Daniel Pink’s most recent book is “The Power Of Regret” and it has been out in the UK for a couple of weeks. I finished reading it and felt it was a very useful, timely, and thought-provoking piece.

The thesis is simple: the pervasive social belief that we should have “no regrets” is not only wrong but dangerous. More than that, we can learn from our regrets and grow from them.

The book outlines the research which shows us how important our emotions are and the value of avoiding some of the larger mental traps that surround the concept of regret. More than that, however, Pink’s own research spearheads an approach to harnessing regret to make our lives better.

This is a personal book. It’s a book filled with regrets from across the social spectrum, gathered from Pink’s own research. But more than anything else I got the sense that it’s an honest book. The author shares some of his own experiences and helps to illustrate how he has used the research to turn those regrets into signposts within his own life.

The Power of Regret is practical. Although my initial impression was that it was short book in big print, it is packed with useful insights and practical tips. Pink is great at transferring deeply technical scientific discovery into plain and easy to parse common language. I always admire his skill in storytelling and ability to help me see the application of these important ideas.

I know this isn’t a roleplaying game nor a guide on anything to do with gaming. But this is, in my view, an important book on my own journey. Anyone with a desire to grow and learn more about the human experience would benefit from at least the first chapter of The Power of Regret… if only to realise that “no regrets” is total bull.

Game on!