The Age of Chance: Gambling in Western Culture (Paperback)

~ (Author), Harvey Ferguson (Author) "In the twenty-first century, chance is understood as a constituent part of the world, codified in the rules of probability theory and, in the branches..." (more)
Key Phrases: gambling belief, contemporary gambling, gambling economy, Las Vegas, Age of Chance, Gaming Act (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

'The Age of Chance is a wonderful book, scholarly and at the same time compulsive reading' - Heather Worth, University of Auckland

The Age of Chance is a wonderful book, scholarly and at the same time compulsive reading - Heather Worth, University of Auckland

Product Description

From the Apophoreta of Imperial Rome to the ersatz grandeur of Las Vegas, from ritual divination to weekly lottery fever, individuals have pitted themselves against the chaotic forces of Fate. Gerda Reith examines the enduring appeal of gambling, exploring its complex relation to our underlying conceptions of the world, and to the social and cultural backgrounds of those who fall under its spell. Using a wide range of sources, she traces the origins of gambling in the ancient world and follows its manifestation in games as diverse as the patolli of the Aztecs and the Internet gambling of today. This fascinating and extensive study will be enthralling reading not just for those interested in the cultural and social implications of gambling - but for anyone interested in how we create meaning in an increasingly insecure world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1st edition (March 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415263093
• ISBN-13: 978-0415263092
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,930,416 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most authoritative modern text on the subject, January 7, 2002

By	Bob LeCapetain (Manchester, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Age of Chance: Gambling in Western Culture (Routledge Studies in Social and Political Thought, Number 22) (Hardcover)

This is the most illuminating, up-to-date, and entertaining history of gambling in the West that has yet been published. I was a student at the University of Salford (UK) when I had to read this as part of a course on the sociology of gambling. Reith's style is scholarly, yet accessible. This text stands as an example of how interesting and diverse the historical/ cultural development of gambling has been, and of how much gambling can tell us about modern society and, as such, stands as a riposte to the yawn-inducing tedium of the 'problem gambling' school of books on this topic, which consists of a bunch of safety-merchants/salesmen who (presumably) aspire to scholary wisdom, yet fail miserably to say anything useful about one of the most fundamental of human traits: the itch for play. In short, Gerda Reith's book should be required reading for anyone who is interested in why anyone would take a chance on anything (and not just gambling).