Seven Games: A Human History

Seven Games, by Oliver Roeder, explores the origins, rules, and historical significance of ancient and modern games like checkers, backgammon, chess, Go, poker, Scrabble, and bridge. It features thrilling competitors, explores the history and lore of each game, and delves into why games speak deeply to the human soul. It also discusses the invention of AI programs that are better than any human player, and what that means for the games and for us.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 10 February 2023
Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Checkers, backgammon, chess, and Go are ancient and modern games that captivate millions worldwide. In his book "Seven Games," Oliver Roeder explores their origins, historical significance, rules, and design, making them pleasurable. He introduces thrilling competitors, such as Marion Tinsley, the last Go champion of imperial Japan, and an IBM engineer who created a backgammon program. Roeder delves into the history and lore of each game, including backgammon boards in ancient Egypt, the Indian origins of chess, and the finest white Go stones.

Beyond the cultural and personal stories, Roeder explores why games speak deeply to the human soul. He introduces Bernard Suits, an early philosopher of games, 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 have invented AI programs better than any human player, what that means for the games, and for us. "Seven Games" is a story of obsession, psychology, history, and how play makes us human.

Weight: 252g
Dimension: 139 x 210 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781324051022