Guide Note: Bringing Down the House is the book on which the film 21 is based. A non-fiction bestseller by Ben Mezrich, it chronicles the mid-1990s exploits of the MIT Blackjack Team, a group of students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who applied their mathematical prowess to Blackjack and made millions of dollars in Vegas.

The protagonist of the book is based on MIT Blackjack Team member Jeff Ma, whom Mezrich—a Harvard graduate—met through a mutual friend in Boston. To research the book, Mezrich accompanied Ma on trips to Vegas, during which Ma demonstrated the team's card-counting techniques.

Ma, who is of Chinese descent, appears in the book under the pseudonym "Kevin Lewis" and is played by Jim Sturgess in the film. The fact that Ma is not portrayed as Asian-American has been the subject of some controversy online. Fast Facts:

Published September 9, 2003
Non-fiction
272 pages
Publisher: Free Press
Author: Ben Mezrich
Sequel: Busting Vegas (William Morrow, 2005)

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Bringing Down the House

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Casino City Times: 'Bringing Down the House' Goes Hollywood (March 3, 2008)
- Mezrich spent the next two months traveling with Ma to Las Vegas and, naturally, he was blown away. He strapped money to his body and nervously passed through airport security. He partied with high rollers, stayed in the most lavish suites the city has to offer and he won his fair share of money at the blackjack tables. In essence, he was living the life of Jeff Ma.
The Boston Herald: ‘21’ Casting Unlucky for Asians (March 28, 2008)

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SeacoastOnline.com: Did ‘21’ Bet on Being Called Racist? (March 30, 2008)

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