Super Casino: Inside the “New” Las Vegas
Super Casino: Inside the “New” Las Vegas
In this lively and probing book traces award-winning author Pete Earley, the extraordinary evolution of Las Vegas – from the gaudy Mecca of the Rat Pack era to one of the country’s top family vacation spots. He visited the city varied history of the moguls, mobsters, and entertainer tells the true stories of famous rulers such as Steve Wynn and legends like Howard Hughes and Bugsy Siegel and offers a fascinating portrait of the life, death, and fantastic rebirth of Las Vegas
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about 5 months ago
On the Inside,
Earley has combined two books in one. In the first, as a cultural anthropologist, he examines the creation and evolution of what has become one of the world’s most fascinating communities. In the second, as a journalist, he focuses on The Luxor to which he was given almost complete access. We are thus provided with an abundance of historical information which creates a frame-of-reference within which to examine virtually every component of a single casino. In so saying, I do NOT in any way want to suggest that Super Casino is in any sense dry, dull, etc. On the contrary, it is a page-turner. There are so many colorful “characters” (“players”?) portrayed, so many spell-binding plots and subplots, so many memorable moments. We tag along with Earley as he observes and interacts with a veritable “feast” of humanity and inhumanity. They’re all here. Pioneers. Con artists. Celebrity entertainers. Pinstriped Samurai. Mobsters. Visionaries. Pimps and prostitutes. Bottom feeders. Victims. Victimizers. Perhaps not since ancient Rome was most glorious and most decadent has there been another community on this planet in which the best and worst qualities of the human race have been more in evidence than within the gaming segment of Las Vegas.
Those who read this book may incorrectly conclude that the Strip and Las Vegas are the same. They are not. It has been my great privilege and pleasure to explore the metropolitan area and, in terms of its (non-casino) business climate and quality of life, I would rate it very highly. Indeed, superior to almost all other metropolitan areas. But that is not the subject of Earley’s book.
Who will most enjoy reading it? My guess is that they would include those who have already experienced Las Vegas and perhaps have asked “How did all this happen? What really occurs behind the scene? What is the inside story on all the changes which have occurred?” Also those who have never been to Las Vegas but have seen the movies (eg Ocean’s Eleven and Casino), have heard about the antics of celebrities (eg Howard Hughes, Elvis, Sinatra and his Rat Pack, Liberace, Wayne Newton), have read about the extravagances (Steve Wynn’s art collection), and ask “How much of this is true? Is it really like that?”
This is a “great read.”
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|about 5 months ago
One of the Best Books on “Inside” Las Vegas,
Fabulous book on the inner workings of the casino industry. The first half of the book is a short history of the city, detailing the exploits of such Vegas characters as Jay Sarno, Howard Hughes, and of course, Bugsy Siegel.
The second half focuses strictly on Luxor. The author was granted complete access to meetings and was able to interview anyone he wished. He talked with everyone from management to dealers to cab drivers to prostitutes.
If you want to read about the inner workings of a casino and how decisions are made, this is the book to read. Very entertaining from cover to cover.
There has been a little criticism on why this book focuses on Circus Circus and not Steve Wynn and his Mirage Resorts. Wynn has been a bit “gun shy” in dealing with the press since the litigation over his biography a couple of years ago.
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