Welcome one and all to the Reader's Den in July! This month we will be looking at the book Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It by David M. Ewalt. Many people have played Dungeons & Dragons as kids, including myself. Even if you have never played you may know someone who did, or even still does (whether or not they're willing to admit it.) Released in 1974, before video games and the Internet took over the gaming world, Dungeons & Dragons became one of the original nerd subcultures, and is still revered by over thirty million fans today. In Of Dice and Men, David Ewalt recounts the development of Dungeons & Dragons from its roots in the games of the Ancient World and 19th Century Europe, through its many incarnations and editions and the hysteria that came with it, to its current incarnation in video games.

As he chronicles the surprising history of this misunderstood game (a history largely unknown even to hardcore players) and examines D&D’s profound impact, Ewalt blends history, journalism, narrative, memoir, and a little role playing as he sheds light on America’s most popular (and widely misunderstood) form of collaborative entertainment.