At one time or another we’ve all needed to get up to speed on a subject ASAP. Basically you want to go from being a rookie to having a working knowledge in the shortest possible time. In these situations anything that can usher you up and over the learning curve is worth its weight in gold. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Gambling by Mark Balestra is such a tool. Think I’m bluffing? Considering that I’ve been working in the online casino industry for almost two years now and much of what I’ve learned is found between the covers of Balestra’s humble tome, I don’t think I’m bluffing at all.
Beginning with the basics of what an online casino is, Balestra takes the reader through the learning process one step at a time.
Even if that was all the book offered, it would still be a worthy read for anyone in the industry and certainly for those considering online play. But where a book like this can really excel is by organizing the information so that it is easy to read, entertaining enough to keep us from nodding off, has enough pictures to give us a feel for the environment, summarizes the key points and indexes the material properly. Again, all that is here making this book one for the desk top as opposed to one for the public library. It’s a resource, albeit one that will see less use as the reader’s expertise develops.
As with any book about the Internet, it’s the leads to links and resources that can really make a difference for the beginner. After all, they’re being introduced to a part of the virtual world and the better the guide, the happier their journey will be. Balestra’s book provides ample references to fill anyone’s Favorites …