Reith, Gerda
This fascinating and extensive study, enlivened by interviews with British and American gamblers, will be enthralling reading not just for those interested in the cultural and social implications of gambling - researchers in sociology, cultural studies and the history of ideas - but for anyone interested in how we create meaning in an increasingly insecure world.|
Historical context: locates gambling in attitudes from Aristotle to present day Las Vegas
Growing area of interest: here and in the US. Links to Social History, Anthropology and Consumption Studies
Strong market potential in US and Far East
Good US reviews (Steve Seidman, Univ New York, Albany); Norman Denzin, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Topical: recent surge of gambling in Britain with National Lottery; deregulation of gambling industry
Introduction Chapter One: The Idea of Chance The age of faith: The origins of chance Chance and determinism The age of reason: The birth of probability The age of chance: Chance and modernity Chapter Two: The Pursuit of Chance Gambling and Divination The Seventeenth Century Explosion The Nineteenth Century: Playing with numbers Postillegalscript: the vortex of vice Chapter Three: Playgrounds - A Map of the Modern Gambling Sites Modern Gambling The Map: A Typology of Gambling The sites: Playgrounds Chapter Four: The Experience of Play The Experience of Play The Categories of Play The Varieties of Gambling Experience Chapter Five: The Magical-Religious Worldview The Rejection of Probability The Magical Worldview: Participation The Religious Worldview: Transcendence Epilogue
This fascinating and extensive study examines the enduring appeal of gambling, exploring its complex relation to our underlying conceptions of the world, and to the social and cultural backgrounds of those who fall under its spell.
'The Age of Chance is a wonderful book, scholarly and at the same time compulsive reading' - Heather Worth, University of Auckland
Über den Autor
Reith, Gerda
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Introduction Chapter One: The Idea of Chance The age of faith: The origins of chance Chance and determinism The age of reason: The birth of probability The age of chance: Chance and modernity Chapter Two: The Pursuit of Chance Gambling and Divination The Seventeenth Century Explosion The Nineteenth Century: Playing with numbers Postillegalscript: the vortex of vice Chapter Three: Playgrounds - A Map of the Modern Gambling Sites Modern Gambling The Map: A Typology of Gambling The sites: Playgrounds Chapter Four: The Experience of Play The Experience of Play The Categories of Play The Varieties of Gambling Experience Chapter Five: The Magical-Religious Worldview The Rejection of Probability The Magical Worldview: Participation The Religious Worldview: Transcendence Epilogue
Klappentext
This fascinating and extensive study examines the enduring appeal of gambling, exploring its complex relation to our underlying conceptions of the world, and to the social and cultural backgrounds of those who fall under its spell.
