24/7 : Living It Up and Doubling Down

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Summary: 24/7 : Living It Up and Doubling Down in the New Las
Review: I was very eager to read this book when I first heard about the subject matter. What a great idea , go to Vegas with $50,000 and write about your gambleing exploits. We get about 40% of that in this book and the rest is devoted to history lessons or the author and his wife having dinner with friends or visiting the hoover damn. What a great concept that failed to meet my expectations in the gambleing and casino department.

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Summary: A Must Read for the True Vegas Fan
Review: This book was a lot of fun to read and very difficult to put down. Martinez writes in such a way that you feel you are in the casino with him watching every card that is dealt. Anyone that has fantasized about rolling into town and beating a casino will love reading this book and probably kick themselves for not developing the idea for their own gambling adventure.

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Summary: A great adventure
Review: This book is great fun. Martinez hooks up with a fascinating cast of characters: from showgirls to professional gamblers to lay preachers, and describes them all with a great sense of humor. What makes this book so memorable is the way that Martinez weaves in the theme of gambling at so many levels, from the gigantic gamble of Las Vegas itself (who would have bet on a resort in the middle of the desert?) to the author's personal gamble of betting his "nest egg." Yes, gambling can be an addiction, and Martinez explores this theme, from Dostoevsky to Gamblers Anonymous. But in the end, I agreed with Martinez that Las Vegas is a monument to American optimism.

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Summary: Well, I've never been to Vegas....
Review: .... but I felt like I had been after reading this delightful book. I found myself both intrigued and appalled as Martinez kept on going back out onto the gambling floor, throwing his money around with reckless abandon. His book is gonzo journalism at its best: no drugs required; just a burning desire to experience Vegas from the inside out. After reading the book, I find myself torn between the desire to check the place out myself, and a feeling that it's the last place on Earth anyone with an ounce of sanity should go!

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Summary: wonderfully entertaining
Review: This is a great, lighthearted, look at playing a "high roller" in Vegas. Martinez' slightly cynical view of the wrold of glitz had me laughing out loud on occasion. Who would have thought his predication about the "Paris" hotel would have been right on (:-)?

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Summary: Good Book and Some Explanations
Review: I love reading anything to do with gambling and I awaited with anticipation Martinez's book. It lived up to my expectations. For the reviewer who doesn't know or understand why so many other reviewers mentioned Frank Scoblete, the reason is somewhat similar to why folks who like horror fiction mention Stephen King when they talk of other authors. Scoblete has set a very high literary standard for gaming writers, which in my opinion Martinez's book certainly lives up to. What Scoblete does in his books is not only give advice on how to play the various games but he often relates his adventures as did Martinez in this book. I totally disagree with the reviewers who panned this book and said it wasn't as good as Scoblete. The difference is that martinez's book is an adventure and background, Scoblete's books are strategic advice, indepth analysis of the games, and then his personal adventures in Vegas and other casino towns. Martinez deserves the five star ratings. I can't see how anyone could have given him one star. The reviewer who doesn't care about reading Scoblete is entitled to his opinion but he should stay clear of the casinos or he'll wind up the way Martinez did, losing almost his entire bankroll. However, Mr. Martinez, congratulations on a truly fine work!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Mr. Martinez has a completely engaging writing style and I found this book highly entertaining. My only (minor) criticism was that I was getting a little fatigued myself towards the end--the book could have been slightly shorter. I also couldn't understand those who say we should read Frank Scoblete. I neither know nor care who he is (and I'm not going to read every gambling book that has been published), but I sense that his books have nothing to do with Mr. Martinez' effort.

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Summary: Almost as Good as Scoblete
Review: Martinez is almost as good as Frank Scoblete. What is the difference between the two? Scoblete knows how to play to win! He doesn't waste his time just relying on luck but actually knows techniques called advantage-play techniques so that when he writes his diary entrees in his books Guerrilla Gambling and Best Blackjack you know you are getting a glimpse into a master gambler. And Scoblkete really knows how to handle dialogue in a way few authors or even novelists can. However, Martinez is a really fine writer as well and his book does make Vegas come alive. I do not, as other reviewers who have panned the book, think that Martinez's book is a waste of time. On the contrary, it is a fun journey. It's just that Scoblete has been over this territory before and has done it much better. But I do recommend the book nevertheless.

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Summary: 24/7 in Las Vegas: And He Got Paid To Write This Book!
Review: With $50,000 and time enough to spend or gamble it away, Andres Martinez gets the opportunity of a lifetime, to spend a month in Las Vegas and live to write about it. Having read several books about Las Vegas, I was suprised at this insightful and enjoyable read. While he's not John Irving, Andres does paint an accurate picture of a city that is in high gear at all times. Andres' personal insights were enjoyable as well. If he didn't seem like such a bright and nice guy, who loves cats, you could hate him for getting this opportunity. But he doesn't squander it, and instead, tells an interesting story. A worthwhile read before a trip to Vegas.

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Summary: BEST VEGAS BOOK I HAVE READ
Review: Andres Martinez has written a highly readable ,witty account of the new Vegas. This is the Vegas with something for everyone, not just the Wayne Newton fans. Martinez paints a vivid portrait of the new Vegas, a boom town that offers hope to new immigrants and a new stop for families looking for a vast smorgasboard of entertainment. Martinez writes with a wit and pace of a Bill Bryson. He does not try to critique the new Vegas, he merely experiences it for us. A great read.