1
Front Matter
5 chapters2
Part 1: What Is Luck?
6 chapters- Part 1: What Is Luck?
- Chapter 1: What Is Luck? Mapping an Elusive Concept
- Chapter 2: The Luck vs. Skill Debate: A False Dichotomy?
- Chapter 3: Randomness Is Real — How Probability Governs Everyday Life
- Chapter 4: How Our Brains Misread Luck — Cognitive Biases and Chance
- Chapter 5: The History of Luck — From Fortune's Wheel to Algorithmic Feeds
3
Part 2: The Mathematics of Chance
7 chapters- Part 2: The Mathematics of Chance
- Chapter 6: Probability Intuition — The Math You Need Without the Math You Fear
- Chapter 7: The Law of Large Numbers — Why Small Samples Lie
- Chapter 8: Regression to the Mean — Why Hot Streaks Cool Down
- Chapter 9: Survivorship Bias — The Most Dangerous Lie Statistics Tell
- Chapter 10: Expected Value — How Rational People Think About Risk
- Chapter 11: The Birthday Problem and Other Probability Surprises
4
Part 3: The Psychology of Luck
7 chapters- Part 3: The Psychology of Luck
- Chapter 12: The Lucky Personality — Traits of Luck-Prone People
- Chapter 13: Locus of Control — Who Do You Think Is Running Your Life?
- Chapter 14: The Power of Positive Expectation (Without the Toxic Positivity)
- Chapter 15: Fear and Loss Aversion, and the Opportunities You're Missing
- Chapter 16: The Luck Journal — Noticing and Amplifying Good Fortune
- Chapter 17: Resilience and Bounce-Back — How Lucky People Handle Bad Luck
5
Part 4: Networks, Society, and Social Luck
7 chapters- Part 4: Networks, Society, and Social Luck
- Chapter 18: Born Lucky? The Sociology of Structural Advantage
- Chapter 19: Weak Ties and the Hidden Power of Loose Connections
- Chapter 20: Six Degrees — How Small-World Networks Open Big Doors
- Chapter 21: Social Capital and Positional Advantage
- Chapter 22: Social Media as a Luck Amplifier — The New Rules of Visibility
- Chapter 23: Gatekeepers, Mentors, and Sponsors — The Human Infrastructure of Luck
6
Part 5: Serendipity Engineering
7 chapters- Part 5: Serendipity Engineering
- Chapter 24: What Is Serendipity Engineering? The Science of Creating Lucky Breaks
- Chapter 25: Expanding Your Opportunity Surface — Show Up More Places
- Chapter 26: Curiosity as a Luck Strategy — How Wondering Creates Winning
- Chapter 27: Pattern Recognition — The Skill Behind Lucky Insights
- Chapter 28: The Art of the Right Place, Right Time — Strategic Presence
- Chapter 29: Prepared Mind, Lucky Break — Expertise and Serendipity
7
Part 6: Opportunity Recognition
7 chapters- Part 6: Opportunity Recognition
- Chapter 30: What Is an Opportunity? A Framework for Seeing What Others Miss
- Chapter 31: Timing and Luck — How Macro Trends Create Personal Windows
- Chapter 32: The Signal-to-Noise Problem — Cutting Through Distraction to Spot Chances
- Chapter 33: Technology Luck — Riding Innovation Waves
- Chapter 34: Social Media Opportunity Hunting — Platforms as Luck Engines
- Chapter 35: From Noticing to Acting — The Courage Component
8
Part 7: Building a Luckier Life
6 chapters- Part 7: Building a Luckier Life
- Chapter 36: The Luck Audit — Assessing and Redesigning Your Luck Architecture
- Chapter 37: Portfolio Thinking — Managing Luck Across Life's Domains
- Chapter 38: Career Luck — Positioning Yourself for Serendipity
- Chapter 39: The Ethics of Luck — Privilege, Meritocracy, and What We Owe Each Other
- Chapter 40: Your Personal Luck Strategy — Synthesis and Action Plan
9
Part 8: Capstone Projects
4 chapters10
Appendices
9 chapters- Appendix: Glossary of Key Terms
- Appendix: Answers to Selected Exercises
- Appendix: Annotated Bibliography
- Appendix A: Key Studies Summary
- Appendix B: Research Methods Primer
- Appendix C: Templates and Worksheets
- Appendix D: Quick Reference Cards
- Appendix E: Frequently Asked Questions
- Appendix F: Python Reference — Simulation Code
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