Former Wall St. Journal reporter Pete Earley was granted permission by Circus Circus Enterprises to observe and interview any of its staff inside its casino/resort, the Luxor, for two years. Enriched with first-person anecdotes, this is a candid portrait of the casino management, dealers, prostitutes, security officers, gamblers and other figures of Las Vegas. It's also a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at how a casino operates (and how the odds are stacked in favor of the house).  (USW253, $7.99)