Nevada Books

Fox's wit, charm, and intellect combine to create a fascinating book that is part memoir and part geography, culture, and history lessons. A rare combination that suits a reader like me who is always looking for books that help me see life through a clear new lens!

Though published by a university press, this is no dry academic tome. It's an unusally creative attempt to capture the spirit and the meaning of the drive through the desert. Fox writes of three approaches to the archetypal desert city, Las Vegas: from Sante Fe, from Los Angeles and from Reno. His writing is personal, captivating and will make you see the desert (and our paths through it) in entirely new ways.

Last November, I flew into las Vegas for the first time on a bright, sunny day. I had my nose pressed to the window most of the way, and was in awe of the what lay below. I followed the roads through the desert that led to Vegas and vowed to make the drive myself some day. I couldn't believe my luck when I happened across this book. But, the book left me bored and disappointed. Maybe I was expecting too much, but even the author's reader-friendly prose could not make this an interesting read.

What a letdown. Yes, the prose is decent, and the premise is undeniably attractive but, for anybody who holds the drive to Las Vegas close to their heart, these 3 separate tales of driving across the desert toward that glittery focal point called Sin City will all leave you feeling cheated. Why? Well, most of all, the author TURNS OFF THE HIGHWAY BEFORE GETTING TO VEGAS! How can you leave out the final 5 miles!? If you have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into a casino, what in the world are you doing writing a book with Vegas at its center? Yes, the author shows that he knows the road, and what the various mountains are called, etc., but he obviously has no understanding of what compels most of us to take that road so many times in our lives. Skip this book and spend the money on a tank of gas yourself. This book has no Elvis.

This book helped me plan a wonderful trip to Las Vegas. I didn't hit it big at te casinos (oh well), but I had a great time! This book was very informative.

This book has it all and more.... broken down by each hotel and includes the attractions/food/shops/gaming/shows available at each location, along with information on the hotel's rooms and rates. Doesn't skimp on knowledge, for example, there's 16 pages on the MGM Grand Hotel alone!! It's somewhat larger than most guide books, so don't think you'll be carrying it down the Strip with you but it's great for gaining an insight to what is available for the tourist at each hotel. The only drawback is that there aren't any color pictures or maps. Other than that, it's perfect!!

This book is not worth the money. The book does not cover downtown and is only broken down by hotel names. No break down of catagories such as restaurants, buffets or other items of intrest. There are much better travel books available! This book was very disappointing.

I'm going to Vegas for the first time very soon, and I admit, I had high expectations of this book. Maybe too high, because the book fell well short of what I was expecting.

First off, it was published in 2000, when the world as a whole was a very different place, not to mention all the changes to Las Vegas since then. Next, yes, it does give very in-depth descriptions of the hotels it covers (which is really only those on the Strip), and the dining options in them. But if you're a Vegas virgin trying to decide where in Vegas to stay based on this book, you'll have a tough time, since all the hotels are comfortable, luxurious, and tastefully decorated, and all the dining is top-rated and cutting edge. As for attractions, those attached to the Strip hotels are given a decent enough description, but the free-standing places are pretty much given just a quick once over.

If you're web-savvy at all, there's no information here that you couldn't get yourself -- and what you'd find online would probably be much more current. If you just HAVE to have a Vegas guidebook, go with "The Unofficial Guide to Vegas." That book is everything I was hoping this one would be.

The Insiders' Guide to Reno & Lake Tahoe stands out as an outstanding tour book. What a pleasant surprise. Most books of this sort are dry and boring but this one is filled with goodies that only locals would know about. The Nightlife chapter stands out as a great piece of writing with an authentic Insiders' voice. The book came in handy on our recent visit to Reno. I would recommend this book tothe first-time visitor.

I bought this book because I had used other Insiders' guides before and this was by far one of the best. I found that this guide had more Insider info than the two others I had purchased. The authors give readers places to go off the beaten path. I especially liked the Kidstuff chapter since I vacationed with my entire family. This guide is well worth the money.

I had used the Insider guide to New Orleans and loved it. So when an opportunity for a trip to Lake Tahoe came up I jumped at the chance to use another book from this publisher.

Unfortunately this book disappoints. Lake Tahoe is a big body of water, right? And bodies of water have beaches. Perhaps you might want to sit on the shore of one of those beaches and relax, read, watch the sun set? Not if you're using this book. I found better guides to the beaches around the lake in the giveway newspaper I picked up ata 7-11 than this book.

Or maybe you'd like to take a hike? Look at that beautiful lake, the georgeous hills, and so on? Again, not from this book. The hiking entries were so skimpy I went down to the chamber of commerce booth in I50 and got handouts for free that were more informative.

I could go on and on, but this book was a real disappointment to me, especially after the New Orleans book that showed me neighborhoods and places I was delighted to find. My advice: if you're going to Tahoe, pick another book!

well, as far as a listing of hotels and properties, okay, this book will do that .. but for "insider" information, you'd do better to ask anyone you meet on the street .. there is no help as far as "what's best" or good deals .. the supposedly "inside" secrets tell visitors to be sure to register for casino slot clubs, but not which one is best. It gives buffet prices, but doesn't direct visitors to the best one.

there's little information about what to expect as far a snowfall goes at the lake, nothing to tell you about driving conditions .. there really is just nothing more than a list of properties. And the photographs aren't even original or helpful, they're all provided by outside sources, such as the visitors bureau or even the resorts themselves. The maps are even less helpful .. c'mon, at least pretend like you care!

The focus of "People of Chance: Gambling in American Society from Jamestown to Las Vegas" is indeed on the affinity between gambling and frontier societies. John M. Findlay, then an Assistant Professor of United States History at The Pennsylvania State University, points to a quotation from Alexis de Tocqueville, who offered this speculation on the American character: "Those who live in the midst of democratic fluctuations have always before their eyes the image of chance, and they end by liking all undertakings in which chance plays a part." Following de Tocqueville's lead, Findlay focuses on the American fascination with games of chance as a key to our natural culture, tracing the development of a distinctly American style of gambling through more than 350 years of history from 17th-century Jamestown to 20th-century Las Vegas.

The central thesis here is that both gambling and frontier societies thrived on high expectations, risk-taking, opportunism, and movement. Consequently, gambling gained an acceptance on the frontier that it did not have in more settled parts of the nation. While Easterners bet too, they did not do it as publicly or adventurously as Westerners. The first half of the book details gambling in the colonial and early national frontiers, on the Mississippi River, and in the California Gold Rush. One of the most interesting arguments in this section is how each generation of westward-moving Americans first attempted to imitate the betting practices of the east, usually English style horse-racing and lottery schemes, but ended up modifying them for the American temperament.

This becomes epitomized by the refinement in the old Southwest between 1800 and 1848 when professional gamblers, operating in towns and riverboats all along the Mississippi, popularized casino games. In the mining frontiers of California and the Far West, casino gambling became a short-lived, high-volume industry, embodying the Gold Rush mentality until society eventually become more civilized. Of course, that did not mean that this was the end of gambling in the West, just that it had to be transformed into something more acceptable for American society in the late 20th century.

The last half of the book focuses on the rise of Las Vegas as the ultimate American resort destination. Findlay argues that Las Vegas is the culmination of almost four centuries worth of westward migration and chance-taking by Americans. As such, Las Vegas is the living link between America's frontier past and the contemporary, forward-looking values of the Sunbelt culture defined by California, which is consistent with Tom Wolfe's "super-hyper-version" of the whole new way of life that Americans created in the period after World War II. In his Epilogue Findlay gets to touch on the meteoric rise of Atlantic City as the rival of Las Vegas, which embodies the newfound belief that gaming now had a more legitimate place in American life.

Most readers will appreciate the history of the first half of this book more than the sociological implications drawn in the second, although most readers will recognize that Las Vegas epitomizes the restless, commercial, and middle-class orientations of modern Americans. But the way these two halves come together is Findlay's argument that the far western location of Las Vegas as an index to national culture was not incidental. What struck me was the way Findlay documented the transformation of gambling in this country, which went through distinctive stages just as the nation did during those same years. By the end of the book I could at least appreciate Findlays' anthropological view of American gaming.

While this book claims to be a history of gambling in American society it really is a history of organized gambling on the American frontier, whereever that may be. While the author presents the interesting idea that gambling has followed the frontier he fails to explain what is happening behind the frontier. Illegal gambling is hardly mentioned, possibily because it is harder to research. It's an interesting book and provides a good bibliography for those interested in pursuing the topic, but alone it is not a great resource.

If you are looking for introductory information on some of the most famous Las Vegas personalities, this is a good place to start. Unfortunately, it is not a good place to find indepth information on these men and their connections. The title is also misleading as it suggests that these men are the pioneers who laid the foundation for Las Vegas but in reality what you have is a collection of white-washed bios of the most popular casino owners. The true pioneers are the the men and women who toiled in the sand before the glitz and glam era began. The collection of featured figures read like a who's who of popular Vegas lore but you'll very little that hasn't been documented before on each. Benny Binion, Kirk Krikorian, Jay Sarno, Bugsy Siegel, Mo Dalitz are just a few of the featured figures.

This book is at its best when focusing on the less recent past in it's stories of Benny Binion, Howard Hughes, Jay Sarno, Sam Boyd and the like ... which are all excellent. I found the Kirk Kerkorian and Steve Winn ones a bit lacking, mostly because their stories aren't really over yet.

The last two chapters, not bios, but concept pieces , "How Popular Literature Has Treated Las Vegas" and "The Adult Playground Becomes a Heaven for Families" .. are pretty much a waste since Vegas has now focusing on going back to its "Adult" roots ..and the read no longer makes sense.

However, it you want to get some great and entertaining stories of the "good old days" .. and even a little before the "good old days", the first two-thirds of this book is certainly worth the asking price.

These are great tales of Las Vegas, but the writing drags. The research is clearly of the just-believe-what-someone-told-me school. There's still a great book to be written about the builders of the Strip and Glitter Gultch. This book is not the one.

I recently visited Las Vegas for the first time and wasmesmerized by what I saw. Every casino appeared to have a story behindit, and upon my return home, I wanted to know those stories.

The Players is a terrific read. The chapters give just ther right information on each topic to develop a working contextual knowledge of Vegas History. I was particularly fascinated by information on the Glitter Gulch rebels like Boyd and Binion. With the development of the Fremont Street experience, Downtown Vegas is a formidable tourist destination once again.

Overall, a great book. Don't let the fact that is published by a university press scare you. The chapters are short and clearly written. The casino business jargon is kept to a minimum, or when it is used, it is explained well. This book deserves more of an audience.

This is my 3rd map from Streetwise. The first I bought when I moved to Orlando and the 2nd was for the streets of Sydney. Now I'm relocating to Las Vegas and these maps have always been a big factor in locating my apartments. Thank you!

Slightly out of date. Save your $5.95 and go to AAA!

This small folding laminated map can be much more convenient that a standard paper folding road map. I've used both, and found that the Rand McNally road map uses such a small scale that it's annoyingly difficult to read. By contrast, the Streetwise Las Vegas map is much easier, as its scale is larger and the text is printed in an easy-to-read font.

A word of warning: This map does not cover all of the city of Las Vegas. It definitely hits all of the main areas a tourist would be apt to go, from the airport to the downtown Fremont area, and from the strip to UNLV, and everything in between. But the suburbs of the city are not covered, so you'll need another map if you're planning on venturing out of the glitzy part of Vegas.

This is a great general reference map of Vegas...but is a little out of date as it only shows part of I 215- which is now finished. It also is only of Vegas proper.

I chose this to begin the series of Mail Order Brides, and was pleasantly surprised at all the drama, intrigue, Christian morals and variety of characters.

When Linda's wedding turns to a horrible nightmare, she wonders if she will ever love again. Since mail order brides was quite new, she decides to escape her recluse life by giving it a try.

The man she falls in love with by mail and goes to meet all the way across the country, does not meet any of the criteria he himself had set for her, nor that she had pictured.

The reader will follow several different plots that have twists and turns and more suspense than one book usually holds.

I am heading to get another in this series...thanks Lacys.

The authors actually had a good plotline. Actually it was an excellent storyline. But the characters are so stereotypical. You have the perfect woman whose only fault is naivete. Then you have the evil sister, the perfect hero, and the terrible villain. It would make a great old melodrama. But definitely not great fiction.

This book had a predictable plot line and stiff characters. The reader is bashed over the head with the character's beliefs. Their Christian beliefs are, of course, good, but that was all that the characters had going for them. I would recommend this book to no one.

This is the first book I've read by these authors and was pleasantly surprised. The storyline took several unexpected turns that kept the reader engrossed in the lives of the main characters. However, it is my opinion that the two main characters were written a little too perfect spiritually, resembling more of how the autors would hope their characters would talk rather than actual realistic human (Christian or otherwise) responses. Hopefully we would all lead our lives in such a focused, unerring Christian attitude, but it would've helped the reader to see these characters struggle in everyday life a little more. Let me hasten to add, however, that the storyline is so intriging and the characters so likeable that I would still recommend it as a very good read.

Tonopah, is one of the best action books I have read. Christopher Lane really shows his best in creating such a story that makes us want to read more and more, I just couldn't put the book down! The suspense in the book is phenomenal, it kept me on the edge of my seat.

Tonopah was a fast paced, easy reading book. Although the characters are fairly well developed some of the scrapes they escaped from seemed a little far-fetched. Moves along like a Bruce Willis movie... hard to believe but enjoyable and entertaining at the same time.

Definitely worth reading.

Christopher Lane needs to learn to do a little basic research before writing, apparently. His errors on military structure (a sergeant, which is a non-commissioned officer, is trying to make "non-com" -- hello, he already is one) and paleontology (saying T. Rex never got further south than Colorado, when remains have been found in Texas) really set my teeth on edge. The military etiquette mistakes grated on me as well. I also had problems with his "creation science" stance, but if you're religious that probably won't bother you. However, even most creation science people have admitted by now that all the supposed dinosaur-man trackways are just dinosaur trackways or outright fakes, so having a character in the book who really ought to know better saying that there are several such sites was also annoying. Other than that, it was an almost decent book.

If you like suspense and archaeology, this book is for you. I found this book to be fast-paced, exciting, and a real thriller. While I don't believe that the government is "out-to-get-you", I found the plot fascinating and the characters memorable.

This is a sweet book! It is beautifully written by a guy that obviously has had many years of experience in casinos. The advice on money management is right on, though different from most gambling books that advise you to budget your losses! This author says it is better to manage your money plan to win. The stories of his visits to casinos around the world are fun and insightful. And the words on casino psychology may well turn a disasterous visit into a profitable experience. He demonstrates why you should ONLY make bets with the lowest casino advantage. This is a different kind of book!!! You will love it.

50 Years At The Craps Tables by gambling expert Malcolm Jay is a hands-on, "reader friendly", personal account to the nature of the game of craps and the house odds that back it. Written by a veteran casino-goer who has indeed spent a full five decades observing craps play and how to shave the casino edge, 50 Years At The Craps Tables offers a fascinating wealth of insights as to why noisy tables are best to play; why one must never play simply because of "comping"; and much more. A fascinating read from first page to last, 50 Years At The Craps Tables is very strongly recommended for any casino patron interested in playing the game of craps and/or improving their skill at this particular form of gaming.

The 131 pages tell you little about playing the game other than to "bet the pass line and take full odds" and if the table is really good "make a couple of come bets with full odds".

Stories of casinos are generic in nature.

In one section the author talks of two casinos in Elko Nevada and the fact that neither had a craps table. He missed the largest casino in Elko (Red Lion) which does have a craps table. This was the only inaccuracy I knew of for sure but questioned a lot of other ststements.

Thumbs down on this one!

A disappointing book, least to me, because I found the photos too broad in the coverage. Having looked through it several times I thought it kept on verging on one of those picture books found in tourist shops with titles 'A book to remember her by'.

It really is a mixed bag. The photos I liked best were those that showed the non-tourist parts of the city: the huge pole billboards along the highway, small retail units, decaying buildings and street scenes but turn a page and there's a spread of the interior of The Forum or maybe the characters in the Museum of Magic and Movies.

This really should have been two books. One a photo survey of the exuberant (and vulgar) hotels and casinos, interior and exterior and book two the rest of Vegas. I would definitely go for the second and Hancock has shown with the photos in this book that he has an eye for interesting compositions and subject matter.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

"American Byzantium: Photographs of Las Vegas" depicts the startling contrasts of a city that is larger than life. It is no mere "coffee table" adornment; it is ART and REALISM fused into one magical book. The brilliant photographs of Virgil Hancock chronicle "Sin City" in all its glitter and in all its waste. His artistic images range from the neon-studded hotels on the strip to wedding chapels to pawn shops to a group of ventriloquists attending a convention.

Gregory McNamee perceptively captures the mood of a city that defines 'extremism' with his superb narration. His essays are insightful and frank without the flowery superlatives. McNamee weaves the tale of a town that is a contrast in Life 101.

Las Vegas is one of my favorite cities. Every few months, we fly our plane to Vegas and less than 2 hrs. later, I am transported to another world: a kingdom of luxury, excitement, and fine dining. There are few sights that are more captivating than slowly circling over the vast menagerie of neon lights.

I'm a "down to earth" woman - I love hiking through forests and deserts, but there are times when I want nothing more in life than to be pampered at The Venetian and enjoy all my favorite gourmet restaurants in Vegas. There are few places that I would rather visit.

"American Byzantium" is a must read for those who love Vegas as I do - as well as for those who plan to visit Vegas for the first time. This book captures Las Vegas in a way that not only focuses on the stardust of luxury, but brushes away that dust to reveal the stark realities as well.

It's a smallish book with not quite the usual photos that we normally see and are familiar with. I love Las Vegas and love Las Vegas books. This one is just one of the bunch. Not really a stand out but all together not bad. Its a good to average read, photos interesting but not that memorable. Keep looking I think, there are better books out there.