The Game of Life Florence Scovel Shinn - Florence Scovel Shinn, an illustrator living in New York City, became a teacher of New Thought after a divorce. New Thought was a movement which holds the belief that individuals can create their own reality through intentional thoughts and prayer, much like the current Law of Attraction movement. The Game of Life and How to Play It is her first book, and is remarkable for being written by a woman and meant for a genteel female audience.

Florence Scovel Shinn (September 24, 1871, Camden, New Jersey October 17, 1940) was an American artist and book illustrator who became a New Thought spiritual teacher and metaphysical writer in her middle years. In New Thought circles, she is best known for her first book, The Game of Life and How to Play It (1925).Her books "Your Word Is Your Wand" and "The Game of Life and How To Play It" were released as audiobooks in 2014 and 2015 respectively and were narrated by actress Hillary Hawkins.Shinn is considered part of the New Thought movement, as her writings follow in the tradition of Phineas Quimby (18021866), Emma Curtis Hopkins (18491925), and both Charles Fillmore (18541948) and Myrtle Fillmore (18451931), co-founders of the Unity Church.Motivational author Louise Hay acknowledges her as an early influence.