Product Review

Playing mah jongg is simple. Excelling at it is another matter entirely.

Author Karen Gooen had a plan: if she could find the right mentor, the quintessential mah jongg maven, then perhaps she could master the game. Searching for Bubbe Fischer is the story of her quest to become an expert, and the unexpected wisdom she learned along the way.

The book includes instruction for intermediate and advanced mah jongg players, as well as information about running tournaments, playing three-handed games, etiquette, and more.


Karen Gooen is a writer and mah jongg instructor in Randolph, New Jersey. She has spent years analyzing a ten-minute activity that is fortified by popcorn and M&M’s.

"This is an easy read, clearly written in a way that can engage experienced players and enlighten novice players. All players can easily see themselves in the pages."—Tom Sloper, author of The Red Dragon & The West Wind: The Winning Guide to Official Chinese & American Mah-Jongg