The Dice Man

Luke Rhinehart's 1971 novel follows a bored psychiatrist, also called Luke Rhinehart, who begins making his daily decisions by casting a die. Once he hands his life over to chance, anything can happen. Luke Rhinehart is the pen name of George Cockcroft, and on first publication it was unclear whether the book was fiction or autobiography, the more so since protagonist and supposed author shared a name and a profession. Cockcroft has given more than one account of the idea, once citing a college habit of rolling a die with friends to decide what to do on a given night. The novel later inspired songs, among them The Fall's Dice Man and Talk Talk's Such a Shame.

Richard Branson named it among his top 65 lifetime reads in a list he drew up for World Book Day.