Though the title is a bit of a misnomer, Bissell's book is well written, thoughtfully orchestrated, and easy to read. I had hoped for a little bit more insight into what made his 'extra lives' of video games worthwhile, however. This is a good example of how experiences can shape one's life--whether those experiences be music, film, theater, or the digital. I do recommend the book for those who'd like to see what Tom Bissell's life as a gamer was like, keeping in mind that his experience is unique--not all gamers, for example, have to do crack in order to enjoy their games--and that this memoir gives an insight into a burgeoning and somewhat maturing (or, at least, aging) culture. I dropped one star because I felt that the proposed theme of the book would be to explicitly explore extra lives, yet the phrase occurred twice--once in reference to _Fallout 3_ and once in the acknowledgments page--making the title seem clever, yet hollow, a promise unfulfilled. Still, I enjoyed the book quite a bit, and recommend it also for gamers who would like to see certain games from another's point of view.Get more detail about Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter.
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