I first purchased Mr. Bourie's annual book many years ago, andlook forward to each new and expanded edition of his work. He tellsyou practically everything you need to know about casino gaming, then describes the basic offerings of every casino in the country, and then provides coupons that will save you hundreds of dollars when you visit many of the casinos listed. What else could you ask for? Any casino player who doesn't purchase this book every year is missing the boat!

Like to gamble? Me too! This guide tells you where all the casinos are in the good old USA. There are maps, plus detailed city maps of Las Vegas, Tunica, Biloxi, and others. It has strategy tables for blackjack and coupons for various discounts and freebies. You'll find me at a video poker machine--see you there! Good Luck!

After viewing on PBS, a documentary of Edward Sheriff Curtis, I was moved to purchase this excellent work.
I was touched to my soul, by the photos, and how well they conveyed a race of people who have all but vanished.
The text that goes with the pictures is also quite good, and tells a remarkable story of a man obsessed to tell the world a story which we all need to hear and see. Curtis sacrificed his own finances and marriage, and did succeed in completing a very exhausting pilgrimage.

This is perhaps the greatest book authored by my uncle, Victor Hugo Boesen. He worked diligently with Curtis' daughter and other members and friends of the Curtis family to research and to write this book. The photographs are stunning. It is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the American Indian and Curtis' crucial role in recording this history. This book has been translated into French and German. Victor Boesen served as a war correspondent for Liberty Magazine during World War II and was present at the signing of the peace treaty on the USS Missouri. His writings appeared in Life, Look, the Los Angeles Times, and other major periodicals and newspapers.

This is a wonderful book for anyone who is interested in both the U.S. and Soviet space programs. It has many tid-bits of obscure information that will suprise almost anyone.
Anyone interested in the history of two countries' space program will not be disappointed with this book.

The Space Almanac should be rated a 100,000 star book. It has info on everything space and astronomy related.

It is difficult to say what this book is about. Most people describe it as centered around the spiritual growth of what you might call the protagonist, Larry. That it is, without a doubt. But I think if it is centered around Larry, he is a foundation, or a backbone, around which the rest of the book rotates. You'll note how much time Maugham spends describing other people. I think that the purpose of the book isn't so much to tell Larry's story as it is to explore how people react and compare to Larry, to see why they don't find enlightenment. You'll find an abundance of inspiration in this book, but for any actual guides to enlightenment I would recommend reading the books that Larry himself reads, rather than getting too excited over this one.

That said, the book has a tremendous amount of compassion for its characters, and Maugham treats the story with great enthusiasm and interest. I think the author's attitude itself (he being a character) is a spiritual point of view that would be easy to miss. But I cannot write a review without saying that the book is stylistically flawed. The characters seem very mechanical and two-dimensional: they represent their designated manner of living far too perfectly, I think, to have any dramatic appeal or to be identified with smoothly. It's a lot like an Ayn Rand novel in that way. The dialogue, too, seems a bit stylized, and the descriptive passages can get formulaic in a bad way. But still the author's talent shines through in several passages, and there is plenty to think about. So don't miss this one, but don't expect a miracle.

First, a word of warning to the readers of the Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics edition of this book. You may want to hold off on reading the introduction as Mr. Curtis reveals a plot point that might frustrate first-time readers of the book. Now, onto the review.

The plot of The Razor's Edge is quite well-known and can be summed up as the quest of a young man to find himself. I think many, if not most, people can identify with the peripatetic, searching nature of Larry Darrell. Larry is burdened with some of the fundamental questions of life that we all have but, owing to a war-time experience and some independent financial means, he's unwilling to assume his place in a post WWI world until they're answered. Larry interacts with several characters throughout the book over the span of several decades. All of the characters are well-developed and the writing is good on a fairly consistent basis. As has been mentioned in previous reviews, there are a few occasions where the details provided by the author have the effect of slowing down an otherwise brisk pace. The frank depiction of sexuality in the book somewhat surprised me given the publication date of this work.

In the end, I recommend the book as an enjoyable and often funny exploration of clearly defined human archetypes (i.e. the superficial, the introspective, etc.). I've awarded the book 4 stars because of the detail-laden aspects of some of the book and also because the ending seemed somewhat forced to me. While the summation of the characters provided in the conclusion was quite pithy, the overall effect of the last chapter was to leave me with a sense of having been rushed. As such, it didn't live up to the otherwise high standards set by the book. Nonetheless, The Razor's Edge is deserving of your time.

Maugham writes an extremely interesting and thought provoking book, in this story about a young man who takes a drastic change. The book starts off in the early 20's, with World War I veteran Larry engaged to the beautiful Isabella. The future is ripe for him as he has the promise of a lucrative job.

However, Larry having had a life altering experience in the war (a friend saved his life by sacrificing himself), Larry decides that the materialistic way is not the one he wants to pursue. He'd rather loaf. Isabella wants a traditional, American way of life. They split up and Larry indulges himself in taking up various careers throughout Europe, studying with priests and Indian yogis, and reading and learning. Isabella, on the other hand, agrees to marry a wealthy young man. Their marriage is good, but not deep as she always has feelings for Larry.

Maugham writes in the first person and the reader is able to guess that this is a true story, but with the names changed. In some ways, the story is like a soap opera (Isabella tries to keep track of Larry's life and they run into each other periodically. There is also some scheming done when Isabella finds Larry engaged). There are other players in the book, and ultimately each gets what they want: spirituality, material possessions and security, social prominence, or death. The primary focus, though, is on Larry's spiritual growth and his relationship with Isabella. There is also a lengthy discussion into Hinduism versus Christianity.

There was also a well-done movie that does justice to the book. It runs on AMC. The ending differs only slightly and the book goes into a few places the movie doesn't, but both are comparable and worthwhile.

This book did not quite meet my expectations. Since I have more reason to criticize I shall start my review by listing the flaws.

First thing that strikes me as a mistake is the fact that the works are not arranged in any order, but rather just thrown in at random. Although the authors make it clear in the introduction that this was done deliberately it still strikes me as a poor decision.

Next, neither one of the two authors is an art historian. Too bad, because a lot of the works merit better descriptions.

In my opinion the authors included too many works by LeRoy Neiman, and at the same time failed to include some very important works of art that should really have been included to make this book complete. LeRoy Neiman also wrote the Foreword, which is fine, except that he made a big mistake in his description of the world famous painting "The Cheat with the Ace of Clubs" by Georges de La Tour. He says, "Women gambling pops up frequently in this collection. Georges de La Tour's painting of a woman being cheated..." The famous painting in question shows a young man being cheated by small conspiratorial group of two women and a man. How could such big mistake slip through the cracks and end up in print? Sloppiness?

While at the subject of La Tour's masterpiece, "The Cheat with the Ace of Clubs". The authors do mention that this painting is a virtual clone of another work by the same artist, "The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds", however they did not include a color plate of the other one. Why not? Furthermore the authors have totally failed to provide an accurate description of this masterpiece. According to the authors this painting is about a cheat switching cards. Yes, a cheat is seen holding out two aces behind his back, however there is more to it; the main foundation for this painting is a moral essay on the three main temptations of the 17th century - women , gambling and wine. A quick glance into a few art books would have made this fact known to the authors.

Although the authors did note that the above-mentioned work was strongly influenced by Caravaggio's "The Cardsharpers", they failed to include any paintings by Valentin de Boulogne, a celebrated artist, also influenced by Caravaggio, and the only one said to come close or even surpass Caravaggio's talent. The two masterpieces by Valentin that should have been included are "Cardsharpers" and "Soldiers Playing Cards and Dice" (aka "The Cheats").

Other paintings that should have been included are works by Theodor Rombouts, such as "Card and Backgammon players" (aka "Fight Over Cards"), and two renditions of "The Card Players". The exclusion of the above-mentioned works makes this book incomplete.

As I had already mentioned, the descriptions of the paintings tend to be a bit incomplete, sometimes inaccurate, and often tend to focus on irrelevant subjects. For example, in the description of "The Dice Playes" by Georges de La Tour, which was painted in 1650, the authors slip away to a description of an event that happened in 1984 when a Texan (unnamed) made a one million Dollar bet at the Craps table, at Binnion's Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. Although this is undoubtedly a good story, what does that have to do with the painting that La Tour painted in the 17th century?

As an example of an inaccurate description I could mention the Carl Kronberger's "Surprised". At first glance one can see a scene in which three card players, seated under a bridge are distracted by a carriage that happens to be passing over the same bridge. The authors are attempting to guess which three-handed game of card the players could be playing. However, what they failed to notice is that the players are seated on top of their bags, around a make-shift table, and that there is an abandoned fourth bag over which the absent fourth player laid his hand of five cards to rest. Furthermore this fourth player left his wager (a few coins) on the card table. At the same time he is seen begging for change, hat in hand, on top of the bridge, as the rich man seated in the carriage in tossing spare change into the man's hat. The painting obviously shows an interrupted four-handed game, and not a three-handed game, as the authors are guessing.

On the good note, I still find the book interesting. It is probably the best gaming-related art book with good color reproductions. Despite its flaws it is till obvious that the authors did do a substantial amount of research and I do recommend this book for anyone interested in gaming and/or gambling, and art.

I bought this as a gift, and I only had time to thumb through it. I figured that I would write a quick note since it has not been rated and others might at least want an idea.

This book is full of interesting and colorful art work. From card games to horse racing it has it all. If you think you will be interested you will like it. I was very happy with the purchase.

This book will save you time but offers nothing more.

Was hoping that more effort was spent on the personallity of each casino rather than basic information that can be found in minutes on the web.

In fairness, the writer never claims the book would offer an opinion of each establishment... My mistake!

Save your money and do the web work yourself.

Now in a newly updated 2002 edition, the American Casino Guide is a superbly presented and highly recommended reference for both casual casino visitors and people with a yearning to learn more about the games and their odds. From a comparison of the house edge in different casino games to a brief study and focus upon individual games such as slot clubs, slot machines, video poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, and much more, to a state-by-state listing of the best casinos, American Casino Guide has it all. The 2002 edition pays for itself not only in terms of strategies to improve one's gaming skills, but also in more than $1000 worth of valuable casino coupons that can be clipped out of the book itself! If you are planning a visit to the gaming tables of Atlantic City or Las Vegas, begin with the 2002 edition of the American Casino Guide!

This book was much more than what I had expected! There are almost 200 pages of useful information on gambling, tips, strategies, best bets, etc. They don't just rehash the rules on how to play the casino games...but actually cover the proper winning techniques in detail (the things you need to know). They cover almost all the games...Slot clubs, Video Poker, Blackjack, Craps, Roulette and Baccarat. They also cover comps and lots of other tips to save you money on your overall expenses (all-right...more money for gambling!). The price is cheap considering all the information that is packed in to this book.

Well these are my two favorite works by Henry James. In both James displays his very neatly honed talents for creating fine fictional universes and architecturally perfect stories where all seems to be just right but of course it isn't. James is writing in the still young American tradition of letters but he has cleared away much of the romanticism that was so evident in Hawthorne and Melville. The romanticism still exists but it is not in the writers brain, it exists in the characters alone. James was the first to really write at a remove from his characters. He tells each tale with no authorial comment to sway your opinion of his characters one way or another, he lets the reader make his own observations and draw his own conclusions based on the characters behaviour and thoughts. That authorial distance allows him to simply relate the story, not explain it, and James stories are each as intricate as the psychologies that occupy them. In these two stories he creates very intriguing and complex situations. Both are mysteries and both perhaps have no easy solution or resolution because James lets the complex minds and psychologies of his characters subjectively grapple with a web that they have themselves woven and any resolution would mean an unraveling of their entire character. These are story long webs which can be baffling(Aspern Papers) or terrifying(Turn of the Screw), the psychological webs these characters weave can lead them to frightening extremes(Turn of the Screw) or can serve as a necessary support for the fragile psyche that created them(Aspern Papers). The real thrill of reading James is in how controlled a manner all is told. There are no obvious clues just psychological gradations and patterns which begin adding up to an overall impression. It can seem after finishing one of his stories that nothing much has happened at all, and yet a psychology has all the while been examined and quite thoroughly. Through his stories much is revealed about what lies just beneath the facade of life and what motivates our most basic perceptions, our identity, and our societal or world view. It has been said that James brought the insight of a psycholgist to his stories. But his insights are much more profound than a mere clinicians notes. In James we get a highly discerned character in a highly discerned context and the discerning reader will be entertained and enlightened and inspired to contemplate the workings of ones own intricate structure.

I regard Henry James as being something of a genius. T.S. Elliot considered him "the most intelligent man of his age." His later work, as these books fall under, are known for their complicated writing style. Nearly every sentence is, on purpose, much too long. There are endless complications, and at times pedantic sentencing. They will take a long while to fully absorb. However, I rather liked it. I happened to comprehend what he was saying, whereas most do not, from fear of trying. They truly are meaningful sentences of detailed insight.

The Aspern Papers has genuine suspense, though it is not a horror story. It is among the greatest short stories ever written, as with The Turn of the Screw. It covers the plight of a young man who studies the histories of writers living and dead. He comes upon a house, purportedly a place once of Mr. Aspern, the renowned author, whose "papers" unknown to the world remain. Were they diaries, another story? We do not know. The narrator then tries every possible way to befriend the old woman of the house, and her attractive daughter, so as to get at the papers. I will tell nothing more.

The Turn of the Screw is a brilliantly told narrative of a haunting. The Spirits, either of the dead or someone's imagination (we do not know)intent themselves on two extrordinarily bright children (boy and girl). The nanny must look after it all.

Now, again, the reader must be made aware of the difficulty of Henry James. He cannot easily be read. Thankfully, I succeeded.

Concentration, time, effort, these are the tools. If with patience you tackle James, you will be very well satisfied. You will see the realism of his characters, and how that the very dialogue between them has a living intensity. They speak so polite, intelligently, and subtle.

I do feel that Henry James was a magnificent genious. And has aptly been titled "the Shakespeare of novels."

These are two of James's most haunting stories. It is amazing how he uses his mastery of narrative technique to unsettle the reader. It is never clear in the "Turn of the Screw" whether the ghosts actually exist or whether the narrator herself is deluded. Similarly, in "The Aspern Papers" the narrator seems to be eminently reasonable and civilized, but his actions are anything but. This story, in its quiet, "boring" fashion, throws a very disturbing light on literary biographers. In fact, this is one of James's trademarks, the ability to probe the dark side of refined, genteel people.

This book is crucial for any who want to participate in casino tournaments. Generally, in these tournaments you are not playing against the casino, but against other players. Since this is very different than normal play, it is very different. This book gives you a much greater advantage than the other players with whom you are competing. With thousands and thousands of dollars available in prize money, the cost of this book is insignificant in comparison to the gains it can potentially earn you.

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