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 enlarge | Authors: Steve Budin, Bob Schaller
Creator: Brandon Lang
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy Used: $10.99
You Save: $13.96 (56%)
New (36) Used (21) from $10.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  24 reviews
Sales Rank: 350939
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.2 x 1
ISBN: 1602390991
Dewey Decimal Number: 796
EAN: 9781602390997
ASIN: 1602390991
Publication Date: October 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Very good / like new condition. Minor wear on dust jacket. Clean crisp pages, tight binding. Fast processing and professional shipping.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Great Christmas Gift December 13, 2007
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Great Christmas gift for any guy in his 20s interested in gambling. Written by a man who lived the dream and clearly loved every minute of it, this book is an entertaining read that doesn't require much heavy mental lifting. Perfect for people who don't always love reading "serious" books.
 If you like egomaniacs.... December 11, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
you still might not like this book. Two things you have to understand about this book, 1- this man has the greatest, most incredible father of all time (in his opinion) and 2- this author is total honesty personified, a swell guy. I mean, this guy once smoked 53 joints in a single day! That's not a typo, 53 joints! Adultery? We have it here in spades! But Stevo just couldn't help himself. So many lovely ladies that wanted him. He's sooo handsome, just look at the back cover (if you can).
The author might be a visionary in the sports betting world, but what a loser in every other way. Save your money.
Shameless Self-Promotion - Don't Waste Your Time December 4, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I'm a 33 year old guy from Brooklyn, NY - I'm an avid reader and love sports and business. After reading the summary of Drugs, Bets and Rock and Roll, I assumed this book would be right up my alley. I was wrong. Although the story is interesting, the writing style is simply awful. I'm still amazed that an editor would allow a book so poorly written into production. I'm pretty sure Budin got paid by the word since he repeats lots of phrases and descriptions over and over again. Several times, I thought I had lost my place and was rereading earlier parts of the text. I wasn't.
In essence the story is about how awesome Steve Budin is. For all of his self-proclaiming drivel, you'd think he brokered world peace or invented space travel. The truth is that, backed by some NY muscle and money, he revolutionized the ease at which people can lose money gambling. The author continually talks about all of the good things which he accomplished in the industry as if it makes up for the countless lives ruined by gambling. The author's glorifiction of drug use and his objectification of women was so childish that it made him look foolish and pitiful. The author also finds time to insult the entire country of Panama and their "third-world" ways. As someone who's traveled throughout Panama, I found his depiction of the people and culture totally out of whack with reality. I guess coming from a guy who brags about hookers behind his pregnant wife's back, you can't expect much.
Like I said, it's a good story. Unfortunately the writing style and author's giant ego got in the way of a good tale. If you're stuck in a room for 3 hours and have to choose between reading this book or punching yourself in the face, read the book...but then punch yourself in the face for having wasted your time.
Great Read! October 31, 2007
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Such a great book; Couldnt put it down! Cant wait to see the BDRR on the big screen!!!
Mr. Budin's Wild Ride October 25, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Talk about a "wild ride", that is exactly what this book is! Steve Budin tells all...and then some.
Being a big sports fan myself, it was particularly interesting to learn the behind the scenes aspects of the sports "industry". If you have ever wondered about not just the final score of a particular sporting contest - but about who covered the point spread and why, then this is the book for you. Steve breaks down the gaming industry from his wholly unique persepctive.
Fascinating and succinct. Any questions you may have about the offshore gaming industry are answered here - and answered with humorous real-life anecdotes peppered in!
If it wasn't filed under the "true stories" section, I'd swear it was the best fiction I've read in a long time. But you know what they say, "Truth is stranger than fiction", and this truth was a pleasure to read.
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