Product Details
Author : Ben Mezrich
Binding : Paperback
EAN : 9780743249997
Edition : Reprint
Number of Pages : 272
Product Group : Book
Publication Date : 2003-09-09
Publisher : Free Press
ASIN : 0743249992
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Customer Reviews
Take a gamble on this book (2005-04-06)  I'm of two minds about this book. On the one hand, I am duly impressed that these students managed to take the 'big houses' of Vegas for as much money as they did. On the other hand, I found it very hard to get over the author worshipping at the alter of MIT. And by this I mean that the author took every opportunity to let you know that these weren't just any students who took Vegas for millions, they were MIT students. My beef with the author's love of MIT aside, the premise of this book is fascinating. To learn or hear of people, in this day and age, being able to make bucket loads in the Vegas casinos, is fascinating. What's more, the author presents the story in such a fashion that it is almost part story, part 20/20 documentary. He (the author) does a nice job of explaining to you exactly how the students managed to make all of their money from the casinos, while at the same time sprinkling enough information in each chapter to keep the reader interested to find out if the protagonists will make it rich, or get caught in the process. Everyone gambles. But it is only a few lucky people who have learned to gamble well and make money. And if you're interested in getting a glimpse into the lives of those who do gamble for the big bucks, then this book is for you.
Easy to Read (2004-07-16)  This is a fun and interesting book. Nothing too heavy. Just a light, easy to read book - which is sometimes the very best thing. In the same easy to read level of entertainment as "Moneyball" (Michael Lewis), "Stranger Than Fiction" (Chuck Palahniuk), or "My Fractured Life" (Rikki Lee Travolta).
CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE MOVIE! (2004-07-15) Ben Mezrich knows how to tell a story. He takes us along with Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Black Jack team on casino assaults from Las Vegas to the Bahamas. We experience the life of high stakes gamblers... the fabulous hotel complementary rooms and the casinos' violent response to big talented winners. He briefly discusses the theory of card counting among team players early on, but saves the details for the last chapter. Ben also admits that the casinos have adapted by implementing continuous card shuffling machines. As a computer programmer with designs on lotteries, I felt a connection to fellow Boston area college students with a plan and the determination to follow through. I hope they make a movie out of this.
decently fun.... (2004-07-15) If you like gambling, like myself, I think this book is worthwhile. It's not exactly a dissertation on winning at blackjack by any means, or a how-to book on winning lots of cash in gambling. It's pretty much a tale of a team of card-counters that hit up Vegas for millions. Whether it's true or not, I'm not sure. But it is a fun read. The story is interesting, and keeps you captivated enough so you won't put it down. But a light pleasure read. The main negative I have with this book is that it really isn't that well-written. While it is an easy read, the author shifts in and out of 1st and 3rd person narrative a lot, not only chapter by chapter, but also within pages. Not that it makes it confusing, but after awhile it becomes annoying. But all in all I thought the book was fun to read. So I'd give it 3 and a half stars, rounded up to 4.
The One Book that Vegas DOES Want You to Read (2004-07-14)  Bringing Down the House, if you don't already know, is a non-fiction (or so they say) card-counting story about some MIT kids who make millions with a team-based blackjack scheme. I have been fascinated by card-counting for quite a while so when I heard about this book I knew I would enjoy it. And I did enjoy it. But the writing is sometimes so bad that it makes me reconsider my own writing potential. I mean if a line like "I found the thrill of the game almost as addictive as the field of consulting," without any hint of irony or mockery, can make it into a NYT-bestseller, I could probably come up with something that sells, right? But I guess writing ability has very little to do with book sales, just like musicianship has nothing to do with record sales, and intellegence has nothing to do with Harvard Business School admissions. Selling lots of books requires a hook, just like a hit single requires a hook. Get 'em hooked and you've got yourself some sushi. And the theme of greed/American Dream/capitalism is a great hook, especially when put into the context of a crime story, or something that resembles a crime story (card counting is not against the law). Stories that depict everyday people taking advantage of flaws in the system are always going to be successful. Because it makes people think they can do something similar. Make something out of their lives. The problem is that the characters in *Bringing Down the House* don't hold much potential for pathos. They're all spoiled rich kids who think they're smarter than everyone else. Or at least the author thinks they're smarter than everyone else. But counting cards is not rocket science. It's more like counting cards. You have to know how to add one and subtract one from double-digit integers. If your count is +9, you need to be able to add and subtract one several times per hand and calculate that the count is +12 at the end of the hand. You need to be able to follow all the players' hands, or else the count is meaningless. It takes practice to make it look like you're not counting. And it becomes obvious to the casino if you start betting erratically and making large bets on seemingly bad hands, and then winning 60% of the time. So, you do what anyone else with a public-school education would do: you get your friends to help. This is what the brainiacs at MIT figured out. The real brilliance is in the fact that they actually did it, and pulled it off (if the story is in fact true.. I don't know how to verify it, and I'm sure all the names are changed). The logistics of putting together a blackjack team seem quite daunting. You've got to find a bunch of pretty smart people (ok - not so hard at MIT) who have "the look," are willing to be trained, and have the guts to participate in something quasi-criminal. *Bringing Down the House* is a perfect book for a long plane flight or a sick day. The writing is aimed at the lowest common denominator, and the story is barely plausible, but it's easy and fun to read with a fair dose of suspense. P.S. On the back cover of the book, it says this is "one story that Vegas does not want you to read." Give me a break. How many thousands of dumbass frat boys will read this and convince themselves they can get rich? This is the ultimate in free advertising for post-mob Vegas.
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