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Suburban Xanadu: The Casino Resort on the Las Vegas Strip and Beyond 1st Edition

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David G. Schwartz (Author)
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David G. Schwartz (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 10 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0415935579
ISBN-10: 0415935571
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (June 1, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0415935571
  • ISBN-13: 978-0415935579
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #506,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsThe author hits the jackpot!
By A Customer on July 21, 2003
Format: Paperback
The author, a professor and coordinator of the Gaming Studies Research Center at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, really hits the jackpot with this, his first publication. Although I am a financial analyst, specializing in the gaming industry, I was intrigued by Dr. Schwartz's historical analysis of the development of legalized gaming in Las Vegas and throughout the United States. The book is extremely well-researched and, while clearly written by a scholar, it has a friendly, accessible style. Suburban Xanadu has something for those interested in business, American history, popular culture, gaming, "the Rat Pack," sociology, etc. I have recommended this book to my colleagues and I look forward to reading future works from this unique young author.
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5.0 out of 5 starsMore counting room than Congo Room
By ajl623 on October 1, 2011
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
This is an outstanding book about the post-war casino history in Las Vegas. It is an in depth treatment of a very large subject. It is not filled with Rat Pack era anecdotes that you have seen in scads of Las Vegas books (the kind that are usually footnoted "Las Vegas News Bureau"). It is more about how it happened than who played where. Having said that, it is very readable and accessible.
Schwartz is probably the world's foremost authority on the subject matter. And may be the only person who teaches it at the university level. Anyone who can get a cover blurb from Hal Rothman and Steve Wynn has to be respected.
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5.0 out of 5 starsHistorical Excellence
By Paul J. Vanderwood on May 3, 2004
Format: Paperback
Most writings on casino life in the U.S. are larded with celebrity vignettes, unsubstantiated data, and airy fluff. But David Schwartz has produced a well-researched, carefully documented, clearly written historical account of Las Vegas casino culture from its inception in the early 1930s to the present. His carefully contextualized work shows how changing currents in American cultural life and leisure preferences shaped the style, architecture, and budgetary considerations of those who aimed to profit from casino ownership in an improbable desert environment. One learns from his book of the risk involved in such investments, and how the famous Las Vegas strip has always rested on unsteady financial and political pylons. Finally we have a solid, fascinating historical account of the casino industry and its consumers.
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5.0 out of 5 starsSimply the best
By Vegas Afficianado on March 9, 2005
Format: Paperback
When I first saw this book, I wondered--was there really an interesting history of casinos? I usually read about weightier historical topics (Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel, for instance), but every time I go to Vegas I'm struck by how the entire place seemed to have been built in the last five years.

So, seeing the generally positive reviews (and checking out the author's website which is quite interesting), I ordered a copy. I was expecting a fairly dense read--the author is a professional historian--but I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to get into.

There is a lot of great information about Vegas history in here, as well as Atlantic City, and a little on Indian casinos and riverboats too. I'd seen the movie Bugsy, but I had no idea that he wasn't the real founder of the Strip. Thanks to this book, I know now.

The author must have had a lot of fun writing this; even though it's a pretty serious book, there are some great one-liners in there. I actually laughed a few times.

The more I read, the more I realized there is to this topic, and I wish that the author had written more about Reno, for example, but for starters, this is a great introduction to the history of casinos, and a fun read. For anyone who's taken the trip to Vegas and wondered about where it came from, it's a welcome addition to your library.
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5.0 out of 5 starsGreat Read
By G. Oseff on March 10, 2005
Format: Paperback
Suburban Xanadu is a great book that really captures the history of Las Vegas. I took the class that was taught by Professor David Schwartz and it was well worth buying the book. I have had many of my friends and business colleagues read this book and they thought it was great. Suburban Xanadu is must read to truly understand Las Vegas past and how it all got started.
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