The Tetris Effect

“Upends the standard Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs/Mark Zuckerberg technology-creation myth... the story shines”
— The New York Times
“A page-turning, block-stacking, globe-trotting thriller/history book.”
— Ernest Cline, author of Ready Player One
“The Tetris Effect is a great read on a game that has hypnotized my brain and probably yours too.”
— Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple
“The definitive telling of one of the most fascinating stories in videogame history.”
— WIRED
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THE DEFINITIVE STORY OF A GAME SO GREAT, EVEN THE COLD WAR COULDN’T STOP IT. 

Tetris is perhaps the most instantly recognizable, popular video game ever made. But how did an obscure Soviet programmer, working on frail, antiquated computers, create a product which has now earned nearly $1 billion in sales? How did a makeshift game turn into a worldwide sensation, which has been displayed at the Museum of Modern Art, inspired a big-budget sci-fi movie, and been played in outer space?

A quiet but brilliant young man, Alexey Pajitnov had long nurtured a love for the obscure puzzle game pentominoes, and became obsessed with turning it into a computer game. Little did he know that the project that he labored on alone, hour after hour, would soon become the most addictive game ever made.

In this fast-paced business story, reporter Dan Ackerman reveals how Tetris became one of the world’s first viral hits, passed from player to player, eventually breaking through the Iron Curtain into the West. British, American, and Japanese moguls waged a bitter fight over the rights, sending their fixers racing around the globe to secure backroom deals, while a secretive Soviet organization named ELORG chased down the game’s growing global profits.

The Tetris Effect is an homage to both creator and creation, and a must-read for anyone who’s ever played the game—which is to say everyone. 

Also available in the UK from Oneworld Publications

Get the UK edition of The Tetris Effect from Oneworld Publications, with its own stunning cover artwork. It's available from UK retailers only, including Amazon UK. 

 
 

Media and more

The Tetris Effect on TV

TELEVISION AND RADIO

PRINT AND ONLINE

Tetris has been on our screens for generations, and while other games come and go, it is still popular today. So what accounts for its longevity? CNET senior editor Dan Ackerman joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss the origins and legacy of the game and his new book, "The Tetris Effect: The Game that Hypnotized the World."

Tetris has captured the world's attention since the 1980s, and it remains a viral hit today. CNET senior editor Dan Ackerman joined CBSN's Vlad Duthiers at Barcade in New York City for a game of Tetris and to chat about his new book, "The Tetris Effect: The Game that Hypnotized the World."

Watch more episodes of Open_Tab: http://bit.ly/29i1m2B You didn't think Tetris was just about blocks, did you? CNET's Dan Ackerman visits the Open_Tab show with Jeff Bakalar and Alfred Ng to discuss his new book, "The Tetris Effect," which spotlights the winners and losers behind the classic game.

I review the book, "The Tetris Effect: The Game that Hypnotized the World" by Dan Ackerman, which tells a story that positions Tetris as much more than just mass appeal and big sales. Tetris reflects the delicate intersection between Cold War Soviet Union Communism and American Capitalism.