Biography
Early years
Potter was born in Battersea, London, the only son of Frank Collard Potter (1858–1939), a chartered accountant, and his wife Elizabeth Mary Jubilee ''née'' Reynolds (1863–1950).Grenfell, JoyceLecturer in English literature
In 1926 Potter began teaching English literature at Birkbeck College,BBC writer and producer
Potter first wrote for''Gamesmanship'' and freelance writing
A ten-day power-cut at the beginning of 1947 prevented any broadcasting and gave Potter the opportunity to dash off a book. To the despair of his publisher he was a far from methodical author: every Potter manuscript was "a mass of dirty bits of paper, vilely typed, corrected in illegible biro, episodic and half-revised." This book, ''The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship: Or the Art of Winning Games Without Actually Cheating'', illustrated by Frank Wilson, was published in 1947, and sold prodigiously.Lowrey, BurlingLater years
By the late 1950s the concept and the suffix "-manship" had entered the English language. The foreign policy of the American secretary of state John Foster Dulles was universally known as "Adaptations and commemorations
TheWider influence
Eric Berne in his best-selling '' Games People Play'' readily acknowledges Potter's ''Gamemanship'' as a precursor: 'Due credit should be given to Stephen Potter for his perceptive, humorous discussions of manoeuvres, or "ploys", in everyday social situations'. Elsewhere he calls Potter 'the chief representative of the humorous exposition of ulterior transactions'. What has been termed Potter's "blend of flat and serious tone (reminiscent of a gentlemanly sports handbook) united with a sceptical judgement of the values of the English middle-class social scene" would thus seem to have fed into Berne's own "sardonically humorous ''Games People Play'' ... con-games of daily life that Dr Berne describes with desperately penetrating gallows-wit". Potter's ' ''Game Leg''..."Limpmanship", as it used to be called, or the exact use of minor injury' precedes Berne's "Wooden Leg"; Potter's 'Nice Chapmanship ... Being a Nice Chap ''in certain circumstances'' is valuable' precedes Berne's "Good Joe"; Potter's "Advicemanship", whereby 'if properly managed, the mere giving of advice is sufficient' to win, precedes Berne's "I'm Only Trying to Help You", where 'the damage is done while being helpful'. And 'Just as there are O.K.-words in conversationship', so too inBibliography
, some of his works are out of print, but many have new editions. In 2005, ''Lifemanship'' was re-published by Moyer Bell. * ''The Young Man.'' 1929 * ''D.H. Lawrence: A First Study.'' 1930 * ''Minnow Among Tritons.'' 1934 * (ed.): ''The Nonesuch Coleridge.''1934 * ''Coleridge and S.T.C.'' 1935 * ''The Muse in Chains.'' 1937 * ''The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship: Or the Art of Winning Games Without Actually Cheating.'' 1947. Illustrated by Frank Wilson * ''Lifemanship: With a Summary of Recent Researches in Gamesmanship.'' 1950. Illustrated by Frank Wilson * ''One-Upmanship: Being Some Account of the Activities and Teachings of the Lifemanship Correspondence College of One-Upness and Games Lifemastery''. 1952. Illustrated by Frank Wilson * ''The Sense of Humour.'' 1954 * ''Christmas-ship; or, The Art of Giving and Receiving.'' 1956 * ''Potter on America.'' 1956 * ''Supermanship, or, How to Continue to Stay Top without Actually Falling Apart.'' 1958. Illustrated by Frank Wilson. * ''Steps to Immaturity: An Autobiography.'' 1959 * ''The Magic Number.'' 1959 * ''Anti-Woo: The Lifeman's Improved Primer for Non-Lovers.'' 1965. Illustrated by Frank Wilson * ''Squawky, the One-up Parrot.'' 1965 * ''The Complete Golf Gamesmanship.'' (Also titled ''Golfmanship''). 1968. Illustrated by Frank Wilson. * ''The Complete Upmanship: Including, Gamesmanship, Lifemanship, One-Upmanship, Supermanship''. 1970. * ''Pedigree.'' 1973. (edited by Laurens Sargeant).Notes
References
* Chaney, Edward, ''Genius Friend: G.B. Edwards andExternal links
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