THE NOBLE HUSTLE Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death

Some authors have a feel for narrating; others come across as stilted. But when a book takes an introspective look at a subject the writer knows well, it can be a perfect marriage. And that’s what Colson Whitehead brings. The author’s voice fits his writing because, of course, it’s his writing: a semi-stream-of-consciousness, personal, sarcastic, often humorous, and sometimes self-deprecating look at what goes on in one poker player’s mind. Sounding almost constantly out of breath, Whitehead paces the book like only he can. A section on tweets is especially well done. While some instructional advice on poker is given, the book relies on a more memoir-ish approach, so don’t expect when-to-hold-or-fold advice. M.B. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2014]