Nevada Books

"Searchlight, Nevada" illuminates the insider's world of Nevada's legalized brothels. Written with warmth and humor, the book jumps right in to the often complex and twisted lives of the women who work the sex trade and the men who visit---and often love--them. It shows that wherever women and men are thrown together, love will thrive even under corrosive conditions. The author says his story was carefully researched, and this is very obviously true. I highly recommend this compelling and wonderful book.

I enjoyed the sexy action, the humor, in this fun filled novel. No fake-n-phony TV-style prostitutes here. Vitale has captured the atmosphere to a T! The political correctness [read that: narrow minded] crowd might find offense [they always do]; but normal folk will appreciate it. The author knows and obviously values women.

For interesting insight into this book, look up the case Vitale v. Commissioner, 77 T.C.M. (CCH) 1869 (1999).

This book feels like a young adult book that doesn't quite make it. No one in my book club liked it. Hayden has some interesting ideas but she skips around--never finishing what she's started.

When Colette Died by L C Hayden

Debbie Gunther is in Las Vegas for her big break into the world of show business impersonating the Las Vegas singing star Colette who was murdered five years previously.

From the opening sentence it is clear that Debbie is being stalked and is surrounded by enemies. The fear is palpable and the reader is immediately catapulted into a world of distrust.

Smiling ambitious Jack Armstrong with the position of Casino General Manager in his sights. Her director Bill Davis who doesn't attempt to hide his animosity towards Debbie. Motherly Annie and the Casino owner, the legendary Ms Elizabeth. All have there own agenda. Beset by animosity on all sides Debbie is attracted by a reporter Dan Springer who initially seems to care, but does he?

As the murderer of Colette was caught, why is Debbie receiving threats against her life. Could this be related to her own difficult past? Who is the mysterious Boss.

Set against the glitzy background of the Las Vegas casino, this book is full of greed, family anguish and murder, and holds the reader to the end. If you relish suspense, this book is for you.

Lizzie Hayes 30 January 2000

Debbie Gunther had a dreadful childhood. When her mother died in childbirth, her father blamed her and would not take her to raise her. Debbie was raised for eight years by her grandmother, who let her know on a daily basis that she was not wanted there. So, at the age of eight, her grandmother got in touch with her father and told him to take Debbie, or she would have him brought up on abandonment charges. Debbie's father took her but he treated her badly the whole time that he had her.

After a choir teacher of Debbie's told her how much she looks like a famous Las Vegas singer named Colette, Debbie learns everything she can about Colette and becomes an impersonator for the stage. Debbie is hired at the Crystal Palace Casino--the very place that Colette was working and where she was murdered.

Debbie is apprehensive from the very beginning. She receives a note, which she tries to ignore, but the very dress that Colette is murdered in arrives for her and then roses arrive for Debbie--all yellow with one red rose in the middle, the same exact bouquet that Colette was given on stage just before she was shot. Debbie believes that the only one she can confide in is Dan Springer, a young reporter who is supposed to do a story on Debbie. Dan Springer has his own conflicts to deal with. There is a strong attraction between Dan and Debbie, but Dan is determined not to fall for Debbie. Debbie's problem is wondering if she can trust Dan to find out who wants her dead before it is too late.

This a top notch suspense story filled with a lot of fast-paced action along with more twists and turns than you have ever seen and an ending that is truly a surprise for the reader. The characters are real, and they all have their own agendas. The characters of Dan and Debbie are written with such rich details they feel like true friends to the reader. This book is set with Las Vegas as the background. L.C. Hayden has done it again. First there was "Who's Susan" and now "When Colette Died." I can hardly wait for her next book to come out.

This was a very good book, if you want to learn about politics in nevada.

Ok, so really, I haven't even read the book. I just wanted the 50 dollar gift certificate. So hahaha. Go read the book though.

I loved this book! Somehow, we missed it on our prior trips to DV. It covers all the basic hikes, plus a few more. The authors' clarity about length of hike, elevation gain, and optional additional hikes are all very useful. We carried it with us everywhere. I need to get my hands on their Utah book, Wild Utah!

The book is written well and very attractive.
But it is unreliable and potentially dangerous. For example, it encouraged taking a regular car (and driving carefully) on a road the National Park Service says is only good for SUVs or ATVs. This was risky advice. It was hard to find some of the trailheads the book mentioned, though that might simply be because this year 2000 book might already be out of date.

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

I agree with the other review to some extent- but it can't be blamed on the book. Water avaialability will greatly vary depending on season. And no matter how good your guide may be, you should always consult local rangers and have topo map for anything not 'trailed'. I also have Afoot and Afeild and HATE it. It wasn't descriptive enough and made things far more confusing than necessary. Hiking Southern Nevada and Las Vegas both have been valuable tools for planning trips and selecting hikes. Then we gather our 'background' info before heading out.

Whitney provides a great number of interesting hikes for your adventures, but don't take his word on everything. Be sure to take a topographic map and get advice from park rangers before heading out on day hikes or backpacking trips. I have used Whitney's books on numerous hikes and have found discrepancies on water availability and I disagree avidly on his opinion of "a great hike". He is accurate on difficulty ratings and distances, but check with the visitor's center to verify water sources and directions for the trail or route and MOST IMPORTANTLY, get recommendations from people who have recently hiked your choice of trails.

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

I saw this book in the bargain bin at a local used book store for a quarter and I said "what the heck". I think I got a pretty good deal for 25 cents. The book focuses on the main character named Meade Slaugheter and his rise in the world of the Nevada gambling scene. I found the story line to be fairly interesting with enough twists and turns to warrant reading on. Having no real knowlege of the gambling world helped me keep focused on the story and characters rather than on looking for exciting gambling stories and situations. The only thing I really had to complain about was trying to keep track of all of the different names and places that were thrown around to explain parts of the storyline. If you are looking for a decent book about the history of gambling and hotels in Nevada that focuses more on the behind the scenes financial aspects then give this book a read. However if you are looking for a book filled with fast paced casino action with stories of dealers, cheats, legendary games, and tricks of the trade, then I would focus my attention elsewhere.

Clint McCullough's "Nevada" is an amazing look at the rise of the state of Nevada as a gambling powerhouse through the fictional accounts of a strong-willed entrepreneur Meade Slaughter as he works his way up from carnival barker to owner of a major casino. Historical references to actual people and real events make this book an exciting read. Caution: Strong sexual content, exploration of drug abuse and some violence but all are relevant to the plot of the story. Excellent story, well worth reading.

NEVADA TRIVIA is by far one of the best of the state trivia books. This is due to the colorful history of the state of Nevada as well as the obvious skill of the authors, including the depth of their research. I would highly encourage anyone who lives in Nevada, the many people who visit there, or anyone who is intrigued by the mystique of this famous gambling state to buy a copy of this interesting book.

The Nevada Trivia Book by Richard Moreno is another trivia book devoted to fascinating facts about Nevada. It differs from the Bouton book by offering more indepth answers to the trivia questions and includes substantially more historical information. I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in Nevada.