Academic books can be hit or miss. Especially academic books written by multiple authors, each trying to get their unique point of view across. I'm pleased to say that I was more than pleasantly surprised by Strip Cultures: Finding America in Las Vegas by The Project on Vegas: Stacy M. Jameson, Karen Klugman, Jane Kuenz & Susan Willis.

Published by Duke University (forthcoming in Oct 2015), Strip Cultures is an investigation by four professors into various aspects of Las Vegas culture. Topics covered include expected ones like quickie marriages and marriage chapels as well as character sketches of people who play the penny slots. There are also unexpected and provocative chapters on topics like water use in Vegas and surrounding areas, surveillance inside and outside the casinos, and an investigation into the increasingly diminishing public spaces in Vegas and how private spaces are taking over.

The eleven chapters are each written by one of the four academics and all of them are accompanied by the photography of Karen Klugman.

I found the book incredibly interesting as well as refreshing accessible. This is absolutely a scholarly work with philosophical discussions, sociological observations and plenty of citations. But the academic theories are interspersed with personal anecdotes and observations from the authors' trips (individual and collective) to Vegas over a period of years. I also found the writing very clear and straightforward, never overly-complex simply for the sake of academic pomposity.

I also enjoyed the photography of Karen Klugman. I wish there had been more/better/stronger captions (I read an early ebook version so that may have been updated in the final) as well as more discussion of what photos she chose to include (and exclude).

Another real strength of the book is that each of the authors are very attuned to the sensorial experience of Las Vegas (one of my favourite anecdotes is a trip to the Coke tasting bar where the authors sampled Coke's offerings from around the world). Whether Klugman's visual eye or Stacy Jameson's aural proclivities, the book is peppered with multi-sensory perspectives which add an evocative layer to the narrative. For example, in the chapter "Gaming the Senses", Jameson writes:

From the moment you step off the plane—in what could visually be any other airport waiting room—the sounds of slot machines function as geographic and ideological markers. The sounds identify the destination, set the lively mood, and guide the newly arrived tourists to gamble. Indeed, my most lingering “image” of Las Vegas is in fact auditory. The name of the place and the ideas it inspires is inextricable from an unavoidable recall of a chorus of those slot machines. My head fills with that characteristic cheerful sound, “bing, bing, bing.”

For those folks like me who love to peruse end notes and bibliographies for new reading material, you'll find Strip Cultures a real treasure trove of citations and references.

I highly recommend Strip Cultures. Even if you've never been to Vegas (which I actually haven't), you'll enjoy Strip Cultures as well as have a great idea about what to expect if/when you do visit. The variety of cultural and sensual excursions that authors take you on, and their astute exploration of the larger cultural implications of what is actually happening, make this a great read!

A big thanks to NetGalley and Duke University for the review copy of Strip Cultures: Finding America in Las Vegas.