In 22 chapters, these well-known authors give a generally laudatory account of the Sin City, and its many attractions. I guess it appeals to a certain personality with a lot of ambition, drive, and a love of the extravagant and spectacular. They do briefly relate the seamier side including the flourishing sex trade, even though prostitution is illegal there. The Whales who gamble millions of dollars and fly private or corporate jets and the chefs who boast about the best dining experiences in the world are seen as exemplary and the text is rife with celebratory names, and superlatives.
There is absolutely no mention of the hordes of people who become addicted to gambling and require treatment or commit suicide, and little acknowledgment of the pervasive and continuing influence of organized crime. I have some difficulty accepting that the helicopter yoga guru Dray was cured if a cyst in his lower spinal column with yoga or that it also caused seizures. And if he truly has seizures why is he flying a helicopter out to a deserted desert to teach yoga?
My own experience in Las Vegas is limited to two brief oconference trips there. In one, with an evening off, I was determined to lose $40 on the slot machines and was amazed at how long it took to do so. In the second in 1993 or so, my wife and I spent a very enjoyable evening at the Cirque de Soleil performance of Mystère. But my appetite for such spectacular performances is limited, unlike the culture of Las Vegas which thrives on superlatives and excesses.
6/10
Thanks, Ross.
The Passionate Reader 