Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker
Amazon Best Books of the Month, November 2009: Professional sports such as football and baseball may tout themselves as "America's Game," but according to James McManus, poker is the true American pastime.Cowboys Fullis McManus's brilliant homage to the game that inspired his 2003 bestseller,Positively Fifth Street, and weaves through a colorful history of sharps, grinders, and braying donkeys. From the lawless saloons of the Old West to Oval Offices of the modern era, poker has been a part of our cultural DNA for nearly two centuries by offering a shot at the American Dream with each deal. "More than politics, warfare, business, or physical sports," McManus argues, "poker has become the arena in which men and women of every race and background compete on the most equal footing." Although positioning it alongside Mom and apple pie may be a stretch,Cowboys Fullnevertheless presents a compelling case that the essence of America is best understood through a few hands of its favorite card game.  --Dave Callanan