Books like "The Game" and "Bringing Down the House"

[Yobz]

Figured OOT would be the place to post this, delete or move if I'm wrong.

I liked reading both The Game and Bringing Down the House because they are real stories of normal/smart people doing some really cool crap. I mean, I dig chicks and like gambling, but that is not the only reason I liked the above books...the non-fiction element is really cool. So my question to OOT is this: what books should I read next?

[tribefan9]

Read "Ugly Americans". It is by the same guy that wrote bringing down the house and it is about a group of young americans that become traders in Asia. Very good read.

[edtost]

liar's poker, moneyball

[RiverFenix]

[ QUOTE ]
Read "Ugly Americans". It is by the same guy that wrote bringing down the house and it is about a group of young americans that become traders in Asia. Very good read.

[/ QUOTE ]

I also really liked den of thieves which is about the 80's junk bonds, LBOs, michael milken, etc.

[Roan]

In Cold Blood was the very first non-fiction book of this genre. It's not as "easy" a read as the ones mentioned above, but is amazing in its detail.

[slickpoppa]

I've haven't read it, but "American Roulette" sounds like it would be up your alley:

amazon

[El Diablo]

tribe,

"Ugly Americans" was pretty bad. edtost's recommendations are far better.

[theBruiser500]

[ QUOTE ]
liar's poker, moneyball

[/ QUOTE ]

excellent suggestions

[Sooga]

[ QUOTE ]
Figured OOT would be the place to post this, delete or move if I'm wrong.

I liked reading both The Game and Bringing Down the House because they are real stories of normal/smart people doing some really cool crap. I mean, I dig chicks and like gambling, but that is not the only reason I liked the above books...the non-fiction element is really cool. So my question to OOT is this: what books should I read next?

[/ QUOTE ]

Those kind of books are my favorite.... Here are some of the books I've bought in that general area ('normal' people with 'abnormal' lives/abilities):

"Word Freak" by Stefan Fatsis - A look into the game of competitive Scrabble, and focusing mainly on 4 different tournament pros (this book was essentially made into the documentary 'Word Wars' by the Discovery Channel)

"Stung" by Gary Stephen Ross - This was the book that the movie 'Owning Mahowny' was based off of. I don't know if you would consider a craps addiction to be 'cool', but when you combine a gambling addiction and having a career as a banker, bad things happen.

"Count Down" by Steve Olson - An account of the U.S. high school Mathematics Olympiad team (I forget which year's team). If you like math, you'll like this book.

And "Monster" by Sanyika Shakur might be a bit out of your search, but it's a very good autobiography about his life as a Los Angeles gang member.

[El Diablo]

Sooga,

Good recommendations, especially Word Freak.