Non-fiction: April 2008 Archives
This small book by the game design guru Sid Sackson describes over 60 card games from around the world. The selection is interesting and there are many interesting and important games listed. Some of the games are hopelessly common, though - I see little point in describing games like Cribbage, Rummy and Old Maid. That is space better used for more unusual games.
What's perhaps most interesting is the section of new games. There are four games included there, two by Sackson himself and two by his friends. These are certainly unusual and worth taking a look at. Despite the lack of historical information and the flaws of the selection, this small book is a worthy addition to any card game book library. It also has one of the clearest explanations of Skat I've ever read. [ Card Games Around the World (Dover Books on Magic) at Amazon.co.uk ]
Parker Brothers is a familiar brand to everyone who has played American mainstream board games. This book by Philip Orbanes recounts the history of the company from 1883 when it was founded by George Parker to the end, when the company was swallowed by Hasbro (originally Hassenfeld Brothers, by the way) in early 1990s.
It is an interesting story to anybody who is familiar with Parker Brothers games. Orbanes appreciates games and spends plenty of time writing about games and how they were made. It's all very fascinating, the origins of the games and how the company developed. The Game Makers certainly beats your average corporate history. Anybody interested in classic American board games will do themselves a favour by reading this book. [ The Game Makers: The Story of Parker Brothers, from Tiddledy Winks to Trivial Pursuit at Amazon.co.uk ]
Salt is very commonplace, yet wars have been waged to gain control over its sources. Salt has made nations rich, paid the salaries of soldiers and preserved the food throughout the history. Mark Kurlansky takes a swift tour of history of salt, from ancient China to Civil War USA. The book is filled with interesting stories and facts about food (rather curious recipes, too!).
Simply put, I'm jealous: I wish I could write a book this good. If you're looking for something intriguing and educational to read, Salt is an interesting book about a topic everybody knows. I enjoyed the book thorougly and learnt a lot. Highly recommended! (Review based on the Finnish translation.) [ Salt: A World History at Amazon.co.uk ]
Road to Wigan Pier starts strong: Orwell describes the life of an English coal miner. His description is grim and convincing. All in all, worth reading, even though the life he describes is history now. The vivid details of Orwell's trip to the bottom of the coal mine are particularly nasty.
The rest of the book - well, it's less interesting. Discussion of hot social issues from 70 years ago, Orwell's thoughts on socialism and fascism... didn't hold my interest, really. It's always somewhat fascinating to read about the way class is an all-penetrating force in the British society, but much of the book is simply not very interesting to a modern reader. Well, some of the things he writes about poverty are very much true, even in the 21st century Finland, so while the times do change a lot, some things apparently stay just like they are.
The first part is strong, that I must say, and worth reading to a reader interested in poverty and social injustice. (Review based on the Finnish translation.) [ The Road to Wigan Pier (Penguin Modern Classics) at Amazon.co.uk ]
