By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

I love the new book, Las Vegas, Nevada: A Photographic Portrait, (Twin Lights Publishers, 2007) featuring the photos of Randa Bishop.

Bishop has photographed locations from Australia to Zimbabwe, shooting in over 50 countries and 60 Islands. This experience must have prepared her well for the diversity of Las Vegas. She really captures both the extraordinary casinos, statuary and landmarks as well as the stunning beauty of the area. She also includes the classic - Wayne Newton, the scary right at the Stratosphere, and the Little Chapel of the West.

Each photo shows a true aspect of Las Vegas ... that each casino or area is like its own little world.

Throw them all together and they compose a massive, sparkly, energy-packed, fantasy-driven town. Individually, parts of Las Vegas sing with beauty and grace - and culture! For example:

* Her shot of New York, New York gives you the feel for the real NYC.

* A Photo of the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and the mock Eiffel tower looks like the real thing.

* The Golden Atlas on the grounds of the MGM Grand comes alive.

* The image of Nike, Greek Goddess of Victory, in front of Caesar's looks as real as the original (only the telltale "Caesar's Palace" sign gives it away).

This is the Las Vegas that I fell in love with, the one that is rich in culture, images of angels and divine beings from many traditions. It is the Las Vegas that gives you the sense of being treated to a smorgasbord of travel adventures all in one place! The book truly shows you that you don't have to enjoy gambling to enjoy Las Vegas.

The book is also a bit of history lesson. For example, did you know that the famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign" was created by Betty Willis in 1959? Cool, huh.

This is a great book to buy as a Las Vegas keepsake if you are coming here to marry, or to give to family, friends and/or members of the bridal party.