Slots: Praying to the God of Chance

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By David V. Forrest ’60

Published Jan. 21, 2016

(Delphinium Books) In this book, Forrest looks at one of America’s favorite games, slots. He considers many different perspectives in evaluating the game — from treating it as entertainment to treating it as religion. Forrest uses insights from neuropsychiatry, sociology, and culture to show how slots have become as powerful as they are. Forrest is a clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

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PAW’s December 2025 cover, with a photo of Michael Park ’98.
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December 2025

Judge Michael Park ’98; shifts in DEI initiatives; a night at the new art museum.