Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions |...

Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions | Ben Mezrich | Loved the book

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Bringing Down the ...

	Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions Ben Mezrich Free Press, 2003 - 272 pages average customer review:based on 420 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

great book

Seeing the previews of the movie made me remember how great of a book this was. It's a great story with a surprising amount of suspense and action, that will have you reading nonstop. It also shows just how difficult it was to do what they did, which makes it even more impressive

Loved the book

It only took me 2 days to read this book, once I started to read it I couldn't put it down, it was really awsome reading, I would highly reccomend this one.

21

This was an Easter basket hit! The book was well received, on time and in great condtion.

Not exactly great literature, but still a solid read

Despite recent allegations of factual inaccuracies and narrative exaggerations, most prominently in a recent Boston Globe article, Mezrich still cranks out a thoroughly engaging read. I finished this book in five days, which is fast for me, especially considering I had a major paper due on the fifth day. This book is compelling, although not the most well-written work I have ever come across. The prose is adequate, no more, no less. The lead characters are reasonably well-developed, but again, there is substantial room for improvement in that regard. The hook is the story, which draws you in even if you are not a gambler.

Even considering that certain events and characters are fabricated to varying degrees, plotting is "Bringing Down the House's" greatest strength. The story moves quickly and believably. As Mezrich points out numerous times, card counting is not illegal, so casino bosses can't have you arrested and won't physically harm you if you get caught. Unlike in the unfaithful movie adaptation "21," the worst that will happen to you is that you will get thrown out of the casino and eventually blacklisted. No running through kitchens away from vengeful security guards or any such nonsense like that - maybe twenty or thirty years ago your health and safety would be in jeopardy, but not today or even in the 1990s, which is when the book is set. Mezrich is smart enough to not try to convince you otherwise; the producers of "21" are not (he also didn't include a pointless romance with the main character and one of the female players). Even in the sole scene when one of the players does get assaulted (not by a casino security guard), it is presented in a way that doesn't stretch credibility, even though it never actually happened. The same can be said for the book's denouement, which is also largely fictionalized.

While it should be noted that the group of MIT students in this book are not the progenitors of the card-counting techniques or team strategies to "beat Vegas," that doesn't change the fact that their story is still quite interesting. One serious issue I take with this book is that the non-fiction label is questionable; putting a vague disclaimer at the book's beginning does not justify the kinds of manipulations performed on the existing material. Nevertheless, despite its numerous problems with authenticity; writing style, which is a bit flaccid; and characterizations, some of which are a little generic, it's a quick read that is worthwhile, if not entirely rewarding.

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