{"product_id":"pinball-wizards-jackpots-drains-and-the-cult-of-the-silver-ball-9781613735916","title":"Pinball Wizards: Jackpots, Drains, and the Cult of the Silver Ball","description":"Pinball's history is America's history, from gambling and war-themed machines to the arcade revolution and, ultimately, the decline of the need to leave your house. The strangest thing about pinball is that it persists, and not just as nostalgia. Pinball didn't just stick around--it grew and continues to evolve with the times. Somehow, in today's iPhone world, a three-hundred-pound monstrosity of wood and cables has survived to enjoy yet another renaissance. \u003cbr\u003e Pinball is more to humor writer Adam Ruben than a fascinating book topic--it's a lifelong obsession. Ruben played competitive pinball for years, rising as high as the 80th-ranked player in the world. Then he had children. Now, mired in 9,938th place--darn kids--Ruben tries to stage a comeback, visiting pinball museums, gaming conventions, pinball machine designers, and even pinball factories in his attempt to discover what makes the world's best players, the real wizards, so good. Along the way, Ruben examines the bigger story of pinball's invention, ascent, near defeat, resurgence, near defeat again, and struggle to find its niche in modern society. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Chicago Review Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/01\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781613735916\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.79lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.70d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/01\/2017 pg. 9\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Adam Ruben","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45169450549429,"sku":"9781613735916","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_716542fc-69c3-4a23-9a1b-0a44f497e678.jpg?v=1741703138","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/pinball-wizards-jackpots-drains-and-the-cult-of-the-silver-ball-9781613735916","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}