The woman who read one book from every country
The Thread Must-Read
The Monopolistsby Mary Pilon
Did you spend hours of your childhood bent over a Monopoly board, counting out brightly colored cash? Even if you didn’t, this look into the scandalous past of America’s favorite board game will hold your interest.
There’s the long-circulated tale of the game’s invention in which it’s said that Charles Darrow dreamed it up for his family to play during the Great Depression. That, the book explains, is a half-truth at best.
The game’s true origins can be traced to Lizzie Magie, a groundbreaking writer and inventor born in 1866. “The Monopolists” explores the game’s winding path through the hands of political revolutionaries, Ivy League scholars, Atlantic City gamblers and Quaker communities.
The historical details are fascinating, including the fact that dice were once viewed as immoral. For that reason, most board games incorporated spinners instead.
If you’re looking for a quick pop nonfiction read about an everyday product we now take for granted, pick up “The Monopolists.”
-Tracy Mumford
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