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    The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death
    Unavailable
    The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death
    Unavailable
    The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death
    Audiobook6 hours

    The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death

    Published by Penguin Random House Audio

    3.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    The Noble Hustle is Pulitzer finalist Colson Whitehead's hilarious memoir of his search for meaning at high stakes poker tables, which the author describes as "Eat, Pray, Love for depressed shut-ins."

    On one level, The Noble Hustle is a familiar species of participatory journalism--a longtime neighborhood poker player, Whitehead was given a $10,000 stake and an assignment from the online online magazine Grantland to see how far he could get in the World Series of Poker.  But since it stems from the astonishing mind of Colson Whitehead (MacArthur Award-endorsed!), the book is a brilliant, hilarious, weirdly profound, and ultimately moving portrayal of--yes, it sounds overblown and ridiculous, but really!--the human condition.

    After weeks of preparation that included repeated bus trips to glamorous Atlantic City, and hiring a personal trainer to toughen him up for sitting at twelve hours a stretch, the author journeyed to the gaudy wonderland that is Las Vegas - the world's greatest "Leisure Industrial Complex" -- to try his luck in the multi-million dollar tournament.   Hobbled by his mediocre playing skills and a lifelong condition known as "anhedonia" (the inability to experience pleasure) Whitehead did not - spoiler alert! - win tens of millions of dollars.  But he did chronicle his progress, both literal and existential, in this unbelievably funny, uncannily accurate social satire whose main target is the author himself.

    Whether you've been playing cards your whole life, or have never picked up a hand, you're sure to agree that this book contains some of the best writing about beef jerky ever put to paper.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMay 6, 2014
    ISBN9780804191111
    Unavailable
    The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death

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    Reviews for The Noble Hustle

    3.5/5

    62 ratings8 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Full disclosure: I only read this book because I wanted to read something by Whitehead, who's been on my wishlist forever. Neither Zone One nor Underground Railroad were available at the library, so I snagged this one, which is a memoirish account of his experience playing in the World Series of Poker a few years ago. It was my first Whitehead, but it won't be my last. I learned that he is a marvelous writer, dexterous with language in ways that are both witty and thoughtful. The book and subject are rather slight and not really my bag, since I have never played a hand of poker in my life, but I still enjoyed his tale and look forward to reading another of his books with a little more meat on its bones.
    • 2/5
      There are many better Poker books out there, and this is barely a poker book anyway - more of a transcript from a visit to a shrinks couch.
    • 3/5
      This book is more about Whitehead than it is about poker, and for someone who has read The Underground Railroad, it is nice to get to know the author a little better by hearing him read his own story of being staked as an entrant to the World Series of Poker. Whitehead is an engaging narrator, and the story is interesting, as we meet various characters who help him in his quest to cram as much poker knowledge into his head in the short period before he must head to Vegas. These are some interesting personalities, and they are portrayed with some insight and sensitivity in between Whitehead's self-deprecating humor. The book is by no means hilarious, but it is engaging and not overlong. If you're looking for a poker book, this isn't it. But if you want a little insight into how an amateur feels taking part in an event of this stature, it has good insights. There are also interesting observations about Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Whitehead's attitude may be a bit annoying if you're a true poker fan, but he definitely respects those who are successful at what is a demanding and stressful occupation.
    • 5/5
      Tore through as a break from reading a longer work, would be a good road trip or flight book. Slacker (no doubt overplayed a bit) gets stacked to play WSOP. Hilarity and angst ensues. Reads like a more sober HST. Also, tough way to get booted from the WSOP - get process doesn't always yield good results.
    • 4/5
      You think it's about poker? It's really about "anhedonia" -- the world of those of us who don't feel, or don't feel enough (according to other people).
    • 4/5
      Noble HustleAuthor: Colson WhiteheadPublisher: DoubledayPublishing Date: 2014Pgs: 234Dewey: 795.412 WHIDisposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX_________________________________________________REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERSSummary: The author self describes this book as “Eat, Pray, Love” for depressed shut-ins. A participatory journalism piece that grew into a treatiste on life. A magazine sponsored him into the World Series of Poker. So, he took his weekly small game skills and practiced, got some coaching, and took his shot at the big time. Brilliant, hillarious, profound, moving, overblown, and ridiculous...and clever, incredibly clever.All praise the Republic of Anhedonia in all of her meh and pfft glory._________________________________________________Genre:PokerBiographiesHumor EssaysPhilosophyLifeGamblingStrategyWhy this book:Poker._________________________________________________Favorite Scene / Quote/Concept:Anhedonia, the inability to experience pleasure. Wow. Taht’s those people we’ve all met who are dead inside. Of course, sometimes, that’s all of us. Me...sometimes that’s me.Win or die, the growing blinds are sweeping around the table like a tidal wave that grows on each turn.Republic of Anhedonia...once you go bleak, you never go back.Hmm Moments:Poker face dynamics...and genetics. Plus odds, M-theory, and four-betting, gotta protect your blind when you’re already in the pot.His depiction of stereotypes he’s played poker with...damn...I’ve played cards and/or rolled dice with most of those people. Wow! “Iggy Pop take a look at these guys and says, “Wow, he’s really let himself go.””The Sigh:No Fold ‘Em, Hold ‘Em...never heard the term, but I’ve played those games.Wisdom:I’m a fool. I read this whole book thinking it was about poker. It’s about life. It’s about the daily grind. It’s about being a little depressed...a little out of touch. It’s about hope buried in the mythical land of Anhedonia. And it’s about buried treasure. Life is a game of cards, are you All-In? I haven’t been All-In in a long damned time. I don’t know what’s on the other side of Anhedonia, but I’ve been living there for nigh on 20 years. Heimdall just yelled “Wake up!” at me in an Anhedonian accent.Juxtaposition:The Unexpected:And then, he hits the reader with the 2 paragraph denouement. The “you know what, forget it.” No, I don’t think I will.Missed Opportunity:Letting the story be the story without robbing it of it’s thunder. This is a repeating motiff in Whitehead’s writing._________________________________________________Author Assessment:The writing is clever. How clever? Clever enough that this is my 3rd Colson Whitehead book in a row. First one the story didn’t catch me. Second, the ending threw what was a solid 4 stars into 2 ½ star range. And here we are, third time's the charm._________________________________________________
    • 5/5
      The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death by Colson Whitehead is a very highly recommended, humorous and informative account of the author's foray into the world of high stakes poker games.

      The premise seems simple: Whitehead was staked by a magazine to see how far he could get in the World Series of poker. But, as the title implies, The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death is much more than the story of one man playing some poker games and reading some manuals to prepare himself for the big time. He discusses all sorts of other related or vaguely related topics while telling the story of his poker-playing career.

      Whitehead defines "anhedonia: the inability to experience pleasure," and explains that he is a citizen of "The Republic of Anhedonia." He says, "I have a good poker face because I am half dead inside. My particular combo of slack features, negligible affect, and soulless gaze has helped my game ever since I started playing twenty years ago, when I was ignorant of pot odds and M-theory and four-betting, and it gave me a boost as I collected my trove of lore, game by game, hand by hand. It has not helped me human relationships–wise over the years, but surely I’m not alone here." (Location 47)

      Whitehead really seems to be having a great time writing this book. I truly hope it was as enjoyable to write as it is to read because this book is engrossing and funny. He points out that "In one of the fiction-writing manuals, it says that there are only two stories: a hero goes on a journey, and a stranger comes to town. I don’t know. This being life, and not literature, we’ll have to make do with this: A middle-aged man, already bowing and half broken under his psychic burdens, decides to take on the stress of being one of the most unqualified players in the history of the Big Game. A hapless loser goes on a journey, a strange man comes to gamble." (Location 79)

      Although he's not a man who is generally interested in competitive sports, "Sure, now and then I mixed it up in a Who Had the Most Withholding Father contest with chums, but that’s as far as it went for me competitive sports–wise. (Location 234) he had..."been playing penny poker since college. College kids counting out chips into even stacks, opening a case of brew, busting out real-man cigars—these were the sacred props of manhood, and we were chronically low on proof."( Location 251)

      This is an incredibly well-written, astute account of what players go through, or at least what he went through, in the various poker tournaments along the way, and is full of many insightful observations about poker - and life.

      Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Knopf Doubleday for review purposes.




    • 5/5
      Strangest and funniest book on poker, beef jerky, single fatherhood and the writing life ever written. Read it in your Sit and Goes.