{"product_id":"poker-ole-bjerg-9780472051632","title":"Poker: The Parody of Capitalism","description":"\u003cp\u003ePoker is an extraordinary worldwide phenomenon with major social, cultural, and political implications, and \u003ci\u003ePoker: The Parody of Capitalism\u003c\/i\u003e investigates the game of poker as a cultural expression of significance not unlike art, literature, film, or music. Tracing the history of poker and comparing the evolution of the game to the development of capitalism, Ole Bjerg complicates prevalent notions of \"casino capitalism\" and correspondingly facile and simplistic comparisons of late capitalism and poker. By employing Slavoj Zizek's threefold distinction between imaginary-symbolic-real as a philosophical framework to analyze poker and to understand the basic strategies of the game, Bjerg explores the structural characteristics of poker in relation to other games, making a clear distinction between poker and other gambling games of pure chance such as roulette and craps. With its combination of social theory and empirical research, \u003ci\u003ePoker \u003c\/i\u003eoffers an engaging exploration of a cultural trend.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003ci\u003ePoker\u003c\/i\u003e is a theoretically sophisticated, highly original and innovative treatment of a contemporary social phenomenon, and contributes greatly to our understanding of the nature of contemporary capitalism.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e--Charles Livingstone, Monash University Australia\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ole Bjerg\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0472051636\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780472051632\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Michigan Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/02\/2011\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 286\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.80lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.10h x 6.00w x 0.90d","brand":"Ole Bjerg","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48447749980415,"sku":"9780472051632","price":36.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_94e6e710-765c-410f-a19b-095d8773a74a.jpg?v=1777234552","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/poker-ole-bjerg-9780472051632","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}