Using Your Public Library: Another Good Read

I can't stress enough how useful your public library can be as a source of gambling information. Even the smallest branches are likely to have books that can expand your knowledge of poker, blackjack, and other casino games. But don't neglect the travel section, either: You're likely to find some excellent guidebooks for Las Vegas, including the little gem we spotlight today: Frommer's Las Vegas 2013. Compiled these days by Rick Garman, I find these volumes so helpful that even though I'd already read the 2012 edition, I snatched up the 2013 version as soon as it hit the shelves. It's chockfull of recommendations for hotels, casinos, restaurants, attractions, clubs, outdoor activities, and what have you, that will inform you of some of the coolest things going on in Vegas and have you ready to pack your bags and head out to check them out. Also, it provides lots of tips to help you get the most out of your visit.

On top of all that, Garman is just a vastly entertaining writer, peppering his advice with lots of eminently quotable lines, my favorite of which is this note on the vintage pin-up pictures lining the walls of that steak place known as the Strip House:

It is worth noting that while most of the photos are safe for young eyes, there are a few in the mix that are decidedly PG-13, so parents with children may want to scan the walls before sitting to make sure there are no uncomfortable questions during the appetizer course.

On the other hand, the most jaw-dropping tidbit related would perhaps be this offhand remark on The Plaza:

 The decor and furnishings came from  a never-completed, $4-billion Strip hotel, and the quality is obvious.

 Ah, those grand days of Vegas excess, when you could drop billions on a project that you never even bothered to finish. While Frommer's Vegas is brought commendably up-to-date since the previous year's edition, Vegas in such a constant state of flux and change (witness these latest alarming developments) that it's impossible for any guide's information to be up-to-the-minute as you pick it off the shelf. Fortunately, Garman is also behind the website Vegas4Visitors, where you can turn to for his weekly column and the latest news

(Of course, if it's inconvenient for you to carry a guidebook to Vegas that's going to be due at the library before you come home, you can always buy a copy.)