Lucky That Way

Product Description Lucky That Way by Brad Fregger is a rare, inside look at the stories behind the creation of some of the most successful computer games in the world. Its a book about seizing the moment; about coincidence, serendipity and miracles. Its about people, their initial failures and their ultimate successes. Lucky That Way speaks to the fast pace and ever changing environment of modern American business. Brads easy to read, conversational style, plus his humorous, sometimes unbelievable interludes add a flavor to the book that puts it into the same category as Surely You Must be Joking, Mr. Feynman and other life story books that have been well received by the reading public over the years. This deeply personal memoir deals with some of the more interesting times Brad experienced while creating the training organization at Atari during the time the company went from 350 million to 2 billion in annual sales. Then he shares how it all ended, how the fastest growing company in history crashed and brought the entire video game industry down. Brad leaves Atari and training to begin a new career as a producer. These are the early years in this industry and they are highly creative ones. Nobody knows its limits. Brad takes advantage of the situation and leads the development of many new and wonderful products. Brads stories of this time speak to us all, including the Worlds Greatest Easter Egg and I Loved the Movie, Lets Do the Game!. We meet Brodie Lockard, a programmer with the same physical handicap as Chris Reeves, who refused to accept defeat and developed Shanghai, one of the most successful computer games of all time. Learn how computer card solitaire was created and became the most played computer game in the world. And learn of many other wonderful products, not as well known, that brought joy and entertainment to the lucky few who discovered them. Brads openness as he talks about his own mistakes, the challen! ges he overcame, and the courage he exhibits each time he starts over, is thought provoking and inspirational in its own way. In the end we find out just how lucky he is and discover that we, too, can be Lucky That Way. From the Author I started writing this book in the middle of June, 1998. I had thought about it for years, even written some preliminary chapters. I wanted it to be a selection of stories from my life. I had discovered that personal stories can be very impactual and I had a lot of them. Prior to this writing stint, I would have judged myself to be a fairly average writer. Ive always been a good storyteller, but I knew I was better orally than in writing. Something happened this time. The writing came easy, seemed almost inspired. I was working full time. Yet I would wake up at four in the morning with a whole chapter in my head, come to my computer, and have it written before seven. The first draft of Lucky That Way was completed by the middle of August. After finishing, I passed it around to a number of different people; this was my beta test. I discovered just telling stories left some people confused. They needed something to hold it all together. Then it dawned on me that I could add to the book my philosophy of seizing the moment. This would let me share just how seizing the moment has worked in my life and my work, and it would be the golden thread that held it all together. Its very interesting how consciously involving yourself in this type of thinking causes things to happen. Since this was my first book, I was concerned about finding a publisher. I know of many people who have finished books and never found a publisher. I was preparing a media blitz designed to find the right publisher (one who liked my style of writing, was big enough to have books in all of the major retailers, yet small enough so my book would be important), when my fiance, Barbara Foley, told me that she wanted me to go to Iowa with her to visit family and friends. I was t