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Under The Neon Sky
Gripping, true story about a Las Vegas doorman who works the graveyard shift at the MGM Hotel on the Strip. The sights and page popping characters are unforgettable as we take a journey that will transform how we used to envision the city that never sleeps.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2009
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290 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 15, 2011
Under The Neon Sky: A Las Vegas Doorman’s Story by Jay Rankin gives us a candid look into working in one of the largest hotels in Las Vegas – the MGM. What goes on behind the scenes? People work very hard to make Las Vegas a tourist attraction, focusing on the fun that one can have in Vegas. The bright and shining neon lights. The shows and performances. Not to mention that fun to be had at Casinos. But in today’s society so many people are focused on their own paths, not paying attention to their surroundings, that it is easy to miss the things that are happening right in front of you.
Mr. Rankin shares his experiences with the reader and allows us to feel what being that environment is like. So many events and emotions are told, not all positive, and it really opened my eyes to Las Vegas. It amazes me about the behavior some people exhibit in public places. Getting a job that tons of people strive to get isn’t always the best way to go. The pay received per night may be worth it, but Jay’s story reminds us that sometimes your personal life and emotional state may suffer the consequences.
If you are interested in visiting Las Vegas, I would suggest you read Under The Neon Sky: A Las Vegas Doorman’s Story as a way to prepare yourself for the adventure you will be embarking on.
Mr. Rankin shares his experiences with the reader and allows us to feel what being that environment is like. So many events and emotions are told, not all positive, and it really opened my eyes to Las Vegas. It amazes me about the behavior some people exhibit in public places. Getting a job that tons of people strive to get isn’t always the best way to go. The pay received per night may be worth it, but Jay’s story reminds us that sometimes your personal life and emotional state may suffer the consequences.
If you are interested in visiting Las Vegas, I would suggest you read Under The Neon Sky: A Las Vegas Doorman’s Story as a way to prepare yourself for the adventure you will be embarking on.
December 6, 2012
A relaxing, enjoyable, paternalistic/insulting-to-women read (but he forced himself to give props to whores a few times, so that was cute/cool). It's good at what it is, and I really liked reading it for fun in a soap opera kind of way. I always love reading about people's jobs, and the doorman gig and hotel politics were interesting. It might not be a sophisticated read, but I wanted to read it more than I wanted to read sophisticated reads. So four or five stars in that regard, and definitely worth the $2.99 price on Kindle.
"Favorite" quotes: "Some of the valets and doormen wear bulletproof vests on nights like this, but I won't. I could never do my spins and kicks strapped into a chest protector."
"Let's say you are at work and your wife is alone, searching for something to do. She has to be careful and aware. In Las Vegas, the line dividing fidelity from betrayal is laser thin, and it stretches clear to the horizon. Human predators are always sniffing around, poised to pull her across. A few hours later, your wife, who means the world to you, means nothing to the hunter. She's just a faceless stranger used for a night of partying and then discarded. . . . If the waywardness gave her pleasure, then she'll crave it, and that will prove her downfall."
So anyway. Lots of downfalling in this book.
"Favorite" quotes: "Some of the valets and doormen wear bulletproof vests on nights like this, but I won't. I could never do my spins and kicks strapped into a chest protector."
"Let's say you are at work and your wife is alone, searching for something to do. She has to be careful and aware. In Las Vegas, the line dividing fidelity from betrayal is laser thin, and it stretches clear to the horizon. Human predators are always sniffing around, poised to pull her across. A few hours later, your wife, who means the world to you, means nothing to the hunter. She's just a faceless stranger used for a night of partying and then discarded. . . . If the waywardness gave her pleasure, then she'll crave it, and that will prove her downfall."
So anyway. Lots of downfalling in this book.
April 12, 2012
Can you survive Las Vegas? Jay did, barely.
I got this book from First Reads giveaway, thank you very much Jay.
From the very first page, you can tell where this book is headed. There's going to be destruction, and people are not going to get away unscathed. Is the ride still worth it, yes, definitely. It's a different perspective, it's not a casino owner, pit boss, a manager, it's Vegas from the man on the street point of view. And it is an interesting perspective, written in a way that evokes a fictional drama or a small indie film, but none of it is ever so unbelievable to think that it couldn't happen. The book does grab you and does let you in on the things that makes Vegas so different, the hours, the people, the temptations, the difficulty of keeping meaningful relationships. It's many lives that get sucked up and spit out by the city of sin.
But again, you can tell that this is where it was going, you can tell that many of the people in this book were going to be destroyed or almost destroyed. How it happens is where the excitement is, but the end result is obvious. The author, Jay, blames it on the nature of Vegas, the nature of the city and most people will agree that in Vegas, these things are probably more likely to happen. But I don't think it should replace bad decisions that Jay himself often caught others making. Jay came away comparatively unscathed but still broken in a sense. It's unfortunate that Vegas itself has become a cliche and Jay basically confirms a lot of those cliches in this book, nonetheless, next to the tragic story there's also a lot of funny incidents and anecdotes.
Just like the fast life that is Vegas, it is a breezy page turner about the humor of that lifestyle along with the tragic destruction. Jay attempts to deconstruct Las Vegas at macro level, but never reaches that level of insight, instead the book focuses on the personal destruction that Vegas can ease people into.
I got this book from First Reads giveaway, thank you very much Jay.
From the very first page, you can tell where this book is headed. There's going to be destruction, and people are not going to get away unscathed. Is the ride still worth it, yes, definitely. It's a different perspective, it's not a casino owner, pit boss, a manager, it's Vegas from the man on the street point of view. And it is an interesting perspective, written in a way that evokes a fictional drama or a small indie film, but none of it is ever so unbelievable to think that it couldn't happen. The book does grab you and does let you in on the things that makes Vegas so different, the hours, the people, the temptations, the difficulty of keeping meaningful relationships. It's many lives that get sucked up and spit out by the city of sin.
But again, you can tell that this is where it was going, you can tell that many of the people in this book were going to be destroyed or almost destroyed. How it happens is where the excitement is, but the end result is obvious. The author, Jay, blames it on the nature of Vegas, the nature of the city and most people will agree that in Vegas, these things are probably more likely to happen. But I don't think it should replace bad decisions that Jay himself often caught others making. Jay came away comparatively unscathed but still broken in a sense. It's unfortunate that Vegas itself has become a cliche and Jay basically confirms a lot of those cliches in this book, nonetheless, next to the tragic story there's also a lot of funny incidents and anecdotes.
Just like the fast life that is Vegas, it is a breezy page turner about the humor of that lifestyle along with the tragic destruction. Jay attempts to deconstruct Las Vegas at macro level, but never reaches that level of insight, instead the book focuses on the personal destruction that Vegas can ease people into.
December 6, 2018
This was a great book. It's about Jay and him getting a job as a doorman at the MGM Grand when it first opened. Keep in mind that the MGM Grand, the one at LV Blvd and Trop opened in 1993.
This book talks about how Vegas will consume you and then spit you out...with all the vice and temptation there is in town.
This book to me was about how everyone that was in Jay's world succumbed to the vice of the city, whether it was alcohol, drugs or adultery.
Jay was the only one that kept it together, everyone else around him succumbed to one of the vices.
He was a victim of his wife's adultery, his coworker succumbed to alcohol and drugs and a friend of his succumbed to adultery with a terrible ending.
At the end of the book the plot twist was shocking and the last few pages were actually pretty riveting but don't want to spoil it...I definitely enjoyed the book.
I as a resident of Vegas know exactly what he was talking about because throughout the book, the big hotel casinos will do whatever to cover their asses and really don't care........all you are is a number or a warm body and you got to see a little of that throughout the book.
I for one understand that...I actually had a job at MGM when I moved here and they didn't care..you worked regardless of the day....there are no holidays and they don't care. The gaming corporations feel that it is Vegas and people want to live here so they can find some other person to do the job if you aren't willing to do what they ask.
Needless to say I really did enjoy the book.
This book talks about how Vegas will consume you and then spit you out...with all the vice and temptation there is in town.
This book to me was about how everyone that was in Jay's world succumbed to the vice of the city, whether it was alcohol, drugs or adultery.
Jay was the only one that kept it together, everyone else around him succumbed to one of the vices.
He was a victim of his wife's adultery, his coworker succumbed to alcohol and drugs and a friend of his succumbed to adultery with a terrible ending.
At the end of the book the plot twist was shocking and the last few pages were actually pretty riveting but don't want to spoil it...I definitely enjoyed the book.
I as a resident of Vegas know exactly what he was talking about because throughout the book, the big hotel casinos will do whatever to cover their asses and really don't care........all you are is a number or a warm body and you got to see a little of that throughout the book.
I for one understand that...I actually had a job at MGM when I moved here and they didn't care..you worked regardless of the day....there are no holidays and they don't care. The gaming corporations feel that it is Vegas and people want to live here so they can find some other person to do the job if you aren't willing to do what they ask.
Needless to say I really did enjoy the book.
January 14, 2019
Ultimately pessimistic and depressing, the tone reads like the jaded account of a bitter ex-employee during an exit interview. The author depicts himself as having the moral high ground in every interaction: he fights valiantly to save his marriage, but a malevolent city forces them apart. He heroically tries to save his friends from the city’s vices, but again the anthropomorphic city destroys them.
I bought this book expecting a behind the scenes look at the city of Las Vegas: the good, bad and ugly. However, the interesting anecdotes that I expected from the point of view of an employee were sparsely sprinkled across a bed of bitter navel-gazing.
I bought this book expecting a behind the scenes look at the city of Las Vegas: the good, bad and ugly. However, the interesting anecdotes that I expected from the point of view of an employee were sparsely sprinkled across a bed of bitter navel-gazing.
July 6, 2018
Roller Coaster Ride in the Desert
Jay Rankin tells the story of his extreme highs and lows in half a decade as a doorman at the MGM Grand in Vegas. An emotional story that any fan of Sin City will appreciate.
Jay Rankin tells the story of his extreme highs and lows in half a decade as a doorman at the MGM Grand in Vegas. An emotional story that any fan of Sin City will appreciate.
October 5, 2024
I thought this would be a romp with fun stories about run-ins with celebrities and eccentric high rollers. Instead, I got a workplace drama that could have just as easily been written about a job at an accounting firm. The clashes with coworkers and supervisors and HR are nothing new to anyone who has ever earned a paycheck. The failing marriage is a steady theme, but you wouldn't know it by the cover image of the Mirage (not the MGM Grand?) and the title "Under the Neon Sky." (seriously, great title -- maybe the best thing about the book) There's one good Las Vegas story, and it takes place near the end of the book. But do we know if it really happened? By the time we reach the end, Rankin hasn't made himself out to be what I consider a reliable narrator.
One thing that kept nagging at me were the anachronisms. The author talked about how he was hired as part of the opening crew for the MGM Grand. The MGM Grand opened in 1993, but at one point he mentions the Mandalay Bay, which opened 6 years later. He also frequently references cell phones, which weren't in common use in 1993.
If you're looking for good Las Vegas stories, I recommend moving on from this one and check out Dummy Up and Deal by H. Lee Barnes, Supercasino by Pete Early, and 24/7: Living It Up and Doubling Down in the New Las Vegas by Andres Martinez.
One thing that kept nagging at me were the anachronisms. The author talked about how he was hired as part of the opening crew for the MGM Grand. The MGM Grand opened in 1993, but at one point he mentions the Mandalay Bay, which opened 6 years later. He also frequently references cell phones, which weren't in common use in 1993.
If you're looking for good Las Vegas stories, I recommend moving on from this one and check out Dummy Up and Deal by H. Lee Barnes, Supercasino by Pete Early, and 24/7: Living It Up and Doubling Down in the New Las Vegas by Andres Martinez.
May 19, 2020
Jay Rankin starts his book by saying that Las Vegas will eat you alive. I thought that was a bit of an exaggeration: Most visitors spend two or three nights in town, drop an average of $500 and go home. Then, through the course of Rankin's first-person account of working as doorman at MGM Grand, Las Vegas' largest hotel, the reader begins to understand what he means. The cast of characters runs the gamut of all sorts of people: Rankin's co-workers, circle of friends, tourists, gamblers and taxi drivers. It's a fascinating look at Las Vegas in the mid-1990's--and how much the city and the Green Giant have changed. No more jungle or Wizard of Oz theme at MGM Grand! This is quite a page-turner. Frequent Las Vegas visitors and those who have never been will enjoy.
April 14, 2021
He wrote this book for himself not readers. Therapy?
October 7, 2021
Waiting
I was waiting for something to happen that was interesting,funny,or sexy and I'm still waiting.welcome to life.
Very disappointed. Monotone
I was waiting for something to happen that was interesting,funny,or sexy and I'm still waiting.welcome to life.
Very disappointed. Monotone
October 27, 2021
Solid read for anyone thinking of life in Vegas and living like a vampire :)
November 16, 2021
Loved this look back into how Vegas was
September 26, 2025
Average yarn about a doorman in Vegas,do not get confused as I did with the role of the doorman in Vegas compared to the doorman in the UK.One thing that did stand out was how little workers rights are respected in Las Vegas and maybe the USA as a whole .
November 6, 2011
Las Vegas is a city where anything goes. The stories about things that happen there are legendary. It's not known as Sin City for nothing. The large hotels of Vegas are cities unto themselves, hiring tons of staff to run everything as smoothly as possible. Some of the first people visitors see at the hotels are the doormen. They are considered the "ambassadors" for the hotel. For six years, Jay Rankin was one of them. A doorman at the MGM Grand, Jay worked an overnight shift that marked some of the busiest times for the hotel doormen. While working as a doorman, Jay saw a little bit of everything. At work and at home, he soon discovered that Vegas was a city that could get under your skin in numerous ways. While the money was good, everything around him seemed to be falling apart. He would be forced to choose between Vegas and his life, but that is not as easy a decision as it may seem.
I was immediately drawn into this book. It will reaffirm the truth in almost every crazy story you've heard about Vegas and then some. I found the structure of the hotel system fascinating. They really are their own little cities. There are so many people involved in making your visit to Vegas smooth for you, and some of them are definitely characters. However, they are almost always written about with great affection. You can feel that despite everything that happened, the author still has a great love for the people and the city itself. There are some crazy stories about things that happened there. Of course, the wildest night is the one that changes everything for Jay Rankin, the infamous Tyson vs. Holyfield match. Yes, the ear biting one. As he begins to see just what Vegas can do to you, Jay has to make some tough decisions.
Despite all the interesting stories, there are a lot of dark aspects to this story. Jay watches as several friends make horrible decisions that get them into even worse positions in life. While he struggles to try and find ways to help them, there is only so much he can do. Even worse is watching Jay's marriage and life spiral out of control. It seems like the more success he has at work. the worse things get at home. Luckily Jay had enough presence of mind to know when it was time for a change. Unfortunately many people he knew did not.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a very quick read. It also really made me think. When there is so much craziness around you, is it really possible to keep your balance? At first it seems entirely possible, but as the book goes on you see that maybe this is not doable after all. This book will be of great interest to people who are interested in Las Vegas or just interested in all the wild things that can happen there. And after reading about so many lives falling apart, the ending gives just a bit of hope that some people can escape the insanity.
Book provided for review.
I was immediately drawn into this book. It will reaffirm the truth in almost every crazy story you've heard about Vegas and then some. I found the structure of the hotel system fascinating. They really are their own little cities. There are so many people involved in making your visit to Vegas smooth for you, and some of them are definitely characters. However, they are almost always written about with great affection. You can feel that despite everything that happened, the author still has a great love for the people and the city itself. There are some crazy stories about things that happened there. Of course, the wildest night is the one that changes everything for Jay Rankin, the infamous Tyson vs. Holyfield match. Yes, the ear biting one. As he begins to see just what Vegas can do to you, Jay has to make some tough decisions.
Despite all the interesting stories, there are a lot of dark aspects to this story. Jay watches as several friends make horrible decisions that get them into even worse positions in life. While he struggles to try and find ways to help them, there is only so much he can do. Even worse is watching Jay's marriage and life spiral out of control. It seems like the more success he has at work. the worse things get at home. Luckily Jay had enough presence of mind to know when it was time for a change. Unfortunately many people he knew did not.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a very quick read. It also really made me think. When there is so much craziness around you, is it really possible to keep your balance? At first it seems entirely possible, but as the book goes on you see that maybe this is not doable after all. This book will be of great interest to people who are interested in Las Vegas or just interested in all the wild things that can happen there. And after reading about so many lives falling apart, the ending gives just a bit of hope that some people can escape the insanity.
Book provided for review.
November 9, 2011
After sitting a day to write the review, I am still on the fence for this one. From one side of the fence, there were a crazy amount of curse words and the language was very crass. But the other side of the fence - this book provided an awesome insider's view of the city that many wish to visit for one reason or another.
A doorman for the largest hotel in Las Vegas that within it are held the biggest boxing matches on the same nights of concerts, shows and more. A huge job that at times can be downright overwhelming partly because you are dealing with the public the entire time. I felt for him at his job where his supervisors were conniving and his co workers were deceitful. From his work life to his home life, he was surrounded with destruction. But I wonder and I think he wondered if it was all due to living in Las Vegas?
An entertaining story that due to my being in Vegas for a quick work trip helped me see a different view of the city that maybe vacationers don't want to admit to seeing while they are in town. When I go back to vacation, I will definitely have this book in the back of my mind with questions about how well the employees are being treated in such a harsh atmosphere.
A doorman for the largest hotel in Las Vegas that within it are held the biggest boxing matches on the same nights of concerts, shows and more. A huge job that at times can be downright overwhelming partly because you are dealing with the public the entire time. I felt for him at his job where his supervisors were conniving and his co workers were deceitful. From his work life to his home life, he was surrounded with destruction. But I wonder and I think he wondered if it was all due to living in Las Vegas?
An entertaining story that due to my being in Vegas for a quick work trip helped me see a different view of the city that maybe vacationers don't want to admit to seeing while they are in town. When I go back to vacation, I will definitely have this book in the back of my mind with questions about how well the employees are being treated in such a harsh atmosphere.
February 28, 2016
How badly it sucks to be a doorman/taxi fetcher in Las Vegas and how it can destroy your marriage and life. Why did I buy this?
Format: Kindle Edition erified Purchase
Whine, gripe, bitch, moan...how working in Vegas sucks. That's what we get for 95 percent of the book. The other 5 percent is interesting on-the- job observations and encounters from the taxi loading area outside a Las Vegas Hotel. Our main character got what he wished for, a job fetching taxis for hotel guests and loading and unloading their heavy suitcases outside the hotel. He was thrilled at first because of the good tips he made, but the job soon played havoc with his marriage and personal life. He became disenchanted with his dream job but is stuck in it. After that, it is all a downward spiral and depressing to read.
Do you really want to spent major time listen to someone complain and whine about all the lousy decisions he's made? Your time would be much better spent reading: When it was Great by Jim Sinay, about a Las Vegas pit boss' career, Vegas Fever by Bill Collins (a great read), or Las Vegas: The Untold Stories by John Romero . All are a better read and give you true insights about how things go down in Vegas.
Format: Kindle Edition erified Purchase
Whine, gripe, bitch, moan...how working in Vegas sucks. That's what we get for 95 percent of the book. The other 5 percent is interesting on-the- job observations and encounters from the taxi loading area outside a Las Vegas Hotel. Our main character got what he wished for, a job fetching taxis for hotel guests and loading and unloading their heavy suitcases outside the hotel. He was thrilled at first because of the good tips he made, but the job soon played havoc with his marriage and personal life. He became disenchanted with his dream job but is stuck in it. After that, it is all a downward spiral and depressing to read.
Do you really want to spent major time listen to someone complain and whine about all the lousy decisions he's made? Your time would be much better spent reading: When it was Great by Jim Sinay, about a Las Vegas pit boss' career, Vegas Fever by Bill Collins (a great read), or Las Vegas: The Untold Stories by John Romero . All are a better read and give you true insights about how things go down in Vegas.
November 11, 2011
When one works a graveyard shift one has the chance to experience normal events in a very different way as well as get to know the city of Las Vegas with a different perspective. The reader will love the integrated bits of Las Vegas history, told in a way that elevates Las Vegas history from dry to exciting. The author details the story very well, the reader will not be confused and the author's points will come across clearly.
This book is a quick read, the reader may finish it in one or two days. The author's life story will be very interesting to the reader, it will be hard to put this book down. The events were fast-paced, there weren't many slow areas in the plot. The author has the ability to allow the reader to look through his eyes and see Las Vegas as he views the city. At times, reading about the author's life and acknowledging that certain events actually happened can make it a bit of a difficult read for readers who don't like anything sad or remotely depressing in books. Overall, the book was certainly intriguing and recommended to adult readers.
This book is a quick read, the reader may finish it in one or two days. The author's life story will be very interesting to the reader, it will be hard to put this book down. The events were fast-paced, there weren't many slow areas in the plot. The author has the ability to allow the reader to look through his eyes and see Las Vegas as he views the city. At times, reading about the author's life and acknowledging that certain events actually happened can make it a bit of a difficult read for readers who don't like anything sad or remotely depressing in books. Overall, the book was certainly intriguing and recommended to adult readers.
June 10, 2012
Not enough details to be interesting or realistic enough to be non-fiction not enough character development to be fiction.
I love Vegas and I was eager to read what I thought would be an insider’s account of what it is like to work in the hotel/casino industry; stories about what really goes on, the most outlandish things that have ever happened at the MGM Grand.
This is not that book. There is a little of it, but rather than focus on life at the hotel/casino, the author uses this only as a backdrop to write a book about the damage that Vegas can do to people’s lives.
We never really get to know the characters in the book and the events that occur, especially at the end seem a bit unrealistic or cliched. I would have been able to forgive that if this was either a more detailed work of non-fiction or a more developed work of fiction.
This is fine, but much of the time the book does not feel like a first hand account memoir, it feels more like the first draft of a novel.
I love Vegas and I was eager to read what I thought would be an insider’s account of what it is like to work in the hotel/casino industry; stories about what really goes on, the most outlandish things that have ever happened at the MGM Grand.
This is not that book. There is a little of it, but rather than focus on life at the hotel/casino, the author uses this only as a backdrop to write a book about the damage that Vegas can do to people’s lives.
We never really get to know the characters in the book and the events that occur, especially at the end seem a bit unrealistic or cliched. I would have been able to forgive that if this was either a more detailed work of non-fiction or a more developed work of fiction.
This is fine, but much of the time the book does not feel like a first hand account memoir, it feels more like the first draft of a novel.
January 25, 2010
I had the extreme pleasure of reading Under the Neon Sky by Jay Rankin, which I highly recommend. This book doesn't read like a non-fiction book but reads like a work of fiction with fragments of Las Vegas history sprinkled in along the way. I love Vegas and this book allowed me to see the Vegas that no tourist gets to see--the bright lights, loud noises walking hand and hand with sin and temptation--a world unknown to most.
As Mr. Rankin "craved the energy of the city," I mirrored that excitement as I turned every page feeling the heat of the Vegas lights on my face while I read each word. It was a well-written piece of work and I look forward to reading another book by Mr. Rankin. My only regret was that eventually like Mr. Rankin's life in Vegas, this energy filled book had to come to an end...
As Mr. Rankin "craved the energy of the city," I mirrored that excitement as I turned every page feeling the heat of the Vegas lights on my face while I read each word. It was a well-written piece of work and I look forward to reading another book by Mr. Rankin. My only regret was that eventually like Mr. Rankin's life in Vegas, this energy filled book had to come to an end...
February 11, 2010
Evidently not everything that happens in Vegas stays there. Jay Rankin's book offers the reader the opportunity to stand alongside him at the front door of the MGM Grand -- a vantage point from which we can view a Vegas we never knew existed. Cabbies, guests, hookers, family and friends form the cast of this real-life drama, and none of them get away unscathed. This is an excellent read that you'll have a hard time putting down.
July 14, 2011
I had nothing to read so my husband said 'you can read this if you want but you probably won't be into it'. It was a good easy page-turner of a book, which was what I needed. Read like a work of fiction as it was quite gripping. A rollicking real-life story... who knew being a doorman at Vegas could just about kill a man? I reckon it'd be worth it for a short time, after hearing about the kinda tips they get anyway!!
July 26, 2013
As someone who's going to Vegas for the first time, I've been devouring everything and anything on the city. Jay Rankin's book doesn't disappoint and gives a first hand look in to life in the neon city. Would absolutely love to read more on his life, especially the various visitors he came across. Thanks to Jay, I'm really looking forward to meeting some of these characters for myself. (And I promise, as a Brit, not to stiff on tips either! :) )
October 5, 2013
As a former doorman in Washington, D.C., I really enjoyed this quick gallop through Jay's adventures as a doorman at the MGM in Vegas from its opening to the incredible peak of that indelible fight night Tyson-Hollyfield. An in depth look at the ups and downs of life in sin city from a vantage point few will ever have. He truly saw it all and gives the reader both the 30,000 ft and in the gutter perspectives with all the in between.
December 24, 2010
Although a page turner, it was depressing to read his life story spiral out of control. I'm not convinced it's a geographical fault or bad decisions or self-control or lack of a grounded person in his life, but I always find it interesting to read others stories.
July 9, 2013
It took six years as a doorman for Rankin to develop enough depth for a book whose apparent timeline plays out over the course of a year. It's weak and I wasn't sympathetic to the characters or Rankin.
October 2, 2014
A nice blend of storytelling....This book offers an insider's view of Las Vegas as the author reflects on his job as a doorman for one of the town's busiest and biggest hotels. I really enjoyed how the breezy fun moments also gave way to some serious and touching moments of discovery.
June 11, 2016
This book gives an insight into the dark reality of Las Vegas. I love the place but know that I could not spend more than a week there at one time.
This book shows that no matter how intelligent happy or together you think you are the darkness can begin to creep in
This book shows that no matter how intelligent happy or together you think you are the darkness can begin to creep in
October 6, 2016
I picked up this book because I was heading to Vegas and wanted an appropriate subject! I loved the insider's look at Vegas from the author who was a doorman for 6 years at the MGM. A fun read and very interesting.
July 11, 2010
This was a fast read; finished in one day. Interesting story throughout with added momentum toward the end.
April 7, 2011
disappointing book. redundant. cliche. went nowhere and said nothing that an outsider wouldn't have already gathered.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews