Product Description
No one could have imagined Odd Thomas ever leaving the perfect quirky comfort of Pico Mundo, least of all Odd himself. The little desert town that nurtured Odd all his life is the locus of everything he holds dear–his loyal friends, his ghostly confidants, and the place where he loved and lost his soul mate, the irreplaceable Stormy Llewellyn. Yet leave it he has, to embrace the solitude and peace of an isolated monastery high in the western mountains as he tries to find a way to live fully again.
But Odd has a knack for finding himself in the path of trouble no matter where he goes–even among the eccentric monks in their sanctuary and with the King of Rock ’n’ Roll at his side. For a killer is stalking the ancient holy halls, and Odd is about to encounter an enemy who eclipses any he has yet encountered….

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Customer Reviews (262)

Spoilers ahead.
Two-thirds of the dialogue in this book is either innane, cringe-worthy or anti-science or anti-society rants, so I just skipped over those portions and the book went much quicker.

So the scientist, who gave away billions to the monastery, and created an absolute miracle of technology that change litterally the world: creating actual life-forms out of nothing, and the only thing the main characters have on their minds is just how arrogant and vain the scientist is?!? And these are supposed to be our heroes, ladies and gentlemen---the equalent of those people with pitchforks and torches hounding what they don't understand. So what if the scientist was arrogant or abandoned his mentally-handicapped son or could never redeem himself? He built a frickin' life manufacter, what have our small-minded heroes done recently?! They made cakes for a hundred pages. It just irritated me that the scientist is depicted as the villain and his device which stretches beyond anything most science-fiction settings could accomplish is downplayed by the small-minded heroes.

Is Odd Thomas himself suffering from some mental handicap that I just missed in the first book? He spends several chapters almost getting killed by the grim reaper and a giant skeleton demon, and finds a corpse that is hatching into another creature, and then immediately after barely escaping with his life, he just meets another monk and talks about baking cakes. You know if that happened to me, I would definitely want to share that experience, but for Odd Thomas, apparently meeting the grim reaper isn't worthy of mentioning.

Nothing happens
All excited to read the third installment of the Odd series, as I waded through I kept wondering "When is something going to happen?" but it never does. Even the ending is flat and dull. Such a pity. It could have been a fascinating story but, instead, we got page after page of descriptions of bodachs and snow. Not one of Koontz' best.

Get this man an editor!!!
I've never been so annoyed while reading a Dean Koontz novel.Odd Thomas is completely unbelievable (we all suspend belief a little bit, but I can't do it THIS much...) and the way the narration goes on and on and on and on is absolutely astounding to me.Any entry level writing course advises to keep it short and simple.Descriptions don't have to be long and wordy to get the point across.The way he continuously over-describes almost everything in the book detracts from the story. Where the heck is his editor??

Happy Customer
I received the item quickly and it was in great shape!I would definately buy other books from this seller.

Hard to read
I bought these for my brother.I got the first 2 of the Odd Thomas series.He asked me not to send him anymore of these, said they were really hard to read.

When I mentioned that to another friend of mine she said the same thing, she said the concept was great but it was so hard to read it wasn't enjoyable.Oh well...most Dean Koont are sooooo good! ... Read more

Product Description
Every so often a character so captures the hearts and imaginations of readers that he seems to take on a life of his own long after the final page is turned. For such a character, one book is not enough—readers must know what happens next. Now Dean Koontz returns with the novel his fans have been demanding. With the emotional power and sheer storytelling artistry that are his trademarks, Koontz takes up once more the story of a unique young hero and an eccentric little town in a tale that is equal parts suspense and terror, adventure and mystery—and altogether irresistibly odd.

We’re all a little odd beneath the surface. He’s the most unlikely hero you’ll ever meet—an ordinary guy with a modest job you might never look at twice. But there’s so much more to any of us than meets the eye—and that goes triple for Odd Thomas. For Odd lives always between two worlds in the small desert town of Pico Mundo, where the heroic and the harrowing are everyday events. Odd never asked to communicate with the dead—it’s something that just happened. But as the unofficial goodwill ambassador between our world and theirs, he’s got a duty to do the right thing. That’s the way Odd sees it and that’s why he’s won hearts on both sides of the divide between life and death.

A childhood friend of Odd’s has disappeared. The worst is feared. But as Odd applies his unique talents to the task of finding the missing person, he discovers something worse than a dead body, encounters an enemy of exceptional cunning, and spirals into a vortex of terror. Once again Odd will stand against our worst fears. Around him will gather new allies and old, some living and some not.For in the battle to come, there can be no innocent bystanders, and every sacrifice can tip the balance between despair and hope. Whether you’re meeting Odd Thomas for the first time or he’s already an old friend, you’ll be led on an unforgettable journey through a world of terror, wonder and delight—to a revelation that can change your life. And you can have no better guide than Odd Thomas.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (263)

There is nothing odd about enjoying the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz
I am new to the Odd Thomas series and I am loving it! Dean Koontz writes these books not just with suspense, but with humor, making it irrisistably fun to listen to. I also enjoy how each book in the series is connected to the other characters from past books in some ways - rememberances and what Odd has learned from those experiences, but that each book is an entirely different story line.
I would highly recommend the Odd Thomas series of Dean Koontz books.

Wouldn't be the same without David Aaron Baker
Mr. Baker does such an awesome job at narrating this novel that I would not be able to listen to another Odd Thomas book without him.His timing, inflection... all perfect.I am thoroughly enjoying listening to Forever Odd and would so enjoy watching it as a movie and Mr. Baker would be required to play Odd.If they ever do a movie, I hope they don't butcher it like they have other Dean Koontz books turned movie.

This Series Is Growing On Me
Since I did not enjoy the first book in this series, until its very end, I surprised myself by picking up this one and realizing that I enjoyed it quite a bit more.

Odd really endeared himself to me in this one.From the beginning with his story about Elvis to the end where he will do what it takes, even if it is his own life, to help a friend. That is what Odd does, and with the help of his loved ones in the town of Pico Mundo, Odd will forever be treasured by his band of friends and the readers of this series.

Odd Thomas does not consider himself a hero, he just has the ability to communicate with the dead and has a built in magnet that draws people, whether alive or dead, to him.Odd's a good person so when his childhood friend disappears, Odd uses his ability to find him, not realizing that this journey will take him to an old abandoned casino and the evil Datura, who is determined to use Odd's gifts to further her own wicked goals.

The ending leads right into what appears to be the third installment of the Odd Thomas story.That in itself looks very interesting.Just imagine Odd as a Lay member of a religious order with Elvis along, since Elvis knows that this is his way home to his beloved mother.

I am glad that this series is starting to grow on me, I had been a fan of Dean Koontz with his original books, and I am glad that I can once again look forward to reading more.

Enjoyable, but no Odd Thomas
Forever Odd is a bit of a disappointment after the spectacular first book of the series Odd Thomas.The protagonist is as witty and peculiar as ever, but the antagonist, Datura, is more boring than menacing. At no point in the novel did I experience the growing sense of dread or heebie jeebies as in the first book of the series. The plot here has Odd wandering alone for most of the story, and while Koontz is a gifted writer, I found myself wishing for something else to read other that Odd's inner dialogue for two-thirds of the story. Still, Koontz's style and wit are enjoyable to read and I'm looking forward to the next installment.

A Disappointing Sequel
As a sequel to the original "Odd Thomas" & second in the series, this story just plain misses. It starts off pretty well, then spirals downward.
Dean Koontz is one of the most prolific writers out there with a huge following. One has to wonder what happened here.
Koontz has created one of the most likable characters anywhere in the original book. In this book, all the characters are thin. The book suffers from spreading it's main characters too thinly.
We have almost none of the bodachs Odd normally sees since there is no mayhem on a large scale.
Odd has a best friend Danny with a disease of extremely brittle bones. Firstly, how is Danny Odd's best friend? Where did he come from? He's Dr. Jessup's son, but a dear best friend to Odd? That's a new one on the reader. Danny, with his affliction survives a kidnapping to the upper reaches of a burned out hotel by three brutal kidnappers. Pretty much nonsense.
The main villain, Datura, meets her demise in a most ridiculous way.
The saving graces are the writer's description of the surroundings much of the book takes place in. That's very nicely done.

The weakest point should be the books strong point. It's characters. They just don't make it here. Not even Elvis
The last chapter sets the reader up very well for the next in the series, "Brother Odd." Mercifully "Brother Odd" is much better

Given Koontz's history of some excellent work, I'll cut him a bit of slack & go with 3 stars. As a stand alone book, only 2 stars
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Product Description
“The dead don't talk. I don't know why.”But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Odd Thomas thinks of himself as an ordinary guy, if possessed of a certain measure of talent at the Pico Mundo Grill and rapturously in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, Stormy Llewellyn.Maybe he has a gift, maybe it’s a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice, and Odd’s otherworldly tips to Pico Mundo's sympathetic police chief, Wyatt Porter, can solve a crime. Occasionally they can prevent one. But this time it's different.

A mysterious man comes to town with a voracious appetite, a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world's worst killers, and a pack of hyena-like shades following him wherever he goes. Who the man is and what he wants, not even Odd’s deceased informants can tell him. His most ominous clue is a page ripped from a day-by-day calendar for August 15.

Today is August 14.

In less than twenty-four hours, Pico Mundo will awaken to a day of catastrophe.As evil coils under the searing desert sun, Odd travels through the shifting prisms of his world, struggling to avert a looming cataclysm with the aid of his soul mate and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock 'n' Roll. His account of two shattering days when past and present, fate and destiny converge is the stuff of our worst nightmares—and a testament by which to live: sanely if not safely, with courage, humor, and a full heart that even in the darkness must persevere.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (534)

EXCELLENT read!
Odd is a character you'll love!Sweet, honest, helpful, etc. You feel sorry and hopeful for the poor fella! He is steadily in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or maybe the right place at the right time? Whichever it is, you'll want him on your side for sure!This is 1 of a series.I've only read the 1st 4, since that's all that were available on Kindle.Books 1 and 3 are better than 2 and 4, but all are a must-read and you'll love Odd and his adventures (and his friends!)

journey
Begins a long and wonderful journey with the prolific Mr. Koontz and his Odd creation. Enjoy.

Definitely not the Sixth Sense...in a good way!
So I was certainly worried when I heard the premise of this book. A boy who sees dead people. How cliche. It surprised me though. It turned out to be one of the better, and more unique suspense books that I have read in an extremely long time. Riveting beginning, great twist at the end, and all kinds of excitement in between - what more can you ask for!

I have never read Dean Koontz before. Typically, I'm not a big suspense/thriller story kind of girl. I'm more of a science fiction/fantasy reader myself, but this book had just the right amount of paranormal quirkiness to wrap my attention. The characters were vivid and their emotions were real - even the blatantly idealistic relationship between Odd and Stormy seemed to make sense to me. I felt a strong connection with the characters and it made me want to read more. The descriptive detail in the book was incredible as well. I found myself prickling with goosebumps upon mention of the Fungus Man.

Not many books make me laugh or cry out loud, but this book made me do both. Certainly an excellent airplane book if you're looking for one. It made the flight whiz by! I was 90% through the book when the plane landed and I almost didn't want to get off the plane just so that I could keep reading. I certainly can not wait to read the next installment in the series. It should be interesting where the next story goes...

Odd Thomas
When I started this book I really wasn't a Dean Koontz fan but I had heard in a book store about the Odd Thomas Series and so I just HAD to have it.Am I ever glad I did!It is a touching, heart warming book, not the terror I expected! Thankfully I have all the Odd Thomas books! And I recommened this book to everyone who loves a good hero even is his name is Odd Thomas!!!

Make this your first Koontz read.
This is by far my favourite Koontz novel. So if you are new to his stories, make this your first one!Koontz always has great character development and you are pulled into the story very easily. ... Read more

Product Description
In this story, it is 67 million years ago. Little Proto is on his first of many adventures, to Magnolia Island, where an old Triceratops lives. This story has four original songs, exciting dinosaur sound effects and is performed on a 12-string guitar. It is aimed at children from the age of five to seven. ... Read more

Product Description
It's Not Odd - It's GOD!!Now you can hear the story that inspired so many as told by the author herself. GOD's Miracles and Other Stories of HIS Grace and Mercy in the LIfetime of an Old Lady. Lo-Dee's life has had many turns and twists and in this 6 CD set, she tells you how GOD has had a hand in her every day life. An inspirational message for all listeners. ... Read more

Product Description
More and more popular musical artists today use odd time signatures to give their music a unique sound. This practice goes back to the 1960s, with Dave Brubeck and The Beatles, and continued with artists like King Crimson, Rush, Sting, Metallica, Tool, and Radiohead. To many musicians, these meters are complex and mysterious. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Odd time signatures should be an easy concept to understand, as they are simply meters with an odd number of beats to the bar. The Drummers Guide to Odd Time Signatures will help you understand how to hear and feel these meters and to use them in a variety of musical situations and genres. Take your drumming to the next level, and master the art of playing in odd time signatures. A CD demonstrating the musical examples in the book is included. ... Read more

Product Description
Only a handful of fictional characters are recognized by first name alone. Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas is one such literary hero who has come alive in listeners' imaginations as he explores the greatest mysteries of this world and the next with his inimitable wit, heart, and quiet gallantry. Now Koontz follows Odd as he is irresistibly drawn onward, to a destiny he cannot imagine....The legend began in the obscure little town of Pico Mundo. A fry cook named Odd was rumored to have the extraordinary ability to communicate with the dead. Through tragedy and triumph, exhilaration and heartbreak, word of Odd Thomas's gifts filtered far beyond Pico Mundo, attracting unforgettable new friends - and enemies of implacable evil. With great gifts comes the responsibility to meet great challenges. But no mere human being was ever meant to face the darkness that now stalks the world - not even one as oddly special as Odd Thomas.After grappling with the very essence of reality itself, after finding the veil separating him from his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, tantalizingly thin yet impenetrable, Odd longed only to return to a life of quiet anonymity with his two otherworldly sidekicks - his dog Boo and a new companion, one of the few who might rival his old pal Elvis. But a true hero, however humble, must persevere. Haunted by dreams of an all-encompassing red tide, Odd is pulled inexorably to the sea, to a small California coastal town where nothing is as it seems. Now the forces arrayed against him have both official sanction and an infinitely more sinister authority?and in this dark night of the soul, dawn will come only after the most shattering revelations of all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A very captivating story from begining to End
An excellent master piece. I recommend people the first book too. Odd Thomas. Dean Koonts did a very captivating story. ... Read more

Product Description
Intermediate/Advanced. Featuring Take Five! Don't feel uncomfortable everytime someone calls a tune in an odd meter. At last, here is a thorough workout in odd time signatures, including 5/4, 6/8, 11/4, and alternating time feels that will give you the confidence and proficiency to perform at your best. Make unusual time signatures feel as natural as 4/4.

Rhythm Section: Andy LaVerne (p); John Goldsby (b); John Riley (d). Includes: First Step, Girl From Ipanema, Guido Rides Again, Latin Minor Blues, Major Scales, My Favorite Things, On Green Dolphin Street, Seven For Twelve, Shuffle Blues, Take Five. ... Read more

Product Description
Parents can either tell a child to be responsible or they can provide oppor-tunities for a child to learn respon-sibility. If you often find yourself saying I told you so, you should have listened to me,Why did you do that? this tape will be just what you need. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An invaluable resource for raising responsible kids without all the power struggles.
Not sure what the other reader was talking about.I am an agnostic so I am pretty aware of that kind of thing.I was also a teacher.Not only does Love and Logic work in the classroom but it does amazing things with my kids.I have 2 toddlers and I think the Love and Logic books and videos are an indespensible resource.It seems to me that the previous reviewer was just looking for a forum to rant about something totally unrelated to these books.He also wasn't reviewing this book - I guess some people will actually mislead people to try and get their voice heard.If click on "see my other reviews" under his name you will see that he has reviewed every book in the Love and Logic series with this rhetoric that is based on complete ignorance.Charles Fay and Foster Cline (founders of Love and Logic) are from Evergreen Colorado - not Colorado Springs and have nothing to do with the whole "family first" thing.There is no affiliation whatsoever.Again, not sure what the other reviewer was talking about - but it is a shame that he may turn people away from a resource that is the most effective tool I have come across to raise children who are responsible, able to make choices effectively, have great self-esteem, and to avoid all the arguments and power struggles that come with parenting. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Presentationstyle format
As a school counselor, I purchased this "book" (actually a 63 page soft covered booklet) and CD set for a parent who is struggling with a second-grade daughter with oppositional defiant behaviors.The parent did not like this product but did not provide any reasons.I thought the information was long on explanations/reasons but short on offering solutions and activities.Another problem with the booklet provided with the CD set is that it looks and reads like a synopsis of an oral presentation to professionals.The best part of the booklet was the section (2 pages) listing the qualites of teachers who have a "reasonableness quotient" and strategies of teachers who have a high "reasonableness quotient". ... Read more

Product Description
Contains: Take Five, Shuffle Blues, Girl From Ipanema, My Favorite Things, On Green Dolphin Street, First Step, Major Scales, Guido Rides Again, Latin Minor Blues, and Seven for Twelve. Each song is in concert key, Bb, Eb and bass clef. ... Read more

Product Description
Rhythmic Aerobics Volume II is an advanced instruction book which specializes in four areas of drumming: shuffle, swing, six-eight and odd time signatures. It contains over 200 drum fills plus challenging material relative to today's music, all arranged in four-measure exercises. Drummers who use this text will improve their timing, technique, dexterity and learn a wealth of rhythms for the demands of modern drumming. Drum fills are also included on each page. Author Jim Ryan meticulously blends beats and fills throughout 85 pages of drum music. This is an excellent book for teachers with advanced students. Rhythmic Aerobics Volume II was created with material to stretch the limits of one's capability. A metronome should be used when practicing and try to repeat each exercise many times to achieve ideal benefits. Watch your band mates perk up when you throw in one of these beats or fills into a song! Use Volume II as part of one's practice sessions and you'll find practical material for use in becoming a well-rounded drummer for the world to hear.

The newly included CD enhances the book with:
200 drum beats and fills to help students become proficient with the exercises. 65 minutes of drumming is added to the package!
A click track is provided at the beginning of each exercise for play along.
Each chapter is recorded in depth
Drum beats and fills were recorded at moderate tempos so that drummers can play and read
Drum tuning on this CD makes it easier to reference drum to drum fill patterns. With this CD, you can differentiate between of all 3 toms in the book. This makes the drum fills more understandable when one listens to the CD.


Author's Website -www.druminstructor.com ... Read more

Product Description
If you think a gang of real-life geeks can’t take on the world and win big...think again.And whatever you do, don’t sit down across a gaming table from Jon Finkel, better known as Jonny Magic.Jonny Magic and the Card Shark Kids is his amazing true story: the jaw-dropping, zero-to-hero chronicle of a fat, friendless boy from New Jersey who found his edge in a game of cards–and turned it into a fortune!The ultimate bully-magnet, Finkel grew up heckled and hazed until destiny came in the form of a trading-card game called Magic: The Gathering.Magic exploded from nerdy obsession to mainstream mania and made the teenage Finkel an ultra-cool world champion.Once transformed, this young shark stormed poker rooms from the underground clubs of New York City to the high-stakes tables online, until he landed on the largest card-counting blackjack team in the country.Taking Vegas for millions, Finkel’s squad of brainy gamers became the biggest players in town.Then they took on the town’s biggest game, the World Series of Poker, and walked away with more than $3.5 million!Thrilling, edgy, and ferociously feel-good, the odyssey of these underdogs-turned-overlords is the stuff of pop-culture legend. Acclaimed author David Kushner masterfully deals out the outrageous details while bringing to life a cast of characters rife with aces, kings, knaves…and more than a few jokers.If you secretly believe every player has his day, you’re right.Here’s the proof. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Better than average
Pros: The book was enjoyable, and what's more it's true.It was great to read about the cliche' "zero to hero" in the book, and how people are using their brains to earn millions of dollars. Having read "Bringing down the house", I was surprised that there were other teams counting cards in Vegas, and it was great to see how Jon Finkle, the main character wound up.

Cons: The writing could be better.Some parts of the book were a bit sloppy in my opinion.

Summary: A good book about a man who achieved his dreams in an unconventional way.

Overall: A solid 8/10.

Magic beginning to end
I don't play cards. I can't imagine playing all day, let alone all night.
A good day for me is getting muddy on a mountain bike.I like shooting through rock gardens just shy of the disaster threshold, and climbing until I feel sick. So it came as a surprise that Kushner's prose carried me away into this world of Magic players. Their awkwardness and their lack of social skills triggered painful flinches. Night after night I looked forward to Kushner's tale, his guided tour of the back rooms of game stores, to the awakenings of young boys finding their niche, and their transformation from misunderstood geeks to heroes. Their journey to manhood.
The story has energy and organization. Kushner starts out in the passing lane, weaving his tale through obstacles with toe-taps on the break and precise jerks of the steering wheel. You ride shotgun through the maze of an unfamiliar world with it's vivid scenes, and three-dimensional characters.
Johnny Magic is in the casino doing the mental gymnastics of a small fleet of mortals, managing the complexities card-counting in one part of his mind and the dance of appeasing the pit boss in another. He teases invitation to "the back room for a little chat". Send in the thugs stuff. Physical danger.
And there is our former geek, stone faced and cool, playing his part, an actor in a play of his own making. The stakes are real-real money, real danger. As I read, the tension builds. Leave the table I think, I have got to stop reading, big day tomorrow. Johnny stays at the table, his play scrutinized by the pit boss, a thug in an expensive suit. Johnny keeps playing cards. The chips pile up. I loose sleep.

Wisdom. What's that - a new game? Who invented it? Did they get rich? Can I write a book about them?
I admire David Kushner's writing skills - he can tell a good story and seems to do the needed research. I loved his "Masters of Doom".

"Jonny Magic" is the story of Jon Finkel, who transformed himself from being an overweight, bullied teenage nerd who could play a great game of Magic into a 20-something millionaire who mastered the casinos and could play a great game of Poker. He lost weight, rode the crest of the (still) current Poker phenomenon, and belongs right up there in the "Useless People Hall of Fame" along with various winners of reality, survival, and celebrity programs. Finkel became successful at something of no real use to society. And Kushner misses that aspect of the story. It's not that Finkel didn't have great talent, and he did accomplish something admired by many. Kushner tells that story, although - as others have observed - the book lacks drama, and is actually a little boring. But just ponder the difference between the "two Johns" in "Masters of Doom" and the "one Jon" in "Jonny Magic", and you have the makings of a really interesting story. Still untold.

A lot changed in the few years between the era of "Masters of Doom" and that of "Jonny Magic". Finkel's life says much about the world we live in today. It's really unfortunate that Kushner is not taking the lead in writing about this, since he has been commenting on parts of it for the past dozen years, and should have some perspective by now. There is room for good journalism in these topics, and I think Kushner has the skills to produce it. Instead, he settled for a quick write about a hot topic, once again repeating the pattern of "Wow - look at this - a genius nerd becomes a success and has the last laugh."

Great book
I didn't know anything about the game of Magic, but basically read this book for the Blackjack card counting story and the poker story.Very easy to read and interesting.I read it in 2 sittings and wanted to read more.Interesting to find out about other poker players that were into the game magic, thunder keller and david williams.Great book, highly recommended by this card shark...

Brains, games, making money and overcoming the odds.
Jon Finkel was an overweight, middle school nerd who was bullied, laughed at, and ostracized until he found his calling in a fantasy game called Magic. Magic combines the otherworldliness of Dungeons and Dragons with complex elements of card play and has become a cult game with tournaments of its own. In Jonny Magic and the Card Shark Kids, David Kushner follows the transformation of Finkel from teenage geek in the throes of Magic mania into a thin, sophisticated and extremely wealthy professional gambler who joins the highly successful blackjack counting team known as The Lawyers. The true-life story traces Finkel's evolution from bully magnet to World Champion Magic master, to card counter and shuffle tracker, to sports bettor, and onto the World Series of Poker. Throughout his adventures, Finkel is accompanied by the so-called "Card Shark Kids," a strange mix of misfits and brainiacs who find a sense of belonging through the addictive escape of Magic and carry that into the gambling world.

Kushner does an impressive job of providing condensed explanations of such wide-ranging gaming concepts as the underlying premise of Magic, the mathematical foundation of card counting, and sports betting theory, while keeping the reader engaged in Finkel's ongoing tribulations and triumphs. Interwoven within the biography is also an intriguing account of Dr. Richard Garfield, the inventor of Magic, who would be a worthy subject for his own story.

Ironically, the story's pinnacle comes via the success not of Finkel but of David Williams, another Card Shark Kid and Magic enthusiast, who claimed the 3.5 million dollar second prize of the 2004 World Series of Poker. Although Finkel is having success at poker tournaments, he doesn't yet have the crowning achievement to capture a literary climax to his own journey, so Kushner sneakily manipulated Williams' victory as if it was connected to Finkel.

What is particularly revealing about Jonny Magic from a game player's point of view, is that it provides an unexpected answer to the question, "Where are all the young guns of poker gaining the championship qualities to end up as final table tournaments players?" Apparently, a surprising number have been Magic players from a young age -- honing the essential qualities of discipline and emotional control long before tackling the intricacies of poker. And if Magic is far harder to master than poker, as Finkel suggests, Magic players would have a distinct edge.

Yet, while Finkel's tale has the makings of a fascinating read, Kushner's book isn't as emotionally gripping as one might expect from a biography about a man's metamorphosis. Even when Kushner describes a young Finkel as afraid to go to school because of such humiliating experiences as being urinated upon, the reader might wish he had a deeper and less cliched reason to root for the game-playing underdog, who we really don't get to know at any more than a surface level.

Certainly, if the inside life of a professional gambler intrigues you, Jonny Magic will satisfy some of your voyeuristic curiosity -- but be forewarned that at least half of the book is focused on Finkel's life playing Magic, and not on how he later accumulated his ample wealth as a professional gambler. If you're a Magic player, this might light your fire, but if you're not, you might be tempted to skip ahead to the casino action. Whatever else the book accomplishes, it does confirm one thing most professional gamblers already know: that brains are always a frontrunner over beauty when it comes to making money and overcoming the odds. ... Read more