A review by rabbithero
The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain by David Shenk

3.0

This book vacillates wildly. At the outset, its a surprisingly interesting exciting examination of Chess across cultures and time. There are myths about the game's creation, and personal stories from the author that make this work feel small and intimate, despite its scope. And then, without warning, it changes gears in the last two (relatively long) chapters into the science and mathematics behind Chessbots. Now, I don't have an automatic dislike for those sorts of examinations, but in this context, it felt jarring. And INCREDIBLY OBSESSED WITH NUMBERS. when listening to an audiobook...blech.

And then came the concluding chapter, which literally brought tears to my eyes with its moving, expansive look at the way Chess can better the human condition. So yes, wildly inconsistent in those respects, but when its good, boy, is this book good.