Las Vegas Books

Another well-written, factual and informative book by Dennis Griffin.

This book details the life and crimes of Frank Cullotta before he became an informant and briefly covers his life after the witness protection program. It covers in depth the friendship between Tony Spilotro and Cullotta from their early days as juveniles on the streets of Chicago to the glitter of Vegas.

The chapter on Bertha's was particularly engaging, where the robbery is first covered by the FBI/Metro's version of events and in the preceding section; Cullotta gives his account of the robbery before and after arrest.

Cullotta makes the distinction between his role as informant to that of `rat' Sal Romano, as entirely different situations. His was a matter of self-preservation, while Romano's was to purposely set out and trap unsuspecting mobsters. It is Frank's belief that they would have got away with the robbery at Bertha's, were it not for Romano.

While I don't condone crime, I couldn't help but feel relieved when Cullotta makes it out alive after becoming a government witness and now leads a relatively normal existence in an undisclosed location.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in true crime, particularly in Las Vegas.

An absolute great read! Mr. Griffin gets right to the point with his painstaking research in this book. Anyone would have to be afraid of a guy who would whack you if you looked at him wrong. A can't miss buy!!

Intense, graphic, and action-packed, "CULLOTTA" by Dennis N. Griffin is a must read for all fans of true crime.

In this no-holds barred biography of Chicago criminal and Las Vegas Mobster Frank Cullotta, Dennis Griffin delivers a powerful and detailed account of Cullotta's life. From his early days when he meets the man who would become known as Tony the Ant Spilotro, through his many years as a Chicago criminal and Las Vegas Mobster, and the events that led to Cullota's decision to become a government witness, "CULLOTTA" brings the reader into the inner core of The Outfit and the life of organized crime through the eyes of a man whose life was connected to and revolved around many of the important Outfit players.

"CULLOTTA" is a first for me because I've never read any true crime books, nevermind a comprehensive biography of someone with ties to organized crime. I approached "CULLOTTA" with a fair amount of trepidation. Could I enjoy a book I assumed would discuss in detail the activities of mobsters and career criminals? I couldn't even sit through one of the Godfather movies. But after reading the foreword by screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi, who consulted with Frank Cullotta for the Martin Scorsese film, Casino, I had to know more about a man who could talk about murdering Jerry Lisner with about as much emotion as he would have if he were ordering his meal from a fast food joint.

The amount of research Dennis Griffin did for this biography and all the interviews he performed, in addition to, Frank Cullotta's contributions to the project made "CULLOTTA" the excellent book it is. I'm ready to go out and purchase Griffin's other books on crime and law enforcement in Las Vegas so I can know more about the other players involved.

"CULLOTTA" delivers a chilling and exciting glimpse into the life of Frank Cullotta. And despite all of the crimes that Frank committed over the years, the reader finds herself rooting for Frank's life on the straight and narrow to succeed.

Cullotta has to be one of the most prolific criminals in the annals of both Las Vegas and Chicago organized crime. You'll feel like Father Confessor reading this book, where he purges his soul in what has to be the longest string of end-to-end confessions in the history of (dis)organized crime. In this book he joins forces with retired policeman-turned-writer, Dennis Griffin, who dutifully recounts each score and every hit with the cold accuracy of a Seargant Joe Friday writing his police reports. Griffin's style is perfect for this kind of book. There are no high-flown metaphors, "just the facts, ma'am."

While I had second thoughts about paying honest dollars to an admitted life-time thief and killer, I didn't mind giving a few bucks to Griffin, and maybe we can keep Cullotta off the streets with a few royalties from his life story.

Here a career cop has managed to write a good book with the unusual help of his natural enemy, a career criminal and big-time mobster. As for Cullotta, he has managed to somehow outlive most of his enemies, while coming clean with the G, getting witness protection, reduced sentences and now dubious celebrity. He even re-enacted one of his most infamous hits in Scorcese's "Casino" while he was in the witness protection program. Who says crime doesn't pay?

This is one career criminal who seems to have nine lives and then some. He gives the details on each caper in this joint effort that was released simultaneously with the Family Secrets mob trial in Chicago, in which all defendants were convicted on all counts.

Cullotta gives a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the dysfunctional family of crime figures during the mob's heyday in Chicago and Vegas. All the usual suspects are in the book, but seen up close and personal from the perspective of one of their own...the only one that got away.

True crime is fascinating. It has been the background of countless newspaper headlines, books, TV series and movies.

Over the years, there has been a gradual trend toward more truth in "true crime" literature and more realism in the visual depictions of crime figures. Joe Pesci's brilliant portrayal in Casino is far more penetrating and revealing than were those of Edward G. Robinson. The popular series, Sapranos, is far more realistic than the old Untouchables program.

I'm not sure why others are so intrigued by crime and criminals, but I wonder most what motivates criminals and how they justify and rationalize the bizarre acts they commit. Beyond all the drama and entertainment, I wonder what makes gangsters tick.

That's why I found Dennis Griffin's CULLOTTA so fascinating. It is a compelling look into the mind and motives of a classic criminal. He approaches this subject with the discipline of a seasoned reporter, objectively telling both sides of the story in plain English. He doesn't add anything for dramatic effect. He doesn't embellish. He doesn't extrapolate. He doesn't try to impress you with his prose. Like the old TV crime show, Dragnet, his motto seems to be "just the facts, ma'am." (Griffin's background, by the way, is not as a reporter, but as a police detective. Nevertheless, his journalistic approach puts most modern "reporters" to shame. He has written a series of books about Las Vegas and the famous mob figures of the 1970s and 1980s. Each one is better than the previous.)

His latest work, CULLOTTA, is a natural progression of more truth in true crime that began with Mario Puzzo's prize winning book, The Godfather.

While The Godfather was a fictional account based upon real characters, CULLOTTA is a concrete account of a real crime figure. It is the most realistic account of organized crime I've read to date. No small part of that credit goes to the co-author and subject of the book, Frank Cullotta. Though a career criminal in every sense of the word, this mobster, turned government witness, seems to display a candid honesty that has endeared him to the enforcement officials who hounded him and the writers who tell the stories.

As it says in the first line of the foreword, written by Nicholas Pillegi, who wrote the screenplay for the movie Casino, "Frank Cullotta is the real thing."

So is Denny Griffin. That's why he has become my favorite true crime writer.

Odette Larson's autobiography not only tells her story as an abused child, but also makes you feel the emotions of that scared little girl. Her story may be shocking, distrubing, and dynamically graphic for a "normal" reader. Although, her ability to share her truths, allows those of us who were also abused, to feel kindredness with her. To personally know the woman she has become, I am proud to say she is an amazing mentor. Odette will teach you, that no matter what trials life can throw you, be optimistic, and you will prevail!!
We all live in a world where truths may be shameful, life is always difficult, and happiness can shine through in the darkest moments. If a little girl's broken dreams can become a perseverance to find what life is all about. Then share in her tale by reading, "Flying Sparks," and realize that an adventure, whether sad or happy, can be had by connecting personally with ones and things that come into your life!

An interesting story of casual, unthinking neglect of children by the honest working class. The odd contrast between the often wise words of advice given by the mother in this story, and her absolute blindness to the real life of her children is the crux of the book.

The book ends somewhat abruptly. I wonder if the author is planning a continuation of some sort. As it is, we have little knowledge of how or why the young girl in the book changes the direction of her life.

Truly the book chronicles a time when children had more freedom, but clearly things were not as safe as parents believed.

A truely compelling story of survival and the reality of being a young girl alone and unprotected in an era we thought was a time of "innocence". Ms. Larson has unflinchingly shared her life experiences with honesty and without self-pity. Her courage is an inspiration. Her prose is as pure and honest as the desert. I could not put Flying Sparks down. I eagerly look forward to her next book.

This novel stopped me in my tracks. The keen memory of every detailed joy and horror recalled so vividly, related in an honest, curious and amazingly direct way...was absolutely compelling.

I was transported directly into the emotional turmoil and yearning of the young Odette...experiencing first hand, her twelve-year old sensibility, curiousity and insecure,overpowering need for love...a need so strong it continually bounced her off the edge of darkness, while at the same instant, maintaining a core of integrity and innocence just strong enough to keep her from toppling over...into the abyss.

I couldn't put it down, and when I did finish this incredible odyssey of pain, confusion and desolation, I felt the stirring of some powerful seeds...the beginnings of unconscious realizations...a small ladder up. I can't wait for these to sprout and manifest into Odette Larson's sequel novel..and other works of truth, survival and growth. The phoenix rising.

Kudos to this wonderful, insightful author. Please continue to bring us more of these powerful works! Thank you!

Larson's gripping story of the loss of innocence is a shocking insight into the motivation of a very young girl who puts herself on the precipice of disaster time after time in her thirst for love and affirmation. We are captivated with the incredible events during her escape from a stern mother who beats her and a father whose affection is limited to a grunt when she offers to wash his feet. Although the girl walks through miles of desert, untouched by scorpions and snakes she is victimized by lecherous men, drug addicts and criminals. With the kindness of a musician, and her perseverence, she finds the strength to triumph. Larson paints the desert landscape she lives in with beauty and richness, tainted only by the blood and fluids of human weakness. We want more about how she evolved to become a successful teacher and author.

Read all three books in this series and was very happy with the story. Fran is an excellent writer.

You will find this book hard to put down. Interesting characters, good storyline. The book is intelligently written and has great depth.

I really enjoyed reading this first in the series of three family saga books. Fern Michaels does an excellent job of pulling you into the story. It's nearly impossible to put this book down...it is packed with new dilemmas, and you can't wait to see how they turn out. I just started the second in the series, and I know I will have to read all three so I know the lives of all of these characters will turn out OK. Finally, the writing style is very easy (but interesting) to read, so you move along quickly.

After reading some of the heavy-duty-mind-expanding-womanly books a la Oprah, I needed some mental reading relief. My mother gave me this book and said, " Read something without thinking about it!" So I did and my mind was freed and I am now ready to start Vegas Heat! Map of the World will have to wait!

I'll admit it -- I was suckered into getting VEGAS RICH because of the name Coleman. I thought to myself, "Is Fern Michaels creating an alternate history for the Coleman family, this time in Vegas?" I was half right -- there are Colemans involved, but not the ones I thought I would see from her TEXAS series. No, this deals with Sallie Coleman, Seth Coleman's younger sister, and her quest to make something of herself, thanks to the kindness of one of her clients -- Sallie's a prostitute, you see, in the early 1920s in the small and dusty town of Las Vegas. It's an interesting premise and I'll give credit to Michaels for creating Sallie's story and where her life goes from there. Had I never read her TEXAS series, I might have been completely drawn in...but I'm not. Michaels starts to occasionally drop in "crossovers" with the Colemans of Texas, and it's there I have the problem. Suddenly, Agnes Ames (Billie Ames Coleman's mother), companion to the callous Seth Coleman, has a heart! Billie Coleman flies out to see Fanny Coleman (Sallie's daughter-in-law) frequently! Sallie helps out Coleman Enterprises with her money! These intersections with the TEXAS characters don't pan out in terms of complimenting the TEXAS novels in the continuity department -- and for me, that's a glaring error. Those problems aside, it's a fair first novel for Michaels in her new series. If you like family sagas and Fern Michaels, you'll be content.

I really enjoyed this quick easy read. I purchased the book to read on the plane (DC - CA). I was amazed to discccover that it was a such a fun and interesting read. I really understand the concepts much better and cant wait to put the easy techniques to work!! I highly recommend the book for beginning or advanced players.

If you are a blackjack player this book will help you win. It is worth more than the price. It is endorsed by well-known experts. Many of the books published about blackjack are manuals. This book is more than just a manual. I highly recommend this book if you would like to win at blackjack consistently.

I loved this book. I've been interested in blackjack and the science of card-counting for a long time. Thing is, nobody has really written much about the game. And, upon reading this book, I am secure enough to admit this is the definitive book on the game of blackjack and the tools you need to beat the casino. Not only do you learn about the game but you also come to understand the intricacies of the casino. Mr. Bukofsky explains what to look for in the casino regarding how casino management tend to get the odds in their favor. However, this book puts the odds in the reader's favor. Thanks for the tips.

This is the best overall of three books on blackjack I've read so far. You get the feeling this man has a very well-organized mind. He's the first author I've read who adequately explains deviations from basic strategy and the matix tables. He nicely discusses the issue of whether to go with a simpler or more complex counting system. Ironically, he is weakest where other writers are stronger: on betting strategy. Here I think he gets a bit too mathematically precise in his betting tables. Would someone with a $20,000 bankroll really bet in amounts of 83, 133, 182, 267, 338...? (p. 122). Of course not. But I completely agree with Bukovsky when he says, "Don't just read this book. Read everything you can get your hands on....Read and reread..." (219). Sound advice, in my view.

I'm a successful player already at two games: blackjack and poker. I just finished reading this book last weekend and it's the book I will now recommend to friends and players I meet at the tables who want to learn more about how to make money at this game. I was put on to it by a long time friend who now works on an Illinois riverboat. Between us we've been in the game, on both sides of the table, for more than 50 years, and we both agree this book gets you thinking about things in a way no other books can. It is also one that seems to be popular among serious poker players. Simply put, one of the best blackjack books out there.

I, too, was a dealer at one time. Most of the books about casinos are written by those who don't really know what it's like inside. This is a true picture of a dealer's life - everyone who goes to Nevada - or anywhere - to gamble should read this. It's a real eye-opener.

I live in Reno, so the places the author writes about made the book very real to me. It was wonderful reading - I highly recommend it for anyone interested in gambling. A real eye-opener!

I had no idea all these things went on behind the scenes in gambling casinos. I was rooting for Katie from the first page, and wanted to warn her when she was making a wrong decision. The author hooked me with her descriptions and kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next.

I found this book one I couldn't put down until the last page. It tells about the casinos (which I work in and see everyday) - but even so, I didn't know about many of the things in the book. The story is wonderful. It made me look at casino dealers in a new way. If you want to know what casinos are really like, get this book!

A superb book! I have been in the gaming industry for over 35 years and this book really tells it like it is. I usually find gambling related stories quite boring or too far away from the truth but this is right on target. I would recommend it to anyone interested in knowing what the customer does not see in the gaming world. I have worked in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe and can easily identify with this story.

We have used the other "Unofficial" Guide books and this one had good info that we used while in Vegas. Excellent reviews for shows and food. We were not disappointed. Would like to see Timeshare Accomodations included in the lodging. Our timeshare experience was excellent. A great option instead of the standard hotel. Another excellent "Unofficial" guide.

Great source of information for my Vegas trip. I love all of the unofficial Guides. Great for finding in city discounts and information.

My wife and I spent a week in Las Vegas recently. We've been going there every few years. The information and maps provided come in very handy. The hotel reviews are on the button. We stayed at the New York New York, and the review was about right. Last year, we stayed at the Monte Carlo, and again, the review was on the button. We had some excellent steaks at Mon Ami Gabi, not far from our hotel. If you plan on staying in Las Vegas for longer than a week, you will want this book.

I really like these "Unofficial" guides. Las Vegas changes so much that you almost have to buy a book yearly but I waited for 4 years to buy this one and it's just right! I can't tell you how accurate the information is until I take my trip but it sure has helped in the planning stages.

If you want the skinny on Las Vegas this is a great book to read. With a city as spectacular as "Sin City," you want an authoritative book that spells it all out. This book does just that. Definitely worth reading before you go to the glamor capital of the world.

Frank Scoblete: author of Golden Touch Dice Control Revolution! and Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution!

I really enjoyed this retelling of the infamous Lady Godiva tale. In this version, she is somehow at the crux of all major 1066 events. She comes across as a really likeable heroine, and you almost want her to end up with Harold Godwinson (of course you know how it ends). A fun read.

Godiva and the Golden Dragon is an excellent read. Starting with the famous ride of Godiva through Coventry, you are met with Kings and Queens, Lords and Ladies and battles, that keep you captivated until the end. I loved every word. It had everything I look for in a book...mystery, horror and excitement. And yes, it had that romance stuff, too. Any book that can grab me on the first word and not let me put it down until I'm finished is a good book...and this WAS a good book. I was disappointed in the end though...there wasn't any more to read. Steven James did a fantastic job mixing historical fact with fiction. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the fascinating world of medieval England.

This is such a terrific book! I loved finally reading about the infamous Lady Godiva. I also liked how Stephen James intertwined her story with that of Harold Godwinson. This was just a wonderful novel!

Lady Godiva was a freedom rider,
she didn't care if the whole world looked
-Theme from Maude

With the notable exception of the above lyric, Lady Godiva has in recent times become one of the
unsung heroes of Western democracy. People may still recall the sensational form that her protest
took, her naked ride through Coventry, but few recall that she was protesting high rates of taxation
(imposed by her own husband : Leofric, the Earl of Mercia).

Leofric was one of the most powerful nobles of 11th Century Britain, and he and Godiva were major
patrons of the arts and religious institutions, Godiva apparently believing that such works would benefit
the peasantry. But when she realized that what would actually be most beneficial to the poor would be
a reduction in their high tax burden she interceded with the Earl and asked him to lighten their load.
The Earl, one assumes jokingly, suggested that since Godiva was such a believer in the arts and since
the Greeks and Romans considered the human form itself to be great art, he would remove the local
taxes on everything but horses if she would ride through town in all her naked glory on horseback,
which she promptly did. Later embellishments to what appears to have been an actual incident include
the addition of a voyeur who gazed upon her, despite admonishments that the townsfolk should avert
their eyes : we recall him as the original "Peeping Tom".

This very fine historical novel by Steven James would be cause for celebration if all he did was restore
our memory of the Lady. But there's more. Several years ago I lamented the fact that Hope Muntz's
classic, The Golden Warrior, with its thrilling tale of the conflict between Harold Godwinson and
William the Bastard (eventually, unfortunately, the Conqueror) had fallen out of print. Many consider
The Golden Warrior to be the greatest historical novel ever written, and it certainly ranks with the
best. I'd still urge folks to try to track down a copy, but, in the meantime, Steven James has cleverly
tied the legend of Lady Godiva into the story of Harold and produced a thoroughly engaging historical
fiction of his own.

James uses a few fictional characters and a healthy dollop of imagination to bind these storylines
together, perhaps more tightly than they need to be (the Epilogue is particularly unnecessary). But as
the drama builds towards the Battle of Hastings (in 1066) the reader gets so swept up in the course of
events that all license taken with the story is forgiven. One warning though, I loaned my copy of
Golden Warrior to a friend and he refused to finish the book because he couldn't stand to read of
Harold's eventual defeat. I excoriated him at the time, but found myself reacting similarly towards the
end of Godiva and the Golden Dragon. Harold's attempt to defend his kingdom--from a hostile and
corrupt papacy; from the treacheries of his own brothers; from a Northern invasion by King Haraald of
Norway; and from conquest by William and the Normans--is too heroic and too nearly succeeds for the
tender hearted reader to easily accept his ultimate failure. It is all just ineffably sad, though it goes a
long way to explaining the rise of centralized nation-states, with a single political authority capable of
reigning in rebellious rival claimants to power.

This then is one of the more enjoyable historical novels I've read in recent years. For all of us who
await with great impatience the next offering from Sharon Kay Penman, here's a book to tide us over.
And for anyone who's forgotten, or never knew, why Lady Godiva was a "freedom rider", this book
restores a real heroine to her rightful place in the pantheon.

GRADE : A-

Steven James' Godiva And The Golden Dragon is a superbly written historical and romantic novel set in the last years of Anglo-Saxon rule in England. Starting with the famous ride of Lady Godiva. Spanning A.D. 1057 to A.D. 1066, Godiva And The Golden Dragon wonderfully mixes history with unforgettable characterization, seizing the reader's consciousness and refusing to let go until the very end. A richly involving novel and highly recommended for historical fiction enthusiasts.

One of Samuel's best. This book made me laugh out loud and cry, the need a box of Kleenex, don't try reading on the elliptical kind of cry. I read it on one day and immediately wanted to read it again. The realness of the characters amazed me. I felt like I knew these people. I loved this book!

This is a very fun read. I enjoyed the information in the book as well as just a chuckle from time to time.

Never judge a book by its cover is so true of titles and the characters in this book untill you get to know them. Barbara Samuels writes a wonderful story about people you really care about and want to know better.

This fast-paced novel takes mother and daughter, Eldora and India, down Route 66 in search of India's schizophrenic twin sister, Gypsy. India is not pleased to leave her work and long distance lover, Jack, to take her mother on a road trip down memory lane in her mother's cherished 1957 Thunderbird. But she promised her father before his death that she would take care of her mother, and so she agrees to the trip hoping that the time on the road will help her to reconcile issues in her own life and also to help her make the most important decision of her life. Eldora, who has been living with the regrets and mistakes she made many, many years ago, wants to make peace with one daughter as she searches for the other one. Eldora is faced with revealing her true self to India and in the process risks losing her daughter forever. Both India and Eldora each tell their own story as they travel the same fateful route they took several years ago and try to reconcile their past to their present and dare to hope for a future but ultimately discover that in life and love there are no guarantees.

***** I thoroughly enjoyed Barbara Samuel's heartwarming story of a mother and daughter who both dare to risk their current tolerable relationship for a chance to really understand one another. The realness of these two characters makes the reader feel deeply connected with what both India and Eldora are facing. This novel needs to be a movie because India and Eldora's stories would be wonderful played out on the big screen. I highly recommend taking this real and endearing and ultimately hopeful journey with India and Eldora along Route 66. *****

Reviewed by Barbara Stabler.

I'm always so impressed with Barbara Samuel's novels, and Lady Luck's Map of Vegas is no exception. Samuel, who lives in Colorado, writes about women in the western United States who may have had family problems, but resolve them, or find a way to live with them, by the end of the books. I checked out her website at www.barbarasamuel.com, and she has also written a number of romances, some under the name Ruth Wind. But her women's novels are the ones that impress me - No Place Like Home, A Piece of Heaven, The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue, and, now Lady Luck's Map of Vegas.

Forty-year-old India is a successful web designer with a large circle of friends. She also has an Irish lover that she sees monthly, Eldora, her widowed mother who can be demanding, and a schizophrenic twin sister who disappers into the unknown periodically. And, she's pregnant.

When India's mother wants to take Route 66 from Colorado Springs to Las Vegas, she reluctantly agrees to accompany her, fleeing the truth and her own doubts about her pregnancy. As they hunt for Gypsy, India's sister, along the route, Eldora reaches into her own past to reveal secrets she has covered up about her life.

Once again, Barbara Samuel has written of two women coming to terms with the results of their own actions. It's a strong, beautiful novel.

I tried, and failed, using a variety of techniques for 'value' or 'fundamental' investing; then I stumbled upon this book which really opened my eyes to the fact that playing the stock markets really is (for amateurs, at least) gambling or speculating. And yet, it is possible to make money. Not by trying to predict where markets will go; but by reacting quickly to market moves and by practicing effective money management to limit losses.

This book has been a big influence on my trading style, and was one of the key inspirations behind the writing of my own book.

Tony Loton -- author, DON'T LOSE MONEY! (in the Stock Markets)

An excellent book for the beginning trader because it does away with the misleading ideas about the marketplace that most beginning traders fall victim to. I wish I had read this book prior to my first trades because if I had, I probably wouldn't have gone through all the "fundamentals" nonsense and other hype that doesn't mean squat in terms of making money.

A good book to accompany Darvas first book.

This book is no way near as good as the first. It is mostly the same material told in a less engaging way. He uses the metaphor of Wall Street as Roulette Game in a Casino which cheats it's clients. If you like Darvas's first book it is certainly worth reading to gain little insights on his method which youdon't get in the first. There a few new anecdotes and a chapter which explains his method but on the whole the book is not as amusing a read and lacks the freshness of the first, nor do I think it takes his story much farther than where the last ends. I would love to know what happened to Darvas in the late sixties and early seventies but not in this book.

I spent $150 on this book with no regrets. After reading over 70 books on stock trading and studying the greatest stock traders of all timen in my opinion Nicolas Darvas is the greatest stock trader who ever lived. No one that I am aware of ever made so much money in such a short amount of time with such a small starting point. Darvas started with a few $2,000 in stock, his 1st stock quadrupled in a few months. With in a few years of trial and error he had turned $8,000 into $100,000 then finished out his final 18 months turning that into $2.4 million dollars. He then removed his money from the market due to no stocks meeting his criteria and avoided the bear market of the early 60's. On his journey he never lost any of his own money, only losing previous winnings.
I love this book and his previous one because he gives specifics, with dates and amounts of stocks he purchased and when he sold. His books are text books for stock traders. In this book he discusses how brokers and tip services make money off each generation of suckers in Wall Street and how to keep from being ripped off. I agree with his point that if your broker or the tip service were so great they would be following their own advice and making a killing in the market instead of working and selling you services and information for a few dollars. It is very important to be very careful in the Wall Street casino and not getted ripped off.
This book goes into much more detail than his other book and explains exactly how to use his techno-fundamentalist system.

His method of stock investment:
TECHNICAL-
Only buy stocks that have established solid price boxes and have moved through them consistently.

Buy stocks that move into higher boxes on increased volume.

Only buy stocks breaking into all time new highs after coming out of a previous solid price box.

Set on stop buy orders to enable you to buy the stock as it breaks out of the box into the next one. This is where the big moves happen.

FUNDAMENTAL-
Trade stocks based on there capitalation. This will determine proper volume and price movement due to number of outstanding shares.

Buy stocks in strong industry groups.

Buy stocks that have the greatest expectations of future earnings.

Even though this book has not been recommended by Willim O'Neal it is an excellent companion book for followers of the CAN SLIM method of stock trading. Darvas encourages us to bet on the fastest horse with the best record not to worry so much about the kind of hay it eats or spectators opinions. I have made $1,000's of dollars using these methods and you will to. This book is a jewel in the ocean of stock trading books.

This book continues from where How I Made 2,000,000 left off. Nicolas refreshes the reader on his sound methods with his box theory and stop-loss. What i liked alot about this is book is how he actually draws in a great comparison on how Wall Street is much like Las Vegas! (Go figure)... Darvas gives us the realities to investing; its gambling! But dont worry, you can learn to clean the house in no time with the help of this book. Accept the facts, trust your instinct and gamble with confidence baby! But other then the gambling aspect, Nicolas repeats himself frequently throughout the book, which is the only downside. I would definetely recommend this book to anyone interested in what Wall Street really is!

That so many people have tried to justify, make sense of and interpret Thompson's pseudo-fiction in literal terms only indicates how many asinine, clueless people have read this magnificently absurd book. All that's required when reading HST's drug-addled interpretation of his misadventures with Acosta is to simply ingest, and to set your inhibitive sense of reality aside while doing so.

In his correspondence, literature and journalism, HST ably explains how he rode the crest, slope and break of the most exciting, disheveled period in the history of American culture. His written discourse is invaluable for obtaining a clear understanding of a muddled and dynamic era, where dysfunction of many varieties constituted the norm and both the freedom afforded by a permissive society and its' technological advances were exploited for enormous personal gain. In a time when America is descending into a sanitized quagmire of mediocrity and sedation, we could only hope for so much.

This novel is a classic of American Literature in the same right as Moby Dick, The Scarlet Letter, The Catcher in the Rye, and countless others. True, it's not appreciated by everyone (as can be seen in the reviews below) but neither was and is Moby Dick. This is definitely a baroque classic too, and it was groundbreaking in its own time (which it may not be anymore, logically, but that's not all the book is about, far from that).

As some have said before me, it's indeed a great window open on an era now dead: the sad end of all the dreams of the 60's; and that is important to our own time because I am not sure we ever recovered from all those dead dreams. Even in my generation, I know a lot of people who still look back with major nostalgia even though they didn't even exist exist in the 60's. That was a very significant moment in time during the 20th century and it certainly set the setting for as far as today.

Some say there is no real plot to this book; much the same can be and was said about Moby Dick. I won't deny that, but I will point out that not all books are about "plots" and that there is ALWAYS a plot, no matter how minimal or nonsensical it gets. A trip to nowhere without any clear direction in search of the American Dream, what do you expect? A clear plot with obvious twists and the likes? Of course not.

That book is fun, disturbing, daring, and much deeper and serious than it may appear to the shallow reader. Definitely worth it, and definitely classic. Wandering around the still smoking embers of the Fallen Dream with Hunter S. Thompson is an experience you don't want to miss.

This was the first book by Thompson that I ever read, some 10 years ago, and it truly opened my eyes to an entirely new literary world of action and well, savagery. This is as odd, brutal, funny, strange, and well, savage, as other reviewers have pointed out. Mr Thompson has a brilliant way of writing that truly lets the reader feel the bad craziness that's going on in the story, or at least feel the adrenaline pumping. His descriptions and metaphors as indeed his language are spot on and incredibly well conceived (he did indeed have a vivid imagination). He always proclaimed later, that there was only one man who could've written "Fear and Lothing in Las Vegas", and I believe he is right.

I recommend reading the book in one go, take an afternoon with a good whiskey near by (only don't get so drunk you don't know the world around you) and read the book cover to cover. It's really a gratifying experience. You can leave out the drink, but the cover to cover in one go is a must. This way of reading really lets you feel the intensity of the story. And my oh my is it ever intense!

Highest possible recommendation. Get it now!

"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream" by Hunter S. Thompson

Hunter Thompson practiced total immersion journalism. This form of reporting is called gonzo journalism.

Hunter Thompson drove to Las Vegas to report on a motorcycle race and ended up writing a story about himself writing a story about a motorcycle race. If he would have written a conventional report on motorcycle racing it would have been interesting to motorcycle enthusiasts for a few days. Since he wrote a gonzo story he had a very wide canvas and he used it well to create a classic.

The reader might be turned off by the obstreperous behavior, extreme self indulgence and offensive inconsiderate language. If you can look past this offensive conduct and you will see that Hunter Thompson gave us an insight into the American character of the 1970's.

See also: Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga (Modern Library)

I completely enjoyed this book and recommend it to others.

No one does it like Dr. HST, may he RIP.

The savage pursuit of the American Dream . . . aaaaaaah love it!

This is a generational classic far superior to Catcher in the Rye, On the Road, Less than Zero . . . you name it.

It will change your life, even if it's "too late."

Live the dream, HST style.