Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating Story! Jerky writing!
Review: You must read this book for the excellent story as long as you discount some of the jerky writing which disrupts the flow of the story. The characters are described wonderfully but the descriptions of the "statistical" betting techniques are a bit overdone.
Rating: 
Summary: Clearly a work of fiction
Review: This book is clearly not a work of non-fiction, and labeling it as such is dishonest at best. For example, the author states that their betting system was developed by MIT students in the mid 90s. However, this exact system was described by blackjack expert Ken Uston in his 1992 book "Million Dollar Blackjack". Uston states that he used his system throughout the 70s and 80s to make millions of dollars. Additionally, the author's melodramatic tone becomes annoying after the first half dozen pages. For these reasons, I would NOT recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Robinhood on Steroids Does Vegas!
Review: Like some folks, I first heard about this on Jim Rome's radio show. One must decide quickly if these guys are Robinhood, or just criminals. The characters are likeable until the greed snowballs into a giant can of worms. This is not a textbook on how to count cards but the methods are explained in layman's terms for the average joe. The story has a Magnificent Seven or Ocean's Eleven kind of feel to it. A motley cast on the same team with a common goal: beat the house odds on blackjack. Take home thousands every weekend. College students living like kings. It's got a strong appeal. The drawback being the paranoia, the casino's ability to suddenly remove a gambler on a whim, the IRS and so on. I loved the tension, the twists and the cavalier attitude of all the participants. This time, what happened in Vegas didn't stay there...
Rating:
Summary: If you've ever played blackjack, this is a must read!
Review: This is a truly amazing story of six MIT students who beat Vegas at its own game.As anybody who has ever been to Vegas knows, the ONLY game in Vegas where the player has a slight advantage (using minor card counting techniques) over the house is blackjack. The MIT students in this book took it a few steps further to increase their advantage even more. The research, practice, and other methods they used are quite remarkable. It certainly helped that they were all mathematical whizzes. This book is a lot more than just blackjack, though. It gives an inside glimpse into the life of a high roller (AKA whale in gambling jargon) and even has some suspense and intrigue. This is an absolute must read for anybody who has ever gambled in their life, especially if you've ever played a hand of blackjack. The book is a very fast read and you will find yourself turning the pages very quickly as you are enveloped in a fantasy world that only a handful of people ever get to realize. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Rating: 
Summary: Exciting Story of Beating the Odds
Review: Who would have thought that a book premised around mathematical probabilities could ever be this interesting? Bringing down the house is the story of a group of MIT students recruited by a former student-turned-gambler who has figured out how to beat the system in Vegas and other casinos around the country. The book goes into all of the details of the system (and in fact concludes with an essay that explains the system), but suffice it to say, that they had figured out via statistical probabilities, that certain deck configurations offer significant advantage to the player (and others, to the house). Moreover, they had figured out a card counting technique that allowed them to determine the configuration of the deck. The fun all begins, though, when our protagonist, Kevin, is introduced by two of his former MIT classmates (they had dropped out previously to pursue gambling) to their system for beating the casinos. Kevin grasps the system quickly and they are off to Vegas. Things begin to go down hill (and the story really picks up) when the casinos get wind of what is going on and try to stop it. Basement-cells, men-in-black suits, IRS audits and roughing-up are all in their future ... If you've ever been to Vegas (or are about to go) this story features some familiar landmarks - and paints the city in another light. It is one of the best true-narrative books I've read, but doesn't really seem to have any "big point" or message other than that the house can be beaten ... (Perhaps that is a message ...)
Rating:
Summary: Adrenaline on paper
Review: Mezrich puts you in the casino sitting on those cheap vinyl chairs, feeling the soft, padded felt and tinkering with clay chips. He makes the lump build up in your chest just like when you lay down a huge bet. However, this is much more than a gambling book. It is a David vs. Goliath story that continues to build speed right up until the last page. Bringing Down the House is a coming of age story of sorts in which every choice in life is ultimately a gamble. You don't have to be a gambler to appreicate the rise and fall of the MIT kids. This book is for everyone who ever tried to fight the system and wondered why they couldn't just change the system to work for them.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing, Captivating.
Review: I must say that this is quiet possibly the most captivating book I have ever read. I finished it all in one night. The story is absolutel amazing. I could not recommend this book more. One of the best books I have ever read.
Rating:
Summary: a good read!
Review: i heard mr. mezrich promoting his book on the jim rome show and promptly ordered a copy for myself.what a terrific story! a real page turner! i wish i would have had adventures like that in college!
Rating:
Summary: Truly Amazing
Review: Wife and I read it together in bed every night and couldn't put it down. Great writing, captivating, but if it weren't a true story - would be very ho-hum. You will absolutely love this book.
Rating:
Summary: An incredible story
Review: Bringing Down the House is probably the most entertaining book I have read in a long time. I actually found it difficult to put down. When I should have been sleeping I instead continued reading saying to myself "this is the last chapter then i'm going to bed". I've always had a great interest in gambling and have read many books on card counting as well as heard a little about what this team did in Vegas. When I saw the title I knew I had to give this one a read. I have fairly decent understanding of the many mainstream concepts of blackjack strategy and what this team did was purely brilliant and outside of the common beliefs that Vegas and many pro gamblers (the ones who write books about it) want you to believe. An example, casinos would love to make you think that its impossible to count or beat a 6 deck shoe. In reality this is completely untrue. 1 deck might be easy to count, but you generally only get 1 or 2 rounds of play out of it so when the numbers run to your favor you only have one hand to take advantage of it. When the shoe runs positive, the cards can go several rounds before they flatten out. There are of course many other factors involved such as how deep into the stack the dealer puts the shuffle card, etc. To any gambling enthusiast this is a must read. To anyone who is neutral on gambling, it is a story that is easy to follow and very intriguing. If you hate gambling and everything it stands for, you might not like it.
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