{"product_id":"how-luck-happens-isbn-9781101986394","title":"How Luck Happens","description":"\u003cb\u003eCreator and host of the podcast \u003ci\u003eThe Gratitude Diaries \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Janice Kaplan examines the phenomenon of luck--and discovers the exciting ways you can grab opportunities and make luck for yourself every day. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter spending a year researching and experiencing gratitude for \u003ci\u003eThe Gratitude Diaries\u003c\/i\u003e, Janice Kaplan is back to tackle another big, mysterious influence in all our lives: luck. And this time she's joined on her journey by coauthor Dr. Barnaby Marsh, a renowned academic who guides her exploration. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTogether they uncover the unexpected, little-understood science behind what we call \"luck,\" proving that many seemingly random events are actually under your--and everyone's--control. They examine the factors that made stars like Harrison Ford and Jonathan Groff so successful, and learn the real secrets that made Kate Spade and Warby Parker into global brands. Using original research, fascinating studies, and engaging interviews, Kaplan and Marsh reveal the simple techniques to create luck in love and marriage, business and career, and health, happiness, and family relationships. Their breakthrough insights prove that all of us--from CEOs to stay-at-home moms--can tip the scales of fortune in our favor. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough a mix of scientific research, conversations with famous and successful people--from academics like Dan Ariely and Leonard Mlodinow to actor Josh Groban--and powerful narrative, \u003ci\u003eHow Luck Happens\u003c\/i\u003e uncovers a fascinating subject in accessible and entertaining style.“A delight...chock full of good advice about how to make your own luck.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Daniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eStumbling on Happiness\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“As much as we hate to admit it, luck plays a huge role in our lives. This sprightly book explores whether we might be able to make a little more of it.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Adam Grant, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eGive and Take, Originals\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eOption B\u003c\/i\u003e with Sheryl Sandberg\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A game-changer! Clear, smart, and elegantly written, \u003ci\u003eHow Luck Happens\u003c\/i\u003e is an ingenious treatise on how to \u003ci\u003emake \u003c\/i\u003eyour own luck.  I was transfixed, and now have a pile of science-based strategies to make my dreams come true. You will too.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Helen Fisher, Research Fellow, The Kinsey Institute, and bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Anatomy of Love\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e“In this genial, upbeat overview...the authors illustrate how individuals managed successfully to place the constellations of good fortune in alignment.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Kirkus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “This intelligent, entertaining book is the most compelling argument to date that you make your own luck.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003eMartin E.P. Seligman, Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eLearned Optimism\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Nothing is more important than luck\u003ci\u003e. How Luck Happens\u003c\/i\u003e reveals the science behind the mystery of luck and shows you how to create more for yourself.  Getting lucky never felt so good.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Paul J. Zak, author of \u003ci\u003eTrust Factor \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Moral Molecule\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Finally! A thoughtful book that shows how people are able to generate an abundance of luck for themselves and others. Read this book to open your mind and heart to new possibilities and most importantly, the chance to start making a luckier world.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Deepak Chopra, bestselling author of\u003ci\u003e The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eYou Are the Universe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Luck is something we can probably all agree we want more of — and it turns out it might actually be possible to get it… Using the examples of successful people, companies, and even relationships, [Janice Kaplan and Barnaby Marsh] look at the techniques we can use to improve our lives.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBustle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eJanice Kaplan\u003c\/b\u003e has enjoyed wide success as a magazine editor, television producer, writer, and journalist. The former editor-in-chief of \u003ci\u003eParade\u003c\/i\u003e magazine, she is the author of thirteen popular books including the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestseller \u003ci\u003eThe Gratitude Diaries, \u003c\/i\u003ewhich received international praise. She has appeared regularly on network television shows and lives in New York City and Kent, Connecticut.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDr. Barnaby Marsh\u003c\/b\u003e is an expert on risk taking. As a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, he did pioneering research on decision making in complex situations. He works with leaders of major corporations, foundations, and philanthropists, and continues academic research at both the Center for Evolutionary Dynamics at Harvard and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. He lives in New York City and Bridgewater, New JerseyChapter One\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Prepare to Be Lucky\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Be open to opportunity. . . . Get the information you need. . . .      See what you're not seeing. . . . Drive to the intersection of      chance, talent, and hard work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Barnaby's Luck Lab at the Institute for Advanced Study was tucked      away amid the beautiful wooded fields of Princeton, New Jersey-a      perfect place for thinking big thoughts about the science of      making luck. As we took a walk together through the peaceful      grounds one morning, Barnaby told me that Albert Einstein wandered      these same tree-lined paths while mulling over his famous      theories. Our new ideas might not disrupt the theory of      relativity, but we hoped they would change the way people thought      about luck-and the possibilities for their own futures.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It had rained hard the previous night, and the sun hadn't yet      dried out the wet ground. Scooting around a puddle, I told Barnaby      that writing my previous book The Gratitude Diaries had taught me      that we have more control over our own happiness than we sometimes      realize. I was delighted that the book had inspired so many people      to lead happier lives, and I had a feeling that understanding how      to make yourself lucky-under any circumstances-could have a      similar effect.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Barnaby nodded. \"If you're driven to make your life a little      better and wonder why things don't always go your way, our new      approach will let you claim the luck that should be yours.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e We both agreed that luck isn't the same as random chance. If you      flip a coin ten times to determine your future, you are relying on      chance-and most people would agree that's pretty silly. If you      talk to people, prepare yourself, look for opportunity, and then      jump on the unexpected events that might (randomly) appear, you      are making luck. And that's what we all need to do.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Luck isn't a zero-sum game. There's plenty of luck for everyone      if you know where and how to look for it,\" Barnaby said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Barnaby thought the evidence was pretty clear that luck is not      passive-it requires action, and many events that may seem like      random chance are not so random after all. He was convinced that      by understanding the underlying dynamics of luck, you can gain      control over aspects of your life that once seemed to depend on      chance, fate, or the phases of the moon. We would work together      using insights and recent discoveries in psychology, behavioral      economics, mathematics, and neuroscience to develop a new way of      understanding luck.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"We're at the starting point of a brand-new field, and instead of      finding the research, we're going to have to create it,\" he said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Luck Lab was the right place to do this, since the Institute      for Advanced Study, where Barnaby has an academic appointment, is      famous as a font for big ideas. Over the years, it has attracted      geniuses from around the world-and it's fun to drive around local      streets named after many of them.Along with Einstein, the great      mathematician and philosopher Kurt Gšdel was a professor there,      and so was the early computer scientist and game theory pioneer      John von Neumann. Renowned theoretical physicist J. Robert      Oppenheimer, also known for his work building the first atomic      bomb at Los Alamos National Laboratory, was a longtime director.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e And Barnaby and I felt we were the right team to tackle the      project. We had very different backgrounds and life experiences.      I've had a successful career as a journalist, magazine editor, and      TV producer in the New York City area and raised two terrific sons      with my handsome doctor-husband. Barnaby grew up in Alaska and was      homeschooled until he started college-at which point he launched      into academic and career experiences that took him around the      globe. He became a top executive at a major foundation that gives      away $100 million a year. A quirky and original thinker, he knows      more people than anybody I've ever met. He recently settled in New      York City with his wife, Michelle, and their two very young and      adorable daughters-though \"settled\" is never the right word for      him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e We hoped our research in luck would be powerful and game-changing      and give people a new view of their own lives and experiences.      Barnaby had already been coming up with strategies about      opportunity and risk and effort and how these affect your ability      to transform your future. It was all very erudite and heady, and      my job would be to bring it down to earth and see how the theories      worked in everyday life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As a practical schedule, Barnaby would escape to this ivoriest of      towers every Monday and Tuesday to make conceptual models and try      to develop theories of luck that worked across all      contexts-whether you were trying to get a job, find a mate, or      survive as a species in the evolutionary sweepstakes. On      Wednesdays we would meet and talk them through. Along the way, I      would find the academics, entrepreneurs, and celebrities who could      illustrate the points and help us both see how people could      wittingly or not make luck happen for themselves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e By the end of the year, we would know exactly what it takes to      make yourself lucky. This new science of luck would have      straightforward principles that would work to make things go      better in all aspects of your life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ÒBeyond the theoretical work, itÕs important to understand the      right actions to take so you can put yourself on the luck-making      path and create the destiny you want for yourself,Ó Barnaby said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e We were so engrossed in conversation that we hardly noticed how      muddy we were getting as we slipped and slid along the (actual)      path where we were walking. By the end, my canvas shoes were      thoroughly soaked and caked with dirt.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Luck may be like gratitude in that a lot depends on your      perspective,\" I told Barnaby as we emerged from the woods. \"I      consider this a very lucky walk in that we have exciting ideas and      a good plan. But someone else might see it as unlucky that I have      to throw away my shoes.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He smiled. \"Sacrifices are always made in the name of science.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I looked down at my muddy feet. Part of luck was about finding new      opportunities. Compared to that, finding new shoes shouldn't be      very hard.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A couple of days after we got back from Princeton, Barnaby      suggested I take a first shot at seeing how our basic theory      worked in practice. If we were right that you make your own luck,      could I try to get lucky on one particular day?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For this experiment I didn't need a blackboard full of equations.      I would simply try to create my own luck.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e My day didn't look to be very exciting. I planned to do a few      errands in the morning, then go to Penn Station and catch a train      to visit my wonderful mother-in-law.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Does any part of that sound lucky to you?\" I asked Barnaby.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It also happened to be Friday, May 13th-not the obvious day to      have beautiful opportunities fall from the sky.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But Barnaby asked me to set out on my day with a slightly      different perspective than usual. He gave me some basic guidelines      for luck: I should stay attentive to opportunities, be prepared      for anything, and try the unexpected.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"And luck will just rain down on me?\" I asked dubiously.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Since it was already storming outside, it would have been better      for some sunshine to appear. But a challenge is a challenge, and I      was intrigued.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e My day started unremarkably with visits to the post office and      drugstore, and then I headed to Penn Station. I had left plenty of      time and arrived early (way too early) for my 10:15 a.m. train.      Penn Station is grim and dreary, and hanging out there didn't feel      very lucky at all.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But with the advice to be prepared, I had studied the train      schedule and knew there was an earlier train at 9:46. I didn't      think there was time to make it-but why not try?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When I ran to the gate, the escalator was (mysteriously) going up      from the track, not down to it. I dashed over to a security guard      hanging out nearby and asked what to do.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You have to go all the way around to the other side and take the      staircase,\" he said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I felt momentarily defeated-the train was leaving in about one      minute, and the corridor to the other side looked long. But I      thought of a high school coach who used to cheer, \"Go for it! Take      a chance!\" So I ran around the station to the staircase, galumphed      down the steps, and got onto the train a moment before the doors      closed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e What luck!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I felt a surge of triumph. It was a small victory, but I had made      it happen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Wait a minute. Was that the secret? I could control more than I      realized?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A week earlier, I had been in almost the identical situation and      hadn't hustled quite as much. The train door literally slammed in      my face. That felt like an unlucky day, while this one suddenly      felt much more positive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e With the train success in my mind, I felt a surge of confidence. I      arrived at the other end earlier than planned, so I took a      pleasant walk to my mother-in-law's apartment (the rain had even      stopped) rather than taking a cab. We went out for lunch and      chatted cheerfully with the waitress at the diner. I thanked her      for making me a salad that wasn't on the menu and confided that I      was trying to make lucky things happen all day. At dessert, the      waitress brought over a chocolate cupcake with a candle in it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"This one's on us. A lucky day is worth celebrating,\" the waitress      said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Catching an earlier train and getting a free chocolate cupcake      weren't exactly earth-shattering events. But on a Friday the      thirteenth, they definitely counted on the good side of luck.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When I reported this story to Barnaby the next day, I was      somewhere between amazed and baffled. I was starting to agree that      luck isn't a magical and mystical force that falls from the      sky-it's something that we can (at least partly) create for      ourselves. That's fairly stunning to realize, since most of us sit      back and hope for good luck when we really should be taking the      right steps to make it happen. The sharp-tongued Australian      novelist Christina Stead noted in 1938 that \"a self-made man is      one who believes in luck and sends his children to Oxford.\" In      other words, chance plays a role in life, but it's not everything.      The foundations for luck are set by our own actions-what we try,      whom we talk to, how fast we decide to run for the train.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If luck is all around us, waiting to be found, then we had to stop      walking right by it or whizzing past in our SUVs. Lucky      occurrences usually aren't as haphazard as they may first appear.      It's true that fortune is not fairly distributed and some options      are beyond your control. I had been born in the United States to      middle-class parents who wanted me to advance, and in the history      of the world, that counted as an enormous, unbelievable privilege.      But no matter how you start out or where you hope to land, knowing      the dynamics of chance changes . . . well, your chances.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You can uncover the luck, grab it for yourself, and share it with      friends!\" Barnaby told me now.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e To make good luck, you need the right information so you can      prepare for the right actions. Knowing the possible steps keeps      you from being buffeted by forces you can't control and gives you      power over more aspects of your life. We often have greater      control over our future than we realize. It was exciting to think      that I didn't have to wait for lucky days-I could make them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Barnaby and I decided to launch our project with a national survey      on luck-and we put it together carefully to make sure it would be      wide-ranging and statistically significant. When the results      started coming in, we were surprised-and also delighted. Fully 82      percent of people believed that they had some or great influence      over the luck in their lives. Only 5 percent thought that no      matter what they did, they couldnÕt change their luck. So our      belief that you could make luck happen fit in with an overall      American attitude that random events may occur, but that doesnÕt      mean life is out of your control. You just have to learn the right      approaches.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Finding those right approaches was our big challenge-because luck      is in the details. The great scientist Louis Pasteur once pointed      out that \"Luck favors the prepared mind.\" A wise thought-but he      never said what the preparation looks like. So we would try to      fill in the blanks and uncover the step-by-step process for      preparing to be lucky.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When I mentioned to my friend Liz that I was learning how to      create luck for myself, she immediately asked if I was buying a      lottery ticket. But a lottery is not a good model for luck in the      rest of life. Even though it's been around since the days of the      Roman empire and ropes in millions of buyers (and dreamers), a      lottery is just a game that raises money and hopes. You buy a      ticket, and then everything else is left to chance. There are      crazy odds against you and nothing you can do about them. (Some      Australians found one thing they could do to win. But we'll get to      that later.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In the big matters that make us seem truly fortunate in life-a      good job, a happy family, and a feeling of success-life isn't a      lottery at all. Random chance does play a part in our lives and      serendipitous events occur that you can't easily explain, but      chance is just one element of the luck picture. If you think about      luck as strictly random events, you're missing the bigger point.      To get lucky, you need to put aside what you can't control and      focus on the other elements that are completely under your      control.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When I visited Barnaby at the Luck Lab the next time, he took me      over to the math library, where he liked to work. Library stacks      are often dark, but he had a favorite table by a bay window where      light poured in-and the office where Albert Einstein had worked      was just below us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"We probably have a better view than he did,\" Barnaby said      cheerfully.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Inspired by the ghost of genius past, we talked about successful      people we knew and tried to tease out the elements that made them      lucky. Certain traits-like smarts, determination, energy, and      original thinking-got repeated over and over. Chance sometimes      played a role-good timing and all that-but it never stood alone.","brand":"Dutton","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302906417381,"sku":"NP9781101986394","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781101986394.jpg?v=1767729325","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/how-luck-happens-isbn-9781101986394","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}