In 1982 — the era of Apple II and Commodore 64 — 17-year-old college freshman and aspiring game designer Jordan Mechner began keeping a private journal. This first volume is a candid account of the personal, creative and technical struggles that led to his breakthrough success with Karateka, which topped bestseller charts in 1985, and planted the seeds of his next game, Prince of Persia.
"Mechner's journals are a unique record from the birth of an industry, in the words of one of its pioneers. An unvarnished window into the creative process, with all its excitement, toil, setbacks, doubts and triumphs. A fantastic read."
— D.B. Weiss, co-creator of HBO's Game of Thrones