Of Dice and Men does for Dungeons & Dragons what Stefan Fatsis’ Word Freak did for Scrabble; it’s a real-life Scroll of Identity for both experienced gamers and readers interested in D&D as a phenomenon. A delve into the creation, evolution, and future of the role-playing game, David Ewalt’s book also explores the game’s cultural history, controversies, and its continuing appeal to children and adults. Ewalt isn’t a bespectacled Satanist flourishing a foam sword in his mother’s basement; he’s a technology journalist and a senior editor at Forbes. The combination of Ewalt’s intelligent, dexterous writing and strong, charismatic love of D&D makes this book a hit. Of Dice and Men is well reported, fun to read, accessible to non-gamers, and relevant to the most wizened of DMs.