..Book Reviews..

Fatsis dives headfirst into the competitive world of professional Scrabble--and that world is a far cry from living room Scrabble. In the professional realm, getting a bingo (using all seven tiles) is a common occurrence. In the realm of my living room, getting a bingo is a once in a life time opportunity.

Fatsis climbs the professional Scrabble ladder, playing games in the park with oddball experts, attending tournaments, and chumming with the quirky pros. And by quirky, I do mean quirky. The book covers all the ins and outs of the game, from the history, to the strategy, to the tournament world, to the methodology of the champions.

It's written in an easy to read style, but the complicated descriptions of board layouts and specific moves can become mind-boggling. I found that after a few hundred pages I knew all I needed to know about Scrabble, and only finished the book out of habit (I hate not finishing a book).

If you can keep your interest all the way through, it's an interesting book that will have you itching to play a few games of your own. Then you'll realize just how freakish these people are.