Pre-order Releases Jan 12, 2027
The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's Game
$12.40 / copy at 25+ copies As low as $10.00 at 1,000+Your best volume price
About the book
The Score
“Mind-expanding . . . The Score is so exuberant and readable that the depth and seriousness of its insights almost sneak up on you.” —Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times
“Brilliant and wildly original . . . The Score is socially attentive, historically literate and imbued with sensual glee.” —Becca Rothfeld, The Washington Post
“I give this excellent book five stars.” —Stuart Jeffries, Financial Times
A philosophy of games to help us win back control over what we value
The philosopher C. Thi Nguyen—one of the leading experts on the philosophy of games and the philosophy of data—takes us deep into the heart of games, and into the depths of bureaucracy, to see how scoring systems shape our desires.
Games are the most important art form of our era. They embody the spirit of free play. They show us the subtle beauty of action everywhere in life in video games, sports, and boardgames—but also cooking, gardening, fly-fishing, and running. They remind us that it isn’t always about outcomes, but about how glorious it feels to be doing the thing. And the scoring systems help get us there, by giving us new goals to try on.
Scoring systems are also at the center of our corporations and bureaucracies—in the form of metrics and rankings. They tell us exactly how to measure our success. They encourage us to outsource our values to an external authority. And they push on us to value simple, countable things. Metrics don’t capture what really matters; they only capture what’s easy to measure. The price of that clarity is our independence.
The Score asks us is this the game you really want to be playing?
The book, The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's Game [Bulk, Wholesale, Quantity] ISBN#9780593655672 in Paperback by C. Thi Nguyen may be ordered in bulk quantities. Minimum starts at 25 copies. Availability based on publisher status and quantity being ordered.
What readers are saying
Details
- Publisher
- Penguin Publishing Group
- Author
- C. Thi Nguyen
- Format
- Paperback
- Release date
- Jan 12, 2027
- ISBN-13
- 9780593655672
- ISBN-10
- 0593655672
- Pages
- 368
- Carton quantity
- 24 copies
Who it's for
Made for teams that read together
Pre-order copies for everyone on your list, and they ship on release.
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Need them before Jan 12?
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The Score in bulk: pricing
Volume pricing applies automatically in your cart. No codes, no account needed.
| Copies | Price per copy | You save |
|---|---|---|
| 25 – 99 | $12.40 | 38% off list |
| 100 – 249 | $11.60 | 42% off list |
| 250 – 499 | $10.80 | 46% off list |
| 500 – 999 | $10.40 | 48% off list |
| 1,000+ | $10.00 | 50% off list |
How fast can I get copies of The Score?
This title is not released yet. Pre-orders ship when it is, currently scheduled for January 12, 2027. Need them by a specific date? Request a quote and we'll confirm timing before you pay.
Can you ship to several locations or people's homes?
Yes. We ship in bulk to one address, to multiple sites, or to individual recipients, in the US and internationally. See fulfillment options.
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