The Game Makers: The Story of Parker Brothers, from Tiddledy Winks to Trivial Pursuit

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 256 pages
• Published by: Harvard Business School Press November 14, 2003
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1591392691
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1591392699
• Book Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Weighs: 1.4 pounds

From Booklist
In 1883, George Parker was 16 years old, and he liked to play board games. But he and his friends were tired of the "heavy-handed moral lessons" of the typical board game, and George, an inventive young man, created his own game, called Banking (chartered banks were a relatively new thing in the U.S., and people were fascinated by the whole subject). It was a success, and soon George and his brother, Charles, formed their own company, Parker Brothers. This playful history of the company, written by a former employee, chronicles Parker Brothers from its birth through its early successes (including Pit, a card game invented by Edgar Cayce), its subsequent lean years, and its transition into pop-culture icon. Most of us know Parker Brothers as the company that makes Monopoly (created seven decades ago), but Orbanes lets us know it's much more than that; for example, George Parker was the guy who brought Ping-Pong to the U.S. No fan of board games should be without this entertaining business history. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Review
"[T]his book makes an great choice for anyone interested in the development and growth of a family business." -- Publisher's Weekly

"an intriguing read." -- USA Today, January 12th, 2004

Reader Reviews
Parker Brothers have made some of the most memorable games and the story of how they came up with them and built an empire is fascinating. This is one of the great business books on the toy industry of which sadly there are few. No attention was placed to video games undercutting board games sloes but otherwise this covers everything you would want to know. The stories are great and the ideas for the games really come to life. For those who want to create board games or understand the toy industry this is a must read.