You Bet Your Life: The Burdens of Gambling (Hardcover)

by Neil D. Isaacs (Author) "Let me be clear about what I mean by myth..." (more)
Key Phrases: logical gamblers, gambling behavior, pathological gambling, Las Vegas, Double Down, Jack Molinas (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"To his social and psychological concerns Isaacs adds an interest in the literature of gambling.-- American Literary Scholarship" -- American Literary Scholarship

"The writing is smooth, and the pace is fast.-- Choice" -- Choice

"A comprehensive and intelligent study of gambling and the gambler…informative, most engaging, and of immediate value to those attempting to offer help to the pathological gambling.-- Irvin Yalom" -- Irvin Yalom

"His view of the gambler is holistic, and his unwillingness to take a one-dimensional view of gambling behavior and treatment is refreshing and admirable.-- James F. Smith" -- James F. Smith

"Everything you've ever wanted to know about gambling and gamblers -- and then some -- is here in Neil Isaac's wonderfully informative and fascinating book.-- Jay Neugeboren" -- Jay Neugeboren

"An absorbing read... and quite possibly a realistic rescuer for the truly addicted and pathological victim.-- The Gold Sheet" -- The Gold Sheet

Product Description
We are a nation of gamblers: pari-mutuel wagering at horse tracks; blackjack in Las Vegas; the NCAA basketball office pool; even day trading on the internet. Gambling is both our national pastime and our predominant cultural metaphor—play the field; beat the odds; take a chance on love. Yet gambling poses serious risks to individuals and to society as a whole.

Neil Isaacs—sports historian, licensed clinical social worker, English professor, and a gambler himself for more than fifty years—seeks to shatter the myths interfering with our understanding of gambling addiction, its causes, and its treatment. He begins by systematically debunking several commonly held beliefs, demonstrating that there is no such thing as the law of averages, that gambling is not inherently sinful, immoral, or criminal, and that money is not always the prime motivator for gamblers.

Isaacs shows how habitual gambling can lead to compulsive gambling, but avoids oversimplifying this condition. Arguing against a undifferentiated interpretation of pathological gambling as a simple impulse control disorder, he draws examples from fiction, film, and his own practice to demonstrate additional ways gambling can be abused.

A radical departure from established views, You Bet Your Life identifies the costs—in dollars, people, families, and credit ratings—of society’s failure to address adequately the burdens of gambling.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky (July 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813121957
• ISBN-13: 978-0813121956
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,794,118 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Better Stuff Out There, May 6, 2007

By	Desiree "Desiree" (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews

If you're interested in gambling addiction, you may want this for your library, but it's slow and dry and there is more compelling work out there to read on the subject.