No Limit: The Rise and Fall of Bob Stupak and Las Vegas' Stratosphere Tower
Because Las Vegas is a city not particularly known for moderation, Bob Stupak's excesses are especially noteworthy. He has twice lost campaigns to be mayor, won a $1 million bet on the Super Bowl, paid $100,000 to play for two minutes with the Harlem Globetrotters, and chummily refers to Mob figures. His most towering claim to fame--quite literally--is the Stratosphere, the fourth tallest building in the U.S. and featuring a roller coaster at its top. Smith, a fourth-generation Nevadan and reporter for the state's largest newspaper, takes advantage of his inside knowledge to detail Stupak's brash exploits. The author previously profiled another Las Vegas figure inRunning Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn. That book generated a lawsuit by Wynn, who sued for defamation, and a countersuit by publisher Lyle Stuart, who charged Wynn's lawyers with "tortious interference." This new book, too, has the potential to create a stir.David Rouse