Life on Tilt: Confessions of a Poker Dad |  | Author: John Blowers
Publisher: AuthorHouse
List Price: $22.95
Buy New: $18.43
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Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 1487721
Media: Paperback
Pages: 316
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 6 x 0.8
ISBN: 1434376028
Dewey Decimal Number: 920
EAN: 9781434376022
ASIN: 1434376028
Publication Date: April 18, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Life on Tilt is a novel about those interests that have equal potential to complete or destroy us. Whether it's another person, a hobby or a faith, each of us has consuming passions that, if left unexplored, would leave us unfulfilled; if explored too thoroughly, though, they could jeopardize everything else we hold dear. It's a delicate balance. Poker is the telescope through which to explore this universal tension, and the game is used throughout the novel as a catalyst for change, conflict and character development. The protagonist, Johnnoe Zandoken, is leading a double life. He is part family man, part poker aficionado. As his marriage withers and his poker prowess grows, this conflict worsens. Will he risk his fragile marriage to pursue his dream of participating in the richest sporting event in history? Will the freshness and allure of the poker world trump his comfortable home life? Will he turn to a flirtatious Russian model for escape? Will he reconcile his unquenchable ambition with his personal and professional commitments? Most importantly, will he decide what really matters before all his options are gone?
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 10
Poker or Life Lessons? Both! June 22, 2009
Susan S. Bardack (Clifton Park< NY)
I absolutely loved this book. When a friend suggested I read it, I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy it because I'm not a poker player, although I've been to poker parties since they are hip and happening these days. Well, I couldn't put this page turner down.
The novel is about poker and life. I'm sure each of us can see a little of ourselves in the main character. At times I just wanted to shake him and try to talk some sense into him. He has a magnificent personality that is revealed as the book progresses. The book moves along at a good pace and is full of surprises. It keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Warning -- if you are not a poker player, you do come away wanting to experience the game.
Now I get it; poker is not just a game, but neither is life Johnnoe June 18, 2008
Linda Blowers (Guilderland, NY)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
For some of us, playing cards is a form of recreation; but after reading this book, I see it is a life changing passion for others! I also know why 20 years ago, I could never beat John at pinochle! If you want to learn to play poker, buy Poker for Dummies, but if you want to read a book full of quick wit, interesting turns of events, and learn 14 Life Lessons along the way, (my favorite is #12), buy this book! Have you ever watched a movie where you tell the main character not to go there, don't do that? Well, I wanted to tell the main character in this book those same things!
Its a book about life, with a little poker thrown in. June 2, 2008
K. Rutledge (Broomfield, CO)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have never been a poker player, but I've always been curious what the whole attraction was behind the recent explosion in interest in Texas Hold'em and other poker games. I figured I would slog my way through this book and perhaps gain an appreciation for the game. But what I found in the pages of this book was so much more than a book about poker. This was a unique insight into the mind and heart of an every-day man facing his own demons in the backdrop of the worlds greatest poker event. This is one of those books that offers more than just a compelling story. You come away actually feeling that you've been a part of the story; that you've experienced a piece of the life of the main character. Along the way, I even managed to learn a bit about poker. I read a lot of books but I rarely find one that I know I will read again. This book is one of those rare exceptions.
Ever dream about being a great poker player? May 26, 2008
J. Seymour-Smith (Chicago, IL)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Wow. For the average-Joe poker player (or below average, in my case) who has ever dreamed of the excitement and winnings possible in high stakes poker, this is a must read. Circle the drain without putting your own family life at risk, in a story that seems all too real. And learn a bit about the game in the process. This book might keep you from ditching your day job, or suggest a possible dark side if you pursue poker beyond recreation. Either way, it's wonderfully escapist.
 Read 'em and weep May 4, 2008
A. Davidson (Tuxedo, NY United States)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
Unlike some recent autobiographies that were painfully revealed to be fiction, Life on Tilt is a fast thinking piece of fiction that reads as achingly autobiographical. The first person narration pulls you inescapably along, a voyeur, challenging you to keep up but leaving you with the feeling of watching a train wreck unfold with no ability to stop it. This is a book about compulsion in many forms and how the struggle between individual identity and social expectations can take extraordinary turns when mixed with pocket aces. Whether you are a poker dad, a poker widow, a poker wannabee or just curious about those who play poker, Life on Tilt will give you thoughtful new insights - to poker and, maybe, to yourself. Read 'em and weep, as they might say.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 10
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