{"product_id":"pinball-jon-chad-9781250249210","title":"Pinball: A Graphic History of the Silver Ball","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ein this dynamic, nonfiction graphic novel, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eJon Chad illustrates the little-known story of pinball--how it works and why it all matters in an age of special effects and on-screen gaming.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn 1976, champion player Roger Sharpe stepped up to a pinball machine in a Manhattan courtroom. The New York City Council had convened to consider lifting the city's ban on pinball--a game that had been outlawed since 1942 for its supposed connections to gambling and organized crime. Sharpe was there to prove that, unlike a slot machine, pinball wasn't a game of chance designed to fleece its players--it was a game of skill that required a measure of patience, coordination, and control. To prove his point, he proclaimed that he would launch his ball into the center lane at the far end of the playfield--much like Babe Ruth famously pointing to the fences. Sharpe pulled back the plunger and released, and the fate of this industry and art form hung in the balance. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThus opens Jon Chad's comprehensive graphic novel to the history of the captivating, capricious--and at times infuriating --game of pinball. Tracing pinball's roots back to the Court of King Louis XIV, through the immigrant experience of early 20th century America, the post-War boom and bust, right up to the present day, Chad charmingly ushers readers through the myriad facets of this most American of pursuits--capturing not just the history but also the artistry, cultural significance, and even the physics of the game.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Jon Chad\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 125024921X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781250249210\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e First Second\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/05\/2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 208\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.20lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.90h x 6.60w x 0.90d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/01\/2022 pg. 54\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/21\/2022","brand":"Jon Chad","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44053566226687,"sku":"9781250249210","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_b603ddd5-5b35-4566-86ba-781ef63198b9.jpg?v=1685025038","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/pinball-jon-chad-9781250249210","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}