The Dragonhead - John Sack

John Sack does a masterful job portraying the life of Johnny Kon. Johnny Kon began life as Yu Kon in Gongjalu, 1943. He grows up poor in the rural area of China. When he is 16 his father sends him to Hong Kong to get a job and send money to support the family. In Honk Kong, Yu becomes Johnny.

His motivation is simple. Johnny Kon wants to take care of his family. This never changes. He is a janitor in a Hong Kong furrier when the owner gives him the opportunity to sell a fur to a customer the owner does not believe will buy. Johnny sells the coat and is immediately promoted to salesman. Johnny is smart and learns the business. Soon, he has broken out on his own and runs Johnny Kon Furs.

It is the early 60's now and Johnny has a friend that introduces him to American GI's visiting Hong Kong. This friend recommends Johnny to all the Americans who wish to buy fur coats and fur hats to send to their wives and girlfriends and mothers in America. Quickly Johnny realizes he can sell more if his is in Vietnam the he can waiting for the Americans to visit him in Hong Kong.

When the Americans leave Vietnam, Johnny is selling much more than just fur. He and his wife and 2 boys are living in Cambodia. On a trip to Hong Kong with his wife, their boys are killed by the Pol Pots forces. Johnny eventually blames the Americans for the death of his children. If the Americans had not abandoned Vietnam, he reasons, Pol Pot would not have become so strong and so brutal. Johnny swears to have his revenge.

It is this quest for revenge that leads Johnny Kon to become one of the most respected and feared leaders in the Chinese mafia. Dragonhead is a compelling look at the decisions he made and their consequences. His story is one well worth reading.

Annie Duke: How I Raised, Folded, Bluffed, Flirted, Cursed, and Won a Million Dollars at the World Series of Poker - Annie Duke, David Diamond

Whew! That has got to be one of, if not, the longest titles I have seen on a biography. Being one of the most successful women in poker, I suppose she is entitled to be a bit unorthodox.

She tells the story of her run through the 2004 World Series of Poker. It is very linear. She starts with the process of registering for the first event she plays and ends with the last hand she plays. Along the way she goes into various tangents.

We are treated to much more than a life story. The origins of the game are explored. The history of the WSOP (World Series of Poker) is presented in very objective voice. Along the way we are treated to some incites as to how she makes her decisions at the table.
For those who are really after a treatise on how to play poker, she is kind enough to draw attention to these tidbits by drawing a box around them. She give you a basic rule of poker and then a brief description. At the end she provides a glossary of poker terms.

There is no doubt that Annie is a great poker player and a wonderful ambassador for women in this predominantly male field of endeavor. However, with several degrees in English including a PhD in Psycholinguistics, I am surprised that she felt it necessary to employ a co-author. I found this to be a very pedestrian read.