This book is a fascinating read about one of the world's most colorful characters and showman, i.e. Phineas Taylor Barnum. It's replete with interesting facts and details about his life as a circus showman, museum owner and Bridgeport politician. Fleming writes of how Barnum deceived the public with his mermaid exhibition, the world's oldest woman and Colonel Fremont's wooly horse from the Rockies. Some interesting circus characters are described such as Jumbo the elephant, General Tom Thumb and lavinia Warren. If you have any interest in learning about the paragon of all showmen then you must read this book.

This short book covers the history of gambling from Classic times down to the present. Gambling means wagering money on events which are beyond your control. (But sometimes the events can be controlled!) Gambling can encourage a reckless disregard for two precious commodities: time and money. As often as there is gambling, there are ways to fix the results. "Don't bet on anything that talks" is what some gamblers say. But the house figures the odds so they have the advantage.

It is commonly believed that compulsive gamblers have an unconscious desire to lose. They also tend to be tense, irritable, suffer from insomnia, and think of suicide. They come from all levels of society and have many different backgrounds, but the overwhelming majority are men. Knowing that the odds are against them rarely stops people from gambling. Compulsive gamblers are a danger to themselves and to society.