Why do the Irish enjoy the Cheltenham festival so much? If the conclusions drawn by a number of books on gambling are any measure, there appears to be a most unlikely silver lining in the current foot-and-mouth cloud.

It's quite a mouthful but in The Odds: One Season, Three Gamblers, and the Death of Their Las Vegas, former Sports Illustrated author Chad Millman dissects the world of Las Vegas sports betting, bringing to life the roller-coaster chaos of the big win, big lose lifestyle of the serious gambler.

Depicted in The Odds are the gamblers themselves, who are generally loners, incapable of normal relationships with an addiction which often ends in suicide (Nevada has the highest suicide rate in the US).