The book was a fascinating exploration of the journey of the two chess
guys.
One is an African American Master, Glenn Umstead and the other an
English writer/mid level player, JC Hallman. The book takes a few
stabs at the losers of the game of chess, i.e. those who have ruined
their lives for chess and also those who have ruined others' lives for
chess. To sum the book up: The book sums up chess's place in modern
world culture from the American point of view by giving glimpses of
the American chess scene, the internet chess scene, the Russian chess
scene and the Kalmyk chess scene. Was it worth the price? Maybe.
Sometimes the author wasted my time by giving me a chapter full of
American prison chess. But he also transported me to a culture I
never even knew existed, the Kalmyks. Take the good with the bad I
guess. The book further re-inforced my desire to buy a chess playing
Russian mail order bride.