"Oliver Roeder masterfully reveals the way games teach us about play, risk, intelligence, technology and our inner selves—and introduces us to some unforgettable characters along the way. Like the very best games, this book is deep, enthralling, and tremendous fun." - Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective

"Seven Games is a beautifully written exploration of what games can tell us about philosophy, art, and human nature. Oliver Roeder is a commanding thinker and storyteller. His enthralling narrative delves into subjects ranging from art appreciation to artificial intelligence, cognitive science, world history, archeology and, of course, game theory. Through personal experiences he explores the culture of world-class competitors, and what they give up reaching such heights. Seven Games inspired me to pull out a deck of cards and open my Scrabble board with a new understanding of the meaning of play. Everyone should read this fabulous book!" - Christie Aschwanden, author of Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery

"The games that have preoccupied and fascinated us over millennia tell a story not just about human history but, crucially, about the nature of the human mind. Oliver Roeder’s Seven Games offers a sweeping and provocative tour of the labyrinths into which we so eagerly lose—and so revealingly find—ourselves." - Brian Christian, author of Most Human Human and The Alignment Problem

"A beguiling, mesmerizing, and utterly charming history of the world’s most beloved games and the centuries-long quest to ‘solve’ them. In prose as elegant as the classics he profiles, Oliver Roeder shows that, contrary to what you might have heard, the battle between human and machine was a battle between human and human after all." - Stefan Fatsis, author of Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players

"Seven Games took me to far corners of the world and into the center of mysterious modern technology to reveal how games have not only played a surprisingly important role in our history but are currently shaping our bold and uncertain future. For each of these simple, elegant games, Oliver Roeder reveals the stark depths beneath the rules. Every person that Roeder meets has found themselves lost in those depths, sometimes without much to show for their lifetime of mastery. Roeder’s book gives meaning to their obsession, making connections between their accomplishments and the long continuum of human and technological evolution. In Roeder’s hands, games have real consequence—not only as art but as tools for technological advancement —yet the story remains fun, even amid deceit, heartbreak, tragedy, and mystery. Seven Games is an adventure, adeptly written, thoroughly original and profound—a literary example of what in chess we call a brilliancy." - David Hill, author of The Vapors: A Southern Family, the New York Mob, and the Rise and Fall of Hot Springs, America's Forgotten Capital of Vice