A jumping-off point for interested readers.
A brief survey of professional video gaming.
This overview split into five sections offers an uneven introduction to the contemporary gaming scene. A timeline runs from the first amateur tournaments to the professionalized present. The introduction pairs an anecdote from an e-sports tournament with commentary on competitive gaming’s allure to investors and educators. Chapter 1 defines eight professional gaming genres. Though the main focus is cutthroat, typically team-based e-sports, Chapter 2 also considers lifestyle gaming—personality-based, commentary-driven broadcasts often pursued by those who eschew the precarious nature of competitive gaming. The text largely ignores the astronomical odds against success in favor of starry-eyed preoccupation with elite players’ skills, status, and incomes. However, this section admirably highlights professional gamers of varied identities, including “Myth,” a male lifestyle gamer of Syrian and African American descent, and “Brolylegs,” a male Street Fighter grandmaster with arthrogryposis. In addition, the book addresses sexism in the portrayal of female game characters and hostile environments for women gamers. Chapter 3 examines the upsides and challenges of building e-sports teams and leagues and gaming’s fusion of athletics and traditional entertainment. Chapter 4 lays out common defenses of gaming (for example, players learn life lessons), provides practical advice on starting a sanctioned school-level e-sports program, and addresses college-level e-sports. Text boxes mostly consisting of quotes do little to enhance the text, and the stock photos feel stagnant.
A jumping-off point for interested readers. (source notes, further research, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68282-925-7
Page Count: 80
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Catnip for scandal junkies, with a bit of historical perspective stirred in.
A gleefully explicit catalogue of the past century’s headline-grabbing bad behavior.
Aimed at readers who don’t need to be told who Brangelina is but may be hazy on “twisted besties” Leopold and Loeb or even Monica Lewinsky, this edutaining survey presents a wide-angle array of murders, sexual follies, controversial trials, race violence, political corruption and general envelope-pushing from the 1906 killing of Stanford White on. Each of the chronologically arranged entries opens with a capsule “Scoop” followed by a slightly fuller account under a “What Went Down” header. Along with a small black-and-white photo and one or two sidebar quotes, the author tacks on subsequent developments, sometimes-perceptive suggestions about “Why We Still Care” and a short roster of similar incidents in recent history. Though she misspells “Symbionese” and repeatedly awards FDR only three Presidential wins, in general Fryd presents reasonably accurate summaries of events and issues while giving all sides of the more muddled conflicts at least a nod. Additional cred is provided by a teen panel of editorial advisors.
Catnip for scandal junkies, with a bit of historical perspective stirred in. (index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-9827322-0-5
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Zest/Orange Avenue
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
Readers will find answers to basic questions about Muslims, yet they might not understand the bigger picture if they don’t...
Ali-Karamali offers plenty of anecdotes about growing up Muslim in America in a conversational tone that is undermined by poor organization.
The work explores a range of questions that non-Muslims might have about followers of Islam. Ranging from a discussion of Muslim holidays or the kinds of clothes worn by Muslims to the development of Islam, the author explains these topics in a friendly, engaging manner. She provides several examples of Muslim practices around the world, going beyond her American experiences to reflect Islam’s diversity. Chapters are organized into three fact-filled sections on beliefs and practices, the development of Islam and current Muslim demographics. Unfortunately, beginning with the practical questions about food, fasting and fashion delays important concepts such as how jihad is not equivalent to terrorism and whether Islam mandates women wear face veils (in a word, no). Compounding this basic conceptual flaw, this organizational choice necessitates clunky references to later chapters. Moreover, it is not until Chapter 4 that cited figures or quotes are provided references, an example of sloppy scholarship.
Readers will find answers to basic questions about Muslims, yet they might not understand the bigger picture if they don’t hang in until the end. (notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-385-74095-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
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