Overview

Every year, more than thirty-five million people from all over the world visit Las Vegas; only two million call the city home. Everyday Las Vegas takes a close look at the lives of those who live in a place the rest of the world considers exotic, even decadent. Using broad research, including interviews with more than one hundred Las Vegans, Rex Rowley - who grew up in Las Vegas - examines everyday life in a place that markets itself as an escape from mundane reality. Rowley considers such topics as why people move to Las Vegas, the nature of their work and personal lives, the impact of growth and rapid change, and interaction with the overwhelmingly touristic side of the city. He also considers the benefits and perils of living in a nonstop twenty four-hour city rich in entertainment options and easy access to gambling, drugs, and other addictions. His examination includes the previously unstudied role of neighbourhood casinos patronised by locals rather than tourists and the impact that a very mobile population has on schools, churches, and community life. Rowley considers the very different ways people perceive a place as insiders or outsiders, a dichotomy that arises when tourism is a mainstay of the local economy. His work offers insights into what Las Vegas can teach us about other cities and American culture in general. It also contributes to our understanding of how people relate to places and how the personality of a place influences the lives of people who live there.

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9780874179453

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Reviews

Rex Rowley considers Las Vegas from an angle that gets far too little attention: what it's like for the people who live and work there, and what the place means to them. Whether you're a Las Vegan by birth or choice, or a scholar trying to figure out both 'Sin City' and the people who make it tick, you will learn something from this insightful book. --Michael S. Green, coauthor of Las Vegas: A Centennial History

This is the first book that focuses on the neglected portion of Las Vegas--the area in the shadow of the glitter. By examining the lives of the residents who comprise the city, the common folks who are often neglected in other studies, this book makes a major contribution to both the literature on Las Vegas and . . . the geography of everyday life. --Richard Francaviglia, author of Believing in Place: A Spiritual Geography of the Great Basin Rex Rowley considers Las Vegas from an angle that gets far too little attention: what it's like for the people who live and work there, and what the place means to them. Whether you're a Las Vegan by birth or choice, or a scholar trying to figure out both 'Sin City' and the people who make it tick, you will learn something from this insightful book. --Michael S. Green, coauthor of Las Vegas: A Centennial History This highly readable analysis of the private side of a public city deserves a place in all academic libraries. Highly recommended. --Choice -- Choice Everyday Las Vegas is a fascinating and much recommended addition to history and social issues collections, and for those who want another perspective on the city. --The Midwest Book Review-- The Midwest Book Review

Author Information

Rex J. Rowley was raised in Las Vegas and received his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and his master’s degree and PhD from the University of Kansas. He is an assistant professor of geography at Illinois State University.

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