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I would recommend this book highly to anyone with an interest in this exciting and exacting sport. If you follow the game and its cast of players you will recognize many of the people mentioned therein. "Running the Table: The Legend of Kid Delicious, the Last Great American Pool Hustler" is a truly delicious tale of a great sport with a long history and many fans, and one of the greatest players of the game. For anyone who has ever been a good or great pool player, there has probably been a few times, at least, where you wondered if you could make a living at it. This book is a wonderful exposure to that world of the traveling pool hustler.
The author paints a great picture of Kid Delicious and you will feel you know him after reading this fun book. You can't help but like the hero of this story, the lovable self deprecating overweight hustler. Enjoyed this tale of the road trips and the detail regarding life as a pool hustler. It is not a deep subject, but the author gives us the full detail of the science of hustling and what the hustler's life is like.
This relatively fast paced, autobiography is a story of obsession and self destruction. I do know I would like him, love to watch him hustle, share a beer with him but hurt in his journey of self destruction. As an ex pool room rat I have seen many forms of Kid Delicious. I read this book cheering the Kid on, hoping he would find peace while knowing he wouldn't. Could he ever hang up his cue. Kid Delicious' journey takes him through smokey pool halls, drugs, overeating and a variety of other indulgences all in the futile journey to prove mostly to himself that he is worthy. The drug of choice is adreneline, living on the edge, chasing the dream of being the best.
I recommend this book highly. It is also an interesting character study of Danny, a fun loving, unmotivated, overweight kid who recognized he had a talent for succeeding in the shadowy world of pool hustlers, and went for it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A great look at a shady and mostly unseen slice of Americana.
Good luck with the book, Danny. I've seen some Kid Delicious videos on Youtube and he is a very likable character. I thought this book was very entertaining. Not as well written as Playing Off the Rail by McCumber, but filled with interesting and exciting stories of action on the road.
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