Trainspotting (novel) the shortlist after "offending the sensibilities of two judges"). Trainspotting (novel) Trainspotting is the first novel by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh, first published in 1993. It takes the form of a collection of short stories, written in either Scots, Scottish English or British English, revolving around various residents of Leith, Edinburgh who either use heroin, are friends of the core group of heroin users, or engage in destructive activities that are implicitly portrayed as addictions that serve the same function as heroin addiction. The novel is set in the late 1980s and has been described by "The Sunday Times" as
David Irvine (blackjack player) David Irvine (blackjack player) David Irvine is an engineer and professional blackjack player and a former member of the MIT Blackjack Team. Irvine was a part of the blackjack team featured in the best selling book, "Bringing Down the House", by Ben Mezrich. Irvine was one of the members of a team of MIT students that won millions at blackjack tables around the world by counting cards. The story of the MIT Blackjack Team was made into a major motion picture, 21, which was released in theaters on March 28, 2008. In 2004, Irvine co-founded a company called the Blackjack