First, I need to say I love the pinball community. It is a community, and all kinds are there. Since I relocated to New England, Pinball has been my source of creativity and drive, a way to find friends, a place to have randos over to the house, a place to go to a warehouse filled with old pinball machines, and a way to be around people who love this game.
On my journey, I met Tasker Smith. Right from the start, Tasker had a unique point of view about pinball and life. He didn’t slam the machine, but he also had feelings about getting better. He turned failures into lessons and was always awesome to play with. Then, he says he is writing a book. And, a very Tasker thing to do is to actually write a little bit a time and couple of years go by you have a book, then it is is getting published, then he is on a book tour.
Pinball: A Quest for Mastery is about pinball, but it is also philosophy. The book is not about being a master at pinball; it is about being on the quest. The book shares history, demystifies rule complexity, gives you a primer for understanding the game, and what it takes to get better and why. I feel Tasker just shares a user manual with us on how to approach any hobby or pursuit.
I recommend the book for players of all skill levels. I find myself opening the book, flipping to a section, and learning something interesting no matter where I read. This also echoes one of Tasker’s viewpoints: take every moment to learn, get better, and make your own luck. The book is filled with advice and resources. The book doesn’t leave you feeling alone. I thoroughly enjoyed the read!
Go to your friendly local bookstore and pick up a copy.
Congrats, Tasker!