false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165847193m/8954.jpg 8954 5 Scrabble may be truly called America's game. But for every group of "living-room players" there is someone who is "at one with the board." In Word Freak, Stefan Fatsis introduces readers to those few, exploring the underground world of colorful characters for which the Scrabble game is life-playing competitively in tournaments across the country. It is also the story of how the Scrabble game was invented by an unemployed architect during the Great Depression and how it has grown into the hugely successful, challenging, and beloved game it is today. Along the way, Fatsis chronicles his own obsession with the game and his development as a player from novice to expert. More than a book about hardcore Scrabble players, Word Freak is also an examination of notions of brilliance, memory, language, competition, and the mind that celebrates the uncanny creative powers in us all. "Fatsis . . . writes with affectionate zeal about the game and the fraternity of brilliant, lonely, and otherwise dysfunctional oddballs it attracts." (The New York Times) "Word Freak has an impassioned subtitle, and it lives up to every word." (People) 3163711 book 2001 Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players total:1334|5:283|4:584|3:370|2:87|1:10| 1334 5045 2047 281 2 5 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Wed Jan 09 20:20:54 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 09 20:21:35 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 2 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Jul 13 07:06:35 -0700 2007 Fri Jul 13 13:24:34 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 1 false false Tue Feb 10 05:09:24 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 10 05:11:39 -0800 2009 Original review written February 9, 2004
I found this book a fascinating example of how diverse and quirky people can be. I love Scrabble, and am a fairly decent "living room" player. Stepping into the world of competitive playing was an eye opener. I am a literate, well educated, ar...more...]]> 2 1 true true Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Thu Jan 03 18:49:21 -0800 2008 Thu Jan 03 18:52:05 -0800 2008
And then I got to the end.

I was really disappointed in the end. Here was this amazing testament to the author's journey into the Scrabble world, complete with a heart-wren...more...]]> 4 1 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Mar 26 15:09:47 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 26 15:27:36 -0700 2009 4 1 false false Mon Dec 24 10:19:42 -0800 2007 Mon Dec 24 10:45:34 -0800 2007 more...]]> 2 1 true false Fri Apr 25 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun May 18 10:06:47 -0700 2008 Thu Jun 05 10:51:35 -0700 2008 more...]]> 2 1 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sun May 20 00:19:44 -0700 2007 Sun May 20 00:23:16 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Jan 27 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Tue Nov 10 18:13:26 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 18:13:26 -0800 2009
Fatsis takes an unusual tack for a journalist: instead of just following t...more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon May 11 18:15:54 -0700 2009 Mon May 11 18:38:42 -0700 2009 G.I. Joel, a World Champion, ask...more...]]> 5 1 false false Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003 Wed Sep 26 01:15:27 -0700 2007 Wed Sep 26 01:17:27 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Jul 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 19 19:44:47 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 25 14:05:28 -0700 2009 more...]]> 0 0 false false Sun Mar 22 14:52:18 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 25 18:51:07 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 13 14:13:11 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 13 15:42:52 -0700 2009
Fatsis covers the history ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Jan 04 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 06 14:11:00 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 06 14:17:14 -0800 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Mon Jul 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 05 12:30:50 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 20 12:09:01 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Jan 26 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 23 17:13:59 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 26 17:34:34 -0800 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Dec 09 07:25:07 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 09 07:37:20 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Dec 31 17:59:48 -0800 2008 Wed Dec 31 18:08:51 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Aug 17 00:00:00 -0700 2003 Wed Oct 07 19:58:42 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 07 20:00:51 -0700 2009 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=8954