Summary | Excerpt | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
From Tarot to Tic-Tac-Toe, Catan to Chutes and Ladders, a Mathematician Unlocks the Secrets of the World's Greatest Games
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Nov 2023, 384 pages
Paperback:
Nov 5, 2024, 384 pages
Book Reviewed by:
Norah Piehl
Buy This Book
One of my family's most enduring holiday traditions is endeavoring to play through our extensive collection of board games between Thanksgiving and New Year's. This year, thanks to Marcus du Sautoy's fascinating survey of game history, Around the World in Eighty Games, I was able to be that annoying know-it-all providing lots of background info about the history of Chutes and Ladders and Parcheesi—and (attempting to) use some new strategies to improve my winning percentage.
As the title suggests, Du Sautoy takes both a historical and a geographical approach to his survey of games. Inspired by Phileas Fogg's transcontinental journey in Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days, Du Sautoy visits all the continents except Antarctica—including regions where Fogg never ventured—exploring several games originating from each.
He starts his journey, appropriately ...
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