People all over the globe know Las Vegas as gambling's Mecca, Sin City, the Entertainment Capital of the World, a resort destination that attracts more than 35 million visitors per year. But that's just one piece of the story of this fascinating metropolis of 1.5 million people - and counting. With more than 6,000 people rushing to the valley each month, Las Vegas responded to the influx with enthusiasm and a can-do attitude, all while coping with enormous economic, social and political challenges. This carefully documented history focuses on the most exciting and chaotic decade in Las Vegas history: the 1990s. Veteran journalist Geoff Schumacher captures the true essence of Las Vegas, seeing past the neon and discovering the multi-faceted communities beyond.
Geoff Schumacher is an author, columnist, speaker and newspaper executive in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He is the author of "Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue," published in February 2008, and "Sun, Sin & Suburbia: An Essential History of Modern Las Vegas," published in October 2004. Both books were published by Stephens Press.
Schumacher was a reporter, editorial writer and city editor for the Las Vegas Sun for 10 years and editor of Las Vegas CityLife for three years. He founded and edited the Las Vegas Mercury, which ceased publishing after a four-year run. Today, he is the director of community publications for Stephens Media, overseeing editorial operations of numerous weekly newspapers and special sections.
Schumacher also writes a weekly public affairs column for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and serves as editor of CityLife Books, an imprint of Stephens Press.
Schumacher was born in Madison, Wisconsin, grew up in Southern Nevada and earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 1988. He is married and lives in northwest Las Vegas.
