Bringing Down The House by Ben Mezrich

This book has a sleazy writing style sometimes, and its characters can tick you off if you're a respectful money-is-the-basic-form-of-control girl like me, but read it anyhow. Here's the true-story idea:

MIT geniuses hit Las Vegas for almost three million dollars over the years. They use mathematical wizardry to beat the game of blackjack in the flashiest casinos, and plan their Neon Express plane rides to Vegas like organized criminals. But when they're up to using fake aliases and James=Bond=esque disguises, being friends with pit bosses, a faction of the law with a particular dislike for card-counters comes after them. How far will these kids go for money, thrills, and guilty pleasure?

Basically you get inside the mind of a bunch of selfish geeks, but I liked the book a lot for its thorough research, facts, and descriptions. A layover-in-Atlanta book, especially when the food court has nothing vegetarian and CNN is on too loud. It whisks you away to a neon-rich world of green velvet and purple chips. OK I sound like a used-car salesman now; just get it from the library. Has anyone else read it?

*this book IS set in Vegas so if you're under 13 have your parents read it first or something. It's nothing graphic, anyway.