The Last Honest Place in America: Paradise and Perdition in the New Las Vegas

I stumbled onto this book while prepping for my 1st ever visit to Vegas. What we have here is an outstanding piece of 1st person journalism, story telling and ground level interviews with long time "core" Vegas denizens from a long time Vegas expert. The narrative is colorful, imaginative and thought provoking. I cannot over state how much I enjoyed this sage piece of story telling and biting social commentary about Vegas and indeed our nation as a whole. I'd kill for an autographed copy.....

I say surprising because my interest in Las Vegas is usually about zilch. But when I saw this book was by Cooper, a writer whose political work I know very well and usually like, I decided to take a risk. It was worth it. This book is really an interesting mix between straightforward reporting that situates Vegas in the popular culture, and some great first-person riffs from the author. His blackjack playing seems awesome. In fact, I have to admit that reading this book made me want to look Cooper up and have him take me with him on his next raid into Vegas. The writing is really, really exciting. He's not as over the top as Hunter Thompson, but just as much fun. My two favorite parts (without giving anything way): his profile of a transgender nude dancer and his reporting on a summit of gambling corporations. Vegas, Baby!

What a great book...the best I've read in ages. Cooper writes with incredible style, grace and wit. One amazing character after another. His style reminds me of a Californian Kinky Friedman (if such a creature could exist). This book made me want to do do two things...(1) read more about Las Vegas and (2) Go to Las Vegas this summer. I plan to do both. And I hope Marc Cooper is planning a follow-up book soon.

I came across this curio on the front desk of Barnes and Noble. Is he #%*%# kidding? I thought as I read the title. I started reading it; so absorbed that I figured I'd better buy it. Okay, so isn't Hunter S Thompson...exactly....its more like a MIke Davis's City of Quartz..or that strange Louis Theroux show that used to be on Bravo, full of oddballs...anyway, whatever, I loved it...

Written with energy and style, Marc Cooper?s book combines his lifelong passion for Las Vegas with a clear-eyed assessment of its downside. He?s a blackjack player who conveys his passion for the game. And he tells some wild and fascinating stories here ? from Ziggy, who?s been dealing blackjack for 30 years, to Randy at Harrah?s, who has made a science out of comping, to Andrea, who?s organizing a union of lapdancers. Cooper traces the changes in Las Vegas from the mob days of the 1950s to today?s cold corporate rule. Las Vegas, he argues, is the most democratic place in America ? anybody with money can play, regardless of race, class, gender, sexual orientation or anything else. In the end, he argues, it?s also ?the last honest place in America,? because the casinos make no secret of their goal: take your money and send you home. The book is loads of fun and truly smart in what it has to say about the white-hot heart of American popular culture today.