Six to Five Against: A Miscellany

The title is from Damon Runyon's remark, "I long ago came to the conclusion that all life is six to five against." The purpose of this book is to help reveal how all life is indeed six to five against, yet also to try to reveal what makes life tick, especially in the U.S.A. Author Ryan says, “It is a book chock full of events that exemplify or illustrate, and people who personify, Damon Runyon’s philosophical conclusion. I have written about them simply because as a writer – that is, a person who finds out about and then tells about – I could not resist them. I hope that you, the reader, will consider this collection of 103 distinct pieces, many of which have appeared in newspapers or magazines, as a sort of commonplace book. Perhaps you will find it useful as a bedside book -- to be explored now and then, if and when -- or as a reference with a thorough index, or maybe you will be tempted to read it right through from start to finish.”