Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People : The Memoirs of the Greatest Gambler Who Ever Lived

Rating:
Summary: The All American Character
Review: Amarillo Slim is the true all American Hero. His stories of traveling the world and gambling with virtually everyone will have you riveted to the pages. I highly recommend this book. If poker is your game, sports betting, pool or any other gambling type activity, Slim will thoroughly entertain you till the early hours of the morning.

Rating:
Summary: Angela's Ashes for High Rollers
Review: Among poker players, Slim is already a legend as one of the Founding Fathers of modern poker. His memoir, which I understand is being made into a movie (Nicholas Cage reportedly wants to play Slim), should broaden his audience. Slim's distinctive voice is in every sentence, and it's a voice that makes you want to listen forever. One of the startling things that comes through, though Slim doesn't push it at all, is the fact that this man has an amazing mathematical mind (I'd bet his IQ is well north of "Exceptional"). Coupled with an insight into people that would make Freud envious, Slim has all the right ingredients for a millionaire gambler who made his first million at nineteen--while serving a tour of duty in the Army. This book could be required reading for the business crowd who gobble up books by CEOs and politicians. Except you won't find palaver in here about corporate spirit, etc. Slim is a lone wolf who chose, in his words, "a hard way to make an easy living." Henry Miller said that for him, reading I.B. Singer was "like eating pie," pure pleasure that went down easy and made you want more. That's what reading this memoir was like for me. I have the attention span of a gnat, but once I started reading, I didn't want to do anything else. When the book was over I wished I could have opened Volume Two. The literati might treat this book with condescension, like it's a novelty item. If gripping narrative, life lessons, laugh-out-loud humor and sheer honesty don't add up to literature, I want to stay clear of the Critics' Picks. This is a memoir that conveys the entirety of the writer on every page, and it does it without a drop of pretension. If you dislike gambling, this book might not be for you, but if you like gambling, or are indifferent to it but enjoy books that deal with business strategy and tactics, I think you'll like this a lot. It made this New Yorker want to move to the Lone Star State, put on a ten gallon hat, and make regular trips to Vegas for some action.

Rating:
Summary: AMARILLO SLIM
Review: Broad strokes of the life of Amarillo Slim. The dialogue and detail has been left out of every Slim adventure. It would have been a great read in High School.

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Summary: A diverse story that'll keep you laughing and turning pages!
Review: Exotic camel rides; rattlesnake bites; A death defying rafting voyage in zero degree temps; A deadly close encounter with a gigantic gator! Sounds to me more like that "Aussie Dude Down Under" than a former world series of poker champ. If you're a pro or amateuer gambler you'll love Slim's history lessons.(He rubbed shoulders with them all!) If you love life and adventure, you'll likewise be captivated. Slim didn't always go looking for a bet, but when a bet came to him it was ALWAYS 100 to a 100. 100% time he won & 100% time the scamming bettor lost!

In addition to greatest bettor of all time, Slim spins a yarn that'd make a young Andy Griffith jealous. BUY THIS BOOK!

Rating:
Summary: Moderately interesting bio of a Texas hustler
Review: He's a superb athelete, a hard worker and highly intelligent. But he's slick as he can be and contemptously refers to "square Johns" by which I think he means non-hustlers. He spent his Army career fixing sports events and participated in other dubious activities. The book is candid and moderately interesting but I have to admit, I wouldn't like to meet this man in person. He seems incapable of making an honest deal. Seems like he's gotta hustle everybody.

Rating:
Summary: Great Read!
Review: I bought this for my husband for dad's day and I am the first one to read it! Yes, even a thirty something yr old woman thought this was a great read.

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Summary: amarillo slim: the story of an unproductive life
Review: I don't know how this bum lives with himself. He takes pride in the fact that he has never done a productive, honest days worth of work in his life. He despises a lack of integrity in certain people he names but has absolutely none himself. Throughout the book, this man dreams of every conceivable way to cheat people and this is called "betting". The Southern expressions used in the book get tired fast. Don't get me wrong; the book is quite readable but I found myself disliking Slim with each passing page. If that was his objective, he accomplished it. In one instance, this fool goes into a prohibited alligator pit to win a bet. His dear old best friend throws in a stick to wake up the alligator and Slim almost loses his backside climbing the fence to get out. The police should have put both their backsides in jail. Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People (clever title??? NOT!!) is a book about a rather empty man who leads a wasted life and likes to brag about his numerous childish exploits.

Rating:
Summary: amarillo slim: the story of an unproductive life
Review: I don't know how this bum lives with himself. He takes pride in the fact that he has never done a productive, honest days worth of work in his life. He despises a lack of integrity in certain people he names but has absolutely none himself. Throughout the book, this man dreams of every conceivable way to cheat people and this is called "betting". The Southern expressions used in the book get tired fast. Don't get me wrong; the book is quite readable but I found myself disliking Slim with each passing page. If that was his objective, he accomplished it. In one instance, this fool goes into a prohibited alligator pit to win a bet. His dear old best friend throws in a stick to wake up the alligator and Slim almost loses his backside climbing the fence to get out. The police should have put both their backsides in jail. Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People (clever title??? NOT!!) is a book about a rather empty man who leads a wasted life and likes to brag about his numerous childish exploits.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent memoir!
Review: I feel with the sudden explosion of Poker in popularity,will we begin to see even more of these type books.Amarilo Slim takes us from his early days as a Pool hustler to exciting times as a road gambler.I feel as a Poker Player myself the book intersted me most
with his stories of being on the road with Doyle Brunson and Sailor Roberts. I highly reccomend this book if you want to learn the history of how Poker was before the present day acceptance of it.

Rating:
Summary: SLIM ON THE REAL SLIM
Review: I just felt like I never really got to know Slim in this book. There are many areas where he keeps his cards close to his vest. The writing is rather flat page after page and in reading this I wanted to know more about the man and less about his victories and losses at the table.