21: Bringing Down the House - Movie Tie-In: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions: Amazon.ca: Ben Mezrich: Books

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It was ten minutes past three in the morning, and Kevin Lewis looked like he was about to pass out. Read the first page

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Concordance

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

232 Reviews

5 star:		(123)
4 star:		(54)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(13)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (232 customer reviews)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Read, July 16 2004

By

Omar Veldin (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions (Paperback)

This is a fun and interesting book. Nothing too heavy. Just a light, easy to read book - which is sometimes the very best thing. In the same easy to read level of entertainment as "Moneyball" (Michael Lewis), "Stranger Than Fiction" (Chuck Palahniuk), or "My Fractured Life" (Rikki Lee Travolta).

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4.0 out of 5 stars Take a gamble on this book, April 6 2005

By

NorthVan Dave (BC, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions (Paperback)

I'm of two minds about this book. On the one hand, I am duly impressed that these students managed to take the 'big houses' of Vegas for as much money as they did. On the other hand, I found it very hard to get over the author worshipping at the alter of MIT. And by this I mean that the author took every opportunity to let you know that these weren't just any students who took Vegas for millions, they were MIT students.

My beef with the author's love of MIT aside, the premise of this book is fascinating. To learn or hear of people, in this day and age, being able to make bucket loads in the Vegas casinos, is fascinating. What's more, the author presents the story in such a fashion that it is almost part story, part 20/20 documentary. He (the author) does a nice job of explaining to you exactly how the students managed to make all of their money from the casinos, while at the same time sprinkling enough information in each chapter to keep the reader interested to find out if the protagonists will make it rich, or get caught in the process.

Everyone gambles. But it is only a few lucky people who have learned to gamble well and make money. And if you're interested in getting a glimpse into the lives of those who do gamble for the big bucks, then this book is for you.

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5.0 out of 5 stars CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE MOVIE!, July 15 2004

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Bradford E. Randolph (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions (Paperback)

Ben Mezrich knows how to tell a story. He takes us along with Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Black Jack team on casino assaults from Las Vegas to the Bahamas. We experience the life of high stakes gamblers... the fabulous hotel complementary rooms and the casinos' violent response to big talented winners. He briefly discusses the theory of card counting among team players early on, but saves the details for the last chapter. Ben also admits that the casinos have adapted by implementing continuous card shuffling machines. As a computer programmer with designs on lotteries, I felt a connection to fellow Boston area college students with a plan and the determination to follow through. I hope they make a movie out of this.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars decently fun....
If you like gambling, like myself, I think this book is worthwhile. It's not exactly a dissertation on winning at blackjack by any means, or a how-to book on winning lots of cash... Read more

Published on July 14 2004 by L. Ngai

3.0 out of 5 stars The One Book that Vegas DOES Want You to Read
Bringing Down the House, if you don't already know, is a non-fiction (or so they say) card-counting story about some MIT kids who make millions with a team-based blackjack scheme... Read more

Published on July 14 2004 by Macro Micro