The Table of Four (What Mahjong Reveals about Who We Really Are: The Psychology, the Cliques, and the Booming Business Behind America's Hottest Game)

A richly reported portrait of American women’s social life, community, and resilience—told through the game that has gathered them around a table for a century.

What happens when four women sit down to play mahjong? Everything. Secrets. Rivalries. Grief. Laughter. Lifelong friendship. And occasionally, a little drama over who discarded the wrong tile.

In The Table of Four, award-winning journalist Lynne Jeter takes readers inside the world of American mahjong—a game that has quietly anchored women’s social lives for a hundred years and has survived cancel culture, a tile revolution, and a scandalous card fiasco that shook its most powerful institution to its core.

Drawing on extensive interviews with players, historians, entrepreneurs, and insiders—including the son of the woman who built the modern American mahjong game with The Card—Lynne traces mahjong from its Chinese origins through the living rooms of Jewish New Yorkers, the country clubs of the South, and the pandemic-era boom that brought millions of new players to the table across America. Along the way, she discovers what the game has always really been about: the hunger for connection, the rituals that hold communities together, and what women reveal—and conceal—when they think they’re just playing a game.

The Table of Four is a celebration, an investigation, and an invitation. Pull up a chair.

While major retailers like Amazon may carry The Table of Four (What Mahjong Reveals about Who We Really Are: The Psychology, the Cliques, and the Booming Business Behind America's Hottest Game), we specialize in bulk book sales and offer personalized service from our friendly, book-smart team based in Portland, Oregon. We’re proud to offer a Price Match Guarantee and a streamlined ordering experience from people who truly care.

We’re trusted by over 75,000 customers, many of whom return time and again. Want proof? Just check out our 25,000+ customer reviews—real feedback from people who love how we do business.

Prefer to talk to a real person? Our Book Specialists are here Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST and ready to help with your bulk order of The Table of Four (What Mahjong Reveals about Who We Really Are: The Psychology, the Cliques, and the Booming Business Behind America's Hottest Game).