Synopses & Reviews
Philip Orbanes, master of all things Monopoliana, traces the remarkable story of the worlds most famous board game, from its origins as a collegiate teaching tool in the early twentieth century through Monopolys explosive growth in the postwar decades, to the games current status as a fixture in homes across the globe. Along the way, Orbanes includes memorable Monopoly personality portraits, surprising Monopoly legends and lore, and an extraordinary tour of the ingenious advertising that contributed to the games rise in popularity. This is the first and only book to cover comprehensively the origin, growth, and global reach of the game that has become a universal and everyday cultural icon.
Review
Tucson Citizen, 5/8/08 “A book that explains, at least in part, why 250,000,000 sets have been sold worldwide and why this uniquely American board game continues to fascinate and entertain even after seven decades in the marketplace.”
Hooters
“A book with trivia galore…Just for keeping dad honest at the next family bash, we have to give this a thumbs up.”
Boston Globe, 10/22/09
“The definitive reference book.”
Synopsis
Over 200,000,000 copies of the Monopoly(r) game have been sold worldwide since Parker Brothers first popularized it in 1935, making it the world's most popular proprietary game. Countless special and national editions of the game are now published in over sixty countries. But while Monopoly has global appeal, it is distinctly American -- a symbol of America's system of economic "opportunity." In Monopoly: America's Game, Philip Orbanes, the leading expert on all things Monopoliana, tells the remarkable history of the game, from its predecessor's birth as a teaching tool for an economics class in the first decade of the twentieth century through its explosive growth in the postwar decades to it being a ubiquitous fixture in just about every American home today. Orbanes includes fascinating Monopoly personality portraits, little-known Monopoly legends and lore, and the extraordinary variety of advertising used throughout the twentieth century. This is the first and only book to cover comprehensively the origin, growth, and global impact of the game that has become a cultural icon. This book is not endorsed by Hasbro Games.
Synopsis
The amazing story of how America's best-selling game helped shape our aspirations and captivated the world
About the Author
Philip E. Orbanes has been the chief judge at Monopoly championships since 1979, and is the author of Game Makers and the best-selling book Monopoly Companion. He lives in Massachusetts.