"A haunting voyage through the peculiar--and peculiarly American--world of human skull collecting. Ann Fabian's remarkable and moving study illuminates as few other works have the powerful hold that the dead and their remains continue to have upon the living". Karl Jacoby, author of Shadows at Dawn: A Borderlands Massacre and the Violence of History.
Gambling's role in industrializing America is explored through its connections to speculation and land investment in the nineteenth century. Ann Fabian highlights how, despite conflicting with American and Protestant work ethics, gambling developed a unique stigma that set it apart from other profit-making ventures, which were more socially acceptable. This work delves into the cultural, social, and business history surrounding these practices, providing a comprehensive look at the complexities of wealth acquisition in that era.