The Score

Mind-expanding… so exuberant and readable that the depth and seriousness of its insights almost sneak up on you – Jennifer Szalai * New York Times *
Nguyen is lucid, entertaining and precise, illustrating ideas with a mix of personal stories and real-world examples. He has a particular knack for conveying the specific, intrinsic pleasures of his many enthusiasms… The Score is a compelling read, urgent but never alarmist…. I came away enriched and uplifted – Tim Clare * Guardian *
’[A] subtle and stimulating philosophical examination of the increasingly ubiquitous phenomenon of scoring systems… advocating a kind of playful rebellion against rules and metrics… I give this excellent book five stars – Stuart Jeffries * Financial Times *
Part polemic and part philosophical inquiry… profound … If we truly want to understand our civic plight – and not just tick off some talking points – then we should read The Score – Simon Ings * Telegraph *
Beautifully written and full of aphoristic wit… From time to time, a book comes along that causes the reader to reconsider just about everything… the results are extraordinary – Matthew d’Ancona * The New World *
Playful, fresh… Nguyen convincingly shows why choosing to abide by the rules in the artificial sandbox of games can help us explore, be open and get exposure to life’s richness – Alex Wilkins * New Scientist *
Brilliant and wildly original … profound, rigorous and frequently beautiful book … socially attentive, historically literate and imbued with sensual glee – Becca Rothfeld * Washington Post *
Delightfully irreverent… An engaging look at the games we play and whatever freedom we might have as we do so * Kirkus *
[A] trenchant philosophical investigation…. Illustrating his ideas with lucid philosophy and descriptions of his own innumerable hobbies (Tetris, bouldering, yo-yo), Nguyen skillfully explores the ways in which humans think about progress, creativity, and play. It makes for a captivating look at how imperfect measures of success shape society * Publishers Weekly, starred review *
As a long-time fan of games, I was delighted to find a philosophical look at how we make choices in life. If you love gaming, this is the best book on the topic you’ll ever find – Steve Wozniak, cofounder of Apple

C. Thi Nguyen is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Utah, and a specialist in the philosophy of games, the philosophy of technology, and the theory of value. A former food writer for the Los Angeles Times, Nguyen is active in public philosophy, writing for the New York Times, Washington Post, New Statesman, and elsewhere.

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