The Luck Factor by Richard Wiseman—Book Overview

A girl wearing a yellow shirt reading a book while lying in a field of lucky four-leaf clovers

Is luck real? What do science and psychology say? Is it possible to improve your luck? In his book, The Luck Factor, psychologist Richard Wiseman conducted extensive research on people who claim to have good or bad luck. Wiseman explores the science behind luck and how you can improve yours by deliberately applying the unconscious methods that lucky people use.   Keep reading to learn how people create their own luck, how to turn bad luck into good luck, and more.

Accepting What You Can’t Change Will Make You Happier

A woman outside letting go of a balloon that has the word "control" written on it, signifying accepting what you can't change

Do you often stress about things that are outside your control? How can you learn to accept what you can’t change? Bronnie Ware, a palliative care nurse, writes about the most common deathbed regrets she’s heard in her career. One way to avoid regrets and to live authentically and courageously is to let go of things that you can’t control. Here’s Ware’s reasoning and her advice for doing so.

The 5 Best The Top Five Regrets of the Dying Quotes

An elderly woman in a hospital bed looking at the camera. A younger woman sits next to the bed and holds her arm

What can you learn from The Top Five Regrets of the Dying? How can this book change the way you live your life? Many of us live our day-to-day lives without stopping to think whether or not we’re going to regret our decisions on our deathbed. To live a regret-free life, it’s important to learn from the mistakes of those who came before us. Here are the most impact The Top Five Regrets of the Dying quotes that will have you rethinking how you live.

How Does Luck Work? The 4 Psychological Factors

A man's fist knocking on a wooden table for good luck to represent how luck works

Do you believe in luck? How does luck work? Is there a scientific explanation for luck? In his book, The Luck Factor, psychologist Richard Wiseman set out to test whether or not luck could be proven scientifically. He determined that there are four psychological factors that lucky people unknowingly engage in to increase their chances of success and satisfaction. Keep reading to learn about each factor.

How Believing in Luck Impacts Your Life (The Luck Factor)

A hand holding a four-leaf clover, showing that they believe in luck

Do you believe in luck? Do you think you’re lucky or unlucky? How might your beliefs change your reality? Psychologist Richard Wiseman performed scientific studies around luck and determined that those who believe in luck tend to have better outcomes in life. Rather than there being a magical force behind luck, it can all be explained with psychology. Here’s a breakdown of why you should believe you’re lucky.

Why Extroverts Tend to Have More “Lucky Moments”

A woman jumping for joy in a city because she's having a lucky moment

Why do extroverts have more lucky moments than introverts? Why should you relax into luck? Because extroverts tend to put themselves in more new situations than introverts, they’re more likely to encounter “lucky” moments. Rather than being a form of magic, luck often comes from putting yourself into situations where positive outcomes are more likely to happen. Here’s a deeper look into extroverts and luck from the book The Luck Factor.

How Change Your Luck by Reframing It (The Luck Factor)

A woman in a red leather jacket holding up an empty picture frame, showing how you can reframe your luck

Is it possible to change your luck? Is there such a thing as good luck and bad luck? What can you learn from bad luck? In his book The Luck Factor, Richard Wiseman says that there’s no such thing as good or bad luck—it’s all in the way that you frame a situation. Lucky people see “bad luck” as a learning opportunity rather than a setback. Here’s how you can change your perspective on luck.