3 comments about American Byzantium: Photographs of Las Vegas (University of Arizona Southwest Center series).

1. It's a smallish book with not quite the usual photos that we normally see and are familiar with. I love Las Vegas and love Las Vegas books. This one is just one of the bunch. Not really a stand out but all together not bad. Its a good to average read, photos interesting but not that memorable. Keep looking I think, there are better books out there.



2. "American Byzantium: Photographs of Las Vegas" depicts the startling contrasts of a city that is larger than life. It is no mere "coffee table" adornment; it is ART and REALISM fused into one magical book. The brilliant photographs of Virgil Hancock chronicle "Sin City" in all its glitter and in all its waste. His artistic images range from the neon-studded hotels on the strip to wedding chapels to pawn shops to a group of ventriloquists attending a convention.

   Gregory McNamee perceptively captures the mood of a city that defines 'extremism' with his superb narration. His essays are insightful and frank without the flowery superlatives. McNamee weaves the tale of a town that is a contrast in Life 101.

   Las Vegas is one of my favorite cities. Every few months, we fly our plane to Vegas and less than 2 hrs. later, I am transported to another world: a kingdom of luxury, excitement, and fine dining. There are few sights that are more captivating than slowly circling over the vast menagerie of neon lights.

   I'm a "down to earth" woman - I love hiking through forests and deserts, but there are times when I want nothing more in life than to be pampered at The Venetian and enjoy all my favorite gourmet restaurants in Vegas. There are few places that I would rather visit.

   "American Byzantium" is a must read for those who love Vegas as I do - as well as for those who plan to visit Vegas for the first time. This book captures Las Vegas in a way that not only focuses on the stardust of luxury, but brushes away that dust to reveal the stark realities as well.




3. A disappointing book, least to me, because I found the photos too broad in the coverage. Having looked through it several times I thought it kept on verging on one of those picture books found in tourist shops with titles 'A book to remember her by'.
   
   It really is a mixed bag. The photos I liked best were those that showed the non-tourist parts of the city: the huge pole billboards along the highway, small retail units, decaying buildings and street scenes but turn a page and there's a spread of the interior of The Forum or maybe the characters in the Museum of Magic and Movies.
   
   This really should have been two books. One a photo survey of the exuberant (and vulgar) hotels and casinos, interior and exterior and book two the rest of Vegas. I would definitely go for the second and Hancock has shown with the photos in this book that he has an eye for interesting compositions and subject matter.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

No comments about Las Vegas Is My Beat.

1 comments about On the Boulevard--The Best of John L. Smith.

1. ON THE BOULEVARD is a wonderful compilation of Smith's best daily columns. It's a fun and easy read that gives the reader insight into every-day life in Las Vegas -- from a fourth-generation Nevadan. Smith is the most-read columnist in Nevada because his stories cover the human side of Vegas, the side most tourists never see. I highly recommend!

5 comments about Neon Metropolis: How Las Vegas Started the Twenty-First Century.

1. Boy, I'll tell you: there's nothing worse than a reviewer who either didn't read or can't understand a book. Neon Metroplis does not argue that Las Vegas is economically malleable at all. It says that Las Vegas thrives as a tourist town because the image it presents is malleable - that it can change to meet the trends. All you have to do is remember the so-called family era - with theme parks etc. - of a decade ago and look at the ads today: "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," to see that this is true.

   Neon Metropolis also says that Las Vegas is the one horse in a one-horse state; as anyone who followed 2003's tax debacle in Nevada could see, this is ever more true.

   Las Vegas' problems are real and Neon Metropolis is a lot more conversant with them than these two reviews suggest. This is by far the best book on Las Vegas.




2. Overall, Neon Metropolis presents an overview of the history and sociology of modern Las Vegas. Rothman's focus is on modern Las Vegas, so readers looking for more of a straightforward history starting before the twentieth century may be disappointed. This book is best for readers looking to understand the development of the modern casino and entertainment industry or for readers looking to understand how Las Vegas functions behind-the-scenes as a modern city.
   
   The book not only describes the development of gambling and entertainment along the Las Vegas Strip but also describes the immigration of people to Las Vegas and the problems caused by Las Vegas's high growth rate and desert location. Special attention is given to such simple things as the development of city infrastructure and the use of Hispanic immigrant labor, things that would otherwise be ignored in the history of any other city. Rothman thereby gives his readers a pespective into how both the casino industry developed and how the city as a whole developed. Rothman is also unafraid to critically analyze the problems facing Las Vegas as a modern day city, although his positions on some issues (such as labor unions) are clearly biased.
   
   Aside from questionable biased viewpoints on some issues, Neon Metropolis suffers from being written with poor English. Rothman's largest problem is that he writes sentences that are too long to be readable. It is sometimes difficult to determine what some sentences are trying to say. Rothman also likes to use very bad metaphors and cliches. It seems as though he is trying to be funny or clever, but instead he simply sounds trite. Additional organizational problems and grammatical errors further hinder this book's readability.
   
   In summary, I would recommend this book to readers who seriously wants to understand Las Vegas. For casual readers, however, I would recommend passing on this book unless the author produces a new version that includes some serious revisions.



3. I like the way Rothman writes. I also recognize that this is one man's view of how Las Vegas became what it is. I think anyone asking what happened to unions should read this book.



4. Rothman does a nice job pointing out what has proven to be the very effective economic engine of the modern American service industry. When organized labor meets the lucrative tourist industry, wages for folks with a high school education can indeed be quite solid. For those here that doubt the role of organized, unionized labor, simply compare the economy of southern Nevada to southern Louisiana. While New Orleans has a strong gaming industry, wages are bad, and poverty profoundly rampant. On this point, Professor Rothman is correct: Las Vegas, with it's robust mix of service economy and unionizatin, could point the way to the future.
   
   Professor Rothman does, however, tend to gloss over the nagging social ills inherent with the gaming industry. In particular, Nevada has spectacular suicide and divorce rates, sky-high spousal abuse and very, very high teenage dropout rates (comparable to inner city neighborhoods in east coast cities). He also misses the biggest problem of all: chronic gambling addiction among many casino workers and the wholesale, even arrogant, failure of the gaming industry to address the problem.
   
   It is somewhat ironic that Rothman, who does indeed have a background in environmental history, ignores many of Las Vegas' environmental issues. The vast sprawl of Las Vegas may well NOT be sustainable in an age of skyrocketing oil prices; a large percentage of Las Vegas visitors still arrive by car from Southern California, relying on an increasingly clogged 4 lane interstate (I-15). The city itself relies on just one pipeline to bring gasoline to the valley from southern California and local fuel prices are threatening to reach dangerously historic highs this year.
   
   Rothman is also blithely unconcerned about water. Climate Change is predicted to make the US southwest far drier than it is today. Indeed, the region is currently suffering under a years-long drought that has taken reservoirs to insidiously low levels. Both Lake Meade, just an hour's drive south of the city, and Lake Powell, between central Arizona and central Utah, are at dangerous, historically low levels. Despite extremely strict residential water usage restrictions in southern Nevada, lack of water could well derail growth in the Las Vegas metropolitan area within the next decade, particularly if the current drought persists.
   
   Rothman's anecdotes often miss serious underlying sociological issues. Sure, you can find stories of community in virtually any city or neighborhood, but Rothman's often cutsy anecodotes miss the big picture. The state suffers an intense brain drain. Many of it's young residents leave state to attend college and if they receive a master's degree or higher, very few will ever return. The city is profoundly transient, and the exaggerated suburban sprawl of the new "instant city" variety has its drawbacks.
   
   The average tenure of home ownership is very brief in Las Vegas: even residents who live their entire lives in the city tend to move once or twice to flee declining neighborhoods. Shiny new (but rapidly and poorly constructed) suburban tracts fall from middle to working class and even into crime-ridden lower working class neighborhoods in 25 years or less. Rings of impoverished, aging inner suburbs are causing grief for city planners as the middle class flees a growing core of decaying housing for newer digs in the outer sprawl. In eastern cities, historic buildings and brownstones in the inner core drew a new generation of college educated adults willing to restore and rediscover neighborhoods. Cookie-cutter, cinder block nightmare neighborhoods, thrown together by careless contractors in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s are less easily renovated or rediscovered.
   
   Finally, Rothman misses the macro-economic taxation issues. Because Nevada relies almost solely on the gaming and sales taxes to run the state, the state is extremely vulnerable should a real recession hit.
   
   Rothman, ultimately, misses as much as he hits. The landbreaking sociological study of the modern gaming town, sadly, remains to be written.



5. As a casual visitor to the Las Vegas strip, I found myself wondering what was going on behind all the glitz of the casino hotels. I wanted to understand the cost of the fantasy. After reading Rothman's book, I feel like I have a better grasp. It answered a lot of questions I had as I was cruising down Las Vegas Boulevard. Where does all the money come from? Where does it go? What is the environmental cost of all the water in the fountains? How well are all these blackjack dealers, cocktail waitresses, cooks and housekeepers treated?
   
   More of a historical and geographical chronicle than a sociological report, the book tries to present a very organic view of the city by following the history of its growth. I want to make it clear that this is a book with a very specific topic: how Las Vegas became a tumbleweed railroad town to a metropolis with a culture and economy rivaling Phoenix and even L.A. There are about 60 pages devoted to the casino strip, its former mob days and its modern showiness, but the vast majority of the book is devoted to the more mundane but crucial issues that prove that Las Vegas is a real urban center.
   
   The book is divided into three sections: a section about the economic, cultural and political incentives for people to move to Las Vegas, a section about the types of people who have moved to Las Vegas by the tens of thousands each year in the 1990s, and a final section devoted to the environmental, geographical and social impact that Las Vegas's hyperactive growth has caused. Chief topics are the casino economy, libertarian politics, labor unions, retirement communities, illegal immigrants, water rights, highways and homeowners associations.
   
   If the whole picture of Las Vegas is what interests you, not just the intrigue and vice, you will find this book both informative and pleasant to read. Though some of the topics I listed seem pretty mundane, they are presented with a lot of emotional investment. Rothman compares in this way to the pop sociology writers, like Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser. Keep in mind, though, that one of the reasons that this book is so entertaining is that it is just an overview; you might feel that it doesn't go quite as much into detail as you would like at some points. But that's the case with any 320 page book dealing with such a vast topic.
   
   I would agree with another reviewer in saying that a major flaw in this book is its writing. While it's clear that Rothman writes in plain, understandable English and writes with much better-than-average energy, zest and emotional insight, the book is plagued with missing words, awkward phrasings and the occasional completely incomprehensible sentence. It could have stood to be edited a bit more.
   
   On the other hand, these mistakes, though more frequent than in most books I have read, are not frequent enough to really make that much of a difference. They're more a noticeable curiosity than they are anything frustrating.
   
   To sum up:
   I give this book 4/5 as a history and urban studies book, for being both a pleasure to read (a huge challenge for history books) and informative. It is recommended for those who are questing for true insight into the realities of modern Las Vegas and the American city. If you're only interested in reading about the city's gambling, mobsters, burlesque shows and buffets, either borrow the book to read only the first 60 pages, or look elsewhere.

2 comments about Out from Las Vegas; Adventures a Day Away: Adventures a Day Away (More of the West).

1. This book describes favorite off-road trips to the rugged natural beauty of the Las Vegas desert, including the Red Rock Canyon, an idyllic contrast of deep sandstone canyon forests and desert hills in spring bloom. Alas, though much of what is described still exists, the book is nearly thirty years out of date and requires revision. Hey, I can do that! Why? I've lived in the Radiant City for thirty-five of my forty-one years.

   I am heartened that this book in the most popular purchase of the Las Vegas purchase circle. It means that those who have moved here truly wish to make Las Vegas home rather than the place they cashed in their Southern Californian real estate chips.




2. Out From Las Vegas: Adventures A Day Away by travel writer Florine Lawlor is an intriguing, informative, and "user friendly" guide to a wealth of interesting landmarks, getaways and scenic geographical significants within a day from Las Vegas, Nevada. Packed from cover to cover with fun and peculiar findings, Out From Las Vegas introduces the reader to a landscape and entity-based landmark world of Nevada never before known or recognized. Out From Las Vegas is very strongly recommended to all readers interested in travel to the Las Vegas area, or those already living in the area wishing to instill a new atmosphere or experience on their free days. Out From Las Vegas showcases the fact there there's more to do than visit the gaming tables of downtown casinos!

2 comments about Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Las Vegas (Irreverent Guides).

1. I am very excited about my first trip to Vegas. This book has totally prepared me for the best and worst of Vegas. The comments are honest and irreverent - just as the title implies. If you want to really know the low down - and avoid the cheesey aspects of Vegas - this book is perfect. Prices for hotels, restaurants, and events are all broken down into easy lists. The maps of the strip and downtown Vegas are awesome - I feel like I know the town already and I haven't left home yet. My only complaint is that I wish there were a few more pictures in the guide - real pics of the strip, things not to miss while in Vegas, or a large fold out map.
   I definitely plan on purchasing more "Irreverent" guides in the future. I really enjoy the reviews and the size.



2. Overly opinionated writing with too much sarcasm. Where's the info? It's hidden in the author's own agenda. The who's who don't need this guide. They know where to be and it's not sitting among the tourists of Vegas. We did not see all the "pretty" people he was boasting about. Overrated info. We saw more frumpy people in Vegas staring blankly at their slot machines. There are better books out there.

No comments about Insight Guides Step by Step Las Vegas (Insight Guides Step By Step).

4 comments about Favorite Dog Hikes in And Around Las Vegas (Favorite Dog Hikes).

1. It has a bunch of new trails we never knew about. There are photos of every hike, excellent directions and maps. The photos were the selling point. They give a good idea of what to expect. We took our dogs out to Goodsprings and they just had the best time. It was a beautiful hike. There wasn't a soul out there. No leashes, either. We all had so much fun.



2. An easy read, with the best coverage of dog friendly trails and parks around Las Vegas, loaded with basic hiking information for dogs and humans that's good anywhere. The sections on, on leash, and off leash local parks are a nice bonus.



3. This is filled with great information for anyone (dog owner or not) I especially like the climate/temperature information, as Las Vegas weather extremes can be hard on dogs. Excellent descriptions of all areas. Interestingly written and accurate.
   This is the best dog hike book available!



4. Benti and Lawlor's Favorite Dog Hikes: Las Vegas is a great book for people looking for an active way to spend time with their dog outdoors. There are many maps and great directions for getting to the different areas and two great maps of off-leash dog parks in the area. Several photographs help tell you more about the hikes the authors talk about.

5 comments about The Real Las Vegas: Life Beyond the Strip.

1. Every play needs its actors, and someone has to sweep up the hall as well. Littlejohn says that they didn't seek to focus on the negatives, but the result is that while Las Vegas may be the fastest growing city in America, both in jobs and population; it doesn't sound that appealing other than as a place to visit.

   Most of the reports are glum, and sometimes downright disheartening. Sure, many cities have these problems, but most of them try to do something about it. In Vegas, if it negatively affects the Industry, then it is either ignored or swept under the carpet. It puts a dull finish on what is otherwise presented as a glittering jewel.




2. The Real Las Vegas is written by a retired profesor from Berkley who, after loosing two rolls of quarters at a strip casino, is bent on teachinng the rest of us how "evil" Las Vegas really is. Among the more "enlightened" things that we simple minded people would never know about this city are: Seniors like to play BINGO. Some teens growing up in Las Vegas drink and get into trouble - some even have children before they are married! The local police department protect tourists downtown and on the strip! (Can you just imagine that?). Casinos have their own private security force, and money flows free and easy! The education system of this city (and it must be only this city) is over-crowded and under funded, and there are less expensive, and faster growing southwestern cities than Las Vegas! The book is simply not helpful and not interesting given all of the maladies this author cites are around "In spades" if you will, in other cities. I am not sure what is so Real about this book, except that it is clear this man wants his two rolls of quarters back.



3. Having spent at least 1 week a year in Las Vegas since 1960, the scope and breadth of the "Real Las Vegas" was rewardingly real, and suprisingly interesting and very readible. Staying at the Sands Hotel in the sixties with my family and - the obvious metamorphousis of a few casinos in the desert to what is is today is a marvel and wonder. The 2 reviewers listed seemed to be looking for some explanation or reason for the diversity of L.V.. Answers. Answers - You won't find any here. The stories and straight up, direct, and frank. Real investigative insight into some of the many facets of life in Las Vegas. What I really liked about this book is it's about real people, with real dreams and disapointments. It's about a city that's grown too fast, under the stewardship of gaming, sex and power. It's about the extremes. Las Vegas is a wonderful metephore for the United States society - some are just turned off the the brash and brazen display of human nature Las Vegas encourages. You won't like all the stories, but you will find some very moving people and issues. The introduction is 1 of the best sections in the book. They had to leave out many sories because of space. I hope there's another volumn.



4. This book is primarily written by a handful of contributors, mainly journalists and edited by a seasoned journalist and former journalism professor at the University of California-Berkeley. Because of the number of authors, the quality of the chapters vary, but in general, this was a very noble effort and a well-thought out and implemented project. The idea, according to the editor, was to demystify the resort destination and to look at it as a real, although unique American city.
   The introduction by the editor is excellent, as is his epilogue, synthesizing and analyzing the content of the book.
   The chapters in between discuss various aspects of the city, the educational system, the plight of the homeless, the large population of hispanic immigrant workers, the casino and sex "industries", the scarce water supply, etc. The book also attempts to discuss such things as the special characteristics of Nevadans.
   Many of these chapters are very well written, and are all very easy to read. Some of the authors tend to fall into a pattern that I find particularly troublesome about, in particular, television journalism. The author is looking to make a point (for example, there are a lot of kids in the Clark County School District who use drugs). So, they interview and present the most shocking results from their interviews regarding what a few kids say about their drug use. Never mind the fact that one could have probably obtained similar comments from some kids in any other city. Reading the chapter on the schools, I would think that it is impossible to grow up in Las Vegas and to be a good kid and not drop out and go onto college. However, quite on the contrary, over the last 4 years that I have lived in this city, I have interviewed 30+ high school seniors on behalf of my alma mater on the East Coast. I have met kids who are outstanding students, have some of the highest test scores in the nation, are deeply involved in athletics, music, and community service and have never touched a drug and don't regularly hang out on the strip.
   It is very difficult, I believe, as a visitor, to get a true picture of this city. The tourism economy actively attempts to create and maintain the atmosphere of "anything goes" "have fun and drink and gamble and do whatever you want" for the tourists. However, as the editor astutely notes, beyond the strip, "many conditions recorded in this book will be recognized by Americans from other states and cities..."

   Beyond some of the shortcomings, this is a very well-done work. Some of the authors spent a great deal of time locally researching their work. The introspective thoughts by the editor really pull it together. As a resident, I find this book helps me to get some critical distance to evaluate the city in which I live. My only fear is that for someone not familiar with the city, the work of some of the authors may paint a uncharacteristically negative picture in some cases that does not give Las Vegas the proper perspective in these problems relative to other places.




5. It seems from the reviews that some people were disappointed by this book, but I really enjoyed reading the various essays. The book is a series of journalistic essays from different writers, and each one writes for about 5-7 pages on a specific topic. Some of the topics the book covers are housing/development, water, the sex industry, African Americans in Vegas, crime, growing up in Vegas, etc. Some of the essays were more serious (water) than others (sex industry), but all of them offered a nice insight into the city, especially if you've only been there a few times and have never ventured beyond the strip. I read this book a few months before moving to Henderson, NV., and thought the book was a nice way to get acquainted with the city and what goes on there. This is definitely not a book for tourists or someone planning a trip to Vegas, but more for people who live in the area, people considering moving there, or perhaps people who have visited and developed an interest in the area. It's an easy read, and an enjoyable one.

2 comments about Frommer's Portable Las Vegas for Non-Gamblers (Frommer's Portable).

1. I recently took my family to Las Vegas. With young children we were not able to spend time in the casinos. I bought this guide and it helped me to plan the vacation which included details on nightlife, shows, and celebrity restaurants. The guide was easy to carry around and offered options that could fit into any budget. We found out that there was more to do in Vegas than gamble!



2. It would seem that this book has not been updated in some time since The Blue Man Group hasn't been performing at Luxor for over a year.