Michael Craig

Mixed bag of very brief analyses of successful and unsuccessful deals. Some aren't really business deals (like the purchases of Manhattan, Alaska and Louisiana), and the analyses can be a bit thin and superficial. Still, a few interesting insights, and frankly, the anecdote in the introduction really is the star of the show.

This book was interesting, but not particularly well written. It told the big-picture story well, but in an overly jargon-heavy and zoomed out kind of way. While I understood a lot of the sentiments and impulses of the poker players as a magic player myself, the constant repetition of phrases like "X wanted in on the action, so he played for 50 hours at a side table" made it feel like I was reading a book in fast forward.

A great story about the Texas banker Andy Beal, and how he challenged the professional poker community in heads up matches. He simply believed that heads-up, the pros were mathematically incapable of being better than him or any reasonably intelligent person.

I stumbled across excerpts from the book online and discovered this covers far more games than the usual Texas Hold'em. Additionally, there are tips from people regarded as the best of the best at specific games....and my play in those games has improved dramatically.