I want to thank the publisher for letting me review this book prior to publication. Although I am thankful for the opportunity to read the book, the following analysis is completely my own.

Paul Chaloner's <i>This is esports (And How to Spell it): An Insider's Guide to the World of Pro Gaming</i> is a new book that looks at the developing world of esports (primarily in the US). Now, you may not know what esports is, well you wouldn't be the only one. However, esports have been overtaking college campuses and civic centers around the country for many years flying under the radar of most people. eSports is basically the competitive (both amateur and professional) playing of video games.

So, I'm a professor of communication studies and one of my areas of research and teaching is computer-mediated communication, so I've been talking about the coming esports revolution for quite some time to students (many of whom think I'm joking). This book is really the first one to give an insiders glance into this unique world. I would encourage anyone who is interested in the academic study of esports or gaming or just anyone in the public who wants to learn more about esports to read this book. I think this book is the definitive guide (and history) of this unique sporting area.

As I am living the covid19 stay at home order, I hear twitch.tv CEO Emmett Shear on PBS Radio saying that traffic to his site has been up 58% LAST MONTH. With TV show and movie productions suspended, we soon run out of stuff to watch. This book could not have been timed better.

This book is about the business of esports. A business, valued already at about $1 Billion (pre-pandemic), which has coined 82 player-millionaires, a business that is growing while most our other professional sports are struggling in current times.

Paul Chaloner is a professional in esports, not as a player, but as a journalist, as a sports caster. In this book, he covers the business of esports from all angles: tournaments, leagues, teams, games, ways to make money, and the life of people in the business. Of course, this is a book for people interested in this line of business, and it helps if you played games before or are interested in the stuff your teenagers at how are doing, but Paul does a good job in explaining key acronyms, describing the different games and playstyles, providing enough background for novices to understand what the fuzz is all about.

I understand now more the stuff my teenagers upstairs are yelling at their friends on Discord while playing Counterstrike or League of Legends. I may try it myself.....

Read if you: Want an insightful look into the world of esports.

When COVID-19 forced the cancellation of collegiate and professional sporting events, some speculated if this was esports's "moment." If you read Paul Chaloner's book, you'll learn that esports has had their moment, lost it, and has an influence and popularity that those outside the community (especially outside the US) are probably not aware of. Tracing live video gaming back to arcade tournaments in the 1980s, he shows how gaming has not only been a solitary pasttime, but one that has created its own burgeoning community. Even if you'll never watch an esports tournament, you'll come away with a better understanding of what it entails, what top players do (and earn!), and much more.

Librarians and booksellers: Purchase if esports are popular in your community.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury USA and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.