Games and Humor Books

Everybody has their own style and mine tends to be late. This planner has helped me stay on task that no other planner seems have done, and it makes me laugh while doing it. It's based on a weekly schedule, which is about all I can handle. On one column, it has short term and long term goals and then the weekly layout on the right. If you haven't found something that worked for you, maybe this will.

I liked how the planner is really only one page per week. I normally have these planners flipped over to where it's current. The complimentary page are nice too, it's pretty funny when someone thinks you're reading about 'Love Handles' and flip it over to see it's just a to do list.

Very cute and simple, might even work for people who don't like planners but need planners.

I love these planners. The extra choices for to do lists are awesome. Only down sides are that size is awkward for using on the go & no place to store papers. I always cut & staple in oversized envelopes in front & back covers to hold odd & end papers to deal with.

I love the Procrastinator's SOS Planner! This is my 2nd year ordering one and it is by far the best planner I've owned. For every week there is a page full of amusing and helpful information and a page to write down your schedule. The best feature of this planner is the weekly To-Do list that has the categories "Gotta do this week", "Should have done long ago", "Waiting for inspiration", "Trying to Delegate", "Holding out for Pressure", and "Hoping it goes away". With the weekly to-do list it really helps me stay organized and on top of things. I'm almost not a procrastinator anymore thanks to this planner. If you need help staying organized and want a bit more humor in your life then I highly recommend the Procrastinator's SOS Planner:2008 Desk Calender.

Now I have my copy of the Procrastinator's SOS 2008 Planner, I have the perfect excuse to put off everything I need to do! There is so much in here that is fun to read and way more interesting than actually getting things done! Just kidding! I especially love the weekly sections such as "If not now ... whenever" and "Hoping it goes away."

This book is great if you play many RPG titles, such as Final Fantasy. It will hook you in and make you go online to immediately read what happens after the book ends. It is to bad the writer never finished the series, with only three or four comics to go.

This is a Fantasy Game made into a comic. You have the Hero, the Bad Guys, the levels and secondary characters. There is a touch of humor, but most of it just didn't DO anything for me. The plot, like many a game I have played online, didn't go anywhere and it didn't go anywhere very, very SLOWLY. Frankly, Megatokyo or Misfile kept me interested til the last page and I am waiting for more volumes to come out so I can spend my cash on them. Those artists need to be supported.
RPG World was like eating bland oatmeal. I had to remember to come back to it again and again to finally finish it off. And I am NOT waiting for the next volume. I DO not plan to spend my cash on any more of these discs. It just didn't click for me.

I've been following this series for over a year now, and it just kept getting better. If you're a video game fan, then you'll certainly recognize "Hero" as the archetype of all lead characters in every Final Fantasy-style game ever made. If you're not, then you'll identify with "Cherry", who can be counted on to point out the ridiculous nature of those same games (you can survive being shot in the head?).

Pros:

Funny, has a (weird) plot that generally continues throughout the series, and still appeals to those who prefer gag-a-day strips.
Start of the series, so you haven't missed anything (yet).
Art style stays consistant, even allowing for the natural improvement of the artist's skills (and yes, the art was pretty good to begin with).
Easier on the eyes than staring at the computer screen.
No annoying pop-ups when turning the pages (just had to include that one).

Cons:

The book is black & white; many of the strips are in color on the net.
If you don't have net access, then you'll have to wait until October to read the next book. Of course, if you're reading this, then you probably don't need to worry about that. In fact, forget I said it. Wrote it. Whatever.

All in all, it's a worthwhile buy. If you're not sure it suits your tastes, feel free to browse a few comics on the web so you can get a feel for it.

This is the number 1 in RPG Parody. I laughed until it hurt. If your looking for a comic that makes fun of everything from EXP to random monster battles; this is the best.

Ian Jones-Quartey is a man whom, like myself, and many of you out there, has played one too many RPGs during his lifetime, and through the process of doing so has begun to see some patterns emerge, and it was these patterns that gave rise to one of the great webcomics. "RPG World - Disc 1: Unlikely Hero Out for Adventure" is the first compilation of a continual story webcomic that could be best described as what you would get if you shoved ever RPG ever made into a blender and then hit the Frappe button. Yet, despite the fact that much of the elements of the plot, and at times even the plot itself, are hillarious mockeries of a beloved genre of video games, the RPG, the story still also manages to have strength on its own and you will soon find yourself caring for our band of unlikely heroes out to save the world one random battle at a time. It is this powerful and endearing continual story, and the characters that inhabit it, that helps RPG World to rise above other RPG Parody comics such as "Adventurers" which is just a random gag of the moment strip with no continuity inbetween. On that note, speaking of Adventurers, volume 1 contains in full all 10 strips of the Adventurers/RPG World Cross over.

So go on and buy this book, your ability to engage in uncontrollable laughter will gain some experience points for sure.

While there is a ton of information on the web and YouTube about ways to solve the Rubik's cube, this book distills much of that information into a very concise and easy to learn format that should appeal to a wide range of people. If you just want to learn a beginner's method to solve the cube, you can do that but the book is definitely catered to those who want to go beyond just solving it and teaching how to solve it fast!

I really enjoyed the sections on the 2x2x2, 4x4x4, and 5x5x5 cubes as well and was surprised how easy they were to learn.

I just have two small gripes with the book, both of which have to do with the printing and binding more than the content (which is why I still gave it 5 stars). First, the book has a number of printing errors in it, mostly in the 5x5x5 section. Fortunately if you go to Dan Harris' website he has all the corrections posted. Secondly, it would have been nice to have this book published with spiral binding (even if the book cost more) - it's just impossible to lay it down on a table to look at the algorithms without placing a large heavy object on the book to keep it open.

The book is as concise as it can possibly be, but I'm new to "Rubics cube" and it gets a little over my head in places. The learning curve for the algorithms is a little steep, but with enough practice, and dedication it can be a rewarding experience. The book has a wealth of information about record holders, and the invention of "Rubics cube." If you never solve the cube, the book is still worth the money. I bought two of them, so I would have one that hasn't been written in, and manhandled. If you have an interest in the cube, buy the book.

I had tried to learn the so-called "speed cubing" methods online and had been completely frustrated. Dan Harris lays it all out perfectly: it is very easy to follow and understand. That doesn't mean that the technique is all that easy to learn: with a massive amount of algorithms to memorize it will certainly be an undertaking of some months before you can claim complete mastery of the CFOP method.
The sections on the 2x2, 4x4, and 5x5 cubes are also very easy to follow. There is one typo that I found in the 5x5 chapter. The algorithms in Table 8.3, p125 are wrong: they are written (R r) U (R' r') U (R r) (U2 u2) (R' r') (R r) and (R2 r2) U (R2 r2) U (R2 r2) (U2 u2) (R2 r2). I spent a frustrating 10 minutes trying to figure out why I couldn't complete the centers. I found that the correct algoritms are (R r) U (R' r') U (R r) U2 (R' r') and (R2 r2) U (R2 r2) U (R2 r2) U2 (R2 r2).
At the end of the book there is also a chapter that has algorithms for all sorts of cool patterns that can be applied to an already finished cube.
This is a great book and no true Rubik's fanatic should be without it!

I taught myself much of the methodology outlined in this book by scrounging around the Internet for various algorithms, etc. Dan Harris' website ([...]) was instrumental in teaching me how to plan ahead, and he's used his skills at creating written tutorials for a very hands-on hobby to write an excellent book.

This book has several advantages over the way that most of us have had to learn our way around the cube. First, it's laid out in a linear fashion, so ideas are introduced to the reader in a very organized way, interspersed with lots of examples. Second, through the format of a published book, a comprehensive set of the many algorithms needed for a complete speedsolving solution are presented in a bound paper copy. This is perfect for someone who wants to carry the book and a cube in their backpack or messenger bag and keep notes about which algorithms are most comfortable, which have been committed to memory, etc. I bought this book specifically for Dan's great presentation of the last layer orientation algorithms, which I have yet to learn. Having all of the algorithms organized in such a thoughtful way, in a medium that I can easily carry with me is exactly what I've needed.

Great work, Dan!

This book seems best suited to people who already know how to solve the cube and who would like to find out how to improve their solutions. In my case, I hit a wall with my homebrew solution at about 60 seconds. While 1 minute solves are nice, it's not impressive in a world where a 20 second solve is not terribly competitive. This book seems to have the solution for that. It's too early to claim success, but what I've worked through so far is very good.

Would this book be suitable for a cubing novice? That's a tough call. The book does start from scratch teaching a basic solution, but I feel other resources online are a little clearer for the absolute beginner. However, a dedicated learner could work entirely from the book. Just keep in mind that pace is very quick, and the author doesn't do that much hand holding.

Would this book be suitable for an experienced speed cuber? That's hard to say, since I'm not in that category. If you follow another solving system, the book should be a very easy introduction to the authors strategy. I suspect that no matter where you are, you'll get a few new algorithms and tricks. There's also the 2x2x2, 4x4x4 and 5x5x5 solutions, which ought to provide additional value to the hardcore cuber.

This book is deceptively short. Although it weighs in at barely 160 pages, there's really a lot of content if you work through the material. It's taken a week to work through the first 50 pages, and that's just the intro material. I suspect it will be months, if not years, before I've even come close to exhausting what the book has to offer. In that regard, it's a tremendous value, and I can wholeheartedly recommend the book.

Inside you can find gnome (race) and bard (class) and so many new monsters and item cards. 112 cards to improve your fun rating :)

Muchkin is a fun game for lots of personality types. The game states it will be about 45 minutes. But plan on an hour or more for your first game with people not knowing the rules and having to read the card for what to do. This is a fun game to play with a group of friends with good a good sense of humor who have a certain, nerd flair. : ) I highly recommend this game.

This expansion set is an example of the rules of synergy in action. It isn't very many game systems that can get better and better as more and more product is added.

Munchkin, with both expansions, measures in at nearly 400 cards. Despite being almost eight times the size of the standard card deck, it is a very playable game that has gotten better with each addition. The new cards make the game less "fixed" in that you can no longer really anticipate any particular card coming into play during the course of a game. My group has abandoned the equally good, but not supported with expansions, Star Munchkin, to play Munchkin +2+3 exclusively when the evening involves card gaming.

A set of additional cards to the Munchkin set, it can also be played without the basic set. New classess and races, unforunately, aren't balanced, thus being an Orc, a Gnome or a Bard is much better than any other race or class. Nevertheless, the monsters are charming

This 112 card expansion to the Munchkins game add an additional race and class to the game, as well as more loot and even more monsters and curses.

The Gnome is a powerful race which can stand on it's own and the Bard class is provided a variety of cards which increase it's power over time.

The new cards build on the core in a very good way and really flesh out the original Munchkins game. Additionally, these cards easily fit in the original box.

I highly recommend this expansion both because it adds to an already great game, but because it's relatively cheap.

This book is a series of positional chess exercises. I find that puzzle books are the most effective, practical way to improve playing strength.

The author has picked good problems, that will help you to improve your over the board play.

This book is quite exceptional. It is not soporific like many other chess books and will have you not wanting to put it down. Will surely help your positional play and method of thinking. I had to copy the book though. Hard to find.

This is a very good book. It is an alternative to Silman's Reassess Your Chess Workbook. Many people love the Silman books. Personally, I think they make you feel as if you can play much better than you really can.

This book, through its ratings (and according to the authors you must complete all exercises before you get an accurate rating) can give you a realistic idea of your strategic skills. But the authors note that a good plan may be subverted by tactics.

In the preface the authors reveal their aim of writing a book which is both enjoyable AND instructive. They do this by keeping the reader involved, as if interacting with a chess coach. I think they do a fair job at both tasks, and that is high praise for a chess book.

I think that in the first few chapters they do a better job than Silman -- or nearly anyone else -- of explaining the elements of strategy. The main problem is that they bounce around amongst seven different games to show their points. You need a computer (or 7 chess boards) to follow along closely.

Anyway, the tests are the meat of the book. As I have not gotten far, I'll withhold my opinion and promise to finish this review later. For now, I suggest reading Silman's other book, The Amateur's Mind, then turning to this book to see what you've learned. Then I would skip How To Reassess Your Chess Workbook, though the HTRYC textbook might still be interesting eventually.

Don't leave home (for the tournament) without this book! I am a sub 1200 player and this book is the first (for me personally) to describe the "mechanics" of positional play and game strategy. By working through the exercises one gains a true appreciation of how to analyze a position from a strategic/positional perspective. The thinking process that one learns using this book carries over into actual play--where it counts the most obviously!

The core of this book is 30 tests in a series of increasing complexity where the reader is asked to choose from 3 reasonable alternative plans for each test. In one test, you may be given the following alternatives: a) Should you try to close the center and attack on the kingside? b)Double the enemy's pawns and pile up on the open file? c)Or take the initiative and prepare a central pawn advance? You're not thrown into the tests without preparation as the authors first discuss (with 7 detailed games) ways to analyze, asess, and implement a plan. I would say that this book is a positional brother to all those chess tactics books. If you can find it, well worth buying.

The ideas behind the book are pretty good, but the illustrations don't match the ones in Where's Waldo. They're a bit sloppier and with less detail (probably to get the book out while the issue was current). On the other hand, it did take me a long time to find bin Laden in some scenes. The humor made the purchase worthwhile, but I won't elaborate... you'll have to buy the book to find out.

The ideas behind the book are pretty good, but the illustrations don't match the ones in Where's Waldo. They're a bit sloppier and with less detail (probably to get the book out while the issue was current). On the other hand, it did take me a long time to find bin Laden in some scenes. The humor made the purchase worthwhile, but I won't elaborate... you'll have to buy the book to find out.

I bought a few at the Orange County Swap Meet this last weekend (...). I love the book. My husband and I spent hours loking for Bin Laden and other's on each page.

Very cool, at first I was concerned because of the sensitivity of current affairs, but this has turned out to be a very clean, neutral book with no violence nor profanity. My friends and I have had tons of fun searching for Osama and all the "WANTED" posters
in each of the books multiple settings, much like a "Where's Waldo" type of puzzle. I'm pretty conservative and this book does not push any boundaries. We truly do live in a free market society.

This book brings great enjoyment at a time in our Nation when we all need it. THANK YOU AskCo, Inc.

This book remains a classic for obvious reason. In it, you learn how to make cards appear and disappear from your empty hand, how to make some of the most beautiful card fans ever conceived, and how to manipulate cards in ways most folks would never imagine. There are also several tricks in this book that use the manipulation principles involved. This book is for die-hard cardicians, but those interested in fooling their friends may find something here also

This book is a wonderful resource for those wanting to improve their sleight of hand, and contains over 165 card tricks and stunts. While the book starts with the basics, understand that the basics can be very challenging to master! Many of the tricks will require serious practice to make them polished enough to perform. The text of this book can be somewhat dense, and require a few readings to get the gist of what is being said. And while there are some difficult tricks to perform, there are a number of things the absolute beginner can pick up rather quickly.

This is a great book. A lot of the things in this book have inspired a lot of ideas and variations. However, this book suffers from a major flaw: many of the techniques in this book are out of date, and many of the tricks would not be as powerful for today's audiences.

This is an excellent collection of card sleights and a few tricks. My only complaint is that some of its methods require every ounce of your attention to comprehend them. Not real clear in some areas but other than that it is excellent!

This is an excellent book, which I waited for for two and a half weeks, it came to me and I was excited, it turned out to be quite a wonderful suprise. The appearing card trick is quite suprising, but difficult to comprehend what he is getting at. no dissapearing card tricks either, other than that, he has some excellent one handed shuffles and other great tricks. thank you

"The Ombledroom, the Posby, the Quingawaga, and the Raitch are but a few of the strangely engaging creatures that inhabit the world of Edward Gorey's Utter Zoo Alphabet. Taken from Gorey's book of the same title, these twenty-six dark, delightful drawings, one for each letter of the alphabet, lure you, as only Edward Gorey's work can, into an animal kingdom never before encountered in the ordinary world. 26 black-and-white reproductions.

"Pomegranate's books of postcards contain thirty top-quality reproductions bound together in a handy collection. Easy to remove and produced on heavy card stock, these stunning postcards are a delight to the sender and receiver. Note: postcards are oversized and may require additional postage. ISBN: 0-7649-0712-3; size 4 3/4 x 6 7/8"."--© Pomegranate

this book is really hard to find but it is worth it! I think its great for all the Edward Gorey fans out there! The poetry and pictures are fabulous and all my friends loved it!

Hard to find, great book, nicely done. Better quality than I expected. Can't wait to use it!

This book might have been a book from a small English town's zoo at the turn of the century, but now it has been misplaced to the 20th century. Delicious!

As if the cleverly worded lymerics weren't enough, Gorey's illustrations are whimsical and expressive. Together the art and the poetry will have you laughing out loud. The only problem is deciding whether or not to share the humor with friends. I can't bring myself to use the pages as postcards.

I first ordered this book as a gift to myself after reading about it in "Threads Magazine". It has indeed been a gift I will use. The designs in this book are from 40 of America's top Wearable artists who share their insiders' secrets with the reader and give the directions to create your own masterpiece. There are many beautiful items in this book that I intend to make, or rather adapt from. I rarely like following someone's specific patterns when creating my wearable art, but I love to see new and exciting techniques and styles. I feel this book gives you some wonderful tools and suggestions. After all wearable art is something one of a kind that no one else could create but you! Buy this book and expand your own horizons!

Well done and photographed. But it's not a "sewing" book. I was looking for something with new sewing projects, but this was more a coffee table picture book. I'm not as much into embellishments.

The best collection of Wearable Art I have seen. Inspirational!!! This book has a permanent home in my library.

This book is a great inspiration of beautiful work. I enjoyed the mini bios along with the pictures of artists' work. Here are list of the following artist that I would like to mention:

Mike Kane & Steve Sells, Carter Smith on Shibori dyeing
Peggotty Christensen with devore technique
Catherine Bacon-collage
Laurie Schafer - appliqueing silk with a precise method
Jorie Johnson-Felting with wool manipulation
Jean Williams Cacicedo - reverse applique
Carol Lee Shanks-Woven Cloth

There are more artists included in this book along with information about the artists located at the back of the book.

For anyone who loves color, fabric or handcrafts, this book is like receiving a box of very fine chocolates. There are luscious, colorful and beautifully-textured pieces on every page to inspire your heart and hands. The artists' statements are much more interesting than in many books of this kind, offering interesting glimpses into the various artists' design processes, spiritualities, motivations, working practices and technical approaches. The photographs are clear, evocative and artful, and the graphic design is excellent. This book would be a very good resource--as a visual technique library or source of inspiration--for anyone who enjoys design, handcrafts, color or fiber. Excellent.

What can I say...a MUST for us "left-leaning" voters, as well as those "starch-filled" conservatives!

I first received this as a Christmas gift in 2004 (2005 Calendar). I requested it again from my wife last Christmas for 2006. It provides an excellent depiction of the idiocy of our current president and makes you wonder how he acually DID get elected for a second term. I highly recommend it.

I found the quotes to be both hilarious and frightening. Everyday I think to myself, "Yes, another nugget of wisdom from our fearless leader."

I look forward to going in to work just so I can puzzle and laugh over the day's quote. I just wish that our dear Oz Prime Minister could so confound us!

It only took a little flipping through to be glad I bought this calendar. Some of the quotes had me holding my sides they were so hilarious. I should note that I am a strong supporter of President George W. Bush. I believe in the values he believes in, I believe he is a great leader, and a man who should be respected.
What I take from this is that our President is a human like all of us. Unfortunately in impromptu settings, he does not always express himself in the most eloquent manner, and these quotes clearly show that side of him. Great people have always been able to succeed, despite some weakness that keeps them humble. President Bush himself has admitted his weakness for completely scrambling some of the most powerful statements, and so I believe, taken in the right attitude and understanding, this calendar can truly brighten your day and allow you to laugh at the potential foibles we humans can construct out of the English language.