I recently recorded an interview with Dr. Alvin Augustus Jones, whose radio show is billed as “”Where World Leaders And Thinkers Come To Chat.” It was one of my best interviews yet–Dr. Jones asked some excellent questions that not only let me talk about the book, but made me think about gambling, history, and politics […]
Interview on Dr. Alvin Jones Show Read More »
what's newI’ve gotten another really positive review of Roll the Bones. This one appeared in the Motley Fool, and considers the book’s utility for investors: The ruffle of shuffled cards, the muted rumble of thrown dice, the dings of slot machines. The sounds of gambling are all over, with casinos found within a reasonable distance of
A foolish review of Roll the Bones Read More »
writingIf you’ve been a regular reader, you should know that my latest book Roll the Bones came out last month. It’s a comprehensive history for the general reader (in other words, not a “dry” (boring) academic monograph). It’s been getting some nice press–check out the Reviews page to see thumbs-up reviews from everyone from the
Win a signed book! Read More »
what's new, writingI did a quick interview with Jeff Gillen on Las Vegas One’s News One at night last night, which went really well, at least according to people who saw it and let me know about it. So the buildup to the international launch of Roll the Bones continues. I also sent this bulletin out on
Here’s today’s Roll the Bones update: the long-anticipated East Coast book launch event has finally been announced: WHAT: Official East Coast launch event, Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling WHEN: Sunday, October 22, 2 pm WHERE: Foxwoods Resort Casino WHO: Author David G. Schwartz will be reading from his book, answering questions, and signing
Rolling in the East Read More »
what's new, writingAnyone remember back when 7-Up promoted itself as the Uncola? Wel, there could be marketing gold just waiting to be mined from an unfortunately mistaken casino site. Confused? Read on, from the Detroit News, and all will be clear: Since June, gamblers at the Kewadin Shores Casino and Hotel in the Upper Peninsula have enjoyed
If you need more 3rd-party Roll the Bones info, amazon.com now has enhanced content, including editorial reviews. It’s also available from Barnes and Noble at bn.com now. And if you’re just a library browser, the book is already in the Library of Congress catalog, even though there aren’t any bound copies available yet.
I’m late in posting today because I spent much of the morning doing a stint on KNPR’s State of Nevada–check the link for the details–and recording a few commentaries that will air at a later date. One of them is an elaboration (no, it’s definitely not a rehash) of my thoughts on spelling bee betting,
From 06/06/06 to 10/05/06 Read More »
what's new, writingIn my admittedly cursory research into the life and habits of Leonardo DaVinci while writing Roll the Bones, I was unable to find anything on his gambling proclivities. With The Da Vinci Code selling 40 million copies so far, don’t think that I wasn’t trying my best for some tie-in. “Hitler’s casino” made the cut,
Gambling on Da Vinci Read More »
gambling & cultureWith the whole “Sin City” marketing strategy, it feels like a lot of Las Vegans think that they invented hedonism. I mean, people have been getting plastered and doing stupid things for millennia. I guess the genius of Las Vegas is that its promoters have boiled this down to a soundbite. Doing research for Roll
What happens at the coffeehouse… Read More »
haphazard worldDoing research for Roll the Bones, I’m increasingly coming to believe that gambling truly is everywhere in history. This excerpt from a Tarzan story, for example, references lots, card sharps, and a specific cheating technique, all in a few melodramatic paragraphs. “It is the will of the majority,” announced Monsieur Thuran, “and now let us
The lottery of death!?! Read More »
gambling & culture, writingThe day has arrived…after about a year of research and writing, I’ve finished the first draft of Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling. What does this mean for you, the reader? A chance to do some more reading. Gotham will be bringing the book out next June, so if you’ve ever bemoaned the lack
The bones have been rolled Read More »
writingAs my regular readers know, writing Roll the Bones has been taking up most of my time for the past few months. I’ve shared a few of the insights I’ve learned, but for the most part I’ve kept the project under wraps. Today I reached a significant milestone, so I’m making an announcement: I’m two-thirds
Poring through an old history of Monaco in my research for Roll the Bones, I learned that Carnegie’s Diplodocus was discovered during the excavations for a rail line. I found this mildly interesting. What a 19th century industrialist has to do with a prehistoric dinosaur, and why the long-necked creature was messing around near Monaco,
Too involved in research Read More »
what's new“I don’t want to be the one to call it the dumbing down of Britain, but I think its the dumbing down of Britain.” –Warren Lush, chief oddsmaker at Ladbrokes, on the huge upswing in novelty betting on everything from televised talent shows to whether someone will live to be 100. You can read the
Daily Quote for 2/7/05 Read More »
gambling & culture, writing