Might Bite

Powerful … electrifying … compelling … challenges deep-seated class assumptions about gambling … [which is] still regarded as a problem for poor people, for losers. You only have to read Foster’s unflinching account of entitlement, self-hatred and degradation to know that is the biggest lie of all. – Melanie Reid * The Times *[A] mesmerising, superbly written story of despair, decline and redemption … Searingly honest … compelling … should be in the hands of anyone who has eyed a bet * Daily Mail *I don’t think any book has gripped me like Might Bite. * Chris Evans *Gripping and harrowing … enough to make any gambling enthusiast think carefully. * The Spectator *Reading of Foster’s descent is itself compulsive * The i *An extraordinary story … vital stuff – Adrian Chiles * BBC Radio 5 Live *An in-depth testimony … show[s] how anybody can fall prey to gambling addiction. * Daily Telegraph *A powerful story that I know only too well – a no-holds barred journey through gambling addiction and into the hope of recovery. – Paul MersonA well written, ruthlessly honest account of gambling addiction – Jimmy McGovernAs a society, we are only just getting to grips with gambling addiction. Patrick Foster is a trailblazer. His work will help many. – Marcus TrescothickA shocking insight into life with gambling addiction and proof that these issues really don’t discriminate. – Tom Curry, England rugby playerFoster’s compelling account of a once charmed life careering on a downward spiral proves [gambling addiction] can affect anyone. * Bristol Post *A must read journey through gambling addiction and out the other side – ultimately uplifting. – Charlotte Edwards CBE, ex-professional cricketer and England captainThis story will stop you in your tracks. – Sam Billings, England cricketerMight Bite is beautifully written – Charlie Baker * TalkSport *A powerful read and a hell of a story – Paul Hawksbee * TalkSport *A remarkable piece of work * The Cricketer *You should all read Might Bite…a brutally candid, must-read memoir co-written with Will Macpherson, the Evening Standard cricket correspondent that ought to transcend the world of elite sport. * The Cricketer *A brilliant memoir which exposes the scale of this addiction – Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller *Astonishing…Might Bite is a harrowing tale of the final moments of a gambler’s descent to near destruction, but it’s a tale that demands to be told. * Racing Post *A must – electrifying confessions of a high-achieving public schoolboy who destroyed himself with a secret betting addiction – Melanie Reid * The Times *

Patrick Foster is a former professional cricketer, insurance broker and school teacher whose life was shattered by a pathological gambling addiction. He now devotes his life to preventing others following the same path through his work with EPIC Risk Management, the leading gambling harm-minimisation consultancy in the UK.

Will Macpherson is a sports journalist. For the last two years he has been the Evening Standard’s cricket and rugby correspondent. Before joining the Evening Standard, he worked mainly for the Guardian and the Times.