PINBALL WIZARDS BOOK

Pinball News Website·article·analyzed·Nov 9, 2017

Analysis

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TL;DR

Adam Ruben's book traces pinball history and his personal competitive journey through 30 years of the hobby.

Summary

Adam Ruben's book 'Pinball Wizards: Jackpots, Drains and the Cult of the Silver Ball' is a 247-page memoir chronicling his 30-year journey from casual player to competitive tournament participant, interwoven with a comprehensive history of pinball in America. The book explores pinball's evolution from bagatelle through modern manufacturers like Stern, Jersey Jack, and Spooky, with particular focus on the game's legal battles, especially La Guardia's NYC ban and Roger Sharpe's role in overturning it. While US-centric and somewhat outdated upon publication, the work succeeds in capturing pinball's enduring cultural appeal and competitive community.

Key Claims

Adam Ruben is a professional writer, comedian and TV host who played at two PAPA World Championships
high confidence · Direct statement in article biography section
Montague Redgrave's 1871 patent #115,357 included three additional mechanical advances beyond the spring-loaded plunger
medium confidence · Book analysis quoted in article; specific patent number cited but not independently verified in article
The book covers Stern Pinball, Jersey Jack Pinball, and Spooky Pinball as modern manufacturers in detail
high confidence · Explicit statement: 'meticulously describing the fortunes of Stern Pinball, the founding of Jersey Jack Pinball and Spooky Pinball'
Roger Sharpe played a key role in overturning the New York pinball ban
high confidence · Direct statement: 'Roger Sharpe's role in helping to overturn that ban is also described in detail'
The book has minimal coverage of non-US pinball manufacturers and their history
high confidence · Explicit acknowledgment: 'With Ruben being American, there is little mention of pinball's wildly-fluctuating popularity, legal status or long history of manufacturing outside the 50 states'

Notable Quotes

“The balance between being a game of chance and a game of skill”
Article author (summarizing book theme) — Identifies the central recurring theme of pinball's legal and cultural significance throughout the book
“at the end of the day it's all just a game, albeit one which makes the world a happier and more-balanced place”
Article author (characterizing book tone) — Encapsulates the book's philosophy balancing competitive seriousness with recreational joy
“By its very nature, the book is outdated even before it reaches the presses.”
Article author (citing Ruben's acknowledgment) — Acknowledges the structural challenge of publishing about fast-moving pinball industry

Entities

Adam RubenpersonPinball Wizards: Jackpots, Drains and the Cult of the Silver BallproductRoger Sharpeperson Montague Redgraveperson Fiorello La GuardiapersonStern PinballcompanyJersey Jack PinballcompanySpooky Pinballcompany

Signals

?
community_signal: Competitive pinball community documented as thriving with organized tournaments (PAPA) and structured play, indicating robust competitive ecosystem
high · Book chronicles progression from 'joining a local league to playing at two PAPA World Championships' and emphasizes 'competitive etiquette and ball-control skills'
$
market_signal: Book establishes pinball's enduring cultural significance and emotional appeal across three decades, positioning it as more than hobby but as cultural phenomenon
high · Article states book explores 'the way it remains so ingrained in our culture' and examines 'pinball's appeal, emotional attraction' as central themes

Topics

Pinball history and evolutionprimaryCompetitive pinball and tournament playprimaryPinball legal history and regulationprimaryModern pinball manufacturers and industryprimaryPinball culture and communityprimaryBook review and publishingsecondaryInternational pinball manufacturingsecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.82)— The review is highly favorable toward the book, praising its comprehensiveness, readability, and cultural significance. Minor critique about US-centric focus and inherent obsolescence of current industry coverage, but these are presented as inevitable limitations rather than fundamental flaws. Overall tone is enthusiastic and recommendatory.

Transcript

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Everyone has a tale to tell about how they became involved in the hobby or business of pinball. Some stories are quite brief and can be summed up in just a few works. Adam Ruben’s stretches to 247 pages. ![Pinball Wizards: Jackpots, Drains and the Cult of the Silver Ball](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/learn/pinball-wizards-book/06-pinball-wizards-bok.jpg) Pinball Ball Pinball Ball is Adam Ruben’s personal reflection of how his childhood enjoyment of the game began at an amusement park in Delaware, turned into a young adulthood obsession and matured into a lifelong interest, becoming his “thing”. Ruben is a professional writer, comedian and TV host who chronicles the growth of his interest in competitive pinball, from joining a local league to playing at two PAPA World Championships. ![Adam Ruben](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/shows/pinball-expo-2017/157-pinball-expo-2017.jpg) Adam Ruben But, although it charts his very personal feelings about the game and the culture surrounding it, the book is far more than just one individual’s attempt to define what pinball means and has meant to him over three decades. It is also a highly-entertaining and informative examination of pinball’s history, identifying and exploring the key moments in its development, bringing in respected pinball authors and historians to explain their significance and context. For instance, Montague Redgrave is generally credited with the idea of adding a spring to the plunger in bagatelle, but Ruben dissects his 1871 patent number 115,357 to show the three other advances included in his Improvements in Bagatelles submission. That addition of a mechanical ball shooter sets up a recurring theme of the book and of pinball’s place in American society – the balance between being a game of chance and a game of skill. ![The table of contents](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/learn/pinball-wizards-book/03-pinball-wizards-bok.jpg) The table of contents Pinball’s dubious reputation and its role in flat-out illegal practices across America are considered in depth, as is New York mayor Fiorello La Guardia’s famous drive to rid his city of the scourge of organised gambling by smashing pinballs and tipping them into the river. Roger Sharpe’s role in helping to overturn that ban is also described in detail. With Ruben being American, there is little mention of pinball’s wildly-fluctuating popularity, legal status or long history of manufacturing outside the 50 states. Modern day pinball makers Heighway Pinball and Dutch Pinball do get a fair crack of the whip in the latter stages, but don’t expect any mention of Zaccaria, Petaco, Recel, MarsaPlay, Taito, Hankin, Sega or any of the myriad of non-US companies building games in Europe, Australia, South America and Japan. ![Adam said the book's title was the choice of the publisher](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/learn/pinball-wizards-book/02-pinball-wizards-bok.jpg) Adam said the book’s title was the choice of the publisher Despite the comprehensive look at the US authorities’ negative attitude to pinball from the ’50s to the ’70s, the book is weighted towards more modern times, meticulously describing the fortunes of Stern Pinball, the founding of Jersey Jack Pinball and Spooky Pinball, and Ruben’s own adventures playing at PAPA (twice). Although such detail could easily bog down the narrative into the minutia of bill-of-materials, tournament formats, competitive etiquette and ball-control skills, the tone remains light throughout with the ever-present suggestion that at the end of the day it’s all just a game, albeit one which makes the world a happier and more-balanced place. The problem with any printed matter attempting to define pinball’s current status is how quickly the business moves, and Ruben acknowledges this in a section called Updates. ![Bringing the story up-to-date](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/learn/pinball-wizards-book/04-pinball-wizards-bok.jpg) Bringing the story up-to-date By its very nature, the book is outdated even before it reaches the presses. Future game releases hinted at in the text have been announced and gone into production, companies have moved to solve manufacturing problems, and pinball personalities have come and gone. For all that though, Pinball Wizards: Jackpots, Drains and the Cult of the Silver Ball doesn’t feel stale or outdated. The key parts of pinball’s appeal, emotional attraction and the way it remains so ingrained in our culture has changed little through the past few decades, and Ruben’s book is a hugely enjoyable way to experience and understand the enduring appeal of a small silver ball rolling around a sheet of wood. is published by Chicago Review Press and distributed by IPG. The cover price in the US is $16.99.