Funny Business

9Playing the Game

When you come right down to it, Mary Poppins knew an awful lot about how to get things done. As she sang, “You find the fun, and snap! The job’s a game.” For children cleaning up their rooms, turning the chore into a game makes the work go faster. And that’s a child’s game. But, to continue the metaphor, children play Candyland, and adults play Risk. Where children are content with the luck of the dice—and an occasional dip in the chocolate swamp—adult games are infinitely more elaborate and strategic. For adults, the way the game is structured and played determines the outcome. A lucky roll of the dice can help, but it is not the sole determining factor of who wins and who loses.

The same elements that make a good game also ...