University of Nevada Books

"Basque Terrorism" got great reviews in the Spanish press. One notable exception was "El Pais" which devoteed nearly a full page to condemning it. (The paper was at the time a friendly conduit for the Gonzales government. During its time in power, 27 Basque activists were murdered by security agencies.)

The strength of the book is in the details. Different aspects of the life and history of the Basque nation are brought together with strong, simple logic. It shows how hopes of freedom took the only path left open.

This book is best counterargument yet written to the official media fallacy on terrorism. It is lucid, well worded, and--above all--sensible.

Frederick Packer

Zulakika's Basque Violence is a confusing and chaotic work which attempts to examine the cultural background to the question of why a terroristic form of violence haunts the Basque people. The works' shortcomings are abundant and ubiquitous throughout his writing. No one outside of the field of ethnography will be able to comprehend the overpowering amount of ethnographic jargon that inundates Zulakika's work. His work is also delinquent in the fact that very few readers outside of the Basque culture could understand or find the thesis of the work. The reader feels as if he or she is stuck the eccentric mind of a bedlamite, who is rattling off the hagiology of the Basque culture from the Paleolithic era to modern day. The book is structured in what would appear at first glance to be studies of different areas of Basque culture and its relation to the violence that has been occurring in the area; however, the book fails to accomplish this task as well. Readers will be greatly disappointed with this work because it does not realize any of the intended goals that the author set for himself work.

When I first purchased the book, it was only because it dealt with the mob and Las Vegas. Once I began to read the book, it really made me think and the really great part of the book is that it examines each person and the reasons that they were included in the black book. If you like the mafia and you love Vegas, then you ought to read this one.

(The numerical rating above is a default setting within Amazon's format. This reviewer does not employ numerical ratings.)

The authors, criminal justice professors at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, argue that the "Black Book", (the list of persons excluded from participation in legal gambling), is maintained by the State of Nevada for symbolic purposes, to assert an image of control and propriety.

The Black Book is further tainted by its focus on stereotypical ethnic types, largely Italian Americans, to the exclusion of others, like the Mormans, who actually wield great power in Nevada gaming but suffer no opprobrium as a result.

Interesting reading.

The book written to show prejudice and a white wash of Nevada's casino industry instead showed the lack of research of the authors. The question asked apparently is should Frank Rosenthal or Carl Thomas be in the "Black Book"? My answer is why are so few others included. A review of those included in the "Black Book" show an unusually high number of convicted skimmers and bookmakers. Wouldn't these be the people most likly to cause problems within the casino industry. As for the case of poor Frank Masterana-he ran the largest bookmaking operation in the Dominican Republic until he was closed down and then moved to Latin America where he continues to operate an illegal establishment. I agree that there is a high number of Italian-Americans in the "Black Book" but most bookmaking throughout the US is controlled by those of Italian desent so of course they would represent a high number of gaming offenses and the related extortion and loan-sharking.

Though the writer is obviously gifted, and the stories are without a doubt amusing and accurately detailed, the author seems distant from his characters.

The author seems to stay un-involved and to coldly inspect his subjects as though they were fireflies in Mason jars, or butterflies on pins.

The writing is superb, but the lack of involvment in the characters inner workings and lives, leaves these stories sounding like a girlfriend repeating a soap opera in the office, to someone who missed an episode.

I'll lay off with these last words. The author should look into his own heart and write real, breathing characters, not try to bring to life cardboard cutouts. No matter how excellent it is, it must heart. This book does not have heart, though it does have plenty of good writing.

This wonderful collection of non-fiction accounts on the other side of the table is a true and accurate look at what makes the casinos tick: not the people who come with the money, but the people who take it. Lee Barnes has a gift and it is to conjure so many voices into one cohesive book. It is funny, sad, and terrible. If you ever wanted to know who lives in Las Vegas, read this.

The book's subtitle is particularly apt, as the reader is treated to an autobiographical account of Spanier's lifelong passion for gambling, beginning with betting on horses in his early school years and, later, Cambridge, where he first discovered poker. His description of the London poker scene of the 1960s is particularly vivid, as are his tales of the games at Washington's National Press Club, and his ten-year participation in a London "Tuesday Night Game." And his account of a Caribbean poker cruise, on which he was a poker instructor, is a gem of a snapshot of the rituals and mores of the poker subculture.


Spanier's career as a journalist brought him around the world, and he recounts many of his experiences, both as a correspondent and as a player. This along makes The Hand I Played an interesting book. But Spanier is also able to make the mind of the gambler intelligible to the non-gambler. For example, when talking about the meaning of "action" on page 51, Spanier notes that it means, "playing with chance, taking a challenge, the excitement of living in top gear. In gambling, this is the pay-off. In our routine urban lives, most of us are cogs in the wheel.... Gambling offers a fast way out...the player can give self-indulgence a whirl, briefly cast responsibility aside, and fantasize about a brighter, richer, easier life." Of course, Spanier knows that these fantasies are usually illusory, but they still give gamblers, " a little spoonful of hope, which, like honey, is pleasing while it lasts." This general sentiment has been voiced countless times, but rarely this articulately-or with such self-knowledge.

The chapter on "Net Poker" is also valuable, not because it teaches the reader how to win at online poker or because it offers strong arguments for or against online gambling, but because it provides an account of the online poker industry in its earliest years from someone who knows poker intimately. Online gambling may be a short-lived phenomenon or it may mature into a lasting industry, but future social scientists will be grateful for Spanier's thoughtful survey of the virtual poker world of the late 1990s.

Spanier also runs a quick historiographical romp through books on Las Vegas and gambling, giving his opinions on several books in the canon. Spanier's refined literary sensibilities temper his enthusiasm for gambling, so he is able to recognize that "it is easy to write about Las Vegas, as an abundance of bad journalism proves," (p. 209) but knows that it is difficult to catch the lightning of gambling excitement in a bottle. That Spanier is an arbiter of good and bad writings about Las Vegas may touch a nerve with some Southern Nevadans who resent literary "carpetbaggers" who, after a weekend in town, claim to interpret Las Vegas to the rest of the world. This is not a point without merit; many of the misleading books about Las Vegas have been by "outsiders." But Spanier is no outsider to gambling; he enjoyed a lifelong passion for it that qualifies him as an expert on the subject. But should his writings about Las Vegas be discounted because he is a "carpetbagger?'' Absolutely not. While his views may not be the same as longtime residents, they are those of an intelligent, articulate observer who can place the city in the context of a larger global gambling scene.

The climax of the book is Spanier's own participation in the 1997 poker World Championship, held at Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas. For poker aficionados, this is the obvious equivalent of playing in any world championship. Though Spanier knew going in that he had about as much chance of winning as beating Tiger Woods in golf, the honey spoonful of hope still held out that tiniest chance, which was no doubt intoxicating. There are several accounts of the World Championship, but few from this close-up.

In all, The Hand I Played reads like an extended conversation one might have on a long car or plane ride with an intelligent, insightful, gambler. A great deal of Spanier's personality shines through the narrative, so we get not only a look at how poker is played, but a look, sometimes unconsciously, into the mind of a player. This is all the more poignant because the book was published posthumously. But it is a testament to both Spanier and his editors that The Hand I Played is such a riveting work for both players and interested laypeople. A hint to the uninitiated-read the appendix, which explains the basics of Texas Hold 'em, before the book itself. It will add a great deal of depth to Spanier's accounts of games and hands, which otherwise may be impenetrable to non-players. Whether a veteran of marathon poker sessions or someone who simply doesn't understand the appeal of the game, The Hand I Played will undoubtedly change the way the reader thinks about gambling, chance, and poker.

I realized from the title this was not a how to poker book but figured it would be something along the lines of anthony holdens book big deal but i was very disappointed with this book.It cover the authors poker games with his buddies in some off the wall home games (granted i am slanted more towards holdem)Other chapters dealing with a poker cruise and his dealings with a woman poker player hitting him up for advice,a chapter about internet poker dealing with a lot of rules and regs dealing with them in the USA.Also has a chapter about books dealing with gambling mostly by Dostoyevsky.

On the back of the book it talks about the author being in the world series of poker and i was hoping it would have a little more to do with that but it had maybe three or four pages dealing with this.

This was one of those books i keep reading hoping it would get better i felt it never did if you have not red anthony holden's book big deal try that one i could not recommend this book

My favorite genre is memoir and I read them voraciously. Having been born in Las Vegas in the mid 1950's to a mother from a large Mormon family, I excitedly dove into Phyllis Nelson's story. Aside from having greeted Leonard Berstein at the airport, (and this wasn't particularly compelling) I found nothing particularly interesting about her life story. I can see where her writing may be of interest to her family members and immediate community, but for the rest of us, what's the point?

Phyllis Barber allows the reader to gain a intimate view of the clash between values of 1950's Las Vegas and her family's vallues of Mormonism. Barber struggles to use her talent of rhythm in a city celebrated for the excesses of entertainment versus her family's definition of proper use of talent within the confines of her Mormon culture. Barber uses the symbolism of marriage to both worlds to best explain the dilemna she is in. To Bobby Jack ( a current boyfriend) marriage meant a wheezing minister, ye

Many of the selections within this book contain little more than increasingly tedious descriptions of wilderness scenery.

Contents -

William Byrd - History of the Dividing Line
William bartram - Travels in Florida
Meriwether Lewis - Across the Continent
George Catlin - Buffalo Country
John James Audubon - Missouri River Journals
John C. Fremont - West of the Great Basin
Francis Parkman - Hunting Indians
Henry David Thoreau - "Ktaadn"
Clarence King - Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada
John Wesley Powell - Exploration of the Colorado River
Clarence Dutton - Canyon Country
Verplanck Colvin - Adirondack Wilderness
Isabella Bird - A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains
Plenty Coups - Vision in the Crazy Mountains
Theodore Roosevelt - Hunting in the Badlands
John Burroughs - Birch Browsings
John Muir - The Range of Light
Mary Austin - Land of Little Rain
John C. van Dyke - The Desert
Aldo Leopold - "Thinking Like a Mountain"
" - The Green Lagoons
Rachel Carson - The Edge of the Sea
Edwin Way Teale - Land of the Windy Rain
Wallace Stegner - Packhorse Paradise
" - Wilderness Letter
Edward Abbet - Desert Solitaire
John McPhee - Coming into the Country
David Roberts - The Mountain of My Fear

I used The Wilderness Reader in teaching a course in stewardship and field ecology for teachers. I found that the book contained a wide variety of different types of environmental writing and that all of the selected pieces were excellent examples of the genre. Several of my elementary school teachers even read parts of the reader to their students.

Every play needs its actors, and someone has to sweep up the hall as well. Littlejohn says that they didn't seek to focus on the negatives, but the result is that while Las Vegas may be the fastest growing city in America, both in jobs and population; it doesn't sound that appealing other than as a place to visit.

Most of the reports are glum, and sometimes downright disheartening. Sure, many cities have these problems, but most of them try to do something about it. In Vegas, if it negatively affects the Industry, then it is either ignored or swept under the carpet. It puts a dull finish on what is otherwise presented as a glittering jewel.

The Real Las Vegas is written by a retired profesor from Berkley who, after loosing two rolls of quarters at a strip casino, is bent on teachinng the rest of us how "evil" Las Vegas really is. Among the more "enlightened" things that we simple minded people would never know about this city are: Seniors like to play BINGO. Some teens growing up in Las Vegas drink and get into trouble - some even have children before they are married! The local police department protect tourists downtown and on the strip! (Can you just imagine that?). Casinos have their own private security force, and money flows free and easy! The education system of this city (and it must be only this city) is over-crowded and under funded, and there are less expensive, and faster growing southwestern cities than Las Vegas! The book is simply not helpful and not interesting given all of the maladies this author cites are around "In spades" if you will, in other cities. I am not sure what is so Real about this book, except that it is clear this man wants his two rolls of quarters back.

It seems from the reviews that some people were disappointed by this book, but I really enjoyed reading the various essays. The book is a series of journalistic essays from different writers, and each one writes for about 5-7 pages on a specific topic. Some of the topics the book covers are housing/development, water, the sex industry, African Americans in Vegas, crime, growing up in Vegas, etc. Some of the essays were more serious (water) than others (sex industry), but all of them offered a nice insight into the city, especially if you've only been there a few times and have never ventured beyond the strip. I read this book a few months before moving to Henderson, NV., and thought the book was a nice way to get acquainted with the city and what goes on there. This is definitely not a book for tourists or someone planning a trip to Vegas, but more for people who live in the area, people considering moving there, or perhaps people who have visited and developed an interest in the area. It's an easy read, and an enjoyable one.

This book is primarily written by a handful of contributors, mainly journalists and edited by a seasoned journalist and former journalism professor at the University of California-Berkeley. Because of the number of authors, the quality of the chapters vary, but in general, this was a very noble effort and a well-thought out and implemented project. The idea, according to the editor, was to demystify the resort destination and to look at it as a real, although unique American city.
The introduction by the editor is excellent, as is his epilogue, synthesizing and analyzing the content of the book.
The chapters in between discuss various aspects of the city, the educational system, the plight of the homeless, the large population of hispanic immigrant workers, the casino and sex "industries", the scarce water supply, etc. The book also attempts to discuss such things as the special characteristics of Nevadans.
Many of these chapters are very well written, and are all very easy to read. Some of the authors tend to fall into a pattern that I find particularly troublesome about, in particular, television journalism. The author is looking to make a point (for example, there are a lot of kids in the Clark County School District who use drugs). So, they interview and present the most shocking results from their interviews regarding what a few kids say about their drug use. Never mind the fact that one could have probably obtained similar comments from some kids in any other city. Reading the chapter on the schools, I would think that it is impossible to grow up in Las Vegas and to be a good kid and not drop out and go onto college. However, quite on the contrary, over the last 4 years that I have lived in this city, I have interviewed 30+ high school seniors on behalf of my alma mater on the East Coast. I have met kids who are outstanding students, have some of the highest test scores in the nation, are deeply involved in athletics, music, and community service and have never touched a drug and don't regularly hang out on the strip.
It is very difficult, I believe, as a visitor, to get a true picture of this city. The tourism economy actively attempts to create and maintain the atmosphere of "anything goes" "have fun and drink and gamble and do whatever you want" for the tourists. However, as the editor astutely notes, beyond the strip, "many conditions recorded in this book will be recognized by Americans from other states and cities..."

Beyond some of the shortcomings, this is a very well-done work. Some of the authors spent a great deal of time locally researching their work. The introspective thoughts by the editor really pull it together. As a resident, I find this book helps me to get some critical distance to evaluate the city in which I live. My only fear is that for someone not familiar with the city, the work of some of the authors may paint a uncharacteristically negative picture in some cases that does not give Las Vegas the proper perspective in these problems relative to other places.

Having spent at least 1 week a year in Las Vegas since 1960, the scope and breadth of the "Real Las Vegas" was rewardingly real, and suprisingly interesting and very readible. Staying at the Sands Hotel in the sixties with my family and - the obvious metamorphousis of a few casinos in the desert to what is is today is a marvel and wonder. The 2 reviewers listed seemed to be looking for some explanation or reason for the diversity of L.V.. Answers. Answers - You won't find any here. The stories and straight up, direct, and frank. Real investigative insight into some of the many facets of life in Las Vegas. What I really liked about this book is it's about real people, with real dreams and disapointments. It's about a city that's grown too fast, under the stewardship of gaming, sex and power. It's about the extremes. Las Vegas is a wonderful metephore for the United States society - some are just turned off the the brash and brazen display of human nature Las Vegas encourages. You won't like all the stories, but you will find some very moving people and issues. The introduction is 1 of the best sections in the book. They had to leave out many sories because of space. I hope there's another volumn.

Mrs. Davis has been a friend of our family for nearly 50 years. As a child, I heard many stories about her upbringing in Battle Mountain, NV and the challenges and hardships she faced as a child. I also heard more than a few stories about her fabulous cooking. Only now, as a middle-aged man do I get to experience some of her cuisine outside of an all-too-rare visit to her kitchen.

I have only recently received my copy, but the two selections I have tried so far have been unique and mouth watering. I can heartily recommend this book, both as a lover of food and as one who appreciates the stories, anecdotes, and vignettes included in this unique work.

I guarantee you'll like it.

Chorizos in an Iron Skillet is a disspointing cook book. I know and am very familiar with Basque cooking, therefore, the recipes here are a big let down. I had heard so much about this book before its publication and had great expectations. Mrs. Davis presents a mix of recipes of (what she refers to as) 1.old world, 2. new world adaptations, and 3.American recipes. At best there are maybe 4 or 5 recipes in the entire book that prompted any interest. It is not clear why she would even include American recipes (they're out of place in this book). There are some truly weird recipes, such as Sangria made with Fresca, and orange soda? Just because they may be serving this in some tapa bar in Bilbao or San Sebastian does not make it Basque nor does it make it good! It is very sweet that Mrs. Davis has all these wonderful memories of her childhood in Nevada but her recounting of them is rather boring and uninspired. Please skip this book.

I picked this book up while I was in a museum in Reno. The author is the brother of the former U.S. Senator from Nevada, Paul Laxalt. I took a few tours while I was in Reno (along with some gambling)and when I later read this book, I knew what book my guides had read, prior to doing their job with the tourists. I doubt if any state's history can be made interesting, but Laxalt does a good job. Nevada is an interesting state compared to the rest of the nation, and the author relates why: precious metals, prize fighting, easy divorce, legal hooking and gambling. All in a state that is at heart very conservative.
This is a short read, and for those who travel to Vegas or Reno often, a necessary read. Why did Nevada become the way it did? The book answers this question and details some of the interesting characters of Nevada (Mark Twain, Bugsy Seigal, along with a number of politicos). At a little over 130 pages, this is a great read to take on the plane to Vegas.

I wouldn't recommend this book for new residents. Too dry, facts are slanted toward the monetary rather than the "interesting" side of history.

Without a doubt, this book is a big undertaking and doing it well has to be very difficult. There were a number of interesting chapters, but the style of writing, compound sentences combined with hyphenated phrases that went on for line upon line, made it very difficult to read and follow. This was probably the most frustrating book I've ever read, and I only finished it as a matter or principle.

This book gives alot of good information about the settling of the west and about many key figures who influenced the settlement of what was a vast wilderness area. The writing style is sometimes a bit too pedantic and this is not light reading that you'll go through quickly. However, the volume of information makes this book worth it. The closing of the American frontier and the settlement of the west are interesting subjects and this book does a good job of covering them.

I welcome feedback on this and all reviews at wstrnlibwarrior@yahoo.com