Roll the Bones by David G. Schwartz

Throughout the ages, people have had a tendency to gamble and nobody has covered the history of the topic in such detail as David G. Schwartz.

Schwartz' Roll the Bones is the definitive look at the history of gambling, beginning with its inception thousands of years ago all the way to the 21st century and the popularity of online gaming. Schwartz covers plenty of ground in this hefty 570-page and has enough information for the serious student or those interested in the roots of gambling.

Most people are familiar with bones as being a slang for dice, but few people know the origin of the term. As Schwartz tells us, the first gamblers used sheep hucklebones in place of dice and the term has remained in place today.

The basic question that comes to mind, "Who invented gambling?" is one that Schwartz tells us has no definitive answer, although archeologists have found evidence of gambling in Mesopotamia, which essentially makes gambling as old as history.

Schwartz then takes us from gambling's beginnings to modern day Las Vegas and covers all eras in between as he shows how the inclination to make a wager has been with man throughout recorded time.

One enjoyable aspect of the book deals with gambling through the ages, where we are introduced to a cast of memorable characters, ranging from Julius Caesar to George Washington and from hunter-gathers to Steve Wynn.

The book clears up several common misconceptions, while at the same time reaffirms several things we have heard about gambling and gives us the inside scoop. Many people have heard that the United States was formed by a lottery and Schwartz gives the details of how gambling helped fund a nation.

There are similar fascinating bits of information throughout the book, which will no doubt answer practically any question you may have had about the origins of gambling and hundreds of others that you haven't thought of.

Schwartz spends plenty of time covering Las Vegas and it was interesting to read how much Bugsy Siegel, the man who is frequently credited as being the father of Las Vegas casinos, actually had to with the establishment of Las Vegas culture.

There is a brief section regarding the establishment of online sportsbooks and the book fittingly ends with the opening of the $2.7 billion Wynn Las Vegas.

It would be difficult to find a person more qualified than Schwartz to tackle this enormous subject. A former casino security specialist, Schwartz now serves as the director of the Center for Gaming Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He received a Ph.D is history from UCLA and his historian's background is evident throughout the book.

This is the third book Schwartz has written about gambling.

Schwartz is to be commended for attempting to tackle such a broad subject as the history of gambling. Naturally, there are areas where the reader will be left wanting to know more, but time and space restraints make it impossible to cover everything in minute detail.

By the same token, there will be too much information for many readers in certain areas, as well, but as the saying goes, you can't please all the people all the time.

Roll the Bones took several years to research and the findings are well documented. There are enough anecdoctes to keep even the most casual gambler entertained, while the more serious bettor will relish stories of the legendary Nick the Greek, the creation of the World Series of Poker and Benny Binion.

This isn't a book that you will be able to read in a sitting or two, but it is highly entertaining and worth the investment in time.