Pinball Wizards: Jackpots, Drains, and the Cult of the Silver Ball

Humor writer Adam Ruben ’01 traces the history of pinball, from the gambling and war-themed machines to the arcade revolution to smartphone pinball, examining how and why it grew, was nearly defeated and has now resurged. Pinball Wizards (Chicago Review Press) also finds Ruben visiting pinball museums, gaming conventions, pinball designers and factories in an attempt to discover what makes the world’s best players, the wizards, so good.