If Life is a Game, These are the Rules
Ten Rules for Being Human as introduced in Chicken Soup for the Soul
Format: Paperback
Author: Chérie Carter-Scott, PhD
ISBN No: 0-7679-0388-9

If I were to ask you, “Are you on you path to success?” what would your answer be? Would you even know where or what ‘success’ is?

These were the very questions I had to ask myself several years ago and I did not have a ‘reference’ book to read to help. Then, I was given a copy of If Life is a Game, These are the Rules Ten Rule for Being Human as introduced in Chicken Soup for the Soul  and reading it was both illuminating and comforting.

In Preface of the book, Dr. Carter-Scott writes: “My hope is that this book will be a spiritual primer for those who are just setting out on their spiritual path, and a gentle reminder for those already well on their way.”

Then she proceeds, in a methodical manner, to set out all of the rules. The ten rules, are in themselves, not new. Many people have stated these very rules before. For ease of reference, they are as follows:

1.  You will receive a body.
2. You will be presented with lessons.
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons.
4. Lessons are repeated until learned.
5. Learning does not end.
6. “There” is no better than “here”.
7. Others are only mirrors of you.
8. What you make of your life is up to you.
9. All the answers lie inside of you.
10. You will forget all of this at birth.

What makes this particular book unique is the style of language and the illustrations used. Written using simple and is easy to understand English, the messages are conveyed in a clear manner. In addition, the way each chapter is broken into separate ‘sections’ is welcome, as upon completion of each section, a reader has ‘breathing space’ – one can think about a lesson/rule before jumping into the next one.

Dr. Carter-Scott explains her rules by providing illustrations in the form of stories. These are not stories that have been made up but are based on true people and events – people who have come to Dr. Carter, sought her help and found their own success. Some of the stories are also based on the author’s personal experiences.

Dr. Carter-Scott is by no means an amateur: she is an entreprenuer, international lecturer, consultant, trainer, author, coach, seminar, leader and founder of her Motivation Management Service Institute. Her list of credits is impressive and just too long to mention here. This book is a testament to he abilities in her chosen career.

In all, If Life is a Game, These are the Rules has managed to tap into the secret of good writing which is this: writing stories that emulate speech at its best, is clear and simplified. In this book, she proves that point that to make your message as clear as possible, the best way is to use stories

A very good read. Highly recommended.