Take Me to the River: A Wayward and Perilous Journey to the World Series of Poker

by Peter Alson

Book Overview

An overeducated underachiever, Peter Alson spent his post-college decades doing his best not to grow up. But having just turned fifty, this rambling-gambling bachelor decides it's time to settle down. So he pops the question to his longtime girlfriend, then hatches a plan to pay for their wedding -- involving poker and a trip to Las Vegas. Boarding a plane bound for the neon desert and the biggest game in town -- the 2005 World Series of Poker --...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743288378
• ISBN13: 9780743288378
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A Great Read - Even For A Newbie Like Myself

I knew absolutely nothing about poker when I started reading this book. Yet Alson's gonzo attempt at detailing the 2005 World Series of Poker was not only a thrilling ride, but an education in the basics (and not-so-basics) of high-level poker. His own experiences, coupled with the manic nature of his friends' adventures, are exhilarating and keep you guessing if any of the characters are going to win the various events they enter. Alson's romance with his fiancee back in New York provides a reality check on the temptations that only Las Vegas can provide. I've read Alson's "Confessions of an Ivy League Bookie", and while that was fun and would make a great movie, this book is far more detailed into the strategy of what is happening at the tables, and makes for a truly interesting read. Highly recommended.

A perceptive analysis of the poker world

This is a highly entertaining book. I didn't make it to the world series last year, but, this book almost made me feel as if I had actually participated. I live in New York and have played with many of the personalities featured in Alson's work. The author reveals a great deal about himself and his uneasy relation to the poker/gambling world. I have wrestled with many of these same issues myself. Perhaps unintentionally, the book portrays a fairly disturbing picture of the gambling life. This subtext exists at least to some extent in perhaps every book on gambling I have ever read. However, I found Alson's insights in this area particularly perceptive. His direct commentary is interesting. However, the author is also not afraid to allow the actions and choices of the many embattled characters that populate this story make his points for him.

An extremely good read even for non poker fans

Peter Alson has a real gift for storytelling. There's nothing show-offy about his prose; it just deftly catches you unaware and forces you to keep reading it. Readers of his previous Confessions of an Ivy League Bookie, which was the first book of his I read, know this. Here he tells of a trip to Las Vegas to play in the World Series of Poker on the eve of his wedding. It is a funny, sad, frustrating, melancholy, suspenseful, and exciting story. What was most striking to me was that I, who am not a poker devotee, found myself riveted and on the edge of my seat through intricate descriptions of games where I only half-understood what was going on. Alson's sheer writing talent somehow made the stakes palpable, the shifting energies and strategies intelligible, even to an outsider like myself. This is a better and more mature book than Confessions of an Ivy League Bookie, which was also good. At times here Alson takes on big themes beyond poker -- corporate greed, love and commitment -- and tries to tie them into his thoughts about his favorite game. Like the gambler he is, sometimes he hits it and sometimes he doesn't. It doesn't matter. Reading the book is like spending time with a smart, funny, and above all alive friend as he makes his way toward some big decisions and lessons, letting you in on all of it. I have also started his book One of A Kind, about a tragic poker genius named Stuey Ungar, which is also fascinating. Peter Alson is a great storyteller and an incredibly entertaining writer. Buy this book for its warmth, its insights into the poker world, and for the great pleasure of reading something so well written.

Honest. Muscular prose!

First, I have to confess that I have an aversion to betting and gambling of any sort but I could not put down Confessions of an Ivy League Bookie. Peter's new book is a triumph of story telling (and I hate card games of any kind!) His observations are pure genuis, and his candor is admirable. If Peter Alson wrote a book about cars or spaceships or furniture building- other topics of disinterest to me- I would read them, knowing he would engage me... the language is the story, and Peter's perspective carries you away.

Contemporary Rogue

Peter comes from a good family. Letters are in the blood. Has a good education. Thankfully, he never lets any of that interfere with his singular pursuit of a rogue's tale. Few authors can capture the simultaneous snob-and-gutter appeal of poker like Alson. It is a fine read.