The Status Game

‘Will Storr is one of our best journalists of ideas … The Status Game might be his best yet’ James Marriott, Books of the Year, The Times

What drives our political and moral beliefs?

What shapes our bitterest conflicts and wildest dreams?

What makes you, you?

Across the world, from Papua New Guinea to Tokyo and Manhattan, humans compete for status. Through games of dominance, virtue and success, it’s an obsession that has driven the best and worst of us: the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution as well as spree killers and tyrants at the gates of Europe. But what makes status an all-consuming prize? And how can we wield our desire for it to improve our relationships, win social media battles and be the best in the workplace?

A breathtaking rethink of human psychology, The Status Game will change how you see others – and how you see yourself.

“'I haven't finished reading The Status Game because I've only read it once. There's so much in this dazzling book I will be revisiting over and over again' Daniel Finkelstein , author of Everything in Moderation ' The Status Game could not be more timely and provides a missing piece for understanding where we are, and how to get out of this mess ... I can't recommend it highly enough' Greg Lukianoff , co-author with Jonathan Haidt of The Coddling of the American Mind 'Thought provoking and enlightening - you'll be discussing The Status Game everywhere you go' Sara Pascoe 'A wonderfully written, instantly gripping investigation of how humans yearn for, accrue, and respond to status -- and how we wither from a lack of it ... It is a vital exploration of the evolutionarily wired game that underpins so much of our culture and politics' Jesse Singal , author of The Quick Fix 'Bursting with insights into the hierarchy-crazed hellscape of a world shaped by social media, this book confirms Will Storr's own status as a master storyteller' Helen Lewis , author of Difficult Women 'A radical new theory of human nature ... I was blown away by the depth and breadth of the research, the strength of the argument, and the quality of the storytelling. It should - quite appropriately - establish Will Storr as the finest science writer being published today' David Robson , author of The Intelligence Trap”

‘Will Storr is one of our best journalists of ideas … The Status Game might be his best yet’ James Marriott, Books of the Year, The Times

‘[The Status Game] challenged the way I think about the role of status in my own life and in some ways it made me feel less terrible about some of my unhealthy fixations. If you find yourself needlessly worried about status, it might do the same for you … I can’t stop thinking about it’ Sean Illing, Vox

‘Eloquent, entertaining’ New Statesman

‘Moving … Scholarly … Storr showcases a rare skill – the ability to use technical academic scholarship in solving a real-world problem’ Helen Dale, CapX

‘I haven’t finished reading The Status Game because I’ve only read it once. There's so much in this dazzling book I will be revisiting over and over again’
Daniel Finkelstein, author of Everything in Moderation

‘The Status Game could not be more timely and provides a missing piece for understanding where we are, and how to get out of this mess … I can’t recommend it highly enough’
Greg Lukianoff, co-author with Jonathan Haidt of The Coddling of the American Mind

‘Thought provoking and enlightening – you’ll be discussing The Status Game everywhere you go’ Sara Pascoe

‘Bursting with insights into the hierarchy-crazed hellscape of a world shaped by social media, this book confirms Will Storr’s own status as a master storyteller’
Helen Lewis, author of Difficult Women

‘A radical new theory of human nature … It should – quite appropriately – establish Will Storr as the finest science writer being published today’
David Robson, author of The Intelligence Trap

Will Storr is an award-winning writer. His work has appeared in the Guardian, Sunday Times, New Yorker and New York Times. He is the author of four critically acclaimed books, most recently Selfie: How the West Became Self-Obsessed. He teaches popular journalism and storytelling classes in London. He is an in-demand ghostwriter whose books have spent months at the top of the Sunday Times bestseller chart, selling more than 300,000 copies in 2018 alone. 

'Will Storr is one of our best journalists of ideas ... The Status Game might be his best yet' James Marriott, Books of the Year, The Times What drives our political and moral beliefs? What shapes our bitterest conflicts and wildest dreams? What makes you, you? Across the world, from Papua New Guinea to Tokyo and Manhattan, humans compete for status. Through games of dominance, virtue and success, it's an obsession that has driven the best and worst of us: the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution as well as spree killers and tyrants at the gates of Europe. But what makes status an all-consuming prize? And how can we wield our desire for it to improve our relationships, win social media battles and be the best in the workplace? A breathtaking rethink of human psychology, The Status Game will change how you see others - and how you see yourself.

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