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The Immortal Game
- A History of Chess
- Narrated by: John H. Mayer
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
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The Immortal Game
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Summary
A surprising, charming, and ever-fascinating history of the seemingly simple game that has had a profound effect on societies the world over.
Why has one game, alone among the thousands of games invented and played throughout human history, not only survived but thrived within every culture it has touched? What is it about its 32 figurative pieces, moving about its 64 black and white squares according to very simple rules, that has captivated people for nearly 1,500 years? Why has it driven some of its greatest players into paranoia and madness, and yet is hailed as a remarkably powerful educational tool?
Nearly everyone has played chess at some point in their lives. Its rules and pieces have served as a metaphor for society including military strategy, mathematics, artificial intelligence, literature, and the arts. It has been condemned as the devil’s game by popes, rabbis, and imams, and lauded as a guide to proper living by different popes, rabbis, and imams.
In his wide-ranging and ever fascinating examination of chess, David Shenk gleefully unearths the hidden history of a game that seems so simple yet contains infinity. From its invention somewhere in India around 500 A.D., to its enthusiastic adoption by the Persians and its spread by Islamic warriors, to its remarkable use as a moral guide in the Middle Ages and its political utility in the Enlightenment, to its crucial importance in the birth of cognitive science and its key role in the new aesthetic of modernism in 20th century art, to its 21st century importance to the development of artificial intelligence and use as a teaching tool in inner-city America, chess has been a remarkably omnipresent factor in the development of civilization.
Indeed as Shenk shows, some neuroscientists believe that playing chess may actually alter the structure of the brain, that it may for individuals be what it has been for civilization: a virus that makes us smarter.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 03-01-23
Good listen
David Shenk provides a stimulating and concise history of chess both on and off the board.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 15-02-21
Great book, poor naration
I enjoyed the book but it was partially spoilt by the naration. it seems that for the first three quarters of the book the narrator was not engaging or maybe carring about the material being read. the narrator introduces too many pauses in the middle of sentences for no particular reason thus emphasising the wrong word in a sentence. He clearly is not respecting the punctuation and at times risks giving the text a different meaning. it manages to sound both pompous and boring while the text should be engaging. a real shame for the author of the book since, naturally, one comes to identify the him with voice of the audiobook.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 31-03-09
An enjoyable trip through chess history
Be warned, this is a book for anyone interested in chess history and not a book for anyone looking to improve their game play. As an amateur chess player, I really enjoyed it thoroughly and appreciated the authors gradual explanation of chess history and anecdotes, which are clearly aimed at the novice or uninitiated. I also enjoyed the way the book unfolds through the playing of an 'immortal' game of chess. A well written and well produced audio book for anyone interested in the story behind the game.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- L Joubert
- 30-10-24
Interesting and easy listen
Even if you don't play chess, you will enjoy this. No lessons, advice or any of that.
It is about the history of the game and its relationship with humans, and occasionally gives insight into non-chess related history.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- dwgerman
- 17-09-21
I've listened to this book three times now...
...and will no doubt listen to it again. Superbly written and narrated. Highly recommended if you have any interest in chess.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- papapownall
- 14-05-19
Excellent story of the power of chess
You would imagine that an audio book about chess is not easy to either devise or listen to. I thought that too until I downloaded The Immortal Game. I have returned to chess recently after playing the game in my youth. I have never been that good but have always loved playing. I wanted to find more about the history of the game and my interest was piqued when I saw this. I was amazed to hear how far back it actually goes (over 1,000 years) and that most of the great world leaders and thinkers have played to varying degrees of success. It is astonishing to think that today we can study games that happened hundreds of years ago and analyse the moves and the thought processes of the great players. The story is told against the backdrop of what is known as the "Immortal Game" which occurred in London played by Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky on 21 June 1851. It was not even part of a major tournament but it has been studied over the ages and shows that victory can be snatched from the jaws of defeat by strategic thinking and outwitting your opponent by placing them in a false sense of security about their position on the board.
The book also tells of the destructive power of chess and how it has enveloped the minds of several high profile players such as Bobby Fischer and serves as a cautionary tale to those who become too absorbed in the game. The power of chess, it seems, has a dark side.
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2 people found this helpful