Originally published: New York: Viking, 2015.

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 ways their design makes 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. He delves into the history and lore of each game: backgammon boards in ancient Egypt, the Indian origins of chess, how certain shells from a particular beach in Japan make the finest white Go stones. Beyond the cultural and personal stories, Roeder explores why games, seemingly trivial pastimes, speak so deeply to the human soul. He introduces an early philosopher of games, the aptly named Bernard Suits, and visits an Oxford cosmologist who has perfected a computer that can effectively play bridge, a game as complicated as human language itself. 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.

Matt Dillon is the Cleveland Indians star center fielder and one of the best baseball players in the Major Leagues. The Indians had just won the sixth game of the World Series, tying the series at three games each. He is driving home thinking about baseball, tomorrow's deciding seventh game, and baseball history when his car is hit by the driver of another vehicle. When he woke up in the hospital after his first surgery, he is informed by his doctor that he will probably walk again, but his days of playing baseball are over. His ankle had been severely crushed. He is devastated, and he has lost God, his zest for life, and the game he loved with all his heart. This is the story about the next two years of his life as he attempts to recover with the help of a childhood friend and one abused little girl. He was totally lost. Would he find himself again?

A fresh take on assessing your priorities – both professionally and personally – to ensure you are in the best position to make a positive difference to the people and places around you, and in the process to transform your own life. The disruptive moment in which we find ourselves living demands that we are our own agents of change. The Seven Games of Leadership is a guide for readers through seven key phases of personal and professional development, with the aim not of climbing a corporate ladder but of finding true and lasting satisfaction in what they do. It encourages the realization that revolutionary change is not about destroying the current status quo, but about co-designing and rebuilding different paths for individuals to thrive, and go on to have a positive impact on society at large. The objective is to allow people to identify a career that is better aligned not only with their individual values, but with a broader purpose centred on a wider sense of humanity and sustainable prosperity for all. The Seven Games of Leadership provides the tools and practical advice you need to reassess your priorities and take the steps necessary to refocus your life, your career and the issues of the world around you.

Look back at the early coaching career of Hall of Famer George Karl, former head coach of the Seattle Supersonics, and one of the most outspoken men in professional basketball. Opinionated and always passionate about the sport, Karl cuts loose with controversial views on the NBA, the players, the media, sports agents, and the many other elements that make the game great--and sometimes screw it up... in This Game's the Best! So Why Don't They Quit Screwing With It?

A Numeric Collage Of The Number Seven... From the Microcosm to the Macrocosm, From the Molecular level to the Cosmic Seas... A full depiction of how the number Seven is woven throughout Creation, in the Human, Animal, Vegetable, Mineral kingdoms and beyond..

This comprehensive survey of major league baseball looks at the national pastime’s legendary figures, major innovations, and pivotal moments, from the beginning of the twentieth century through World War II. In America's Game: A History of Major League Baseball through World War II, Bryan Soderholm-Difatte provides a comprehensive narrative of the major developments and key figures in Major League Baseball, during a time when the sport was still truly the national pastime. Soderholm-Difatte details pivotal moments—including the founding of the American League, the 1919 Black Sox scandal, and navigating the Great Depression and two World Wars—and concludes with a chapter examining the exclusion of black ballplayers from the major leagues. Central personalities covered in this book include baseball executives Judge Landis and Branch Rickey, managers John McGraw and Joe McCarthy, and iconic players such as Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. America’s Game isn’t simply about celebrating the exploits of great players and teams; it is just as much about the history of Major League Baseball as an institution and the evolution of the game itself. With significant changes taking place in baseball in recent times, this book will remind baseball fans young and old of the rich history of the game.