Mah-Jongg: From Shanghai to Miami Beach

by Anita Luu, Christi Cavallaro

The Chinese game of skill, luck, clattering tiles, and "100 intelligences" is more popular than ever with a growing cross-cultural audience. This handsomely illustrated pop culture celebration of the gamethe first of its kindtraces mah-jongg's storied history from its roots in China through its immense popularity in the U.S. in the 1920s to its popularity in the Jewish community and resurgence among a whole new generation of players. Packed with information for experienced as well as beginning players, this invaluable book includes features on the meaning and beauty of the tiles; mah-jongg tournaments, cruises, and online play; crystal clear explanations of the basic rules for the American and traditional Chinese games; points of etiquette; a handy resource section; and recipes for Chinese and Jewish food to nibble while players pung, chow, and kong.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Games

176 pages, Hardcover

First published July 7, 2005

Reviews

[Julie]

Cute little book that was a pleasure to read. It was a great introduction to the game of Mah-Jongg, recommended by a friend. It was easy to follow and the tiles shown made my fingers itch to touch. Wish I had the time to play.

[Susan]

Nice history of tiles and game. Accurate explanations of both chinese and american mah jongg. good read

[Maureen]

A little history, lore, quick explanations of both Chinese & American Mah-Jongg. Nice pictures too.

[Sherry]

It was a very good, easy to read book on mah-jongg and it's history. There even some recipes!

[Barbara]

Mah-jongg: From Shanghai to Miami Beach is a sweet, little gem of a book. It has lovely photos of actual Mah-jongg games, and has been very helpful as I've learned to play the game. It covers the history of both Chinese and American Mah-jongg and rules for both. It will have a permanent place on my Mahjongg shelf, and I recommend it to all who are exploring Mahjongg.

[Dare]

I chose to read this book because i enjoy playing mah-jong and wanted to know a little more about the game. This book explained the history of the game, how to play it and peoples reasons for playing it. While i did enjoy this book, i would only recommend it to others who enjoy mah-jong.

[Chris Aylott]

A slight volume covering the history, basic rules, and social practices of Mah-jongg. Nothing deep here, but the pictures of old sets are lovely and it provided some useful background for some research I've been doing.

[Amy]

concise description of ancient game, it's origins, and it's current forms. I enjoyed the comparison of the modern forms, since I am a player.

[Susan Molloy]

This is a short book about the history of mah-jongg and its early start in the United during the 1920s. Here you will find lots of pictures of 1920s-era players, sets, and antique tiles. There is a basic overview of how the game is played and diagrams o