- Paperback: 270 pages
- Publisher: ECW Press (Oct 1 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1550225332
- ISBN-13: 978-1550225334
- Product Dimensions: 22.8 x 15.4 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 794 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #421,526 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
About the Author
Doug Little is a former journalist and a reformed alcoholic. He lives in Ottawa, Ontario.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sometimes it's too bad to try to be too good,
By Theodore A. Rushton (PHOENIX, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Losing Mariposa: The Memoir of a Compulsive Gambler (Paperback)
Anyone who's ever wondered about the price of addiction -- whether it's figure skating, eating (or not eating), alcohol, drugs, work or sex -- needs to carefully read this book to understand how good people can become hopelessly mired.Often it begins with very good and very intelligent people -- a dear friend of mine went through anorexia twice and ended up spending six months in the state mental hospital. The trouble doesn't begin on skid row; it often begins in the most intense of efforts to be constantly better, constantly improving, always worried about not doing one's best. Then comes the chosen pain killer and escape which starts a downward spiral. The only cure is to get off the sorry-go-round, the endless spiral that provides temporary oblivion at the long-term price of greater troubles. Reading this book is a good way to start, though most addicts are aware of their increasingly rapid plunge into disaster. At the very least, this book may open a doorway in the search for help. It's an honest, brutal, frank story of a man who threw almost everything away; then, fortunately, realized he could offer something more than repaying every cent he embezzled -- he did a self-portrait of a devastating addiction as a service to others and therapy for himself. It's a guidepost others should heed; not only for those who let addiction take over their lives, but also for the people who know them. The fault is not that of Mariposa or its adjacent casino, though Little does tend to blame the current gambling culture of the government. The fault is in ourselves that we become addicts, not in our stars or our casinos or bottomless bottles of amnesia. Yet, it sometimes takes a blunt outsider such as this to remind us of our weaknesses. It's what makes this book superb.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Read,
By Brenda Thomas (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Losing Mariposa: The Memoir of a Compulsive Gambler (Paperback)
Losing Mariposa is a very unusual book both in its style and its content. Within the framework of a detailed description of his thoughts and actions on Oct. 22, 1996 from the hours of 3:00 a.m. until midnight), Doug Little manages to convey the horrors of his gambling addiction and its consequences. At the same time, he investigates some of the issues in his life that seem to have contributed to his becoming a gambler.The book is exceptional in that he had such a high profile in the community, and yet after his "house of cards" came crashing down he chose to stay in the public eye by writing this book. Particularly striking were his descriptions of the frantic compulsion to get to play, and the frenzy of rushing from game to game or from venue to venue. His depictions of the lying, and cheating, and desperately juggling bank accounts to maintain deceptions will ring true for every gambler. Most poignant of all were the times when he began to realize that the only reason he wanted to go to the Casino was to hide --- to finally, for the last time, not have to face his life. Doug Little has provided the gambler and the professionals who work in this field with excellent insight as how this addiction can take over and destroy a life. His ability to provide background information (both historical and personal), his vivid descriptions of his gambling sessions, and his relentless honesty combine to make this a must-read. I continue to recommend it highly to my colleagues and my clients.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sometimes it's too bad to try to do too much,
By Theodore A. Rushton - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Losing Mariposa: The Memoir of a Compulsive Gambler (Paperback)
Anyone who's ever wondered about the price of addiction -- whether it's figure skating, eating (or not eating), alcohol, drugs, work or sex -- needs to carefully read this book to understand how good people can become hopelessly mired.Often it begins with very good and very intelligent people -- a dear friend of mine went through anorexia twice and ended up spending six months in the state mental hospital. The trouble doesn't begin on skid row; it often begins in the most intense of efforts to be constantly better, constantly improving, always worried about not doing one's best. Then comes the chosen pain killer and escape which starts a downward spiral. The only cure is to get off the sorry-go-round, the endless spiral that provides temporary oblivion at the long-term price of greater troubles. Reading this book is a good way to start, though most addicts are aware of their increasingly rapid plunge into disaster. At the very least, this book may open a doorway in the search for help. It's an honest, brutal, frank story of a man who threw almost everything away; then, fortunately, realized he could offer something more than repaying every cent he embezzled -- he did a self-portrait of a devastating addiction as a service to others and therapy for himself. It's a guidepost others should heed; not only for those who let addiction take over their lives, but also for the people who know them. The fault is not that of Mariposa or its adjacent casino, though Little does tend to blame the current gambling culture of the government. The fault is in ourselves that we become addicts, not in our stars or our casinos or bottomless bottles of amnesia. Yet, it sometimes takes a blunt outsider such as this to remind us of our weaknesses. It's what makes this book superb. 4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Read,
By Brenda Thomas - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Losing Mariposa: The Memoir of a Compulsive Gambler (Paperback)
Losing Mariposa is a very unusual book both in its style and its content. Within the framework of a detailed description of his thoughts and actions on Oct. 22, 1996 from the hours of 3:00 a.m. until midnight), Doug Little manages to convey the horrors of his gambling addiction and its consequences. At the same time, he investigates some of the issues in his life that seem to have contributed to his becoming a gambler.The book is exceptional in that he had such a high profile in the community, and yet after his "house of cards" came crashing down he chose to stay in the public eye by writing this book. Particularly striking were his descriptions of the frantic compulsion to get to play, and the frenzy of rushing from game to game or from venue to venue. His depictions of the lying, and cheating, and desperately juggling bank accounts to maintain deceptions will ring true for every gambler. Most poignant of all were the times when he began to realize that the only reason he wanted to go to the Casino was to hide --- to finally, for the last time, not have to face his life. Doug Little has provided the gambler and the professionals who work in this field with excellent insight as how this addiction can take over and destroy a life. His ability to provide background information (both historical and personal), his vivid descriptions of his gambling sessions, and his relentless honesty combine to make this a must-read. I continue to recommend it highly to my colleagues and my clients. |
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