Word Freak : Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of...HCDJ

ThriftyTreasuresNJ
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Condition:
Very Good
“Great condition book! Dust jacket, pages and spine are intact and clean. Minor shelf wear and ”... Read moreabout condition
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eBay item number:115688058074
Last updated on May 20, 2025 19:49:22 PDTView all revisionsView all revisions

Item specifics

Condition
Very Good
A book that does not look new and has been read but is in excellent condition. No obvious damage to the cover, with the dust jacket (if applicable) included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. May be very minimal identifying marks on the inside cover. Very minimal wear and tear. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitionsopens in a new window or tab
Seller Notes
“Great condition book! Dust jacket, pages and spine are intact and clean. Minor shelf wear and ...
Publication Name
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Signed
No
Ex Libris
No
Narrative Type
Nonfiction
Original Language
English
Intended Audience
Adults
Inscribed
No
Vintage
No
Personalize
No
Era
2000s
Special Attributes
EX-LIBRARY
Personalized
No
Features
Dust Jacket
Country/Region of Manufacture
United States
ISBN
9780618015849
Book Title
Word Freak : Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players
Publisher
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Item Length
9 in
Publication Year
2001
Type
Textbook
Format
Hardcover
Language
English
Illustrator
Yes
Item Height
1 in
Author
Stefan Fatsis
Genre
Games & Activities
Topic
Board Games
Item Weight
22.6 Oz
Item Width
6 in
Number of Pages
384 Pages
Category

About this product

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
ISBN-10
0618015841
ISBN-13
9780618015849
eBay Product ID (ePID)
1886922

Product Key Features

Book Title
Word Freak : Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players
Number of Pages
384 Pages
Language
English
Publication Year
2001
Topic
Board Games
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
Games & Activities
Type
Textbook
Author
Stefan Fatsis
Format
Hardcover

Dimensions

Item Height
1 in
Item Weight
22.6 Oz
Item Length
9 in
Item Width
6 in

Additional Product Features

Intended Audience
Trade
LCCN
2001-016912
Dewey Edition
21
Reviews
'Word Freak' is a fascinating look into a thriving, cultish world that's best admired from an armchair., "An engrossing, inside look at the strange and rarefied world of competitive Scrabble. It's a pleasure to experience vicariously a level of play that I'll never achieve!"--Will Shortz, New York Times Crossword Editor and Puzzle Master of NPR's "Weekend Edition Sunday", "Drama, strategy, controversy, pathos. The rich panorama of emotion. Synchronized swimming? No. Scrabble. Who knew?" --Bob Costas, NBC Sports broadcaster and author of FAIR BALL "An engrossing, inside look at the strange and rarefied world of competitive Scrabble. It's a pleasure to experience vicariously a level of play that I'll never achieve!" --Will Shortz, New York Times Crossword Editor and Puzzle Master of NPR's "Weekend Edition Sunday" "As they say in the Scrabble world, Fatsis got great tiles when he set out to write this book -- a slew of memorable characters, and a competitive subculture as bizarre as any I've ever seen in sport. I really enjoyed WORD FREAK." --Frank DeFord "'Word Freak' is a fascinating look into a thriving, cultish world that's best admired from an armchair." Christian Science Monitor "Succeeding, like its author, at everything it tries to be, this funny and engrossing book (it really is hard to put down) is as much about competition and the beauty of words as it is about the quirky and...often pathetic subculture of word freaks." Book Magazine, "As they say in the Scrabble world, Fatsis got great tiles when he set out to write this book -- a slew of memorable characters, and a competitive subculture as bizarre as any I've ever seen in sport. I really enjoyed WORD FREAK."--Frank DeFord, "Drama, strategy, controversy, pathos. The rich panorama of emotion. Synchronized swimming? No. Scrabble. Who knew?" --Bob Costas, NBC Sports broadcaster and author of FAIR BALL
Dewey Decimal
793.734
Edition Description
Teacher's edition
Table Of Content
Contents Author's Note vi 1. The Park 1 2. The Best 10 3. Unrated 20 4. 1005 36 5. Edley 58 6. 1191 75 7. Alfred 89 8. G.I. Joel 109 9. 1291 127 10. The Words 141 11. Matt 154 12. The Owners 165 13. 1461 180 14. Lester 201 15. The Club 214 16. The World 230 17. The Worlds 247 18. 1416 264 19. 1501 285 20. 1574 306 21. 1601 322 22. 1697 340 Epilogue 363 Appendix 367 Sources 368 Acknowledgments 371
Synopsis
Stefan Fatsis, a Wall Street Journal reporter and National Public Radio regular, recounts his remarkable rise through the ranks of elite Scrabble players while exploring the game's strange, potent hold over them -- and him. Scrabble might truly be called America's game. More than two million sets are sold every year and at least thirty million American homes have one. But the game's most talented competitors inhabit a sphere far removed from the masses of "living room players." Theirs is a surprisingly diverse subculture whose stars include a vitamin-popping standup comic; a former bank teller whose intestinal troubles earn him the nickname "G.I. Joel"; a burly, unemployed African American from Baltimore'sinner city; the three-time national champion who plays according to Zen principles; and Fatsis himself, who we see transformed from a curious reporter to a confirmed Scrabble nut. He begins by haunting the gritty corner of a Greenwich Village park where pickup Scrabble games can be found whenever weather permits. His curiosity soon morphs into compulsion, as he sets about memorizing thousands of obscure words and fills his evenings with solo Scrabble played on his living room floor. Before long he finds himself at tournaments socializing -- and competing -- with Scrabble's elite. But this book is about more than hardcore Scrabblers, for the game yields insights into realms as disparate as linguistics, psychology, and mathematics. WORD FREAK extends its reach even further, pondering the light Scrabble throws on such notions as brilliance, memory, competition, failure, and hope. It is a geography of obsession that celebrates the uncanny powers locked in all of us.
LC Classification Number
GV1507.S3F38 2001

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ThriftyTreasuresNJ

100% positive feedback•8.5K items sold

Joined Oct 1997
Based on the East Coast along the Jersey Shore, I am a small business owner dedicated to bringing you a wide variety of quality pre-owned items to you!From electronics, parts, books and media, toys ...
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  • l***p (198)- Feedback left by buyer.
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    Flawless transaction, fast shipping & received before due date, well packaged, product as described. Very fair value for such a rare item. Great communication, excellent seller. A+++++
    The Myth Fania 45 Platinum Hits 3 CD Set Latin Salsa Very Rare (#116627993067)
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    The shipping was extremely quick, and they came well packaged! They look exactly as pictured and look like they could have been plucked right off a big box store shelf! Highly recommend this seller, this lot was worth every penny!
    Erin Hunter Lot of 2 Survivors Books 6 & 7 NEW 1st Ed HCDJ Young Adult Survival (#116387616583)
  • l***8 (696)- Feedback left by buyer.
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    This beautiful kit arrived in very good condition. In fact if it wasn't for normal aging I would say it is nearly mint! I am very pleased with the kit and all aspects of the transaction. It was only wrapped in brown paper, no extra cardboard . so we were lucky there was no shipping damage. A fine seller.
    VTG 1960s Top Flite TAURI Radio Control Model Airplane Ed Kazmirski IOB (#116650740021)
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