Tim Cole

I was surprised by how quickly I got into this book despite its unlikely themes of gambling, drinking and male bonding. The characters, however, are endearing and unpretentious, making the read a thoroughly enjoyable one. There are definitely tacky bits: the extravagant Texan friend, the instant romance and the unbelievable series of wins give the book a bit of a superficial gloss to this way-too feel good book, but it's easy to overlook and to go with flow with the story which is the male show more penchant of chick lit.
Finally, I liked the descriptions of the poker games - the technical terms (for a complete novice like me) gave the competition scenes a bit of depth and real glitz, to what would otherwise be less than glamorous, as the author himself admits!
A fun and original read. show less

I found this book to be pretty well-written and concise, broken up into chapters that are clear and easy to understand, and built upon a base of data and personal experience. While this book is more geared to people in the corporate world, there's actually plenty of advice in here that even the dude flipping burgers at the McDonald's could benefit from.

Lots of the advice in here seems pretty common sense, but then, common sense isn't all that common. I like how the author broke up the show more information into the Compass Points and the Keys. It makes the basic information easier to remember, and really does encompass pretty much the entirety of business.

It also gives some good information for people who are considering a career in business/corporate, as some of the harsh realities of this world. It would actually not be a bad book for high-schoolers to read (though it's a good book for even older adults) show less

This author may be a nom de plume, for another Library Thing author. Another book I enjoyed. Based on a low-to-middle class household, the characters are liked and easy to relate to. A nickel and dime so to speak existence. Given this beginning, the title serves the book well as gambling takes over as a pursuit to riches, taking the chance to win a fortune playing cards, specifically Texas Hold 'Em. After studying the WSOP, a popular franchise, and reading books, Charlie embarks on a journey show more to win a million, during the Las Vegas tournament of WSOP. A rather rudimentary start for such a professional business, so I believe, it is more fantasy than reality. Even after success at poker, they venture off for a one-in-a-million challenge in a Vegas boxing ring. Fate has it and Charlie is rewarded with a successful bet, and wins the entitle purse/prize, along with securing a future wife, all in one trip. A fun read, I myself, am not a gambler, so I appreciate the lightness to the amount and influence money has. Thank you to the author. show less

Charlie and his two pub friends are in dead-end jobs, unlucky in love and somewhere along the loser scale. Fat Dave dares Charlie to try to turn one pound into a million pounds by gambling. Charlie embarks on a how-to-win and beat the odds study. What results is a whirlwind lifestyle of Vegas tournaments and some outrageous benefits. A very fun read.