Games Books

Sent this to my twin grandsons - haven't seen them with it yet but I hoped it would be good for getting them to focus and concentrate - they are well below the recommended age but I don't see why this should be a problem, and I am told they have certainly enjoyed trying to beat each other to find the figure. Some pages are very difficult but they will keep going back to the book too.

My kids are 3,7,10 and 11. This is one of the few books that I can sit down and have fun with any one of them.

Este es un libro muy bueno para el entretenimiento de todos los ninos de cualquier edad, se los recomiendo.

"I like Waldo. I like the book Where's Waldo. I like all the pictures. There are all these little people running around and you have to find Waldo in all of the pictures. It's hard, but that's good. That's it."
-Adele, Age 5 (who thiks it might be good for 5 to 9 year olds.)

I first got turned onto Waldo books while in college. I was working at a small bookstore, and spied a paperback of Where's Waldo? in Hollywood. I've had it all these years, but recently brought it out of the basement for my 7 year old son. He was thrilled with that book, so I got him Where's Waldo?: The Wonder Book in hardback for Christmas.

While the Hollywood book is difficult, The Wonder Book also has some difficult scenes! In one, I STILL haven't found Wizard Whitebeard. Arggh!

Martin Handford is the creator of the Where's Waldo? books, which features elaborately detailed scenes, hidden objects, and visual puns. The reclusive, bespectaled author works fervently for EIGHT WEEKS for EACH of the 2-page spreads on these books. This means that the Where's Waldo Wonder Book took him 1.8 years to create! Amazing!

My son and I love to pore over the pages--not only looking for Waldo, Wenda, Wizard Whitebeard, Odlaw, and Woof--but also other clues. For example, Wenda always loses a camera, Woof a bone, the Wizard a scroll, and so on. BUT, at the end of the book, there are TWO pages of checklists for other things to find in EACH of the visual puzzles! Some are quite hard to find. For example, a clown follows Waldo and his friends all through the end of the book. One of the challenges is to find the scene in the book where the clown changes the color of his hat band.

The creative scenes you'll find in the Wonder Book include:

*Once Upon a Page
*Clown Town
*The Fantastic Flower Garden
*The Odlaw Swamp
*The Might Fruit Fright
*The Corridors of Time
*The Game of Games
*The Battle of the Bands
*Toys! Toys! Toys!
*Bright Lights and Night Frights
*The Cake Factory
*The Land of Woofs

Odlaw Swamp and Land of Woofs are *especially* tricky, because all the characters look the same...except for one defining element.

As with all the Waldo books, there's also some great visual puns that will tickle adult funny bones. Make no mistake...the Where's Waldo? series isn't just for kids! I love searching for the characters and items as a way of relaxing and enjoying my son's company.

Highly recommended!

In-a-word, the 'Whimsical Tarot Book' is just great, as would be hoped-for, and expected, from Dorothy Morrison (the Designer of the deck and Author of the book), and Mary Hanson-Roberts (Artist-extraordinnaire).

The BOOK stands on its own as an instruction as to what all our beloved fairytales mean from an esoteric point-of-view. It's very much well-worth the reading of it to gain insight as to why fairytales have so captured and imprinted upon us their everlasting 'Wisdom'. It is precisely the symbology of this 'Wisdom Unconsciously Imprinted' that Dorothy vividly explains. So, please, DO NOT make the mistake of thinking this is just a deck or book for children. The deck gives right-on, easily understood readings for adults, and the BOOK is so insightful as to make one wonder how they could have lived without Dorothy's explanations all these years, *lol*

The BOOK is very well-bound, and incorporates the 'Pictures', 'Descriptions', and 'Advice' of all 78 cards of the full Whimsical Tarot Deck (both Major and Minor Arcana).

The PICTURES in the book are all black & white.

The DIMENSIONS of the book are: 4 1/2 inches Wide by 7 inches Tall, or, 11 1/2 centimeters Wide by 17 3/4 centimeters Tall.

There are offered a variety of TAROT SPREADS and a nifty section on how to HELP YOUR CHILDREN understand Tarot. And why not? The deck, and ensuing book, being based on 'fairytales', is most appropriate to youngsters as it is completely NON-THREATENING.

The SCARIEST cards in most Tarot decks are 'Death' (skeleton with scythe), 'The Devil' (well, use your imagination for this one, *lol*), and the '10 of Swords' (a person's body stabbed with 10 swords, yuk, *lol*).

But, in the 'Whimsical' book, they are depicted as:

'DEATH/SLEEPING BEAUTY' laying asleep, not dead, on her draped bed, awaiting the new phase in her life to come forth;

'DEVIL/PINNOCHIO' with two hands pulling the strings and making Pinnochio dance 'seemingly' against his Will, showing us that the development of our Will to resist temptation is, in fact, the building of our Character;

And '10 of SWORDS/HUMPTY-DUMPTY' falling off the wall, but not yet hitting the ground to be all cracked and broken, showing us, also, that we all fall down from time-to-time due to naivete and lack of experience.

What I especially admire is how Dorothy Morrison, (the author of the book and designer of the deck), explains each card in terms of the actual fairytale used to depict it. Each card has its own two pages devoted to it, which includes a black & white picture of the card itself. These two pages are broken into two parts: the CARD DESCRIPTION and the ADVICE.

The 'DESCRIPTION' part is a complete reference to the fairytale symbology utilized, and how it applies to the Tarot Card depiction. Dorothy did a really good job of this, as I referenced above.

The 'ADVICE' part consists of Dorothy's very insightful explanations as to what the 'Wisdom of the Ages' is trying to tell us, thus, moving us in a direction to choose a course of action, or mode of perception, that is more aligned with the ethics and morals of our Divine nature... the very 'Wisdom' we try to instill in our children and which, by the way, many adults need to be reminded of as well, *wink*

There is no possible way to go wrong with this book... the 'Wisdom of the Ages' may be presented in a 'whimsical fairytale' manner but, as I said, the 'Whimsical Book' stands on its own merit; the deck is not needed to glean the depth and richness of the lessons, and vibrancy, of life and living, *vbs*

If you love the Inner Child Cards, you will love this deck. It is much smaller so it is portable and easy to handle. The art work is very detailed so you have something to focus on. The only "problem" was that there was no enclosed book. If you are a by the book reader this is a negative but if you are like me, it prevents you from second guessing your messages.

I really loved this deck and book. I teach
english, so the concept of using fairy tales, nursery rhymes and folk tales to teach tarot is wonderful. It has been done before, but this deck and book really get into the concept and it is worth the money. A warning, I bought the book and deck separate, which was a mistake as it cost more. I would get the entire set together if I were to do it again. I really love the cards, the images and the stories. I have made good use of this deck already.

If you're not the cutsey type or won't appreciate the artwork because you're "darker" or more "serious" than that, all I can say is, lighten up. This is a great deck and a great springboard to learn from before getting into something as esoteric as Rider Waite or Crowley Thoth.

Everybody knows the fairytales and even if you don't, it's fun to look them up. These cards are definitely more accessible to us modern pagans and witches!

I would highly recommend this for the absolute and not so absolute beginner (a welcome addition to any tarot library, as it's less intimidating than other deck images!).

This book accompanies the Whimsical Tarot Deck. While there is supposed to be a gift box set, I have only seen the book and decks sold separately and when I purchased the deck, I also purchased the book. I have reviewed the deck under it's listing.

The book's layout is easy to follow. It begins with an introduction to the purpose and style of the cards, use and care of the deck, discussion of various layouts of tarot readings and then meanings of the cards as designed by Dorothy Morrison. The Major Arcana is first, followed by the Minor Arcana in order and each card has a black and white graphic rendition of the card so it is easy to visualize and follow.

The discussion in the beginning of the book focuses on children reading Tarot. This may sound surprising to some but to those of us who have our kids around us all the time, the curiosity of child is only second to how persistent they can be to know about things that attract their attention. Ms. Morrison offers assistance in helping us introduce the tarot to our children. From examining the cards to blessing and handling the cards, it is a basic handbook for introducing our children to simple, basic divination. In the layouts section, there are suggested layouts for use by kids, and it is grouped by ages, from very simple one card readings to more complex spreads for the experienced older child.

There may be questions as to the card's subject. If we are not familiar with all the fairy tales that Ms. Morrison has included in this deck, this book will help you out with that. For example, the Queen of Rods, while looking very queenly, is actually Cinderella. If you look her up in the book, the association is clearly laid out. "No matter how dire her circumstances or how horrible her treatment, she never let it get her down. She just kept on working, kept on smiling, and kept on with the business of living. In the end, she prevailed and won her heart's desire: a charming prince with a gentle heart, a fast horse, and all the love she could ask."

Ms. Morrison is very clear in her meanings; nothing is hidden and nothing is left open and mysterious. This is the plain English Ms. Morrison we know and love. She even gives details of how she designed the cards. To continue "Dressed in the yellow and green of creative growth, the Queen of Rods is the eternal cheerleader. She loves everyone and everything." While this is very insightful for the reader, it also gives us insight into how Ms. Morrison is guiding us along as we search for answers in our own lives. Very clear, very easy to understand and so insightful, this handbook is a guide as well as a companion to using the deck.

She also offers some advice and insights into what this card may mean if it shows up in your readings. Again, referencing the Queen of Cups, Cinderella: "When the Queen of Cups graces your spread, it's time to look at life with a loving eye." Further down, she adds "Remember that love is a gentle, kind, and nurturing emotion that carries with it many responsibilities." She goes into what she means by this and you are left with much food for thought as to how it can reflect in your own life.

The book is the signpost to be used with the deck which presents the road as we are walking down it today. These roads change as we make decisions which affect our future. When we use these tools, we look for ones that we can relate to, that can be easily interpreted by us and also provide some enjoyment when we use them.

There is a small bibliography in the back of the book, and a good table of contents, but this book is good on it's own for ease of use. I believe Ms. Morrison has provided us with a great companion book to her delightful deck as well as solid advice and practices if we wish to introduce our children to the basics of tarot. boudica

This is a cute story about whiteblack the penguin, a curious and optimistic fellow that sets out to wander the world in search of stories for his radio show for Penguinlands radio station W.O.N.S. He gets into trouble a few times but manages to keep his optimism through out his trip.

There is publishers note at the end of the story that explains this was actually an uncompleted work that the Reys carried out of Paris when the fled from the Germans in 1940. For some reason it was sent back for revision and it was forgotten probably due to the other Curious George stories. After Margret had passed, the manuscript and drawings were found and it was decided to publish the story 63 years after it was written.

Overall the story is on par with Curious George and it passed muster with my little girl.

A worthwhile addition to any child's library!

...YES, THAT'S ALL THE "EXCITEMENT" THERE IS TO THIS ONE. IT'S A CUTE BOOK, BUT NOT ONE I'D WANT TO READ MORE THAN ONCE. 'SPOTTY' & 'PRETZEL' ARE MUCH BETTER.

Margaret and H. A. Rey wrote the children's book, Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World. They are known for their famous series Curious George. Their works are very distinct because of the illustrations. In Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World, H. A. Rey uses bright vivid colors and black outlines to express emotions. The color yellow signifies safety and comfort while darker colors signifies lack of security. In the beginning and end of Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World, the color yellow signifies a sense of comfort and security. In the beginning, Whiteblack is at home, Penguinland, and the color yellow is very prominent. H. A. Rey also includes deep blues for a sense of comfort. This is a home-away-home story; and children consider home to be a safe place. Therefore, the color yellow signifies comfort and security. For example, when Whiteblack is leaving Penguinland, the color yellow was illustrated. Also, when Whiteblack arrived at the desert and was accompanied by the camel, there is a sense of safety and comfort, and yellow is illustrated throughout this page. The end of the story is illustrated with yellow, because Whiteblack has returned home. While Whiteblack is on his adventures throughout the story, the colors change because he is either in danger or sad. When Whiteblack first left, his boat hit an iceberg and wrecked and he was in the ocean alone. The color of the ocean is now a shady green and looks scary, therefore giving a feeling of helplessness. There is a huge cruiser heading his way and you think it might hit him, but he climbs aboard. H. A. Rey illustrates the color yellow because he is rescued. When Whiteblack is on his way home, he is riding on the top of an airplane and tumbles off and dives into the sea. There the colors are darker and yellow is hardly seen. Near the end, Whiteblack is in the ocean by himself pulling a net of fish for his friends in Penguinland. Whiteblack is struggling and his strength is almost gone. Here the colors are dark and yellow is not shown clearly, but on the next page, his friend, Seal, is coming to his rescue. The color yellow is being restored but still a little shaded, this gives some foreshadowing to what might happen next. When Whiteblack and Seal reach Penguinland, they both jump for joy. Obviously there are feelings of happiness, comfort, and security and the color yellow is very vivid. In the article, "Laughter in Literature", Lonsdale states "Curious George's creator...combines text and illustration to make George a lively and likeable little monkey. The illustration in strong, dark colors, full of action, on white paper mirror the agility of Curious George. The text and the illustrations move at a breathless pace"(77-106). The color yellow in Curious George signifies a sense of comfort and safety. The man with the yellow hat is always there to keep Curious George safe. The color yellow is the same dynamic in Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World. Both of the Rey's works illustrate the color yellow and it always gives a sense of safety and comfort.

Whiteblack the Penguin, Chief Storyteller on W-O-N-S, the Penguinland radio station has run out of stories. So he decides to take a vacation and see some of the world, because "travelers always have lots of stories." Off he goes in a little boat, on the adventure of a lifetime. And what adventures he has. First his boat sinks after hitting an iceberg. Then, after being rescued by a large cruiser, he decides to take a nap in one of their cannons and is accidently shot out the next morning. After soaring through the air for miles, he lands in the water and swims to shore where he meets ostriches, crosses the desert on a camel, rides in an airplane and unfortunately, falls out over the ocean. Each time he faces adversity and the unknown, he happily looks at the new situation as a learning experience and wonderful tale to share. At last he is rescued by a fishing boat and finally makes his way back home to a hero's welcome with lots of new stories for his radio show..... Who would have thought that after their deaths, an unpublished, completed manuscript, by Margret and H.A. Rey, would be found? This delightful story about a brave and always optimistic little penguin, will charm and amuse young children, just as their Curious George books have done all these many years. Mr Rey's wonderful and expressive watercolor illustrations, compliment his wife's text perfectly and together, they've created a treasure that's sure to become a classic. Whiteblack the Penguin is a timeless, enchanting story that your kids will want to read over and over again and a MUST for all home libraries.

Whiteblack the penguin hosts a radio program for everyone in Penguinland. He's the resident storyteller and is well liked and admired because of his marvelous stories. However, eventually he runs out of stories to tell!! Thinking that an adventure would give him new ideas, he and his friends construct a boat, give him some rope, and send him on his way to adventure. What adventures he has! His boat is struck by an iceberg, he hitches a ride on a Navy warship, manages to get shot from one of it's cannons, helps baby ostriches to hatch and even crosses the desert on a roller skate! Whiteblack is delightfully cheery at every turn, changing what otherwise might be a total disaster into yet another tale for his radio show. "Besides," he says as his boat sinks down out of sight, "I've always wanted to be in an accident!" Talk about the power of positive thinking!! The Rey's are, of course, most famous for their creation of the Curious George books. This work was originally written in 1937 when Mr. Hans Rey was working at a Paris World Fair booth across from a penguin exhibit. Somehow, though, it never made publication and was merely mothballed in a trunk before the Rey's left Paris. Discovered 63 years later and published in the year 2000, Whiteblack is immediately identifiable as a work of the Rey's. The yellows of the book are the exact same as those we're used to in the Curious George series. The same thick outlines and comfortable, fun illustrations are here as well, including what looks very much like a cameo appearance by the Man in the Yellow Hat!! The book concludes with a brief history of the Rey's and the fortuitous discovery of the long-forgotten Whiteblack manuscript. The book is wonderful fun in both it's text and illustrations. The crazy adventures Whiteblack gets himself into and his cheerful outlook on life ("besides, I've always wanted to fly" he says to himself after being shot out of the Navy cannon) will delight children of all ages. Whether you're a fan of Curious George or merely love fun children's stories, "Whiteblack the Penguin..." is an excellent story and a definite to add to your collection!!

WHY YOU LOSE AT BRIDGE is a true evergreen. Read it once when you are a beginner. It is truly hard to find such concise guide how to advance rapidly from the basics. Or, like me - after all it first appeared before I was born - rediscover it if you want to improve faster. Players at all levels will find something fresh and stimulating while reading it. Many books dwell for long pages on the intricacies of the complex game of bridge, but this book really focuses on the essentials, on how to think at the bridge table, and how to remain realistic, especially if you are playing with different partners. And if you have an established partnership, read it together. Walking the fine line between being too aggressive or too conservative is the key to success in bridge, and this book has good advice on how to fine-tune your approach. The pages on competitive bidding are pure gold. The reader will find practical gems like dealing with preempts and psychic bids or playing 4-3 fits - just to name a few - which are as important to the matchpoint and team players today as they were for rubber bridge in the forties. To wrap it up, read and re-read it! And it's fun, the characters are memorable and the boards excellent and thought provoking.

Everyone with any interest in bridge should read this book. The bridge hands are interesting and instructive, but the characters are what make the book great.

S. J. Simon's Why You Lose at Bridge remains (since its original 1945 publication) the best text on improving one's partnership available anywhere at any price. Read it. Practice what you learned. Watch your partnerships improve. Read it, again ...

If you have a standing partnership, read it together. Even the most capable professionals may well (re)discover ways to improve their game as they absorb Simon's words of wisdom. Improve your partnership, and your game improves. Simon sez ...

Entertaining and informative,especially for rubber bridge players.
A bit old fashioned now but the message gets across loud and clear.
A must for all bridge fanatics.

The bridge-bidder's arsenal is usually full of "gadgets": non-literal bids meant to convey or suggest information that might escape the normal bidding sequence. Even by the time this 1940s book appeared, "scientific" systems by leading bridge "experts" were all the rage. Who would disagree with scientific "experts"? After all, you can't fight progress.

WHY YOU LOSE AT BRIDGE dares to differ. S.J. Simon, author of this enduring little volume, shows us the genuine odds behind competitive bidding and play and explains things the highly regarded experts of his day didn't know -- or didn't want us to know.

[Note: the following two grafs assume some bridge experience.]
Would you almost automatically double a competitor's bid of "Six Spades" (12 of the 13 card tricks) if you had two "quick tricks" in your hand? Think about it, Simon warns. If the opponents have even a one-in-three chance of winning, your unthinking double will give them between four and six times the number of points for making contract considering vulnerability. Besides, when they hear your double the declarer will figure you for the two Aces and act accordingly. Watch out for the sure things that really aren't.

And sometimes (usually, the author implies) the scientific gadgets aren't worth it. At one tourney, following tortuous symbolic bidding, one partnership came to a contract of four spades and went down one. How had the author and his partner bid that "impossible" hand? Like this: South - 1 NT; North - 3 NT. Simple and literal.

After offering a bracing immersion in what I all "unlearning," Simon spends the second half of the book on the psychology of bridge, starting with the times a partner or opponent starts what he calls "trancing" -- mulling things over. Chapter Eleven, "The Logic of Luck," typically illustrates Simon's curmudgeonly attitude. We could almost blame him for the high-British-arch tone of his writing, except that he is always right!

WHY YOU LOSE AT BRIDGE is a tremendous book for bridge beginners, perhaps even more so for intermediates and even the more experienced players trying to cope with a new partner. Of course, this WAS the 1940s so the author assumes that major suits (Hearts and Spades) can be bid upon with only four of them in hand as opposed to today's more prevalent "five-card major" approach. And I have to wonder what Simon would make of today's bidding in general.

The French Defense has been used by stronger chessplayers than Wolfgang Uhlmann, and has seen its fair share of action in World Championship matches. But there has never been a player so loyal to the French Defense as GM Uhlmann. He is a hero for all devotees of the French (like myself), having faced many of the World's best and never shying away from his pet defense. Has he ever played anything else against 1.e4?

The French Defense can be played as a stodgy, defensive weapon, or as an uncompromising, counterpunching system. I have played countless games in both styles, and both are valid depending on one's temperament/mood/tournament situation. Uhlmann's book is comprised of 60 games played in the second style. It is true that some of the variations nowadays are *possibly* not the best, but there is much to be learned in terms of how the opening can be handled, and the kind of chances available to the second player.

The book has chapters delineated by variation, so it is easy to find ideas (abundant!) in the particular lines you are looking for, and features games played from the 1950s through the 1990s. Uhlmann also admits to using subvariations not favored by theory, but that he has faith in. And I daresay, if Uhlmann has faith in the lines, so can we! Even Botvinnik, Smyslov, and Petrosian did not live and die by the French as much as Uhlmann.

Each French player has his or her favorite books, but this is one most of us agree on.

GM Uhlmann is certainly an acknowledged specialist in the French defense. I for one decided to buy this book to deal with problematic variations as black (i.e., Tarrasch variation and KIA) I found more than I could possibly hope to find in the book. For one, this is not just an insuferable encyclopedic treatise bound to be outdated the minute you buy it. It isn't a pedantic presentation of lines with no logical sense but a concise and fun explanation of IDEAS commonly used in the French. GM Uhlmann promises in his book to show you what's typical and how to find your way out from unknown situations over the board and gives you an arsenal of weapons to enrich your French defense.

The book's format is simple: Anotated games by Uhlmann full of comments, variations, ideas, and opinions. I found it interesting to see that GM Uhlmann shows a remarkable objectivity when mistakes by him appear on the games. With utmost professionalism he warns about his mistakes, suggests an alternative approach, and implicitly tells you how to fine tune the opening. I have applied many of the ideas presented on this book and can say that I feel more confident each time I play the French. GM Uhlmann makes you fall in love with the French by exposing the ideas behind each variation and how to thrive when facing unknown situations.

I must forewarn anyone reading this review that the book is very specific in the variations covered: Tarrasch closed and open (with an isolated queen pawn), Winnawer, Advance, KIA and exchange. Do not expect to see the classical variation among the lines covered or any other non-fashionable lines. GM Uhlmann has worked the above repertoire of the French defense and since those lines are his specialty you will learn them thoroughly with him.

In regards to negative aspects of the book I can say that I would like to see a more thorough discussion about the pawn structures that result commonly and how to play the resulting endings. This is of course very subjective and it is just my opinion on how to deal with the study of chess openings. In spite of that, I believe that discussing pawn structures resulting in the French would make the book just perfect. However, I am giving the book 5 stars because it delivers what it promises to the reader.

I have almost every french book published in recent five years in my collection, but they are primary the books about openings and its many variations. But one can feel strong emotions about this book, feel the love and mastery of its author about this particular opening, he never shy away from. This book is not too big or too tick, but it has covered almost every subvariation of french nicely. There are even 5 fully anotated game vs Kings indian attack, very annoying for some french players, and even 4 games in exchange variation. I am using this book when i need refreshment and inspiration in french. Best collection of french games available.

I have over 500 chess books, and this is one of my ten favorites. I keep coming back to it again and again, unlike the hundreds of supposed classics that sit on my shelf un-opened. Many say that games collections annotated by the GM who played the games are the best teaching tools. The problem that I often have is that there is no connecting themes between the games. I play the French as black. So, I would like to have a games collection of games in the French. The Korchnoi Best Games book is great because there are quite a few games where he plays the French. And of course there are books by and about Nimzowitsch and Botvinnik where a few French games are featured. But here we have a unique book by Uhlmann. In all 60 games of this book, he plays black in the French. The annotations are brilliant, concise, and instructive to follow, without being too dense or over-the-top, as are annotations by Nunn, Speelman, and Timman. Those are all good authors, but they do not write for the masses; they write for top-flight GMs. This book has a directness and an instructive theme that is lacking in those other works. It will inspire you to play the French, and will inspire your chess in general. It is one of the best chess books that I know.

This one by Uhlmann has the special something that separates art from the mundane. It brims with love and care about his French Defence, yet it is objective too. He does not smirk at white's various lines, such as the King's Indian Attack. He treats chess with respect, and he does not make ridiculous claims, ala Watson, that the French will give black an edge in every line. This book is a keeper, and I don't even play the french!

I enjoyed reading this book, and caught myself chuckling all the way through. Even though it's written with women in mind, it gives excellent advice for men as well as women and gives examples for why they advise it. I'd suggest it highly for men, women or teenagers who are interested in meeting people online. Great advice and with the space where you can write in your own information, it's easy to apply. I especially enjoyed the analyzing sample letters section.Too Cute!

From "The Bookwatch," a review from the MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW,

"Wired Not Weird incorporates personal anecdotes, a hefty dose of common sense, and simple, easy-to-understand advice and strategies about what to expect, what to stay away from, and what to say or not say during the first meeting in person....highly entertaining, with plenty of appraising observations to carefully consider--even if you're not interested in using the Internet to find love."

Wired Not Weird is very well written; clear, concise, organized. I found it easy to read, understand and apply. This book gave me the courage to venture onto the web in search of that special someone! So far I've corresponded with several intriguing men and have actually met and dated someone very special! I'll be sending copies to all my single friends for Christmas this year!

THE MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW'S publication "The Bookwatch"
praises WIRED NOT WEIRD,A WOMAN'S GUIDE TO DATING ONLINE.

"Wired Not Weird incorporated personal anecdotes, a hefty dose of common sense, and simple, easy-to-understand advice and strageties about what to expect, what to stay away from, and what to say or not say during the first meeting in person...highly entertaining, with plenty of of appraising observations to carefully consider..."

Wired Not Weird: A Woman's Guide To Dating Online begins with a ominous disclaimer: the reader must assume all responsibility for personal decisions or actions, regardless of whether they are influenced by reading this book. It is an unfortunate consequence of our unpredictable, sometimes dangerous, and unquestionably litigious society that such a warning must be so boldly declared, but the disclaimer also doubles as sound advice for life in general. Wired Not Weird dares to tackle a subject that is at best made light of in vapid comedy movies, at worst demonized with horror stories: online dating. Collaboratively written by Christy Clement and Kay McLean as a guide specifically for women, Wired Not Weird incorporates personal anecdotes, a hefty dose of common sense, and simple, easy-to-understand advice and strategies about what to expect, what to stay away from, and what to say or not say during the first meeting in person. Wired Not Weird's suggestions are also directly relevant to placing personal ads in the newspapers, which is basically the low-tech local equivalent of using the Internet to look for a date. Wired Not Weird is highly entertaining, with plenty of appraising observations to carefully consider -- even if you're not interested in using the Internet to find love.

As mentioned in the previous reviews this book is for the entire family and for all ages. My three-year-old daughter loves the illustrations in the book and wants us to read the book to her. So with a little tweaking she enjoys the book and participating in word play with us. Michael Kline's creativity is incredible. This book will not only improve your verbal skills but also your visual imagination. If you have never had a creative block this book with certainly help you out. I use some of the word games in my classes to increase my student's abilities to visually communicate.

Michael Kline has hit the hail on the nead with WordPlay Cafe. It's an invitation to look at and practice language in a completely different way. It takes some practice but I guarantee, once you let the imagination go, you will want to keep delving into the world of wordplay and punzles!

In WordPlay Cafe Michael Kline's banquet of word fun and lively illustrations guarantee a feast of food for thought. This guy Kline says a mouthful. He knows language and he knows how to make children want to eat their words.
-- Richard Lederer, author of Pun & Games and The Circus of Words

First there were words. Then the words were made fun. And in Wordplay Cafe author Mike Kline shows you, oh so successfully, how to make more fun with words. This interactive book teaches kids of all ages the power of words and ways to be creative with their meanings and sounds. It's a great way for kids and parents to have quality time with each other.
Mary K. Baumann and Will Hopkins
Art Directors, Kids Discover magazine
New York, NY

Kline has a wonderful sense of humour that can be appreciated by any age group. He really challenges kids (and adults) to look at language in a different way - the fun way! The book reads like a rollercoaster ride...or maybe a better analogy would pinball machine: it bounces off topics and tangents in a delightfully free-wheeling manner. Not for ADD kids, this book is meant for children who are willing to engage with subject matter for a wonderful reward. Kline's book belongs in the category of "children's books" the way that Bloom County belonged in the same comics section of the paper with Funky Winkerbean and Family Circus. This book truly works best when the whole family joins in on the fun. The activities are perfect for getting fun discussions going between children and adults. A highly recommended read for anyone (at any age) who wants to re-discover language and have fun along the way.

This book is basically a series of tutorials (or "recipes"). The tutorials range from the very simple task of displaying an image on the screen to more complicated tasks such as terrain generation with HLSL.

The tutorials are organised well, with a contents section that allows you to quickly scan through and look up the feature you wish to implement in your code. Each tutorial has in depth code in the book itself as well as downloadable code from the author's web page.

This book makes a fantastic complement to the XNA documentation. Things that are explained abstractly or are hidden within the XNA documentation are explained in greater practical detail in this book; you'll save a lot of time and hassle. Highly recommended.

If your an average to expert c# programmer trying to get into XNA or have a little experience already, this book is great for code refrence and XNA class information. However, I dont recommend this book to entry level programmers as it requires basic c# knowledge.

This is the best book on XNA.

I like that the book is not focused on beginner topics but rather on intermediary concepts. This book will help you grow once you got the basics i.e. once you are able to create a simple 2D game or setup a basic 3D scene.

The author is very focused and the recipie approach works great.
I surely hope the author will publish other books on XNA.

This is my first review in almost 10 years of using Amazon. Never have I felt this compelled to share how great a product is. Riemer is, very simply, that rare author who not only fundamentally knows his subject, but understands how to communicate it in ways that make the learning process both intuitive and nearly effortless.

I've been reading software books since I was a kid, and I can say with confidence that most of them fall short in the effective communication department. Sure, there are stacks of books out there packed with useful information, but all the knowledge in the world is useless if you can't understand it. Riemer not only gets the knowledge right, he helps you rightly get at the knowledge. (And this is doubly astounding when you consider that English isn't even the author's first language!)

If you're new to XNA, Managed DirectX, or HLSL shader programming, this book will get you up and running fast. If, like me, you've already had some experience, the tips you'll pick up in this book are a great investment in your programming future. At Amazon's price, this book is a steal.

On a side note, I first came across Riemer's work through his website. (Google for it.) His XNA and DirectX tutorials were the first that actually made sense to me, and I highly recommend them as supplemental material to this book.

I'd never written a review in Amazon. But I cannot do that for this book! It's simply AWESOME! It almost answers every piece of my question mark in mind after going over several XNA fundamental books. In a nutshell, The book is perfect for those who already has some basic knowlodge of XNA.

I'm an beginner/intermediate yo yo player, and I found this book incredible. The Quantum Yo theory is truly revolutionary, and changed the way I think about yo yo tricks. Just like advertised, it's not a recipe book, but a guide to the underlying theory of how to approach yo yo tricks. I loved the tone of the writing and the inclusion of totem animals, as it just added enjoyment to what could have been a very dry analysis.

Advanced players will be able to see the limitations of a strictly "Quantum Yo" approach, but it may also help them think outside of old routines and expand their freestyle yocabulary. I doubt they've even thought of yo-ing in exactly this way before.

Top notch book, and I've never seen anything else even remotely like it for yo yos.

Ultra-cool. There is no other trick book like the Yonomicon. A must read for every serious yo-yo player. Lucky Meisenheimer M.D. author of "Lucky's Collectors Guide to 20th Century Yo-Yos...History and Values"

This is a great book of pretty darn advanced yo-yo tricks. It breaks each trick down into it's parts and expalins it in a physics type manner. It's not that easy to follow, and it reads kind of like a text book, but if you can get through the complex explainations it's got some stuff you've never seen in a yo-yo book before.

If you want to get deeper into some complicated yo-yo tricks, this book is for you.

Do you get a kick out of operator spaces and wacky topology? If so, this is the yo-yo book for you. Coming just shy of an out-and-out mathematical analysis of the yo-yo, McBride lays down the laws of freestyle Yo, defining yo-yo play as a subset of the possible string/hand operations on the topology consisting of the yo, free hand and throw hand. This book will redefine the way you look at yo-yoing. If you have a refined mathematical background, this book could easily start you on the road towards a graduate thesis.

The Yonomicon is a great book, its like a math book full of equations to mix and make tricks. It leaves nothing unexplained, it just takes a littl while to learn to understand how McBride is explaining the tricks. It different, in a better way.

when i picked no#12 in my local libray i was sooo happy that fate drove me to it, cos since then i have made sure ive read all 28 of them but the thing i still{begging KA to write no#29up to a 1000} want more. if you dont go out much please pick this up,you don't know what you're missing. i have read all her books from making out, ocean city, making waves to animorphs.i love her work keep it up. making out deserves a million stars not just five.if their is a book lover like me thank God.

I think Katherine Applegate really made this book to the teenage level and our dialog. I really thought that maybe she was a teenage writer because she displayed the feelings of her characters so well!

It's Thanksgiving vacation on Chatham Island, Maine, time for families to come together and be thankful for their everyday blessings--well, in theory. Except this holiday, the Passmore and Geiger families will be tested on how strong their bonds are when they welcome a new sibling, a possible new boyfriend, and a father's new girlfriend to the table. Yes, let the drama begin. ;)

On the Passmore's side, Zoey's father invites his 19-year-old love child (Lara McAvoy) to dinner--and doesn't tell his wife or two kids she's coming until that day. When Lara does arrive (this is Zoey's first time meeting her), her parents ask her to move in for the time being since she's nearly homeless. Zoey is definitely against her parents' decision. From what she assessed of her new half-sister, Lara is a complete loser, mentally dulled by drugs and alcohol and a strong magnet for scuzzy men like her last convict boyfriend. However, there is one person who is absolutely thrilled about Lara's move: Jake McRoyan, Zoey's ex-boyfriend and possibly Lara's new boyfriend. (Has anyone else noticed how "incestuous" relationships are on this island? I guess there are so many boyfriends/girlfriends you can go through before you start dating each other's siblings.)

Meanwhile, Claire and Nina Geiger get to meet their father's new girlfriend (Sarah Mendel)--and her gorgeous 17-year-old son, Aaron. Needless to say, both girls are utterly transfixed by him (along with just about every other girl on the island), but Claire is more so than Nina, since Nina already has a terrific boyfriend (Benjamin Passmore). After that dinner, Claire is bound and determined to get Aaron, even though he's obviously not very interested in her but, instead, attracted to Zoey, although she, too, has a boyfriend (Lucas Cabral), who's a total slug next to Aaron. My guess: the slug eventually gets the boot--and good riddance!

"Zoey Plays Games" is the ninth book in the Making Out series. If you like teen drama/romance, then I highly recommend this series. It's not too cheesy for readers who aren't particularly prone to read such books either; in fact, this series is quite witty and humorous. And if you like Zoey's character, then don't miss any of the other Zoey-oriented books: Zoey Fools Around (#1), What Zoey Saw (#6), Don't Tell Zoey (#13), Zoey Speaks Out (#18), Always Loving Zoey (#22), Now Zoey's Alone (#24), Zoey's Broken Heart (#26), and Zoey Comes Home (#28).

In book 8,I felt that Zoey forgave Lucas a bit too quickly. I understand her confusion at seeing her parents together after all that confusion errupted on book 6. However, she is naive to think that she could just forgive and not deal with the issues.

I am not just talking about Lucas and Claire making out. I am referring to feeling so pressured to have sex. In her mind she may have just figured that it was a guy thing and that is how boys are. She has truly found someone that is her equal. I give two thumbs up for Aaron and Zoey.

Quietly I give two thumbs up for Jake and Lara. I think they can best understand each other and no one else can. I like how Jake denied that beer, even thought he was craving it. That took real courage.

Claire deserves to be by herself. The thing about Claire is that she knows that she doesn't have to be manipulative and underhanded to get what she wants, she just chooses to. Which in itself is bad, because the only thing she will have to look forward to is alone in antartica.

Zoey and Lucas(not to mention her parents) kissed and made up. But Aaron Mendel, the son of Claire and Ninas' father's girlfriend, comes to Chatham Island. Zoey and Claire both fall for his nice guy act. He threatens Zoey and Lucas' relationship. Jake starts to fall for Lara, with mixed results. Christopher may make a life-changing decision. Nina thinks that Benjamin is cheating on her(with Aisha, of all people). Benjamin may also make a life-changing decision. This book rocks! That's all I can say, except READ IT. Next- Nina Shapes Up.