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Description
Tales of the San Francisco Cacophony SocietyA template for pranksters, artists, adventurers and anyone interested in rampant creativity, for years to come. Tales Of The San Francisco Cacophony Society tells the history of the most influential underground cabal that you have never heard of. Rising from the ashes of the mysterious and legendary Suicide Club, The Cacophony Society, at its zenith, hosted chapters in over a dozen major cities, and influenced much of what was once called the
A template for pranksters, artists, adventurers and anyone interested in rampant creativity, for years to come. Tales Of The San Francisco Cacophony Society tells the history of the most influential underground cabal that you have never heard of. Rising from the ashes of the mysterious and legendary Suicide Club, The Cacophony Society, at its zenith, hosted chapters in over a dozen major cities, and influenced much of what was once called the underground. Flash Mobs, Urban Exploration, and Culture Jamming are a few of the pop culture trends that Cacophony helped kick off. Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club, Burning Man and Internet social networking powerhouse Laughing Squid were informed and inspired by Cacophony. The Burning Man Festival actually began as a Cacophony event as did the annual, and now world-wide SantaCon. Cacophony events could range from something as simple as climbing the Golden Gate Bridge or having a discussion over drinks about a movie seen together, to something as elaborate as The Atomic Caf -- an event involving a hundred bedraggled "nuclear holocaust Survivors" mounting elaborate costumed rituals throughout the bowels of a massive abandoned tooth paste factory. Yes.... Cacophony was that strange. Cacophony's heyday was concurrent with the rise of the internet. The story of this group is of historical significance for this reason. Information about upcoming pranks, street theater and other events hosted by Cacophony was spread by paper flyers posted on telephone poles and left in coffee shops, by the Societies mailer "Rough Draft" and by word of mouth. Then, with the genesis of personal computing and social networking, the jokers, artists and troublemakers of Cacophony were among some of the first non-geeks to explore the power of this new and world changing way of communicating. Burning Man, Urban Exploration, flash mobs and the like were avenues of creativity with their roots in Cacophony, that spread like wildfire through the mechanism of these new communication technologies.Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Last Gasp
Published: 07/01/2019
ISBN: 9780867198775
Pages: 284
Weight: 2.55lbs
Size: 10.90h x 8.50w x 0.70d
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4.6 ★★★★★
Based on 26 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
Masterful, Hilarious, and Insightful
Format: Hardcover
The writing style reminded me at times of Michael Lewis ("The Big Short", "The New New Thing") in the way Jason Schreier captures the madness of gaming executives trying to succeed despite their bosses.
The way the book describes various antics often had me chuckling or even laughing out loud:
"As Pardo's responsibilities grew and his time became stretched between projects, he became known for what many of his subordinates called seagull management: He would swoop down, poop on ideas, and then fly away."
It's full of insight about what makes a good game, or even a good remake of a game:
"One tenet, adapted from legendary Civilization designer Sid Meier, was that one-third of the units should return from the old game, one-third should be modified versions, and one-third should be brand-new."
This book is masterful. I found it impossible to put down: one of the very best books I've ever read about a games company, or any company for that matter.
If you are in the games industry, you like reading about crazy businesses or you just like games, get it.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2026
★★★★★ 4
"Inside Blizzard: The Creativity, Crunch, and Corporate Clash in Play Nice”
Format: Hardcover
Positive:
"Play Nice" by Jason Schreier is a fun, eye-opening dive into the highs and lows of Blizzard Entertainment. Schreier does a fantastic job unpacking the tension between Blizzard's creative magic and the corporate pressures that started to shift the company’s culture, especially after its merger with Activision. It's filled with juicy insider stories that give you a sense of what it’s really like to work at a powerhouse game studio. For any gamer or industry enthusiast, it’s a fascinating look behind the curtain that also feels relatable for anyone who's had their passion collide with corporate demands.
Negative:
On the downside, the book sometimes gets a bit repetitive. Schreier really drills in on the company's struggles with work-life balance and workplace culture, which are important but can feel like they’re hitting the same notes over and over. And while the insider jargon adds authenticity, it can be a little hard to keep up if you’re not already familiar with game dev lingo. But honestly, these are minor gripes in what’s otherwise a great read about the complex, often messy reality of making games.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2024
★★★★★ 5
From Pixels to Problems! Great read!
Format: Hardcover
“Play Nice” offers an enjoyable deep dive into the tumultuous history of Blizzard Entertainment, chronicling its journey from a ragtag group of brilliant college students to its evolution under corporate ownership and its current state. Schreier provides fascinating insights into the antics of Blizzard’s early employees, showcasing their outlandish attitudes, relentless work ethic, and tight-knit camaraderie.
The book explores how Blizzard transitioned from a company renowned for producing high-quality, polished games that left competitors in the dust to one struggling to preserve its heart and soul amid mounting corporate pressures. While the corporate side and C-suite executives are often cast in a negative light, Schreier thoughtfully examines the motivations behind their decisions, offering perspectives from all levels of the company—from executives and middle management to QA testers. This balanced approach provides a refreshing take, avoiding oversimplified blame and instead considering multiple sides of the story.
And while it’s easy to villainize the suits in the boardroom, Schreier does a great job showing why some decisions were made. From executives to QA testers, he pulls back the curtain to reveal a mess of perspectives, reminding us that every bad decision has some kind of reason behind it (even if it’s still a bad decision).
The book also revisits the scandals that put some serious smudges on Blizzard’s reputation, offering new angles and fresh commentary. As someone who once lived for Blizzard games—cheering at Overwatch League matches and losing entire weekends to Diablo marathons—I can’t help but root for Blizzard to find its way back to glory. And hey, if it means waiting another decade for their next masterpiece, so be it. It’s done when it’s done.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Reads like your favorite succession episodes
Format: Hardcover
Great book—thoroughly researched and delightfully written! Highly recommend to all my gamers and friends from that era.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2025
★★★★★ 4
Great insight into an otherwise obscure world
Format: Hardcover
As someone who grew up playing blizzard's games for an unfathomable amount of hours I've always been interested into their inner workings, especially considering their downfall in recent years. This book holds a ton of information and knowledge, is well sourced, and is the work of someone with obvious deep familiarity with the industry and its particularities.
Besides the information itself, the book it written in fun and interesting prose, and it keeps the rhythm fast and entertaining, so it reads more like a novel than a journalistic article.
Overall, an entertaining piece of insight into a world that is normally quite unknown, even to long time gamers like myself.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2026