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Rating: 
Summary: More fun the I expected
Review: I bought this book for background on a paper I was writing on horse racing, but read it cover to cover. Nobody knows or explains racing from a player's perspective better than Steven Crist. A great read from a guy who has been there, done it and tells a great story."
Rating: 
Summary: A Must Read For Hoseplayers
Review: I Found This To Be Both Entertaining And Insightful.
It Is Amazing How This Individual Can Be Such A Corporate Magnate, Harvard Graduate But Yet Still Relate And Identify With The "Common Horseplayer".His Insight Ito The Interworkings Of Handicapping And Trying To Survive AS A Horseplayer Are A Must Read. I Did However Think To Much Copy Was Spent On His Relationship With The NYRA. I Would Have Loved To Have Seen More Print On His Personal On-Track Tales.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For Hoseplayers
Review: I Found This To Be Both Entertaining And Insightful.
It Is Amazing How This Individual Can Be Such A Corporate Magnate, Harvard Graduate But Yet Still Relate And Identify With The "Common Horseplayer".His Insight Ito The Interworkings Of Handicapping And Trying To Survive AS A Horseplayer Are A Must Read. I Did However Think To Much Copy Was Spent On His Relationship With The NYRA. I Would Have Loved To Have Seen More Print On His Personal On-Track Tales.
Rating:
Summary: Racing's Renaissance Man
Review: Incredible autobiographical tale for anyone interested in horses, gambling, big business, big government or the impact one person can make. Crist's careers to date have included New York Times reporter, founder of Racing Times, political consultant, full-time gambler (Mr. Pick Six), New York Racing Association executive and now Chairman of the Daily Racing Form (after a leading a $40 million charge to buy the publication while living on credit cards). An amazing resume for anyone, especially one who has yet to celebrate his 50th birthday.
Unlike many me-me-me tomes, Crist is scant with the usual laborious personal details (we know nothing about his favorite color or childhood pets). He takes a journalistic perspective as he recounts his high stakes business dealings with the late Robert Maxwell and former New York governor Mario Cuomo. He reports his successes and failures with equal detail.
The editor of the Harvard Lampoon and president of the Signet Society before redefining racing journalism and many parts of the game, Crist's writing is smart and lively.
You'll enjoy this book whether you are an industry insider or have watched the Derby on television once.
Rating:
Summary: Crist Cashes In A Winner
Review: It's always interesting to read and learn about the behind-the-scenes action that takes place during the business ventures of which the general public is not usually aware. In BETTING ON MYSELF, Steven Crist is a horseplayer who had ideas to improve the information provided to gamblers by creating an alternative publication to The Daily Racing Form (DRF). Instead, as this well written memoir details, Crist became chairman and publisher of DRF. His story serves as another example of a person who fulfills his goals and proves that luck is directly proportional to hard work applied to opportunity.
Rating:
Summary: Crisp Gets it Right
Review: Race track fans and journalists will enjoy Crisp's bright and insighful discussion about his experiences in both worlds. His ideas about the future of thoroughbred horseracing are interesting and his discussion about his betting experiences will ring true with any died-in-the-wool throughbred race fan. A fun read.
Rating:
Summary: He took the words out of my mouth
Review: The nearby review - Well Written Memoir from a Fascinating Person - got all the details of a review right, so I don't need to repeat them. Enthusiastic individual believes in himself, makes good, but fails (hardly by accident) to reveal some of the "secrets" of parimutuel betting success. Kind of like that magician who just won't explain how he cut the lady in half.
Rating:
Summary: Crisp Gets it Right
Review: Unfortunately, horse racing continues to decline in popularity and rarely gets mainstream attention. If it did, this book might be a bestseller. Steve Crist is one of the best horse racing handicappers in the world but will be mainly revered by most horse racing fans as the man who had the guts to take on the Racing Form a number of years ago and then to come in and save the publication from its decline.During what has been a short career, Crist has went to lead horse racing writer at the New York Times,editor of the Racing Times, served on a statewide commission regarding horse racing and now is the publisher of the Daily Racing Form. All of this is recounted in the book with prose that is easy to read and very informative. The only minor quibble I would have with the book is that Crist spends very little time discussing the craft of betting on horses. He spends a few pages talking about the Pick Six, an exotic wager that he has hit many time, but doesn't explain his strategy in all that much detail. In some ways I don't blame him, but I sense that I could learn a lot from him which is why this book is worth buying.
Rating:
Summary: Well Written Memoir from a Fascinating Person
Review: Unfortunately, horse racing continues to decline in popularity and rarely gets mainstream attention. If it did, this book might be a bestseller. Steve Crist is one of the best horse racing handicappers in the world but will be mainly revered by most horse racing fans as the man who had the guts to take on the Racing Form a number of years ago and then to come in and save the publication from its decline. During what has been a short career, Crist has went to lead horse racing writer at the New York Times,editor of the Racing Times, served on a statewide commission regarding horse racing and now is the publisher of the Daily Racing Form. All of this is recounted in the book with prose that is easy to read and very informative. The only minor quibble I would have with the book is that Crist spends very little time discussing the craft of betting on horses. He spends a few pages talking about the Pick Six, an exotic wager that he has hit many time, but doesn't explain his strategy in all that much detail. In some ways I don't blame him, but I sense that I could learn a lot from him which is why this book is worth buying.
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