When my friend told me that Peter Alson's new book about the 2005 WSOP was out, I went straight over to the Reading Room at Mandalay Bay and picked it up. I sat next to Peter in the bleachers during the first part of the final table last year at Binion's. And, I'd attended his book signing for One of a Kind, about Stu Unger, that he co-wrote with Nolan Dalla. He seems like a nice guy, even though men hate that, it's true. He was pleasant, quiet, and saved my seat for me when I had to volley back and forth from the media room.
Brian Koppelman, who wrote Rounders, did the ForeWord of Take Me to the River and gushed about Peter beyond compare. I couldn't have been more excited to read a poker book. Heck, he wrote a whole book about the six weeks that broke my WSOP cherry.
But 23 pages in, I'm already disappointed. As an author myself, I don't want to bag on Peter. But I think I want to ask him about his experience with the publisher and especially his editor. I'm thinking that they had some young gun editor on this project that might have forced in some lingo and a few extra exclamation points. Maybe? Why would a man his forties refer to meeting his wife with the sentence "At the point when Alice and I first hooked up..."? Some of the writing is inconsistent, some of his thoughts a little bit rambling, but maybe that is a corollary to what's going on in this gambler's head. My quick judgement could also be related to the fact that I'm concurrently reading Hunting Fish, a well written memoir about Jay Greenspan's cross country poker journey. In Hunting Fish, Jay (like Peter) discusses his relationship with his fiance. Maybe I just prefer Jay's voice about relationships?
Still, from what I've read so far, Peter is entirely forthcoming and puts his thoughts and emotions right out there on the felt. He is vulnerable, open, both of which are hard to accomplish for some writers. Despite my initial reaction, I'm going to keep reading. Peter has experienced decades into this world that I am only newly becoming a part of, and the history alone is enthralling.
Go buy it and lets have a conversation about it. I'll let you know how my thoughts change as I read more.
