The Zen of Gambling: The Ultimate Guide to Risking It All and Winning at Life

Rating:
Summary: ...superficial, full of half-truths and platitudes.
Review:
"The Zen of Gambling" is an amusing and interesting read, but it is superficial, full of half-truths and platitudes. Although I enjoyed reading it, I find it difficult to recommend. The techniques it promotes are potentially self-destructive.

Take pari-mutuel wagering as the prime example: The pari-mutuel percentage is overwhelming. You can check with any reliable gambling reference book, such as: "How to Gamble at the Casinos without Getting Plucked Like a Chicken" by Ford or "The Theory of Gambling and Statistical Logic" by Epstein. The mathematics of Gambler's Ruin make it a virtual certainty that you will lose over the long term if you insist on playing against lopsided odds.

If, as the book recommends; you make it a point to become fully informed, consider all the possibilities, take a deep breath and make the leap; for areas like playing the stock market, you had better include the brokerage commission in the equation. Otherwise, the only one who will be smiling at the end of the day is your stock broker.

Another, not so minor, point: Contrary to what this tome says, it is possible to beat some of the casino games, but you have to pay attention to the details. Serene confidence and superficial arm waving won't cut it.



Rating:
Summary: Very Informative on sports betting - must read for newbies
Review: Alot of great info on sports betting - covers not only football but college basetball and MLB. Great section on what to bet each month. Well worth the $20. I dont write many reviews but the book was worth my time.

Rating:
Summary: Zenliness
Review: An informative read by a confident author. Taking risks is really what it's all about... and I agree with Quality Stan. This book and Ford's "How to Gamble at the Casinos Without Getting Plucked Like a Chicken" are the two freshest books to come out on the real art of Gambling in a long, long time.

Rating:
Summary: One of Three Gambling Books You Must Own
Review: Excellent book. This, combined with How to Gamble at the Casinos Without Getting Plucked Like a Chicken, and Doyle Brunson's Super System are the only gambling books you need!!!

Rating:
Summary: Provides a wealth of information and motivation
Review: I was impressed by "The Zen of Gambling". The focus of this book is mainly describing techniques used to win at sports betting. Root also shares stories from his past about how taking big risks at the right times made him successful.

Before reading this book, I always viewed Root as a loudmouth salesman tout on television just marketing his sports predictions to suckers that get pressured into buying them. But this book will make you think differently about Root and see other sides of him. He honestly admits that not every sports bet he makes is a winner and that losing streaks do happen.

Even though I consider myself to already be a "sharp" sports gambler, I found that this book reinforced a lot of what I have found profitable when it comes to sports betting. Root stresses the importance of having the confidence to bet underdogs and going against what everyone else is saying. I agree that this is how to find value and beat your bookmakers in the long run.

It is also an entertaining read with Root throwing in a few pages with tips on health and building self esteem. He also reinforces that casino gambling cannot be beat in the long run and explains the kinds of tricks used by casinos for making people lose money.

Although sports betting has its own "house edge" with what's known as "vigorish", it is not based on a mathematical formula as casino games are so it can be beaten with the right skills and money management. Root teaches that risking everything you have on one bet you feel strong about or parlaying a series of plays is wrong and that you have to grind money out with a few carefully selected wagers each week.

I would recommend this book to anyone who bets on sports regularly or who is considering doing it. Beginners will probably get more out of it than sharper players, but even sharper players will find parts of it interesting. Once you read this book, you will have the motivation to believe in the calculated risks you take - even if you have been in slumps with gambling or other areas of your life before.


Rating:
Summary: Lack of attention to detail
Review: In terms of good information to learn as far as sports betting is concerned, this book was pretty good. It does a good job of explaining a *value* approach to sports betting. I enjoyed the book when I felt it kept true to its purpose. However, I felt the comparisons he makes between the stock market and sports gambling were downright moronic. Dont get me wrong. I picked up this book with the perspective that there are many comparisons to be made regarding sports vice stocks. However, his chapter on stocks that talks about buying low and selling high was a waste of time. What inspired me to actually write about this book was his lack of attention to detail. I swear about 10% of the book repeats itself word for word. He would start a chapter on football betting for one concept...then literally use the same exact paragraph word for word to explain the same concept when dealing with stocks. I really didnt appreciate the fact that this book was 323 pages long. Granted, its expected that authors will give longwinded explanations why you should buy into whatever theory they are pushing...that is the norm. It justifies their book...however, Ive never read a book where the author literally copied the same paragraph literally 3+ times within the same book. Ill give credit where its due...I found his thoughts on value investing interesting....however, his arrogant, I am everying Las Vegas really got old....and then to notice he didnt take the time to individualize each theory to the appropriate topic was the last straw. Bottomline, read it for the sports gambling chapters, even though it claims to be applicable to life and stocks and everything under the sun...please consider the source.

Rating:
Summary: Offers good sound advice
Review: When I picked up this book, I did not realize that it was so literally about sports betting (though it does wander over to stock picking for a short chapter as well); and if I had, I wouldn't have bought it.

But I'm not disappointed. It's a great read and Root's Contrarian approach (find out what the mass asses are doing and make a beeline to do the opposite) has great appeal.

In the second half of the book he gives blow by blow, very specific criteria to follow where you bet for the underdog while (Root claims) having the odds on your side. Frankly, I found it fascinating.

At the least, it makes for an entertaining read! I did learn a lot from it and had an enjoyable afternoon reading it as well. Root has a GREAT attitude and it really shines through in his book.