Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
Those infamous game rules might carry a new weight after reading MashableReads' latest book selection, The Monopoplists by Mary Pilon.
[seealso slug="monopoly-80th-anniversary"]
A tale of greed and corporate schemings, The Monopoplists unearths the forgotten history of the classic board game Monopoly.
Sure, the Parker Brothers say the game was invented by a poor man during the Great Depression, but, as The Monopolists reveals, the fraught truth of Monopoly's creation is much more scandalous -- including the story of how a game designer named Lizzie Magie was actually responsible for Monopoly's origins in the 1900s.
Like a good board game, books are always better with friends. Over the next month, MashableReads will read and discuss The Monopolists on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Goodreads. Be sure to join.
And don't miss out on our conversation with Mary Pilon herself. If you're in the New York City area, stop by Mashable HQ for our meetup about The Monopolists on April 7 at 5:30pm ET, where Pilon will chat about her book with the MashableReads community.
Happy Reading!