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Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Dungeons & Dragons: One Woman's Quest To Trade Self-Help For Elf-Help (2013)

by Shelly Mazzanoble(Favorite Author)

3.42 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Audible Frontier

review 1: Mazzanoble can be a funny and entertaining author. I like the premise of the book and agree that many RPG skills can be applied in real life with a little imagination.Many of her example stories were great bits and her storytelling style is something I can relate to (and would wish to emulate). That sense of incredulous, somewhat dry humor, that is by turns self-deprecating and also boastful is one I can get down with.There were some things that stopped me from rating this any higher than middle of the road, however. Throughout, I got the sense that Shelly wasn't necessarily being entirely open & honest, at least in the sense that it came off at times a bit like a PR plug for WotC/D&D. This makes sense, however, since she works for WotC and is talking about a huge product ... moreof theirs (I also wish she had maybe compared with older editions of D&D, rather than 4th, which many would argue is their least favorite D&D edition. As a girl who learned on 3.0/3.5, I myself am partial to that edition, of course). I too, if writing a book about one of my current employer's products, would want to be very careful how it was presented, lest I find myself without a job after publication!For me, the carefulness was evident and detracted from my enjoyment of the book at times. It came across as a bit forced, stretching itself at times to make Mazzanoble's real-life situations fit within a D&D context. I'm not trying to detract from the benefits D&D provides--but I do think some narrative license was taken when she tells of her friend's children turning over completely new leaves after one role playing session with Shelly, for example. I also wasn't much in favor of her portrayal that she's a girly-girl, despite the fact that she does tabletop roleplaying. The implication that somehow liking platform pumps AND chasing down bad guys in a fantasy/imaginative setting are mutually exclusive bothers me. Shelly is trying to break that stereotype assumption, but in some ways it came across to me as re-inforcing it (although I readily admit I'm not sure how you'd avoid that). However! that is not to say it wasn't enjoyable, especially when taken in the lighthearted manner in which it was written. More kudos to it since it is obviously (in some ways) trying to attract more females to D&D. Which I would love to see! There's no reason tabletop RPG groups shouldn't have more ladies rolling the dice. And some of her comparisons are spot on, in particular for me the section where she observes successful DM's and correlates many of their good Dungeon Master behaviors with good leadership/presentation/people skills. Being a DM IS incredibly challenging & hard work (even running a pre-made adventure!), and the best ones I know have a flair for the dramatic, draw people in and get them to give more of their best with such subtle coaching that the players hardly realize it and instead have the time of their lives playing the game. I'd love to see something like this that maybe wasn't so closely connected with WotC that it ends up sounding a bit like a PR campaign. Then again, I'm probably not the intended audience--after all, I am already a geek girl gamer (triple threat!).
review 2: I feel the need to make a point very clear. Many people have compared Shelly to writers from Cosmo. I invite you to compare the two side by side. Shelly makes those writers look like Proust (mazzanoble fans: you see, that's funny because Proust is a really good writer. You're welcome, that will save you from having to google him.)Also, it is unfair to level all the blame on Shelly. She has an editor and, one must imagine, friends. They deserve some of the scorn.I could give a blow by blow of the stupidity, but do you really need it? less

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