John Cohen: Chance, Skill, and Luck. The Psychology of Guessing and Gambling

"To many people life is one long gamble and they will happily 'trust to luck', even in such matters as overtaking a lorry round a blind corner. Others, more cautions, try to find out what luck has in store for them by short-cut methods like astrology and tea leaves at the bottom of a cup. Millions sacrifice a few schillings on the football pools or lotteries each week in the hope that their 'luck will come up'. What really lies behind all this? What makes someone a gambler, either calculetedly or unthinkingly? Professor Cohen deals with this problem and many others related to it, such as the effect of alcohol on our capabilities and judgement, and the relationship between what we can do and what we think can do. This book, which contains the results of a wide variety of sciencific experiments with the rich material of anthropology, mythology and folk-lore, succeeds in giving the reader a considerable understanding of the psychology of guessing and more particularly of gambling."