If the letters “MMORPG” [Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game] don’t mean anything to you, you might not think you could get a lot out of this story. I honestly only picked up this book because I am a “gaming widow” and wanted to better understand the MMORPG scene that my husband frequents! This story is about so much more than just gaming, though. Set in the future, this story explores the world of “gold farmers” who become the next generation of sweatshop workers. The narration rotates between characters who run the gamut from factory-dwelling gold farmers in China to an über-rich game developer at Coca-Cola Games Headquarters in the US. Although some reviews complain that Doctorow is heavy-handed in his message, I was simply enthralled by the way that he wove economics and unionization into a story about video games. I think this book would be an excellent tie-in for English and economics/social studies teachers — because the kids will probably enjoy the story while learning an awful lot. But maybe I’m just too big of a nerd and I enjoy learning while I read!