John Smith, award-winning columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal has a book anyone interested in Las Vegas, its heart, soul and underbelly should read. Titled On The Boulevard (The Best of John L. Smith), it was published in 1999 (3l5 pages, paperbound, $12.95), and it brings to life, some of the most colorful, shady, unique characters the city's had to offer for more than a decade. The book has six major sections-titled for the people it profiles: Everyday People; Boomtown Blues; Beefs With Bureaucrats; Sporting Life; Crime and Punishment and You Are My Sunshine.

Anyone planning to move to Las Vegas will enjoy the book as would anyone just fascinated with what makes the city tick. In some ways, it's still a small town-everyone knows everyone in some unusual way-and yet, it teems with power brokers; big-deal makers; those desperately searching for respect-or a place in a the sun or the big hit-at the tables or in life overall.

There are more than 120 of the stories and once you start reading, it won't take you long to appreciate Smith's style with his detail and color-capturing the flavor of the person, the incident, the moment. He writes about people who have odd jobs; who are exceptionally kind or exceptionally unusual in what they do in Las Vegas. This includes politicians, professional cheats, old-timers going back to the days of Bugsy Siegel, the little guy in trouble, the person with a big heart and great sacrifice. Jimmy Breslin writes like this in New York; the late Mike Royko did it in Chicago as did Herb Caan in the Bay area.

Smith remembers the nuances-the color, the little stuff that adds up to memorable, often touching, sometimes humorous column. He's good. Read this book. You'll enjoy it. It's one to take on vacation, to get a tan by pool with or keep with you while traveling on vacation.

It's not indexed by name or illustrated, but no matter. You'll feel as if you've been around Las Vegas much longer than you ever imagined. Smith makes you feel at home in a city many just visit and remember with a bit of wonder.