Friday, January 18, 2008
Bringing Down the House
The New Year always brings a number of challenges and resolutions. I’m trying to do reasonably well with my resolutions and I joined the Blog365 challenge. (I finally officially joined it today, I am member number #1155.) Another challenge that I know about is 50/08. This is to read 50 books in 08. I really respect anyone who can achieve that but I have no realistic chance of completing it so I’m not even trying. But I am always reading and hopefully can finish a number of quality books this year.
This week I finished my first book of the year: Bringing Down the House. This is a non-fiction book about a blackjack card-counting team from M.I.T that took Vegas and other casinos for millions. The MIT blackjack team traces it origins back to 1980 but the book focuses on the, probable, end of the team in the time span of 1994-1998.
The book is a great and very quick read. Anyone who finds the world of gambling would find this a page turner. The process that the team employees to use spotters, card counters, and big players to beat the system is explained well. Much like the James Bond novels there are liberal amounts of gambling, tense setting, and women who love men with money.
But while an interesting read you have to question how much of it is non-fiction. The book comes entirely from author interview with principle players. The reader will probably question a number of facts that are sometimes glossed over. My biggest question is why they kept moving money on the flights to Vegas like drug mules when they were there every month. I suggest you enjoy the read and don’t bog down trying to determine if it is fiction or non-fiction.
The reason I read the book is it is being loosely adapted into the movie 21. I am pretty sure that they will screw it up. That said I will probably go see it just to see Jim Sturgess, who was so good in Across the Universe in the lead role. Laurence Fishburne also looks promising as the casino security man. Kevin Spacey as the team leader will probably be good, it's his kinda part, but I'm kind of bummed that the team isn't mostly Asian. That seemed to fit in with the whole geek, math, MIT, gambling team that was such a big part of the book.
Hot Chicks Born Today
Alison Arngrim, 46, that little bitch Nellie Oleson was by far the best looking girl on Little House, I was never a fan of the show but if I was at someone's house and had to watch it I rooted for her to be in the storyline
Devon Odessa, 34, I was a big fan of My So-Called Life and while there were hotter girls on the show, Devon was still very attractive
This week I finished my first book of the year: Bringing Down the House. This is a non-fiction book about a blackjack card-counting team from M.I.T that took Vegas and other casinos for millions. The MIT blackjack team traces it origins back to 1980 but the book focuses on the, probable, end of the team in the time span of 1994-1998.
The book is a great and very quick read. Anyone who finds the world of gambling would find this a page turner. The process that the team employees to use spotters, card counters, and big players to beat the system is explained well. Much like the James Bond novels there are liberal amounts of gambling, tense setting, and women who love men with money.
But while an interesting read you have to question how much of it is non-fiction. The book comes entirely from author interview with principle players. The reader will probably question a number of facts that are sometimes glossed over. My biggest question is why they kept moving money on the flights to Vegas like drug mules when they were there every month. I suggest you enjoy the read and don’t bog down trying to determine if it is fiction or non-fiction.
The reason I read the book is it is being loosely adapted into the movie 21. I am pretty sure that they will screw it up. That said I will probably go see it just to see Jim Sturgess, who was so good in Across the Universe in the lead role. Laurence Fishburne also looks promising as the casino security man. Kevin Spacey as the team leader will probably be good, it's his kinda part, but I'm kind of bummed that the team isn't mostly Asian. That seemed to fit in with the whole geek, math, MIT, gambling team that was such a big part of the book.
Hot Chicks Born Today
Alison Arngrim, 46, that little bitch Nellie Oleson was by far the best looking girl on Little House, I was never a fan of the show but if I was at someone's house and had to watch it I rooted for her to be in the storyline
Devon Odessa, 34, I was a big fan of My So-Called Life and while there were hotter girls on the show, Devon was still very attractive
Labels: Books
# posted by ChrisR @ 11:00 PM 
