgements  \u003cb\u003e1.     \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eLachesis's Lottery and the History of Luck\u003c\/b\u003e  The Myth of Er  Tuche and Fortuna  Submission to luck: lucky charms  Rebellion against luck: Stoicism  Denial of luck: all is fated  Luck and gambling    \u003cb\u003e2.Luck and Skill   \u003c\/b\u003eSlaying Laplace's Demon  A probability theory of luck  Winners and losers  Buying hope on credit  A skill equation?  Problems with probability    \u003cb\u003e3. Fragility and Control   \u003c\/b\u003eInvisible cities of the possible  The garden of (logically) forking paths   A modal theory of luck  Transworld 2000  Lucky necessities  A control theory of luck   Séances and rubber hands   Wimbledon 2012  Synchronic and diachronic luck    \u003cb\u003e4. Moral Luck\u003c\/b\u003e  The Kantian puzzle   The Egg of Columbus  The accidental Nazi and the museum of medical oddities   Equalizing fortune  Privilege   Essential origins    \u003cb\u003e5. Knowledge and Serendipity\u003c\/b\u003e  Finding Meno   Discover « forget  The man who sold the Eiffel Tower and other skeptical threats   The Overton Window  Serendipity  Divide and conquer  \u003cb\u003e  6. The Irrational Biases of Luck\u003c\/b\u003e  The frame shop  Dueling vignettes  Optimism vs. pessimism  Sailing stones and flying witches   Machine gambling  Against luck  Go luck yourself  Notes  Bibliography Index","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738595438935,"sku":"9781350149298","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781350149298.jpg?v=1720049594","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-myth-of-luck-9781350149298","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}