The monopolists

Mary Pilon

History

Print length: 313 pagesBloomsbury, 2015

Description

Mary Pilon investigates the origins of Monopoly, recovering the neglected role of Lizzie Magie and her Landlord’s Game. The history reaches back through Quakers, the era of Abraham Lincoln, and the work of a forgotten feminist inventor. A second major thread follows economist Ralph Anspach and his legal and commercial struggle with Parker Brothers over Anti-Monopoly during the 1970s. By examining the game’s disputed history and the battle surrounding Anspach’s rival creation, Pilon presents a social history of American corporate power and greed centered on one of the country’s best-known board games.

Reading profile

About this profile

Collected’s assessment, not reader ratings. Complexity runs from 1 (least demanding) to 5 (most demanding).

Writing: How much attention the sentences and language require.
Ideas: How much interpretation or abstract reasoning the book asks of you.
Structure: How much you need to keep track of speakers, timelines and connections.
Background knowledge: Prior knowledge needed to follow the book, beyond what it explains.
Emotional intensity: Emotional pressure, from gentle (1) to intense (5). Separate from difficulty.

Writing style

Direct · Journalistic

Pace

Moderate

Tone

Cerebral · Earnest · Irreverent · Suspenseful

Structure

Braided · Multiple timelines

Focus

Argument · Ideas · Information

Emotional intensity

3 / 5

Reading complexity

1–5 · higher means more demanding

Writing: 3 / 5
Ideas: 3 / 5
Structure: 3 / 5
Background knowledge: 2 / 5

Themes

Art and creativityGenderJusticeKnowledge and truthPowerWealth

Book details

For the print edition listed above.

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Language: English
ISBN: 9781608199631, 9781608199655

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