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A Bone of Fact
David Walsh - the creator of Mona in Hobart - is both a giant and an enigma in the Australian art world. A multi-millionaire who made his money gambling, David has turned a wild vision into a unique reality; he is in turns controversial, mysterious and idolised. A Bone of Fact is his utterly unconventional and absorbing memoir, about which he says:
'By some great good fortune (mine, not yours) you hold in your hands my story, credible I think, but not extraordinary (despite what those avaricious publishers might have you believe). I have captured your attention: maybe you have some resonance with Mona, or maybe good graphical design partly seized your day. To extract 55 bucks from you I need to say something clever, but I can't think of anything. So I'll seduce you with a tale of another, cleverer, writer.
Stanislaw Lem, noted Polish science fiction author and notorious smartarse, once told an American colleague that his new collection of short stories would be published in a paper bag. This conjured a mental picture of the stories being selected by lucky dip. The idea that my life story could be told that way, without a disabling manifesto, is appealing.
Unfortunately Mr Lem had actually said 'paperback' (his meaning concealed beneath his thick accent), a wholly ordinary practice to deliver extraordinary stories. My story lacks Mr Lem's magical reality and philosophy, and it also lacks a paper bag.
You should buy it anyway, if you are at least mildly curious as to why I want you to give me more money, even though I'm already rich. But if you happen to read Polish you could probably do better reading Lem. Incidentally, Polish is one of the few words that changes its pronunciation when you change the first letter from upper case to lower case. If you are in Natal or Nice you can probably think of another. But surely, if you are in Natal or Nice you have better things to do than lurk in bookshops. Get out of here, but take me with you. I promise to treat you nice. But not so nice that you'll need to go to a natal clinic.'
'By some great good fortune (mine, not yours) you hold in your hands my story, credible I think, but not extraordinary (despite what those avaricious publishers might have you believe). I have captured your attention: maybe you have some resonance with Mona, or maybe good graphical design partly seized your day. To extract 55 bucks from you I need to say something clever, but I can't think of anything. So I'll seduce you with a tale of another, cleverer, writer.
Stanislaw Lem, noted Polish science fiction author and notorious smartarse, once told an American colleague that his new collection of short stories would be published in a paper bag. This conjured a mental picture of the stories being selected by lucky dip. The idea that my life story could be told that way, without a disabling manifesto, is appealing.
Unfortunately Mr Lem had actually said 'paperback' (his meaning concealed beneath his thick accent), a wholly ordinary practice to deliver extraordinary stories. My story lacks Mr Lem's magical reality and philosophy, and it also lacks a paper bag.
You should buy it anyway, if you are at least mildly curious as to why I want you to give me more money, even though I'm already rich. But if you happen to read Polish you could probably do better reading Lem. Incidentally, Polish is one of the few words that changes its pronunciation when you change the first letter from upper case to lower case. If you are in Natal or Nice you can probably think of another. But surely, if you are in Natal or Nice you have better things to do than lurk in bookshops. Get out of here, but take me with you. I promise to treat you nice. But not so nice that you'll need to go to a natal clinic.'
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
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536 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 22, 2017
I’m not that much into biography but launched on this on the recommendation of someone who had been to Walsh’s MONA gallery in Hobart. My enthusiasm rapidly increased in the first few, mostly short, chapters. Walsh endeared himself by confessing his adopted style owed a lot to Kurt Vonnegut of whom I’m a long time fan ( there’s a bit of Mark Twain as well I feel ( again endeared – thought: how much does Vonnegut owe to Twain? )
The structure of this biography is unique in my experience: consisting as it does of a series of somewhat random, in time and space, monographs about snippets from Walsh’s life and philosophy. A sort of autobiographic jig-saw puzzle, with lots of pieces missing. Somehow the bits add up to a fairly well drawn picture of who he is and what he’s about. I hate the over use of the ‘journey’ metaphor but Walsh has been on a hell of a journey and its outline is clear in this book. His development is well described from a very intelligent, poor, callow youth through immature adult to a committed, relationship aware individual. Almost incidentally along the way he makes a fortune in gambling and finances a major art museum. The bits of the book dealing with personal life, gambling and art, trigger many philosophical asides on god ( or not god), science ( including quantum mechanics), maths, chance and probability( especially as applicable to gambling); and a number of other topics. These might seem tedious and even preachy to some or, on the other hand, revelatory of Walsh’s wide ranging intelligence and grasp of broad swathes of current thinking on society, science and art. Personally I found some of these asides a bit tedious and self indulgent – the worst being a relatively long chapter cataloguing, as far as I can tell, all the women he has slept with more than once. However, on the plus side, I found many of the excursions interesting. Walsh writes with humour ( Vonnegut), often sardonically, and a strange mixture of ego and self deprecation – and at time self castigation. In many respects his style is, not surprisingly I suppose, very Australian.
The presentation of the book is indulgent, perhaps befitting a mogul of the art world; and itself probably forms an element of the autobiography. It is beautifully bound; has top quality paper, guilt edged pages and is artfully laid out with many illustrations. Annoyingly, the text has numerous discursive explanatory notes set in tiny type in the necessarily generous page margins needed to accommodate them. These notes are distracting and would have been better provided at the end of each chapter, which would have reduced the need for the large margin and therefore cut the page count back by a quite a bit. Perhaps the use of these marginalia was some sort of nod to now antique publishing practice but I just found the annoying and distracting.
Some people have accused the book of being a massive self indulgence, or to quote the author among others, including myself while reading, a wank. I’d make the point that that, if you think that's true, doesn’t necessarily preclude the book from doing its job as autobiography. If you can ignore the sound of one hand clapping you’ll find an impressionistic autobiography with deft strokes ( no pun intended) here and there adding up to an idiosyncratic portrait of David Walsh.
I understand those who might opt for 2-3 stars for this but, partly on the basis that I think I’ll remember this work for it’s interesting, even unique aspects, my rating is 4 stars
The structure of this biography is unique in my experience: consisting as it does of a series of somewhat random, in time and space, monographs about snippets from Walsh’s life and philosophy. A sort of autobiographic jig-saw puzzle, with lots of pieces missing. Somehow the bits add up to a fairly well drawn picture of who he is and what he’s about. I hate the over use of the ‘journey’ metaphor but Walsh has been on a hell of a journey and its outline is clear in this book. His development is well described from a very intelligent, poor, callow youth through immature adult to a committed, relationship aware individual. Almost incidentally along the way he makes a fortune in gambling and finances a major art museum. The bits of the book dealing with personal life, gambling and art, trigger many philosophical asides on god ( or not god), science ( including quantum mechanics), maths, chance and probability( especially as applicable to gambling); and a number of other topics. These might seem tedious and even preachy to some or, on the other hand, revelatory of Walsh’s wide ranging intelligence and grasp of broad swathes of current thinking on society, science and art. Personally I found some of these asides a bit tedious and self indulgent – the worst being a relatively long chapter cataloguing, as far as I can tell, all the women he has slept with more than once. However, on the plus side, I found many of the excursions interesting. Walsh writes with humour ( Vonnegut), often sardonically, and a strange mixture of ego and self deprecation – and at time self castigation. In many respects his style is, not surprisingly I suppose, very Australian.
The presentation of the book is indulgent, perhaps befitting a mogul of the art world; and itself probably forms an element of the autobiography. It is beautifully bound; has top quality paper, guilt edged pages and is artfully laid out with many illustrations. Annoyingly, the text has numerous discursive explanatory notes set in tiny type in the necessarily generous page margins needed to accommodate them. These notes are distracting and would have been better provided at the end of each chapter, which would have reduced the need for the large margin and therefore cut the page count back by a quite a bit. Perhaps the use of these marginalia was some sort of nod to now antique publishing practice but I just found the annoying and distracting.
Some people have accused the book of being a massive self indulgence, or to quote the author among others, including myself while reading, a wank. I’d make the point that that, if you think that's true, doesn’t necessarily preclude the book from doing its job as autobiography. If you can ignore the sound of one hand clapping you’ll find an impressionistic autobiography with deft strokes ( no pun intended) here and there adding up to an idiosyncratic portrait of David Walsh.
I understand those who might opt for 2-3 stars for this but, partly on the basis that I think I’ll remember this work for it’s interesting, even unique aspects, my rating is 4 stars
December 16, 2014
For those who have been to MONA this a must read. A chance to understand the mind of a gambler who has established an international standard private art museum for the people of Tasmania.
February 18, 2015
Mona: Gr8
David Walsh: Interesting
A Bone of Fact: Wank
David Walsh: Interesting
A Bone of Fact: Wank
January 29, 2019
As befitting of the man who established Hobart’s Mona, this chunky book is beautifully made. The page edges have been gilded and the title’s lettering handsomely indented on the solid black-grey cover. Fingering the high quality paper is a sneaky pleasure. There are many small black &white photographs and some superb colour photographs of Mona and various artworks.
If you like digressions then this is a book for you. David Walsh has produced a narrative of his life with many digressions into topics such as: gambling, beauty, architecture, probabilities, art, sex, poetry, death and money. When narrating the trajectory of his gambling he substantiates it with probability theories.
Walsh is big on footnotes, providing asides on whatever topic he has digressed to, including a dissertation on slime mould and penguins. He has the creative’s ability to link otherwise unrelated ideas, ‘… over the course of becoming a gambler… I have learnt that natural selection memes do apply, in many cases, in our economics.’
Walsh writes movingly about the death of his brother, Tim. He also lays himself on the line analysing over eighteen of his relationships with women. As he writes of his first wife, ‘The world was shit but it was better, for the moment, with her. That’s how I felt when we were a couple.’
Walsh has the art of self-deprecation sorted and possesses a great sense of humour. He’s not adverse to telling stories about his own fallibility and nailing those who have annoyed him. He also relishes describing his screw ups. Walsh’s description of collapsing backwards into a massive pile of seal lion crap is comedic, as is his description of his days working at the Australian Tax Office where he was employed to do very little. Even after going AWOL and taking six weeks off work, the ATO sent two trusty employees around to his house to invite him back. As Walsh puts it so succinctly, ‘a short stint at the Australian Tax Office prepared me for a life of leisure.’
Having made his pile from big time gambling, Walsh describes blowing most of his loot in establishing an avante garde art museum. ‘It’s fair to argue that I built Mona to absolve myself from feeling guilty about making money without making a mark.’
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Walsh’s autobiography, even when I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about with the mathematical formula and probability theories. And I especially enjoyed his humorous asides.
Walsh's final line in the book is, ‘My purpose is to ponder. But also to feed Christ, the cat.’
If you like digressions then this is a book for you. David Walsh has produced a narrative of his life with many digressions into topics such as: gambling, beauty, architecture, probabilities, art, sex, poetry, death and money. When narrating the trajectory of his gambling he substantiates it with probability theories.
Walsh is big on footnotes, providing asides on whatever topic he has digressed to, including a dissertation on slime mould and penguins. He has the creative’s ability to link otherwise unrelated ideas, ‘… over the course of becoming a gambler… I have learnt that natural selection memes do apply, in many cases, in our economics.’
Walsh writes movingly about the death of his brother, Tim. He also lays himself on the line analysing over eighteen of his relationships with women. As he writes of his first wife, ‘The world was shit but it was better, for the moment, with her. That’s how I felt when we were a couple.’
Walsh has the art of self-deprecation sorted and possesses a great sense of humour. He’s not adverse to telling stories about his own fallibility and nailing those who have annoyed him. He also relishes describing his screw ups. Walsh’s description of collapsing backwards into a massive pile of seal lion crap is comedic, as is his description of his days working at the Australian Tax Office where he was employed to do very little. Even after going AWOL and taking six weeks off work, the ATO sent two trusty employees around to his house to invite him back. As Walsh puts it so succinctly, ‘a short stint at the Australian Tax Office prepared me for a life of leisure.’
Having made his pile from big time gambling, Walsh describes blowing most of his loot in establishing an avante garde art museum. ‘It’s fair to argue that I built Mona to absolve myself from feeling guilty about making money without making a mark.’
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Walsh’s autobiography, even when I didn’t know what the hell he was talking about with the mathematical formula and probability theories. And I especially enjoyed his humorous asides.
Walsh's final line in the book is, ‘My purpose is to ponder. But also to feed Christ, the cat.’
April 14, 2023
I read in one review that this book was not worthy of being on the reviewers bookshelf. I thought that was harsh. Then I started reading, and couldn’t agree more. To think I nearly bought this! Bahaha, a solid win for me and my wallet!
I still enjoy MONA though.
1 star for the opening dedication FOR ZELJKO.
I still enjoy MONA though.
1 star for the opening dedication FOR ZELJKO.
July 17, 2016
The more I read of this book the more I wondered why I was bothering. Found the first part around David's childhood interesting but my interest waned as the topics wandered around in an attempt to pad things out into a book length collection. It is a beautifully presented book, as you would expect, but you could find better reading material with little effort.
March 15, 2017
David Walsh is a smart person, and he can be a very smart writer. But he works best in small doses. A Bone of Fact is the opposite of a small dose. There's an exciting story here--how a poor kid from Tasmania became a professional gambler, made a fortune, then opened one of the weirdest art museums in the world. It just could do with a good, hard edit.
March 17, 2015
I am in awe of his intellect. Art, science, maths and Philosophy - with unique insights into each.
January 25, 2023
Having an interest in museums and galleries for a long time, I felt it would only be fair to read A Bone of Fact. I am familiar with MONA, and I do applaud Walsh for his unique art collection and display (especially the use of the wunderkamer as a curatorial technique). I understand MONA's rationale is supposed to provoke and challenge, so I tried to keep an open mind as I read this.
The strongest points in this book would have to be Walsh's honesty and thoughts, especially in how his own childhood and decisions during his adulthood had led him to conceive Mona. The unconventional style and short chapters also made this more engaging than most linear autobiographies. There is definitely a sense of the mindset that was behind the creation of a provocative museum.
Regrettably, however, it is his fragmented writing style, the unusual segueing into vaguely relevant topics that really let down this book. The footnotes especially, were disturbing in the general flow of the narrative. Yes, A Bone of Fact does help provide some insight into Walsh's way of thinking, but for someone who has built a museum that goes against the elitism of regular art museums, his writing is ironically inaccessible for those who aren't already within the art field. The weakest points for me especially were the chapters about the various women he had relationships with (which was way too much information) and the long winded discussions about maths and feces. I guess for a museum that is famous for the Cloaca machine, I shouldn't really be too surprised by this.
All in all, it is a good book to read at least once for those interested in the history of museums. But it will be confusing for those without an art (or science, or maths) background. However, I would not have any desire to re-read it, let alone put it on my bookshelf.
The strongest points in this book would have to be Walsh's honesty and thoughts, especially in how his own childhood and decisions during his adulthood had led him to conceive Mona. The unconventional style and short chapters also made this more engaging than most linear autobiographies. There is definitely a sense of the mindset that was behind the creation of a provocative museum.
Regrettably, however, it is his fragmented writing style, the unusual segueing into vaguely relevant topics that really let down this book. The footnotes especially, were disturbing in the general flow of the narrative. Yes, A Bone of Fact does help provide some insight into Walsh's way of thinking, but for someone who has built a museum that goes against the elitism of regular art museums, his writing is ironically inaccessible for those who aren't already within the art field. The weakest points for me especially were the chapters about the various women he had relationships with (which was way too much information) and the long winded discussions about maths and feces. I guess for a museum that is famous for the Cloaca machine, I shouldn't really be too surprised by this.
All in all, it is a good book to read at least once for those interested in the history of museums. But it will be confusing for those without an art (or science, or maths) background. However, I would not have any desire to re-read it, let alone put it on my bookshelf.
April 29, 2018
Enjoyable read. I didn't know anything about art, but I learned a bit. Now I know what I don't know. Ignorance comes in many guises. The most significant of these, the unknown unknowns remain unknown to me. We struggle with ourselves and the biggest struggle is the failure to understand that everyone struggles. I think conclusions should be temporary, tentative, provisional. An idea should be tossed out when a body of evidence emerges that's of sufficient stature to support an alternative conclusion. I believe that if there's one thing that makes my thinking different from most, it's my natural proclivity to see the ghosts of possible pasts having an impact on the present. When we have success we conclude that our skill made it happen and that when others fail their incompetence was the root cause. Luck is only considered in relation to our failures and others' successes. A book is more valuable unread than read. An unread book has unrealised potential. To gratify or annoy. To enlighten or dishearten. But these are polarities. Reality is grey. Some creators, like Asimov, instill in me the desire to do stuff. Others, like Nabokov, induce in me frozen fear: I become paralysed by my own inadequacy. Capacity in one area implies nothing about capacity in another. The potency of randomness in life is undervalued by a society that seeks purpose in every circumstance.
February 11, 2018
Like a series of not-quite essays from the smartest person you know, the kind who's just as likely to go on about Euler's theorem as going to Korea to test his blackjack gambling strategy, or randomly tell you every person he's slept with, or talk about bacterial life or art that makes shit (literally) or the failings of Aristotle or getting seats for a sold-out Madonna show in Vegas from a guy he hates. By turns overwhelming, uncomfortably revealing, hugely insightful, and kind of frustrating in its flights off random tangents (by which I mean tangents I'm not smart enough to appreciate the significance of). I bought it because I went to MONA (the Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart, Australia) and it struck me as one of the most inspiring places on Earth and I wanted to find out about its creation. I'm not sure I got that, exactly, but rolling around his brain is an interesting place to be, and each short essay is bite-sized enough that if you can't roll with Bayes, hold on a couple pages and you'll be getting a description of childhood homes.
July 20, 2017
I both love and hate the irony of a lapsed Catholic writing a book designed to mimic a bible. This is the most physically awkward book I've ever read. It's size and hardcover put me off reading it for a very long time, and slowed down my reading considerably. Much of the time I spent reading this book I was quietly cursing Walsh for this biblical design.
Despite the physical challenges the book presents, I enjoyed it immensely. I appreciate Walsh's honesty, his writing style and the structure of the book. He writes as he thinks - differently to most, which is refreshing. I enjoy Walsh's wit and the insight into the mind behind the creation of MONA (of which, I'm in awe). The maths stuff went completely over my head, but there's only a few pages of it - not enough to turn me off reading it.
This book will not be for anyone. My informed guess is, if you dig MONA and related ventures, you'll probably dig this book. If you didn't, you won't.
Despite the physical challenges the book presents, I enjoyed it immensely. I appreciate Walsh's honesty, his writing style and the structure of the book. He writes as he thinks - differently to most, which is refreshing. I enjoy Walsh's wit and the insight into the mind behind the creation of MONA (of which, I'm in awe). The maths stuff went completely over my head, but there's only a few pages of it - not enough to turn me off reading it.
This book will not be for anyone. My informed guess is, if you dig MONA and related ventures, you'll probably dig this book. If you didn't, you won't.
April 10, 2019
I really enjoyed this book's unconventionality. I kind of wish all memoirs and autobiographies were written like this; in short bursts of narrative, interspersed with informed elaborated opinions on random issues, or lists of people who have are important to him yet have not featured in the stories so far. I found this style more natural than completely chronological and neatly sewn chapters of nearly every single other memoir ever (and I kind of wonder whether this book has spoiled the genre for me).
Having said that, I only liked maybe half of the content in this one. Some of the journeys into philosophy and mathematics went way over my head. And it's non-linear timeline also often confused me and I didn't keep track of the many different characters. And I'm not sure I like David Walsh a whole lot. It was clearly written and approved pre-#metoo. The second half, where MONA and art collecting was the main focus, was more enjoyable for me.
Having said that, I only liked maybe half of the content in this one. Some of the journeys into philosophy and mathematics went way over my head. And it's non-linear timeline also often confused me and I didn't keep track of the many different characters. And I'm not sure I like David Walsh a whole lot. It was clearly written and approved pre-#metoo. The second half, where MONA and art collecting was the main focus, was more enjoyable for me.
January 26, 2018
3.5/5 - I had been reading this on and off for 18 months and ultimately found that the key to completing the book was to roll my my eyes at the large chunks of chapters that felt like padding and faff and dart through to the very interesting bits about the formation of Mona and some parts Walsh's life. I got a bit tired reading about the author's many wonderful and pretentious travel tidbits thrown into most chapters but that just may be my jealousy seeping through there! All in all, I quite liked David Walsh's very clever wit and observational style and it was a delight to hold the gorgeous, heavy, black book with it's gold leaf pages that must surely have been quite expensive to produce. I guess the work of art of the book itself befits the owner of the wonderful Mona. Just don't stop reading once you start, it may be a while before you reach for this one again.
October 18, 2017
A Bone Of Fact- A witty, collection of bite-sized stories, ideas and theory covering the extremely individual and larger than life David Walsh. The work delves into political, moral and philosophical ideas with a lighthearted and cocky tone.
With many of his ideas on statistical thinking and randomness heavily influenced by the works of Nassim Nicholas Taleb, most notably his constant references to survivorship bias when talking of his successes.
Not all ideas and concepts throughout the book had me convinced, nor was I majorly swayed by the book in any way. I did however find this book quite entertaining, and the abstractions refreshing and interesting. Keeping in mind I could certainly see how some readers would find it the complete opposite.
With many of his ideas on statistical thinking and randomness heavily influenced by the works of Nassim Nicholas Taleb, most notably his constant references to survivorship bias when talking of his successes.
Not all ideas and concepts throughout the book had me convinced, nor was I majorly swayed by the book in any way. I did however find this book quite entertaining, and the abstractions refreshing and interesting. Keeping in mind I could certainly see how some readers would find it the complete opposite.
January 20, 2018
The Mona Museum, Tasmania Australia is very interesting in a copycat way. A lot of shock value and emphasis on death and shock value, remember Madonna and Gaga got rich with shocking people. The owner David Walsh is in my opinion a wannabe artist and really his claim to fame is being a gambler....the luck of the draw.
The book is alright in the beginning finding out the roots of the author, but then I was bored as hell.
I think the three stars are for presentation, the book is very well made with gilded edge pages and nice illustrations.
Famous or infamous I guess it is all the same.
The book is expensive, if you are interested have someone gift it to you, as I did....or ask me to borrow my copy!!!
The book is alright in the beginning finding out the roots of the author, but then I was bored as hell.
I think the three stars are for presentation, the book is very well made with gilded edge pages and nice illustrations.
Famous or infamous I guess it is all the same.
The book is expensive, if you are interested have someone gift it to you, as I did....or ask me to borrow my copy!!!
June 11, 2018
I'm enjoying dipping in and out of this book by Hobart's enigma, David Walsh. He's something of a hero to many of us for having put our city on the world map for national and international visitors since building his controversial museum, MONA, and instituting our midwinter festival, Dark MOFO, with its famed nude midwinter swim in the River Derwent. Some people want Walshie for PM. Others perhaps not. Anyhow, I enjoy his writing, which is erudite, intelligent and witty. It's made me laugh a lot.
February 3, 2024
Walsh often came across cocky and pretentious but he gets away with it for bringing Tasmania the MONA phenomenon.
“It’s fair to argue that I built Mona to absolve myself from feeling guilty about making money without making a mark.”
I mostly agreed with his philosophy on things like vegetarianism, reading a lot, and that our fear of death is reflected in the vocabulary we use - avoiding the actual word.
The feeling of ‘nearness to creation’ of famous art, or ‘nearness to mortality’ with the death of a loved one I could also relate to.
Some self-written poems and lyrics were cringey.
It was an interesting read that I enjoyed for the most part though it unravelled a bit in the last few chapters. I’m curious about the other museum he wants to build.
“It’s fair to argue that I built Mona to absolve myself from feeling guilty about making money without making a mark.”
I mostly agreed with his philosophy on things like vegetarianism, reading a lot, and that our fear of death is reflected in the vocabulary we use - avoiding the actual word.
The feeling of ‘nearness to creation’ of famous art, or ‘nearness to mortality’ with the death of a loved one I could also relate to.
Some self-written poems and lyrics were cringey.
It was an interesting read that I enjoyed for the most part though it unravelled a bit in the last few chapters. I’m curious about the other museum he wants to build.
February 6, 2024
I love MONA. I'll hop on a flight to Hobart any chance I get. Dark Mofo is a sensational experience.
But this book? This book is very self indulgent, which, knowing anything about David Walsh, shouldn't be surprising. There's glimmers of interesting insights throughout so I am glad I read it, but it wasn't an easy or particularly enjoyable read.
Anyway, go to MONA. Catch the ferry over. Get posh pit tickets and pound mimosas. Go to Dark Mofo and to the Sex & Death day club where you'll see the man himself sitting on the floor among a throng of spellbound revelers.
But this book? This book is very self indulgent, which, knowing anything about David Walsh, shouldn't be surprising. There's glimmers of interesting insights throughout so I am glad I read it, but it wasn't an easy or particularly enjoyable read.
Anyway, go to MONA. Catch the ferry over. Get posh pit tickets and pound mimosas. Go to Dark Mofo and to the Sex & Death day club where you'll see the man himself sitting on the floor among a throng of spellbound revelers.
February 24, 2017
I enjoyed this book much more than I enjoyed his museum. Some of it is about his life, some his musings. Apparently the book was commissioned to include information about his gambling strategies, but while we are not given a formula, we are given the concept. A couple of his musings I strongly object to. Overall very interesting.
May 4, 2024
Mr Walsh, Gamblor of the South.
For a rabid atheist his book was rather bible like with the slate finish and golden edges. I read it on a plane and caught the concerned gazes of my fellow passengers who must’ve assumed I was intently digesting scripture high above the land.
His style is original and it was enjoyable to explore a man who made his fortune on the ponies and then spent it on art.
For a rabid atheist his book was rather bible like with the slate finish and golden edges. I read it on a plane and caught the concerned gazes of my fellow passengers who must’ve assumed I was intently digesting scripture high above the land.
His style is original and it was enjoyable to explore a man who made his fortune on the ponies and then spent it on art.
Read
September 22, 2022I was completely left behind in the parts about mathematical probabilities but am impressed by the breadth of his interests and of his reading. An interesting read especially as I went to Mona some years ago and was blown away by it.
August 1, 2024
I enjoyed it. Nothing special. Not trying to be anything special. Not even trying to be enjoyed. Plenty of it was bad. And self aware that it was bad. I wished there were more crazy anecdotes, more gambling theory, and less art nonsense. I won't read it again but I'm glad I read it.
Want to read
December 24, 2019“buildings tend to repeat a theme”
January 16, 2020
Great book weird in a good way
January 21, 2021
Very amusing and a nice change of pace from much of my other reading.
April 1, 2021
Self indulgent, but interesting to find out what goes on in his head. I liked reading his views on bias & probability, ought to find out more.
March 29, 2023
Purposefully pretentious piddle
“It’s my natural proclivity to see the ghosts of possible pasts having an impact on the present”
“It’s my natural proclivity to see the ghosts of possible pasts having an impact on the present”
January 3, 2024
Best book I’ve ever read.
April 12, 2024
Finished it and I still like both him and MoNA the same amount (a lot) (but this book should've been a series of blog posts at most)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews