Seven games : a human history
Roeder, Oliver2022
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"A group biography of seven enduring and beloved games, and the story of why-and how-we play them. Checkers, Backgammon, Chess, and Go. Poker, Scrabble, and Bridge. These seven games, ancient and modern, fascinate millions of people worldwide. In Seven Games, Oliver Roeder charts their origins and historical importance, the delightful arcana of their rules, and the behavioural design that make them pleasurable. Roeder introduces thrilling competitors, such as evangelical minister Marion Tinsley, who across forty years lost only three games of checkers; Shusai the Master, the last Go champion of Imperial Japan, defending tradition against "modern rationalism"; and an IBM engineer who created a backgammon program so capable at self-learning that NASA used it on the Space Shuttle. Throughout, Roeder tells the compelling story of how humans, pursuing scientific glory and competitive advantage, have invented AI programs better than any human player, and what that means for the games-and for us. Funny, fascinating and profound, Seven Games is a story of obsession, psychology, history, and how play makes us human"-- Provided by publisher.
Main title:
Seven games : a human history / Oliver Roeder.
Author:
Roeder, Oliver, author
Edition:
First edition.
Imprint:
New York, NY : W.W. Norton & Company, [2022]©2022
Collation:
306 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 285-296) and index.
Contents:
Prologue -- Introduction -- Checkers -- Chess -- Go -- Backgammon -- Poker -- Scrabble -- Bridge -- Epilogue.
ISBN:
9781324003779 (hbk)9781324003779
Dewey class:
794
Language:
English
Added title:
BRN:
510810
More Information:
| Location | Collection | Call number | Status/Desc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandringham Library | Adult Non Fiction - Leisure | 794 ROE | Available |