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The woman who read one book from every country | ||
The Thread Must-Read | ||
| The Monopolists by Mary Pilon Did you spend hours of your childhood bent over a Monopoly board, counting out brightly colored cash? Even if you didn’t, this look into the scandalous past of America’s favorite board game will hold your interest. There’s the long-circulated tale of the game’s invention in which it’s said that Charles Darrow dreamed it up for his family to play during the Great Depression. That, the book explains, is a half-truth at best. The game’s true origins can be traced to Lizzie Magie, a groundbreaking writer and inventor born in 1866. “The Monopolists” explores the game’s winding path through the hands of political revolutionaries, Ivy League scholars, Atlantic City gamblers and Quaker communities. The historical details are fascinating, including the fact that dice were once viewed as immoral. For that reason, most board games incorporated spinners instead. If you’re looking for a quick pop nonfiction read about an everyday product we now take for granted, pick up “The Monopolists.” -Tracy Mumford | ||
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| This Week on The Thread | ||
| The woman who read one book from every country in the world "The World Between Two Covers" by Ann Morgan Buy this book Ann Morgan gave herself a lofty goal: Read one book from 196 different countries in one year. See her complete reading list. More | ||
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| Publishing heavyweights petition White House, Congress to end Cuba book embargo The petition, which comes just before President Obama's historic visit to the island nation, says the embargo is "harmful to book culture" and "counter to American ideals of free expression." More | ||
| Short stories about people you probably don't want to know "Knockout" by John Jodzio Buy this book The Minneapolis writer likes to explore a funny thought, but then abandon it before it gets old. More | ||
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| What's in a first line? Kerri Miller's favorite first line in literature comes from Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca": "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." What's yours? More | ||
| J.K. Rowling releases new "Magic in North America" series Good news, American muggles: In the first of a four-part essay series, the "Harry Potter" author delves into the previously unaddressed world of magic in North America, whetting fans' appetites ahead of new spinoff movie. More | ||
| Yes, you can still teach kids to love books "Lit Up" by David Denby Buy this book It can be hard to get teens to read, especially with so much technology competing for their attention. A new book looks at ways teachers can help young people find books (and find themselves). More | ||
| An unnerving WWII noir "A Man Lies Dreaming" by Lavie Tidhar Buy this book Lavie Tidhar's new alternate history imagines a world where Communists took over Germany in 1933, Fascism is on the rise in the U.K. and a down-and-out German PI in London dreams of world domination. More | ||
| Remembering Pat Conroy Pat Conroy was no stranger to incorporating his personal experience into his writing. His books covered his tumultuous and abusive childhood. More | ||
| The Thread Live 2016: Full schedule Get event details Don't miss Mary Roach, Louise Erdrich and Krista Tippett. These writers will bring discussions of faith, fiction and family to the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul this spring. More | ||
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