Book description
Checkers, backgammon, chess, and Go. Poker, Scrabble, and bridge. These seven games, ancient and modern, fascinate millions of people worldwide. In Seven Games, Oliver Roeder charts their origins and historical importance, the delightful arcana of their rules, and the ways their design makes them pleasurable.Roeder introduces thrilling competitors, such as evangelical minister Marion Tinsley, who across forty years lost only three games of checkers; Shusai, the Master, the last Go champion of imperial Japan, defending tradition against "modern rationalism"; and an IBM engineer who created a backgammon program so capable at self-learning that NASA used it on the space shuttle. He delves into the history and lore of each game: backgammon boards in ancient Egypt, the Indian origins of chess, how certain shells from a particular beach in Japan make the finest white Go stones.Beyond the cultural and personal stories, Roeder explores why games, seemingly trivial pastimes, speak so deeply to the human soul. He introduces an early philosopher of games, the aptly named Bernard Suits, and visits an Oxford cosmologist who has perfected a computer that can effectively play bridge, a game as complicated as human language itself.Throughout, Roeder tells the compelling story of how humans, pursuing scientific glory and competitive advantage, have invented AI programs better than any human player, and what that means for the games--and for us. Funny, fascinating, and profound, Seven Games is a story of obsession, psychology, history, and how play makes us human.
Bowie
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Mr. Alien
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Snow Hound
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WanderWord
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Mr. 44
Noise reduction on ListenBook enhances the clarity of dictaphone recordings, allowing me to enjoy content even in noisy environments. ListenBook's support for playlists in the CUE format makes organizing and enjoying audiobook series a delightful experience.
NexusNomad
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Boost Princess
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Wheels
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Darkside Hooker
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Sleek Zelda
Listening to audiobooks has turned mundane tasks into enjoyable experiences. My commutes to work have transformed into exciting journeys thanks to this app.
Essex
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Loot
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Hyper Kong
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Red Hot Kevorkian
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Knight Light
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X-Dew
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Unleashed
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Evil Smith
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Red Pepper
This app has brought stories to life in a way that traditional reading never could. The layout of ListenBook is so beautiful and user-friendly, making it a pleasure to use. Quick access to chapters is a blessing. No more scrolling through endless content. Looping playback helps me immerse myself in the content. It's my secret study weapon.
Devil Blade
This app's user-friendly design makes navigating through books a breeze. 📱 Turning my phone into a portal of endless stories – this app is pure magic! 📚✨ Say goodbye to boring commutes – this app's immersive audio experience and intuitive controls have transformed my daily journeys. 🌟📚 ListenBook Pro's tone adjustment feature is fascinating. I can alter the reader's voice to match my mood—what a creative addition! Automatic artwork and metadata extraction keep my audiobook library organized and visually appealing.
Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience