Las Vegas Books

I am not sure what I expected from this book. Maybe I have a bias since I am a professional event planner who also happens to be a lesbian. First off I must say the book does offer practical, easy to understand advice for any couple planning a wedding. The chapters are well laid out and packed with practical ideas. On the other hand the book does have a more gay male friendliness than lesbian friendliness. The book is authored by a gay male and straight female. So, the true lesbian point of view is kind of lost in the shuffle. Silly issues arise for the lesbian side of things assuming that all lesbian relationships are made up of two masculine females or two effeminate females. The vast assumption is made that all the members of a lesbian wedding party will wear dresses. The silly question also arises as to which woman will toss the bouquet or if two should be tossed. My partner would not be caught dead in a dress and do not even try to push a bouquet into her hands. I do commend Mr. Toussaint on his ability to make a well rounded wedding guide for the "rainbow" family, but his research (if he did any) should have include vast types of lesbians the same as it included vast types of gay male relationships. For this reason I can not give the book a full five stars because it simply does not address the issues of lesbian couples.

What's up with all these "reviews" that are just quotes from others? And all glowing, and all from reviewers in New York?

The book had a lot of good points, but it's certainly not a thorough handbook for wedding planning. I think I was giving the book the benefit of the doubt until the section on ethnic weddings. What a joke. If you're Mexican, how about a mariachi band and a pinata! Yeah! If you're "ethnic" enough to represent it in your wedding, you'll probably be able to do a better job than to follow these ridiculously simpleton and stereotypical suggestions.

This book is very practical and incuded more than expected. Legal issues, adopting, all good information to keep in mind. And the real-life stories are used well. Great book!

I heard about this book after a friend of mine in L.A. went to a signing. Thanks, Amazon, for carrying it. Toussaint and Leo did a great job telling us how to plan the wedding, and I'd recommend this book to anyone. But what I liked best, and didn't expect, was that the book told us all about the legal stuff; we might want to adopt someday, and there is a whole section about the different laws from each state. There was also a part on how to find an officiant, which helped a great deal. I thought I was going to have to spend days on the Internet searching for places to get help in that area, but it's all spelled out in the book. They give a whole list of sites to go to. We hope to someday make it to Massachusetts to make the whole thing legal, but until then, and after reading this book, we feel our "marriage" is as real as the best of them.

I'm deep in the midst of planning a wedding. Early on, I checked out this book and two others (The Complete Guide to Gay and Lesbian Weddings and the Essential Guide to Lesbian and Gay Weddings) from the library to see which ones I might want to buy. I expected this book to be my favorite, but found it next to useless.

This book was cute and sometimes funny but lacked substance. All of the advice was based on a very traditional wedding and assumed a level of parental involvement (and their $$) I found pretty unlikely for many couples. My main concerns: chapters full of fluffy fillers, inaccurate information and missing key pieces.

First, there was no information about finding a reception or ceremony site, other than a cute but silly "find you style" quiz. I was hoping for concrete information on choosing a gay-friendly site, working with vendors, signing a contract and ways to hold a wedding at your home. nada.

Instead, there's a whole chapter devoted to quizzes on sex after marriage (funny but unhelpful) and another of legal issues (adoption, domestic partnerships etc). The legal chapter is already out of date and inaccurate. Please please do not rely on it. Check out Nolo's A Legal Guide for Lesbian and Gay Couples and the HRC website instead.

Also, the alternative wedding section was only a few pages long. They only included a paragraph each on destination weddings or "ethnic" weddings. I would have been happy to cut out the section on attendents and the presents you should give them in favor of more alternative wedding ideas, creative invitations or ideas on dealing with wedding stress.

I did really like the wedding stories that preceeded each chapter. Definitely the best thing about the book.

But I would still recommend either of the other two books I mentioned instead. The Essential Guide is dated, but still the best of the bunch in my opinion. The Complete Guide came out in 2004 and has a very reassuring tone.

This is a poorly written, boring poker novel. Sadly I have to disrecommend it highly. Even "Broke" is better, and it's not even a novel.

You need to have a fascination with Texas Hold 'Em to really enjoy this book. Hughes is a very good writer and the novel is well-paced and highly knowledgable about both back-room and Vegas cash games. The action begins in Lubbock, Texas, where aging player Matt O'Malley spots his nephew, college sophomore Dylan, scoping out a private game and takes him under his wing. The location shifts to Vegas where both men separately and unbeknownst to each other have gone to play, Matt on one of his bi-annual forays and Dylan for the first time. On his first night, before spotting his uncle, Dylan loses $2,000 at two games and then falls for a sob-sister at his hotel bar and lets her accompany him to his room, wheere she drugs his drink and steals his remaining $10,000 bankroll. Spotting Matt the next day, Dylan is too embarrassed to tell Matt about the con, and asks him for a loan. Matt eventually agrees to grubstake Dylan, who gets on a lucky streak before a couple of bad breaks that still leave him ahead. Meanwhile, we get an encyclopedic knowledge of poker and Vegas from Matt, who eats and sleeps on the cheap and frowns on tips larger than a couple of bucks. After a few days both return with good winnings to Lubbock, where the book's plot shifts from paker to a noirish gambling parable that ends rather abruptly. It's all a great read and hard to put down.

Growing up in a Mexican populated rural agricultural town we have what are called DICHOS. In other words, little rhyms or sayings that one should live by. They are often funny, witty, and just plain make you think. Texas Poker Wisdom by Johnny Hughes is able to weave dichos into every page of his book.

Comedy, love, sorrow, and suspense thriller are all in this book. Did I mention that it is a real page turner and it shouldn't take you no more than two days to read.

In sum, although the book is story with a lot of characters and emotions. In the end you will find yourself looking at your poker game from the day to day and with the lessons learned in this book you will probably tweak some of your practices

If you are a fan of Poker this book is a must read. The author takes us back to where it all started, in West Texas, with the illegal back rooms and colorful shady characters with their funny stories told with a lot of those wonderful Texas colloquisms sprinkled in.

He then flashes forward to present day Poker and the fancy legal poker rooms like Bellagio and also the not so fancy Vegas downtown joints like Binions or the mecca as he calls it, with new age players, a mix of the old timer grinders, sweet thing college girls and of course the young guns all told through the eyes of an old time gambler, Matt O'Malley, a hustler/con artist with a heart.

In this excellent tale of family, poker, and the human condition, Johnny Hughes weaves together multi-generational stories with his prosiac story telling. Texas Poker Wisdom tells us the story of an uncle and nephew, a leatherassed grinder and aggressive young playa, both born from the west Texas poker scene. Hughes' descriptive story telling leaves the reader feeling as if he knows the characters, can smell the sawdust and second hand smoke, and feel the fear of your nemesis pushing all their chips into the middle of a pot.

It's a quick read that I couldn't put down.

Take a spectacular author writing about a spectacular person and you end up with a spectacular book!! This is an incredible read...it is by far the best book on high rollers and their hosts ever written. It is an "insider" view of Vegas that is both fascinating and revealing: a high octane blast of Superhost Steve Cyr and his multi-million dollar casino "whales" (high limit players) that will keep you turning pages faster than a blackjack pro can deal cards. If you want a glimpse of how a top casino host operates, the kinds of comps and treatment afforded high rollers, and the lifestyle and gambling habits of the truly wealthy...this book is for you. It's the next best thing to a seven figure credit line! Enjoy.

This is a book about an egotistical, self promoter. If you want to read about how great Cyr believes he is buy this book. You would think this guy was working on the cure for cancer rather than getting people that already want to come to the casino to actually come to the casino.
No new stuff here.

I enjoyed this book as it informs the reader how the behind the scenes casino hosting business works. What a job to have!

Although the last few chapters are clunky, the rest of the book is so good that I really didn't care! What a fabulous glimpse into the good, the bad, and the truly ugly sides of the cream-of-the-crop gamblers and their relationship with the casinos who host them.

I just was fascinated to peek behind the curtain (or in this case, above the ordinary hotel rooms and inside the high-roller gaming areas).

The next time I'm in Vegas, I'll be doing a lot more than looking for a "fun" slot machine or table game to try out ... I"ll be whale watching!

As a gambler, I learned alot from the book. I never realized my casino host's bonus was tied to our losses. I always thought they were sincere. The book covers most subjects is good detail, however, it seems to loose steam towards the end. It is worth reading, especially if you gamble.

After 13 years off of college, I went back last fall. The University required non-traditional students to take assessment tests, and in my first test, I was two points under the "passing" grade to get into college-level math courses. I bought the book, spent a weekend on it just reminding myself of all those things I forgot, and took the test again 3 days later, this time getting a perfect grade, saving myself several hundred bucks and a year of boring math classes.

The book is concise, clear, shows every step to each problem, and doesn't have a lot of empty filler. I can't recommend it highly enough, and it was very helpful for me.

I was really disappointed by this book. It lacked in explanations and examples. Too short to be benefitual.

A book worthy of any math student's library. Truly an exceptional help in grasping the fundamentals of Algebra in clear, direct terms. Couldn't be better.

I have only bought this book for learning and for studying before I am gonna go back to school, but I have learn a lot from it! I really explains clearly enough so you can understand what it is talking about or you can do it after its example.

This book is the 2nd Algebra book that I bought. I am the type of person who goes beyond what is given to me. This book is a great book for review purposes. I am over half way through the year in Algebra 1 and already know how to do everything that will be taught to me by the end of the year. I have really learned a lot from these books and I will say, that this is a great book for anyone that is studying Algebra.

Any thought that humans are top species on this planet must go out of the window with this excellent series of cat-assisted crime novels. Without the felines, where would the humans be? Carole Nelson Douglas' writing is very witty. Characterisation is fascinating and I love the way there is a running thread of mystery all the way through this series. I hope that all will be revealed when we finally reach Z and Temple sorts her love life out!

I'm a cat lover to begin with, so this might come out sounding more than a touch biased. My first exposure to ML was Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit. I enthusiastically recommend it, it's got the King, it's got Las Vegas, it's a mystery and most of all it's got Midnight Louie! I have since gone on to read Catnap, Pussyfoot, Cat on a Blue Monday and Cat in a Flamingo Fedora, which is notable for the climactic abduction and forced vasectomy of our hero ML. A damn shame that, since in her debut in Cat on a Blue Monday, Louie's long-lost daughter Midnight Louise alias Caviar, revealed her lack of desire for motherhood and breeding. If only the family line could be continued! we all need more such cats as Midnight Louie, to say nothing of Temple Barr's need as well as that of Las Vegas in general. My basic point, do yourself a big favor and start collecting the ML series today!! Talk about being worth every penny. I'd gladly grab up every title myself if I ever hit the Lotto jackpot!

I'm a cat lover to bgin with, so this might come out sounding more than a touch biased. My first exposure to ML was Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit. I enthusiastically reccomend it, it's got the King, it's got Las Vegas, it's a mystery and most of all it's got Midnight Louie! I have since gone on to read Catnap, Pussyfoot, Cat on a Blue Monday and Cat in a Flamingo Fedora, which is notable for the climactic abduction and forced vasectomy of our hero ML. A damn shame that, since in her debut in Cat on a Blue Monday, Louie's long-lost daughter Midnight Louise alias Caviar, revealed her lack of desire for motherhood and breeding. If only the family line could be contiuned! we all need more such cats as Midnight Louie, to say nothing of Temble Barr's need as well as that of Las Vegas in general. My basic point, do yourself a big favor and start collecting the ML series today!! Talk about being worth every penny. I'd gladly grab up every title myself if I ever hit the Lotto jackpot!

If you read mystery stories, as I do, to provide logic in an often illogical world, Cat in an Indigo Mood isn't going to meet that demand. Douglas' books are clever and quirky, fun and fantastic--but never filled with logic and deduction in the traditional 'mystery novel' sense. The characters themselves are an odd mixture of strange traits and exotic behaviors. Many of them don't really fit into the plot line, and have no reason for being in the novel, other than being delightfully flamboyant and unusual. The reader must accept this and admire them for what they are in and of themselves. But don't expect these creatures to further the plot, or even reappear again in this novel. And expect some of the characters to be dogs and cats who are smarter and more believable than their human counterparts. When I am in Las Vegas, I am always aware that the city I see is a total amusement, built for that reason only. There are gondolas through shopping malls and volcanos atop buildings, garnished with neon and feather exotica. The Midnight Louie mystery series is a lot like that: a lot of enjoyable fuss and floss, an amusement that defies reality.

Three murders with 3 different, yet interconnected victims, a more humanizing look at Det. Molina, an exciting and fresh detour for Matt, and a new beguiling addition to the cast help this latest Midnite Louie outing succeed where the preceding book felt off-kilter. The mystery itself is engrossing and kept me guessing as to whodunit. I'm tempted to recommend it to the beginner in the series because it is such a well-rounded story, but one should probably still stick with starting at the beginning to understand character backgrounds, etc. Good to see Temple and Matt working together as friends to solve the mystery, and Molina soliciting Max's help (on the romantic side, one wonders exactly who is going to end up with whom?) One element I *really* appreciated was that, by this 10th book, Molina 'gets' and even appreciates the feline detecting connection!

I really enjoy it if your not a fan of EROTIC NOVELS then this is soooooooo not for you..

All 4 stories were great i really liked the first and the second tho. but they were all great for me. If i had to describe this book in one word for you to buy it and read it that word would be ..WOW..or better yet ..WOW x5...

Be WARN its hardcore so if your not into that i repeat this book is not for you.....

This was good. i picked it up i started it and i forgot it was erotic because it was written really well. a couple parts were chessy but i loved the twist on modern Greek gods and goddess chracters. my fav story has to be the first the Accountant and the virgin. it was sweet. i expect more from cupids inc.

This book was great! I loved it. Every book I have read by this author has been great. She is now on my autobuy list.

Even Greek deities must progress with the times to discharge their divine duties, as Eros and his wife Psyche discover in Las Vegas ala Sin City. Hence, the birth of Cupid, Inc, an agency that ostensibly matches clients to their sex fantasies but in reality tries to help them find true love. Throw in a meddling Aphrodite who thinks she knows better how love matches should be arranged, a sharp-tongued nymph and a couple other idiosyncratic Greek gods and goddesses and you know this story is going to be a delightful light-hearted romp.

Revolving around the agency, the 4 short erotic love stories in this collection feature lots of comic relief, barbed banters, likeable characters and hot, steamy sex. It's a sheer pleasure to read, like a piece of lemon cake you can still taste on your tongue long after you've devoured it. Suspend your disbelief and let the games begin...

The Accountant and the Virgin - Sara knows she couldn't have the boss she's had a crush on so she settled for the next best thing -- purchase an office fantasy to lose her virginity. A wrong address leads to her meeting Nic the accountant and a very satisfying encounter in his office...

The Stars in Her Eyes - Jamie is thrilled to have won Cupid, Inc's contest for a date with movie star Kevan Rune. Kevan agreed to be the prize of the contest as a personal favor and expects his date to be a simpering, starry-eyed female. Will the night end at just wine and dine or turn into something more?

One Mile Up...A Little to the Left - Life has never been better. Karee, associate editor for Love Magazine, gets to act out her fantasy of hot sex with a handsome man on a luxury airliner all in the name of her job. What she doesn't know is her assigned fantasy partner, Bret, is the managing editor of rival Max-Out Magazine, who also plans to write an article about the experience...

The Spy Who Rubbed Me - Badgered by his mother, retired jewel thief Paul agrees to participate in a spy fantasy arranged by Cupid, Inc. His partner in the mission to `steal' Aphrodite's golden apple is Helen, a waitress who's bored with her life. It was all supposed to be just an exciting game. They didn't expect to have to contend for the apple with a very real Greek goddess...

Cupid Inc

It's the 21st century and Cupid doesn't go around shooting people with arrows anymore. No, today he is an enlighted god, and with help from his wife Pysche, caters to the various fantasies of those willing to take a chance and explore the sexual side of themselves. Along with Aphrodite, who tends to interfere with her own good intentions, Eros and Pysche have made it their earthly mission to bring people together in love. And if the couples get to live out a fantasy or two, well, that's icing on the cake.

"The Accountant and the Virgin"
Who knew accountants could be so sexy? Certainly not virginal Sara Beaumont, who was in for a surprise when the "sex in the office" fantasy she's been harboring turns in to a reality. In love with her boss Zeth, who doesn't take notice of her, Sara can't stop fantasizing about having sex on an office desk. Deciding to make her fantasy come true and get rid of her virginity, Sara contacts "Cupid, Inc" to make it happen. Only instead of sending her to a man with a similar fantasy, Sara is accidentally sent to the office of Nic Anderson, the new accountant for "Cupid, Inc". Nic is immediately attracted to Sara, and more than willing to make her fantasy come true. But what happens when Sara's boss Zeth is pointed in Sara's direction? Will the magic she feels with Nic pale in comparison to the attention of her boss?

"The Stars in her Eyes"
Vegas wedding planner Janie Brown is trying to keep her business afloat in the wedding capital of the U.S. She doesn't have time to date. But thanks to her well-meaning sister, Janie has won a date with hot movie star Kevan Rune, who has reluctantly agreed to the date as a favor to Eros. Hounded by a sleazy tabloid reporter, Kevan is immensely grateful when a woman in a silver dress comes to his rescue, only to find out it's his date. They have a wonderful time together, and the attraction is instant and intense. But both have been burned before - Janie by a philandering spouse and Kevan by a publicity-hungry girlfriend. Will a stalking tabloid reporter ruin their chance for happiness? Not if love has anything to do with it....

"One Mile Up...A Little to the Left"
Karee Lomen is a journalist for "Love", a magazine for women and all things about, well, love and romance. The thing is, she has had this recurring fantasy about the mile-high club ever since she had a bit of an adventure on a plane as a teenager. Her friend and boss Veronica gives Karee the ticket, er, chance to make that fantasy come true with a little help from Cupid Inc. The only catch is she has to write an article about the experience for the magazine, which she will gladly do for "Love". The night before her pleasure trip, she attends a party for the arts at the Bellagio hotel, and meets a man who sparks her interest, only he disappears before she can get to know him better. It isn't until later that she finds out he's Bret Jernigan, is a fellow journalist for Max-Out, a men's magazine who laughs at all that "Love" stands for. But by now she's already fulfilled her fantasy, with Bret, and is falling for him. Now Karee and Bret have to decide which is more important: their relationship or their careers..... Readers will get a kick out of the antics of Bret's boss Max, who's attention-getting schemes seem to be geared towards getting a reaction out of Karee's boss Veronica. I'm interested in finding out where that may lead....

"The Spy that Rubbed Me"
Helen Manzana is a waitress bored with the repetiveness of her life. She dreams about an adventure from one of her favorite James Bond movies. One day a regular customer leaves Helen a very generous tip, and a gift certificate for a spy fantasy from Cupid, Inc. Days later, Helen's normal day is interrupted when a dishy man in a tuxedo and an English accent begs for her help. And so starts the beginning of Helen's fantasy.... Paul Aris is a reformed thief and current do-gooder determined to stay on the straight and narrow. But even he can't refuse his mother when she asks him to steal a valuable item from the Troy Casino - all in the name of love and adventure. Determined to make his mother happy, he plays along with the spy fantasy, and in the process meets a woman who gets his blood pumping just by being in the same room.

"Cupid, Inc" is a lot about fantasies, but mostly the journey is about love, and matching two people who belong together. I like the whole mythology premise, and the way Michele Bardsley has set it up for the possibility of future stories. I hope she's planning a follow-up book - I think there are a lot of fantasies left to be fulfilled. This collection of stories was quick and delightful - perfect for a lazy afternoon to ward off the winter chill and warm your heart.

I use this as a supplimental text in my high school art history classes, and the students love the format, with its heavy dose of satire, comics and irreverent historical research. It is full of little gems. I especially love the Renaissance chapter and the GG's description of the true Renaissance Man. This book is also historically accurate, short and easy to read. It could even be used as a prime example of feminist scholarship and humor and the fact that the two are not mutually exclusive. Also, even though it was written twenty years ago, it is not at all dated- the students would never think it is aout of date.

The main forewarning I give is this: the Guerilla Girls wrote this book. Yes, that's obvious, but when you read that, you should be thinking of militant feminist artists and art historians. With that in mind, the book is written with a definitely militant voice, but it is definitely well-written, well-researched, and gets their message across. It was a great deal shorter than I was expecting, since I didn't look at the page count, but it was an enlightening (if quick) read, and more of a glimpse and enticement into the world of non-white-male artists.

This book takes you, with biting wit and humor, beyond the works of "accepted" masters (all of whom I deeply admire, by the way), showing you that for every renaissance man, there was an Artemisia Gentileschi. That among the plethora of still lifes from the 17th and 18th centuries, you that you would do well to study those of Rachel Rueysch, who captures every petal and leaf with intoxicating detail and color. They were able, even with my deep-seated resistance to "modern art", to instill in me a deep appreciation for works of impressionists, modernists, post-modernists and abstract artists.

In short, an ideal starting point for those looking to delve into art history, yet still ideal for those academics with short attentions spans. I only wish it were longer!

An absolute fun read for lovers of art history! This book gives a brief history of women in art, challenges they faced (and still face today), and the roles of women from classical times through the present time.
Just who are the Guerrilla Girls'? They are a group of artists and arts professionals, who in the 1980's, decided to fight discrimination in the art world and become the self-proclaimed "conscience of the art world."
"We wore gorilla masks to keep the focus on the issues rather than our personalities."
The Guerrilla Girls' begin with the images of women from the Classical Era, where reliefs of Amazons decorated buildings, but an ancient Greek or Roman "women could not vote or engage in transactions worth more than a grain of barley."
Travel through the Middle Ages where Hildegard von Bingen decorated beautiful texts and Christine de Pizan made her living as a writer (the first woman known to have done so!)
The journey continues through the Renaissance with Lavinia Fontana, Sonfonisba Anguissola, and Artemisia Gentileschi, through the 17th and 18th centuries with Judith Leyster and Angelica Kauffman; all on the way to the 20th century and Frida Kahlo, Lee Krasner, and Eva Hesse.
What makes this book so much more interesting than the other books coming out on women artists, is the humor the Guerrilla Girls' use to get the point across and the graphic nature of the book itself. Each page is filled with examples of artwork and fun graphics.

The book is informative and enjoyable to read through. Graphics and visuals support the text. Most artists and art educators are (or should be) familiar with the Guerilla Girls and their work and may find this a repeat of what is already known, For those who are unfamiliar with their works or who have had a typical western oriented art history background, this book will be an eye opener.

This is a book that appeals to no one. If you're not already familiar with Vegas history, it is not a good place to start. And if you already know something about Vegas, it will not teach you anything new.

In theory, the structure of this book seems like a good idea -- devote a chapter each on the movers and shakers who built Las Vegas. The problem is that they all influenced each other, so separating them results in an arbitrary, fragmented, sometimes difficult-to-follow, narrative. Even the chapters themselves tend to jump back and forth in time and place. Structurally, the book just doesn't work.

Then there's the problem of sketchy information. Smith doesn't go into great detail explaining the why's and how's of events, leaving the reader with a great longing to know more about the individual characters of these men and what makes them tick. If you're looking for some good dish on Vegas -- which is what the snappy title promises -- there are better choices.

Compounding the reader's frustration are the numerous typos, spelling, and grammatical errors. Smith either had no editor or edited this himself. It feels like a first draft in serious need of a major rewrite and fact checking. It's difficult to believe Smith makes a living as a journalist. He must have a good editor at the Review/Journal.

This book gives you the real story behind the Vegas gaming legends. Nobody does justice to this topic like John L. Smith. His research is impeccable.

I received this book almost right away. It's a very good summary of the people of Las Vegas written by someone who knows, John Smith.

This book is a fun read if you are someone who is familiar with Las Vegas. The book indeed delivers on what the subtitle, "..The Founding Fathers and Current Kings of Las Vegas" states. Each chapter is more or less devoted to discussing a specific person and the impact they had on setting the stage for the evolution of Las Vegas. I imagine those of you who have never been infatuated with Las Vegas will want to pass on this one.

Based on some of the anecdotes, it seems amazing that some of the Vegas hotels are still open today. The mobsters and the so called "straight laced" owners who ran (or still run) the hotels come off as either extremely brilliant or totally incompetent. It is no wonder that most of the Strip hotels have all been swallowed up by one or two companies. The author also seems to question if some hotels are completely honest when it comes to gaming.

The problem I had with the book was perhaps I was expecting something more chronological and dramatic. Instead, the book is like a compilation of old newpaper columns that are all put together in one place(of course, maybe that is not a surprise since the author is a newspaper reporter). Much like other books of that nature, the reading becomes almost repetitive and seems easier to take over a long haul rather than a week or two of reading cover to cover. Also note that there are a few typos and errors that make it seem like someone did a spellcheck with a computer rather than really proofreading it.

If you can stick with this type of book, you will probably enjoy it. Now this is the first book about Las Vegas I have read so I can not compare it to anything but I've got to believe there is probably something a bit more compelling.

The complete saga of Las Vegas from its early roots with the mob to modern corporate times is presented in a lively history of the city's real rulers in SHARKS IN THE DESERT: THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND CURRENT KINGS OF LAS VEGAS. Many made their fortunes developing the casino business the city is most famous for today - but many myths have surrounded their activities - myths which columnist Smith dispels in an investigative history which tracked mobsters and their connections to the city's rich and monied.

I was completely stressed out about my trip to vegas. this book gave me so much information, I am ready to go! I have used this brand of book with other trips and would recommend anyone who needs to research destinations to read them.

This book gives a great overview of Vegas. It rates places to stay, shows to see, restaurant price ranges, tips for gambling, etc. Great book!

This book is full of information, for the beginning Vegas tourist, or the experienced traveler. The ratings and recommendations of the hotels, restaurants, casinos and places to visit are excellent. Highly recommended.

If you have never been to Las Vegas then this is the book for you. Contains all the basics. Don't worry you will figure it out after your first roll of quarters and a few drinks.

Like one of the previous reviewers, I bought this book after previously buying their guide to Walt Disney World. The WDW guide was superb, stuffed full of information about everything you could possibly need to know in the planning stages and also during your trip. In fact there is nearly too much info in the WDW book, with the author going as far as giving exact measurements of some of the hotel rooms! As a result, I expected the same high standard from the Las Vegas book and I have to say I was left a little disappointed.

First of all I have to say that I love the way the authors write these books. They have a very amusing turn of phrase and they have an irreverence toward their destinations that I find a refreshing change from a lot of the overly serious travel guides. I have really enjoyed reading this book, I find that their mix of amusing background stories, reader reviews and helpful advice, entertaining as well as informative.

The area where I found this book a little disappointing was the descriptions of the hotels. When I bought this book, I hadn't yet booked my hotel and was hoping for a little guidance. Like the previous reviewer pointed out, there might be two or three pages devoted to a particular hotel, but little or no mention of the actual room quality size or amenities. After all, when you book a hotel, you're paying for a room, so this is surely the main area of interest rather than what the `feel' of the lobby is like. If I were feeling sceptical, I'd nearly think that the authors had not actually been in the rooms of the hotels they were critiquing but merely the public areas and gardens. I'm sure that isn't the case, but that is an impression one might get when faced with the complete lack of mention of rooms in some of the hotel descriptions!

Other than that, I really loved this book. The sections on shopping, restaurants and shows are outstanding and as a first time visitor to Vegas and a non-gambler, I really appreciated the `how to' section on gambling. There is also a comprehensive section on tours outside of Vegas, for those who want to escape the bright lights for a day or two.

Overall, I highly recommend this book, it is way more in depth than a lot of other travel guides that I have looked at. I would especially recommend it to visitors who are staying more than a couple of nights and who want to see more than the usual sights as this book is choc full of info on some of the more `hidden gems'. In fact, one other slight disadvantage to this book, is that it is quite thick and heavy and so may be better for pre trip planning than actually carrying round with you.

MOSTLY HISTORY ABOUT ROULETTE HISTORY,BUT THERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT STATISTICS THAT WILL HELP.THIS BOOK PUT TOGETHER WITH THE STATISTICS IN IT AND FRANK SCOBLETE SPIN ROULETTE GOLD AND HIS ACTUAL WHEEL SPINS AND GAME PLANS WILL GIVE THE READER A EDGE UP ON THE HOUSE.

If you are a serious roulette player than there are two books that i have found to be must read books. This one and Frank Scoblete's Spin Roulette Gold. Barnharts' book concentrates on bias wheels but also contains some very lively stories. Definitely a book to have!

If you are a serious roulette player than there are two books that i have found to be must read books. This one and Frank Scoblete's Spin Roulette Gold. Barnharts' book concentrates on bias wheels but also contains some very lively stories. Definitely a book to have!

This book is a must read to the people who want to know facts that happened worldwide. If you are looking a book just for relax and patience you can buy it... but if you are looking a book to learn to play and beating the Roulette search another book.

This book is good just for the people who loves to play Roulette as a hobby and not as a bussiness.

In fact, the book related tables from a page to other, this is boring and it take out emotion of the book, besides the tables are confusing and misunderstable.

The book is divided in sections about fact that happened worldwide, and it takes almost all the book just to tell a strategy that is just write in one chapter.

This is to roulette what "Beat the dealer" was to blackjack, the first book to use science to devise practical winning systems for this game of chance. The book is very well-written and readable, with accounts of million-dollar biased-wheel coups through the ages. By the way, don't let anyone ever tell you that you can't find biased wheels these days. With persistence they certainly can be, and the % returns can be staggering. John May, author of "Baccarat for the clueless"