How to Burn Down the House

by Peter Francis, R.Chip DeGlinkta

The Infamous Waiter and Bartender's Scam Bible by Two Bourbon Street Waiters

"How to Burn Down the House" is first insider’s guide to restaurant and barroom con games. It contains humorous step by step descriptions of every scam in the business with detailed instructions on how to pull them off undetected.

Two Bourbon Street veterans usher the reader into the hilarious world of America’s most overworked and under-appreciated criminal. Take an enlightening tour through the enterprising mind of the "Pump Handle", the enigmatic anti-hero of the service industry. For the first time his ingenious bag of tricks is revealed and examined in detail. After reading the Scam Bible you will never look at your waiter or bartender quite the same way again.

Genres: Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 2004

Reviews

[Cal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full disclosure: was given a copy for work purposes.

The book was ok but nothing to write home about. A lot of the types of scams are quite dated now and less relevant as cash is becoming less prevalent (depending where you are the world). The general concepts are still relevant though.

The language and style was "edgy" for the sake of it and really didn't add to the book at all. If anything it was off putting.

Overall I was a bit disappointed in the book. I'd heard good things from a supplier and was looking forward to reading it, but really it was very light on actual content.

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tells you everything you need to know about ripping off your boss, customers and other employees while working in a restaurant or bar. Be careful not to get charges pressed against you when they fire you. Still an interesting book to read and can help customers avoid these scams as well.

[Mel Riedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, entertaining read, a couple chapters of which I was asked to check out by my employer. Must have read it in an hour. Some valuable knowledge, especially if you're in the position to begin using it, immediately. Works for both sides, too, as you can either use it to scam, or to prevent revenue loss in your restaurant. Very clever and worth reading.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, short, and about what I expected. It didn't make me nearly as paranoid as I thought, because, generally, the plots featured didn't mean I, as a customer, was getting screwed over.

[Jim George · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very, very weak. These 2 must have paid to publish this piece of junk themselves!