It's All a Game

It's All a Game: The History of Board Games from Monopoly to Settlers of Catan by Tristan Donovan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

• Trivial Pursuit was invented in Canada.
• The planning of the attack on Pearl Harbor involved a D&D Style Dungeon Master.
• Backgammon was a huge gambling fad in the jet set 1970s. 

These are just a few of the odd facts I learned from this fascinating look as board games. Chess and artificial intelligence technology are recurring themes, but most board games that I can think of (and a few I never heard of before) get a spotlight that shows not only how they developed, but what they influenced and where they affected stuff you wouldn't expect. If you are a fan of table top games this book is for you.