Gambling is both a national US pastime and a predominant cultural metaphor (""play the field"", ""beat the odds"", ""take a chance on ..."").This work by a sports historian, social worker, English professor and gambler seeks to shatter the myths intefering with our understanding of gambling.

We are a nation of gamblers: pari-mutuel wagering at horse tracks; blackjack in Las Vegas; the NCAA basketball office pool; even day trading on the internet. Gambling is both our national pastime and our predominant cultural metaphor-play the field; beat the odds; take a chance on love. Yet gambling poses serious risks to individuals and to society as a whole. Neil Isaacs-sports historian, licensed clinical social worker, English professor, and a gambler himself for more than fifty years-seeks t