The story of the arcane table-top game that became a pop culture phenomenon and the long-running legal battle waged by its cocreators.

When Dungeons & Dragons was first released to a small hobby community, it hardly seemed destined for mainstream success--and yet this arcane tabletop role-playing game became an unlikely pop culture phenomenon. In Game Wizards, Jon Peterson chronicles the rise of Dungeons & Dragons from hobbyist pastime to mass market sensation, from the initial collaboration to the later feud of its creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. As the game's fiftieth anniversary approaches, Peterson--a noted authority on role-playing games--explains how D&D and its creators navigated their successes, setbacks, and controversies.

Peterson describes Gygax and Arneson's first meeting and their work toward the 1974 release of the game; the founding of TSR and its growth as a company; and Arneson's acrimonious departure and subsequent challenges to TSR. He recounts the Satanic Panic accusations that D&D was sacrilegious and dangerous, and how they made the game famous. And he chronicles TSR's reckless expansion and near-fatal corporate infighting, which culminated with the company in debt and overextended and the end of Gygax's losing battle to retain control over TSR and D&D.

With Game Wizards, Peterson restores historical particulars long obscured by competing narratives spun by the one-time partners. That record amply demonstrates how the turbulent experience of creating something as momentous as Dungeons & Dragons can make people remember things a bit differently from the way they actually happened.
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From the bestselling author of Alex''s Adventures in Numberland and Can You Solve My Problems? comes a fascinating, hugely entertaining collection of puzzles for crossword addicts and language-lovers of all stripes. ''The only puzzle book I''ve seen that manages to befuddle both sides of the brain at the same time.'' DARA O BRIAIN ''Such fun, full of unexpected ideas and charmingly written.'' TIM HARFORD Can you decipher the code of a long-lost civilization? Or solve riddles in runes? Or will you get lost in translation? Crossing continents and borders, bestselling puzzle author Alex Bellos has gathered more than one hundred of the world''s best conundrums that celebrate the rich diversity of human language and culture, all while testing your deduction, intuition and street smarts. ''For all the language and puzzle fans in your life!'' GRETCHEN McCULLOCH ''A cornucopia of ingenious and insightful challenges.'' DAVID CRYSTAL ''This compendium of puzzles is a great idea.'' MICHAEL ROSEN ''You''ll love what Alex Bellos has done here.'' GYLES BRANDRETH ''Tantalisting.'' THE ECONOMIST ''The perfect way to pass the time.'' BBC SCIENCE FOCUS
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''Susie Dent is a one-off. She breathes life and fun into words and language'' Pam Ayres '' Susie Dent is a national treasure'' Richard Osman Welcome to a year of wonder with Susie Dent, lexicographer, logophile, and longtime queen of Countdown''s Dictionary Corner. From the real Jack the Lad to the theatrically literal story behind stealing someone''s thunder , from tartle (forgetting someone''s name at the very moment you need it) to snaccident (the unintentional eating of an entire packet of biscuits), WORD PERFECT is a brilliant linguistic almanac full of unforgettable stories, fascinating facts, and surprising etymologies tied to every day of the year. You''ll never be lost for words again. Lire la suite Fermer

Lost for Words is a book of more than 100 surprising and entertaining puzzles that celebrate the amazing diversity of the world of words and language. Featuring a huge variety of ancient, modern and even invented languages, this collection of problems will introduce you to unusual alphabets and scripts, curious vocabularies and phonologies, and global variations in simple behaviours like counting, telling the time, and naming children. Whether you are a crossword solver, a code-breaker or a Scrabble addict, these puzzles are guaranteed to twist your tongue and sharpen your mind.

____ *THE STRATEGIES BEHIND A SUCCESSFUL LIFE FROM THE LEGENDARY GRANDMASTER AND ADVISOR FOR THE QUEEN''S GAMBIT , NOW WITH A NEW FOREWORD* ''In this book, chess is a teacher, and I aim to show it is a great one.'' For over twenty years, Garry Kasparov dominated the world of chess. As the youngest ever undisputed World Champion, known for confounding his opponents at every move and breaking record after record, Kasparov was asked the same question time and time again: what makes a champion? The truth is that success in chess demands many of the same qualities as success in life. A good strategist who can think ahead will always have the advantage, no matter what they''re trying to do. The lessons of chess are universal. Drawing on a wealth of revealing and instructive stories, from the most intense moments of his greatest games to the world-changing decisions of history''s greatest strategists such as Winston Churchill and Steve Jobs, Kasparov reveals the strategic ways of thinking that always give a player - in the game of life as well as chess - the edge. Lire la suite Fermer

'Brilliantly inventive and entertaining questions from the bookworm's bookworm' Mark Mason, author of Walk the Lines , Question Time and many more This is a literary quiz book with a difference. Rather than basic sets of questions, The Book Lover's Quiz Book mirrors the format of Gary's live quizzes, at the Betsey Trotwood in London and elsewhere. So, there are lots of multiple-choice questions, some amusing answers, clever red herrings, little-known facts about authors and some of the much-loved Say What You See picture round. Also, there are fixed and variable rounds - fixed ones include 'Blankety Books' (one word missing from the title - always with a theme), 'Literary Links and lists' (what connects/next in the list etc.) and '2 of a Kind' (name the character and the author that share the same initials). The changeable rounds keep the quizzes fresh and include 'What the Dickens?' (real or made-up Dickens names), 'RomeNo or JuliYess' (real or made-up Shakespearian insults) and 'Book Bingo!' (identify the correct number). There are also more standard rounds such as 'First Lines', 'Working Titles' and 'Banned Books'. The aim of all Gary's quizzes, and this book, is that people should have fun and be able to guess (if they don't know) as much as possible.
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Settle family disputes this Christmas with a Scrabble dictionary!

NEW AND FULLY UPDATED IN 2019 The latest official Scrabble word list, endorsed by governing body WESPA for use in tournament and club play from 1st July 2019, contains all valid Scrabble words. Check which words you can play with this authority on Scrabble and settle any disputes with the official list from Collins.
Based on Collins English Dictionary, this is the most comprehensive Scrabble word list ever, including World English from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, UK, and USA brought together in a single list.
With more than 279,000 permissible words, including inflected forms, this is the ideal training and adjudication tool for everyone playing Scrabble.
Endorsed by Mattel and WESPA (the World English-Language Scrabble Players Association) this is the essential reference for all Scrabble players.
SCRABBLE is a registered trademark of J. W, Spear & Sons Ltd., a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. © 2019 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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