Hard To Find And Well Worth It
A friend recommended this gem to me and Amazon has it hidden. I couldn't find it under the author or the title, so I had to plug it into my search engine. Once I did find it, I was able to purchase it and it was worth the search and the wait. It is the fictional account of a naive young man into the world of compulsive gambling. "Don Curtis" is a happily married Denver accountant with a beautiful wife, two young sons that he adores, and a very good business. He jeopardizes all of it when he ventures from wagering on innocent golf games and football bets to the world of high stakes poker and casino gambling. I loved the book Nicotine Dreams because it gives us a glimpse into this perspective from a woman's point of view. This book does the same from a man's point of view, and the two styles of gambling are very different. Though this book came out over ten years ago, it does not feel dated, is gripping and difficult to put down. I highly recommend it.
Mildy entertaining cautionary tale
This book was mildly entertaining. It was a little far fetch that the main character could go on such a downward spiral in such a short time. Research had some errors such as stating the house has a 4% edge on a basic strategy player. It is actually closer to 4/10 of a percent. A big difference.
A frighteningly realistic story of compulsive gambling.
It is all here....from the initial small bets, "just for fun", to the rush of winning, (the worst thing that can happen to anyone with an addictive personality), to the larger and larger wagers, to the eventual crushing losses. I would be very surprised to learn that the author was not in fact a compuslive gambler. He hints at that in his foreword. The subtle, insidious slide of the compulsive gambler is portrayed very well in the book. The truth is in the details...the rationalizations, the hiding of money, the lying and self-deceit that takes place as the disease takes over more and more of his life.
See if you recognize anything of yourself in the pages. It will certainly make you think twice about gambling.
Very Typical -- Don't bother
This is the every day, common story of the 'fall from grace' of those touched by the gambling bug. Once you've read a few books about gamblers and gambling addiction, you'll realize that this story is the network TV version of what it's really like (if you want the cable version, check out "Stung: the incredible obsession of Brian Molony"). The author's intent is good I suppose, but characters' dialog is absurd, contrived and filled with unrealistic bravado. Clearly, the author is no gambling addict -- not a bad thing! Though the addictive symtoms and behavior illustrated throughout the novel are conceptually accurate, they're depicted with a simplicity that renders their phenominal effect almost trivial. I struggled and shook my head through the entire book. For the casual enthusiast, could be a good airport terminal read. Otherwise, you're better off playing cell phone solitaire.
A required read for gamblers
If you are a gambler this book should be required reading. Nelson's writing style is engaging and accurate - he captures the feelings of gambling right down to the excitement that just walking into a new casino can generate. He accurately portrays all the little things that go along with gambling - the new "friends", the new social events to attend, the new feeling of acceptance with fellow gamblers, the comraderie around a table. Just like smokers also enjoy unwrapping their cigarettes, and tapping them, and holding them, gamblers enjoy a lot of little side things that make the whole package hard to give up.A lot of what the main character goes through is very typical to all gamblers - unfortunately his compulsive personality takes over and gambling turns into an addiction for him. We see his slow decent as a gradual process - the final destination is something he would have run away from back when he was starting but by the end it all seems normal to him. You may scare yourself by recognizing the parallels to your own life. How far along are you in his progression? How many of his rationalizations have you already used?
My view of casinos has changed after reading this book. I was focused too much on my own story - an occasional casino day tripper taking advantage of cheap food and drink - and didn't consider all the compulsive personalities out there that casinos help ruin. If you want to put down your last thousand dollars on a bad bet the casinos will gladly call you "sir" and give you a free drink! Just imagine if a similar thing existed for drug addicts - imagine seeing someone in a tuxedo giving someone lying in the gutter a new syringe of heroin for three thousand dollars and calling him "sir" and making him feel important. It would be outlawed instantly and the tuxedo guy exposed as the fraud that he is! But as it is, it is "OK" and legal.
So, as you go out there and buy lots of gambling books explaining how to play and what the odds are, etc., I recommend that you also get this book and see if you see a side of yourself that you might not want to. But so much better to find out in a book!
