Thomas Ricks reviews the new book “War Play: Video Games and the Future of Armed Conflict,” by Corey Mead, in Foreign Policy: “Though its subject, the history of the military’s use of video games, seems innocuous, Mead provides a revealing historical perspective that calls attention to its importance, benefits and consequences all at once. Like an actual video game, War Play gives the reader an opportunity to disconnect from ‘real world’ concerns and enjoy viewing things in a lighter, more entertaining context. But also like its subject, War Play is much closer to the real thing than one might expect, and shows how the same dilemmas apply to both Stuxnet and ‘America’s Army.'”

I spoke with Mead for Conversations with Thinkers.