Choi Seang Rak, and his online role-playing avatar, Uroo Ahs, from Robbie Cooper's book, Alter Ego

This new book will open your eyes to whole new worlds, literally. The parallel worlds of virtual gaming are teeming with more than ten million active players from all walks of life around the "real" world. New forms of social rules, economies, and quests for success are evolving and mutating at viral speeds, and they are seeping beyond the boundaries of computers and into "real" life in ways that would be considered science fiction maybe just five years ago.

Alter Ego, Avatars and their creators, is a brilliant photo book that shakes up any preconceptions you may have about online games and the people who play them. It is smart, compassionate, and business savvy — all packaged in an engaging way that won't let you stop reading until you reach the end.

Check out the full review and several more dual-portraits of real online gamers and their virtual world characters.