A loving look at toys and games—and the people who make and play them—from the past and present.

Albert Einstein once said, “Play is the highest form of research.” Uncle John adds: “And it’s really fun!” And so is this e-book, which includes several classic articles from the Bathroom Reader archives along with a few all-new entries (including an inside look at the Angry Birds phenomenon). So whether you prefer a pair of dice, a deck of cards, a yo-yo, a game controller, or a doll (er…action figure), you’ll find lots to keep you happily occupied in Playtime! Read about…



• Classic kids’ games from yesteryear
• The cops who went Wii on the local news
• People who get to play with Legos for a living
• Boong-ga Boong-ga, and other odd Japanese video games
• The little-known (and ironic) story of Monopoly
• The origins of dice, Uno, bobbleheads, and Scrabble
• The dark secret behind Amazing Sea-Monkeys
• The fall of Atari and the rise of Nintendo
• How to talk like a poker player

And much, much more!