As I have stated in previous On My Shelf articles, I love studying the history of gaming. It’s All A Game: The History of Board Games from Monopoly to Settlers of Cats by Tristan Donovan has been the most fun and comprehensive read on the history of board games. The writing style is enjoyable to read and it has broken the historical topic into themes and eras which build from chapter to chapter. The dust jacket states…
Board games have been with us longer than even the written word. But what is it about this pastime that continues to captivate us well into the age of smartphones and instant gratification?
In It’s All a Game, British journalist and renowned games expert Tristan Donovan opens the box on the incredible and often surprising history and psychology of board games. He traces the evolution of the game across cultures, time periods, and continents, from the paranoid Chicago toy genius behind classics like Operation and Mouse Trap, to the role of Monopoly in helping prisoners of war escape the Nazis, and even the scientific use of board games today to teach artificial intelligence how to reason and how to win. With these compelling stories and characters, Donovan ultimately reveals why board games have captured hearts and minds all over the world for generations.
If you would like a better understanding of the history of our board gaming hobby, then I highly recommend this book. It is an easy read but full of depth and insights, with little bits of trivia that will fascinate you about our hobby.