{"product_id":"pinball-wizards-jackpots-drains-and-the-cult-of-the-silver-ball-paperback","title":"Pinball Wizards: Jackpots, Drains, and the Cult of the Silver Ball - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eAdam Ruben\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePinball'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\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAdam Ruben \u003c\/b\u003eis a humor writer, comedian, and molecular biologist helping to develop a vaccine for malaria. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eSurviving Your Stupid, Stupid Decision to Go to Grad School\u003c\/i\u003e as well as monthly online humor column \"\u003ci\u003eExperimental Error\u003c\/i\u003e\" in the journal \u003ci\u003eScience\u003c\/i\u003e. His writing has also appeared on\u003ci\u003e CNN.com\u003c\/i\u003e, NPR's \u003ci\u003eAll Things Considered\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eNational Lampoon\u003c\/i\u003e. He lives in Washington, DC.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 288\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.7 x 8.9 x 5.9 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 01, 2017\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42156607438983,"sku":"9781613735916","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/43f105dbfe069ccd57e617987099200a.webp?v=1733244884","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/pinball-wizards-jackpots-drains-and-the-cult-of-the-silver-ball-paperback","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}