A fun jaunt through the history of Monopoly, replete with vignettes about all of the key players and how they interacted (or didn't interact) with each other. Good ties to information and examples concerning the monopolistic tendencies of corporations and the games & toys industries; also covered patent, trademark, and copyright explanations that were helpful.

And finally - the most enjoyable reading of endnotes I've ever experienced (which admittedly is a low bar, but still a worthy designation!).

Highly recommended to those interested in Monopoly, history of board games, Atlantic City, corporate law, and single-tax policy - or any combination thereof. ( )

I had no idea behind the origins, evolution, and scandal of this beloved game. It was fascinating to learn more about such a pop culture item. Who doesn't have at least one edition of this board game in their house. I thought the book could have been shortened because the legal aspects towards the end really dragged on - but other than that I really enjoyed getting a behind the scenes look at such an "ordinary" item. When the game was first created at the turn of the twentieth century - the creator called it the landlords game and it came with two sets of rules. On one set of rules the goal was to spread the wealth because only when everyone has the same opportunities does someone wine. The other set of rules was the monopoly version that we all know and loved. The goal was to make people see how bad monopolies are - winning because one person has accumulated all the wealth shows how vile monopolies are... right? Wrong. The "bad" set of rules became an underground sensation. People were making their own canvas boards and adding their own distinctive names and rules. The set we know and love got all the place names from Atlantic City where is took off. Decades passed and a man named Darrow claimed it was his own and sold it to Parker Brothers where it became an international sensation. Only it clearly wasn't his - having been played in pockets all over the country for three decades. The Monopolists gives the inside scoop on all these incidents and ends with the fight over the Anti-Monopoly game - an attempt to go back to the creator's anti-monopolist roots. Fascinating - but a bit long at parts. ( )

Probably most players of the game Monopoly don't think much about its origins; however, there is a quite a long and interesting one behind the famous game. The 'official' story from Parker Brothers talks about a down-on-his-luck fellow during the Depression Era creating the game while unemployed and gaining fame and fortune as a result; a true rags-to-riches tale that appeals to many. However, Pilon here traces how the game was originally conceived as early as 1904 by a woman who wanted to use it as a teaching tool to further the theories of her favorite economist/social activist. It then coursed through many hands and multiple changes before it made its way to the so-called "inventor" who presented it to Parker Brothers for publication.

This was a riveting historical record that brought up all kinds of things previously unknown. Beyond just talking about the specifics of the Monopoly game, Pilon also researches and presents politics of the 1800s/early 1900s, a brief history of the founding of Atlantic City, and much more. I learned many a fascinating fact, which I then shared with others. Along the way, photographs show how the game board changed over the years as well as portraits of key players in the Monopoly story.

The only reason I don't give this book a full 5 stars is that it felt a little bit jumpy in the narrative, especially within the first few chapters. However, I definitely recommend it to others who like history, gaming, or both. ( )

A very fun read. It is a history book about economics, patents, trademarks, Atlantic City, gaming, corporate business, the depression and much more, all told as a true detective story. The author is clearly a person with a passion for real lives suffering through the complexity and travails of real life. I look forward to more from Ms Pilon. There were so many players in this drama that at times I wished for a chart of names and times;however, Ms. Pilon would clear it up in the next paragraph or page. Her skills as a journalist kept the story objective and told it fairly, displaying no vitriol. ( )

For anyone that loves Monopoly or inventing.

Also, spoiler: MONOPOLY WAS INVENTED BY A BOSS ASS BITCH! ( )