Games Books

Everytime I go to the various websites and I read reviews online and on print of "Mastering the French" I read a good review. People say how wonderful it is and how great it is, but common: it uses the illustrative game method of teaching and it goes a little too far with it. If you're starting off playing the French by reading this book, OK its good, but if you have a little experience with it or chess, forget it. The problem is too much exemplary games. I don't completely agree with International Master John Watson, but generally the illustrative method is severely limited. Basically the author presents a game that is meant to illustrate typical themes and in the notes gives a little analysis. I think this book needs a little more analysis. For starters the chapter on the exchange variation is lacking in depth. Its lacking because he never gets around to explaining why Kasparov played the variation the way he did. Exclamation after exclamation mark appears in the game, but it looks to me that white is losing. The whole point of the book is to explain something like that. After all, the pawn structure parts are basically for inexperienced players, so why not explain the game? He also leaves out how to crucially "imbalance" the position to possibly favor black. Watson's book deals with this(its a little harder to win in the boring exchange) .
Ditto for the Wade Advance which he describes as basically bad for black after about four or five moves without explaining the positional features. Its like there's no analysis because its a beginner book, but no explanation of the position either. Seirawan's experimentation in the classical boils down to results (he beat two grandmasters and drew a third) but there's no explanation as to why the first two couldn't handle a6 before 0-0 in the Classical French. I found myself asking lots of questions.

I agree with the assesments of the other reviewers. For understanding the concepts and general plan of the French, this book can't be beaten. For more recent coverage and a detailed line by line analysis, use John Watson's book. I couldn't imagine needing any more information than what is contained in these two books. It would probably serve you for your entire chess career.

The French defense is on of those openings that you either love with passion or hate it. One of the problems for the black side is figuring out why are certain moves made and what are the plans for black in the different variations. That's all fair but why not categorize the opening by the resulting pawn structures? After all, the pawn squeleton determines how to proceed and how to place most optimaly your pieces.

This is precisely what GM N. McDonald does: He categorizes the resulting pawn structures and proceeds to explain the typical themes that apply in each configuration of pawn structures. His aim to arm you with practical knowledge is superbly accomplished.

However, you have got to have some previous knowledge of the French defense to get the most out of this book. This is unavoidable in my opinion and your repertoire in the French has to be fine tuned before tackling GM McDonald's book [ That is, you must know what to do against a Tarrasch variation, how to handle the advance variation, etc. ]

GM McDonald is very candid in explaining what his aim is and clears up that his book is not about variations of the French defense but general plans for black (and white by default...) That is the reason why I gave him 5 stars. After all, cramping the book with variations and subvariations defeats the purpose of GM McDonald's book and if that is what you are looking for, IM Watson's book "Play the French" is a much better choice [ I use both books for my preparation ]

What's a French Fanatic you say? How about someone that owns "Winning with the French", "Tactics in the French", "French Defense 2: New and Forgotten Ideas", "The French Tarrasch", "The French Advance", "French Defense, Classical System", a Monograph on the French Winawer, and last my not least, "MASTERING THE FRENCH WITH THE READ AND PLAY METHOD", the book that puts all the nuts and bolts together. How is one to master a defense if they don't understand the strengths and weaknesses that both players have in the resulting pawn structures and placement of the pieces, and understand the whole concept of what Black's trying to do? All French players should get this book (and the other 7 I mentioned too, but this one, and maybe Uhlmann's "Winning with the French", should definitely come first!!!).

This review is very long, but it comes from someone with 1,500+ games' experience with the French Defense (live and on the internet). If not for this book, my chess career may have been over before it ever really got started.

Let me begin by telling you a bit about my chess career before I started playing the French to provide a context. I don't think this is a digression; possibly, you will find parallels in it to your own chess development, see why playing the French may (or may not) be a good choice for you, and how this book can literally change your chess tournament life--the way it did for me.

I learned how to play chess at 8, but did not study chess until I was 11 or play in a tournament until I was 12 1/2 in March 1996. So, I felt I had to play "catch up" with other kids in tournaments who had been playing for years. Now these kids mostly played 1...e5 or 1...c5 in response to 1.e4. These two replies were how I began defending against 1.e4, because I thought that this is the way I was "supposed to" play.

I played the resulting King Pawn and Sicilian positions very badly and pretty much got creamed. I was new to chess, and these defenses are what newcomers (kids, and adults as well) are taught to begin with. They naturally had more experience than I did.

I realized quickly that I would a)have to intensely study KPs or Sicilians to have any hope, or b)change to something different. You're probably expecting me to now say I changed to the French...

But I changed to the Pirc! (1...d6 after 1.e4), and found that I did not understand the positions at all (in all honestly, I don't understand them very well NOW, and now I am USCF 1800+). Kids (and adults, as I played in tournaments at the Manhattan Chess Club), had fairly well-defined approaches to dealing with this kind of stuff. After losing a game as a 1000 player in a tournament one day, I decided it was time to change. I played the 2...Nf6 Scandinavian for a time (which wasn't so bad for me, results-wise) before making a breakthrough.

It was at this point (at the end of 1997) that I saw MASTERING THE FRENCH WITH THE READ AND PLAY METHOD in a Barnes and Noble. It was unlike any opening book I had ever seen...and it looked like I would be able to understand it! The book was divided by pawn structures, and each chapter had much introductory material explaining the typical plans for each side! I got the book and read it. And I began playing the French in tournaments.

I am not going to tell you that playing the French Defense gained me tons or rating points or anything like that. I will simply say that when playing I ACTUALLY HAD A CLUE! Just as importantly, my opponents often had (and still have to this day) an often superficial understanding of what THEY should be doing as White. The play in 1.e4 e5 openings is mostly straightforward; this is also true in the Sicilian, if a little less so. With the French, there is usually no glaring target to aim at, and this is where White players get flustered: they understand some basics, but seem to have no concept of the nuances that French players do. In exchange for some activity, you get PLENTY of chances to outright outplay your opponents. If you're a strong Grandmaster life may not be so easy, but even then, it's a tough nut to crack...

I have been playing the French as my main defense (both in tournaments and in casual play, the latter of which I find myself doing more and more on the internet than playing in tournaments Over The Board) since the day I purchased MASTERING THE FRENCH nine years ago. I would add that (in my experience) this opening, more than any other, frustrates opponents to no end. I agree 1000% with the reviewer who said that people either love the French or they hate it. This is absolutely true! Bobby Fischer's poor results with White against the defense are well-documented (the reclusive World Champion later switched to a "side line," attacking the French with the King's Indian Attack--but even here methods of Defense have been refined and there are some underrated lines you can play).

In closing, I feel that the French is ideal for a person who wishes to maintain more control of the game and not wage a wide-open battle, even if this means ceding some initiative. Generally you will win games over the longer haul (but, believe me, you can score some quick KOs with it if your opponents make bad positional errors--and they do A LOT). A lot of people think the French is passive, and that they can do anything they want against it, but that line of thinking is their undoing. If you enjoy giving your "mad hacking" opponents the sense that they are banging their heads against a brick wall, there is no better defense to 1.e4!

This book should be read before any other book you may read on the French. It seems this book is now out of print; I don't care what lengths you need to go to in order to get this book: get it! Don't overly book this opening; instead, understand the ideas and let your opponents' mistakes--er, your own brilliance--do the rest. If you excel at Counterattacking, the French Defense is nothing short of lethal.

Good luck!

The flowing pen of author Roger Kahn provides readers with books of nostalgia and heart. Here he covers baseball in New York City in the bygone 1950's, his love affair with the Brooklyn Dodgers (whom he covered as reporter from 1952-1953), plus the Yankees and Giants. Readers learn a few things about Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Leo Durocher, etc. There's the author's take on baseball racism, on the slow retreat in the 1950's. Kahn also traces his upbringing and close relationship with his baseball-addicted father. The book has a definite sense of loss, due to his father's passing, the Dodgers and Giants fleeing to California, and the urban decline that has since afflicted New York and many other once-tranquil cities. This moving book is something of a follow-up to THE BOYS OF SUMMER, the author's superb look at the Brooklyn Dodgers that was published in the early 1970's (this book came out in the late 1990's).

This book doesn't quite match BOYS OF SUMMER, but it's another gem by a writer whose heart clearly belongs to baseball.

In "Memories of Summer," Roger Kahn takes the reader back to a time when the Dodgers were an integral part of the life of a Brooklynite, through his career as a writer for several different newspapers and magazines, up to modern times where he interviews former baseball stars, including Jackie Robinson, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays.

Though he grew up a Dodger fan, forced to wait 'til next year seemingly forever, his love not just for the Dodgers, but for the game, is made manifest through his memoir and his reprinted articles. His painting of baseball in his earlier years as a game engulfed in wonder and mystique is shared by many who cherish old-time baseball.

Kahn is not remiss in placing baseball in the context of the social realm in which it was played--a time where writers were reluctant to write about the off-the-field lives of players and where racism, which barred blacks from playing in the majors for almost 50 years, slowly gave way to integration, very slowly. He saw the Jackie Robinsons and the Willie Mays and the Monte Irvins in Major League Baseball as baseball players, not black baseball players.

This book is funny at times, sad at others, but always piques interest. Kahn does an outstanding job of painting vivid images of a time when baseball truly was an art, and writing about it truly a game.

Mr. Kahn turns back the clock to the days when baseball was the true American pastime. His anecdotes and interviews about Mantle, Mays, and Early Wynn bring these individuals to life more than any statistics possibly could. His love of his father is written about in such a profound manner that is timeless. In all a classic piece of Americana that hopefully will be read fifty years from now.

Kahn's most recent work, _Memories of Summer_, is a very thoughtfull look to the golden years of baseball, set in the context of Kahn's childhood and career as a journalist. Simply put, it is a must-have for any serious baseball fan, cultural anthropologist, or anyone else wondering how the game used to be and the importance that it played in the lives of fans. Throughout, Kahn manages to capture, quite superbly, the romanticism of the era, focusing specifically on perhaps the very epitome of that romanticism, the bumbling bums of Brooklyn. He very adequately portrays the love affair that so many in Brooklyn had with the team, as well as give an indication of why they are remembered so reverently today. Kahn also laces his story with his interactions with baseball celebrities, including Leo Durocher, Willie Mays, and Jackie Robinson. My one drawback is that Kahn occasionally gets somewhat preachy when addressing race and racial discrimination during the time. Obviously, a certain amount of preaching is in order, but in my humble opinion it goes a step too far. Otherwise, however, the narrative that Kahn weaves, beginning in his childhood (the relationship with his father and how that relates to baseball is especially noteworthy) and tracing his career in journalism through newspapers and magazines is wonderful, easy to follow, and extremely well-written. I completely agree with the earlier reviewer who commented on the issue of "turning corners" in the book, and I would add one more - expansion to the West Coast and baseball turning the corner to become a two-coast sport. The reader can't help but feel the sorrow and bitterness that is left following the move of the Dodgers to California. This is a fantastic composition, a true gem by one of America's premier sports writers. Happy reading!

I was fortunate enough to receive a preview copy of this book a few weeks before its release because I was interviewing Mr. Kahn on a radio interview program.

As soon as I started reading, I was hooked. Although I was not alive during the 1950's, I have always been fascinated with baseball during that era, particularly the lovable Brooklyn Dodgers. Kahn's latest book does such a wonderful job of describing what it was like to be around baseball every day in that bygone era.

The easiest interview I have ever done was that one I did with Roger. His love for baseball was evident from the first question I asked him. His insight gained from covering the Dodgers in the 1950's is something every baseball fan could use. In this season of home runs, the average fan is once again starting to appreciate baseball. Roger Kahn will make you appreciate it even more.

A terrific book for die-hard Mets fans that enjoy a quality read. Literate and smart, but also accessible and real. In writing about his own experience as a true fan of this team, the author touches on things that are universal to most of us fans. Highly recommended.

This amazin' collection of essays, was thoroughly enjoyable and easy to read. Dana Brand masterfully weaves his personal stories, season recaps, the highs, the lows, and plenty of sentimentality together in perfect form. This book truly sums up everything it is to be a Mets fan, or a sports fan in general.

I have read plenty of books covering the Mets: books that take the reader inside the locker room, books that give an A-Z statistical history of the ballclub, trivia books, and and all of the downright goofy ones. Mets Fan is similar to none of these. This book is really one of a kind. Dana Brand shares his personal memories of this team, and if you too are a fan, you will definitely see so much of yourself in them.

I was born in 1978 and I have been a fan of the Mets since 1985. It is fantastic to finally read about 1962-1984 from a pure fan's point of view. The point of this book is not to look up Jerry Koosman's ERA for the 1973 season, it is to see what a fan went through during the 1973 season. This makes for fantastic reading.

From now on, if anyone asks me why I care so much about this team, why I get upset when they lose, why I jump up and down when they win, why it is necessary for me the check the score, I will simply tell them to read this book. Mets Fan explains why were are fans in the first place. It expresses how we Mets Fans feel when we see orange and blue and why we feel that way, it goes deeper into the soul of fans than any book that I have ever read before.

This is one of these rare books that just gets better with every reading Vividly described as only Dana can, reading this book in it of itself makes you feel like your actually sitting in the ballpark surrounded with all the intangibles that come together with a trip to Shea Stadium. And now with the Stadium all but gone this book is the closest you can get to bringing back your favorite Shea Stadium memories.

I love this book! Dana Brand illustrates what it's like to be a Mets fan because he is one himself. I thought this was a nice piece of reflective Mets history. I plan on giving it as a gift to a few friends. This is aust read for any Mets fan! I also noticed a few people complaining about the price. I don't think it's over priced. I don't mind supporting independent artists who offer quality work. If you like this you'll like the Mets fan documentary. Very cool. Mathematically Alive: A Story of Fandom DVD

"Mets Fan" is the ideal book for people who can relate to the unconditional love you feel for a particular sports team. It goes beyond the diehard, irrational loyalty that allows one to persevere through the good times and bad; never giving up no matter how dismal things get.

The essays in "Mets Fan" illustrate how that unconditional love manages to permeate every aspect of life and shape us from the time we are children, and for the rest of our lives. The specific events Dana Brand writes about have such powerful emotional significance, that you sometimes forget he is writing about baseball. Regardless of what is omitted, what is included is relatable to fans (and non-fans)on so many levels. This is life with a side order of baseball, and we should be grateful for the opportunity to get a brief glimpse of how meaningful baseball can be, not just in the ballpark, but outside it as well.

Though I found a few of the plot elements more than a bit contrived (even for a fiction title), I thought this book was well-written and interesting. I would recommend this title. However, those with a highly technical background might find some of the creative liberties taken a bit hard to swallow.

Mind Games by Alan Brudner holds the reader hostage in a world of manipulation and mind control. The inept can empathize with technologically challenged, Cliff Lightman, as he's dumped into the world of techno-nerds, geniuses, monopolies, holographs and subliminal suggestions. Cliff isn't really interested in the computer his genius son Sky brings home for him, but attempts to learn so he can communicate by e-mail with Sky. The machine is programmed to lead him into the computer age gracefully, but neither of the men has any idea how quickly the fear of losing his son can make Cliff computer literate. Sky, a computer programmer for Avery Kord in Portland, Oregon, disappears days after setting up his father's computer in New York.

Cliff puts his new computer to use along with good old fashioned gum shoe investigation to find his son and uncovers a cesspool of technology designed to make and break governments, sway elections and influence court decisions without leaving a trace. Using the special avatar Sky programmed for him, Cliff learns how helpful, intelligent, comforting, resourceful, invasive, controlling and dangerous computer technology can be -- and maybe already is.

Mind Games is what block buster movies are made of. It kidnaps the reader's mind on the first page and reluctantly relinquishes it at the end impregnated with seeds of . . . fear, wariness, uncertainty?

This book is amazing! I think it is great. Definetly keeps you on the edge of your seat. Looking forward to Alan Brudner's next book.In my opinion, this book is worth every cent! Don't miss this one.

This is definately worth a read. Very clever thriller from an author that (at least until now) was an unknown. Reads quickly; so it is perfect for a plane flight or a rainy weekend. I got it as a gift and could not put it down. Who is Alan Brudner???

Terrific techno-thriller. The books zips along at a brisk and exciting pace without losing anything by way of intelligence. A rare find.

THIS BOOK IS PART MEMORIES AND PART SOCIOLOGY AS IT EXAMINES THE UPS AND DOWNS OF BEING A FANATIC OF ANY MAJOR COLLEGE TEAM (IN THIS CASE THE BASKETBALL TARHEELS). THE MEMORIES OF THE AUTHOR ARE AUGMENTED BY THE DIARIES KEPT BY 15 DIEHARD UNC FANS FROM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND BEYOND. ITS A GREAT BOOK ABOUT BASKETBALL AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHAT ITS LIKE TO BE A FAN IN THE AGE OF TELEVISION AND THE INTERNET. A MUST READ FOR ANY SPORTS ENTHUSIAST.

THIS A COMPILATION BETWEEN MEMORIES OF CAROLINA FANS AND A STUDY OF MAJOR COLLEGE FANATICS. THAD DOES A WONDERFUL JOB TALKING ABOUT HIS HISTORY GROWING UP AS A TAR HEEL FAN. THE DIARISTS ALSO PRESENT AN INTERESTING PICTURE OF THE UPS AND DOWNS OF A COLLEGE BASKETBALL FAN. THE LAST SEGMENT OF THE BOOK PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO THE BASKETBALL FAN IN THE AGE OF THE INTERNET AND CHAT ROOMS. ALL IN ALL A GREAT BOOK AND A WORTHY ADDITION TO YOUR BASKETBALL LIBRARY.

I'm a student at UNC and when I first got here I didn't know much about our basketball team. I thought this book was really cool because it has so many fun facts in it and I learned so much about the proud tradition of UNC Basketball!

Mr. Williamson's unique position, growing up in Chapel Hill with close connections to the Carolina program, provide him with a perfect vantagepoint from which to view and analyze the phenomenon that is Carolina Basketball. Part history, part social analysis, part simple fandom, More Than A Game is an extremely interesting and impassioned book which provides the reader with questions to answer for him or herself about extremism vs. a fun hobby. Particularly interesting is the fan survey which gives us a look at the nuances of everyday life from alumni, fans and those who take it to another level altogether (like myself). Reading the book took me for a stroll down memory lane, comparing Mr. Williamson's view of Carolina basketball history to my own. Sports fans, hoops fans and recruiting junkies will love it.

First off, I'll admit that I'm biased - I'm a member of the email list-serve that figures so prominently in this book. But the appeal of Thad's work reaches far beyond this core constituency. It presents a scholarly analysis of the good and the bad of fandom, and an insight into how one arrives at the stage where a basketball team can mean so much. Divided into four parts, there's something here for everyone: social commentary, philosophy, statistics, and yes, basketball. Carolina basketball, no less! The combination of the fan diaries and the survey give powerful insight into the UNC fan community - at least, that portion of the community on the internet. To my knowledge, such an honest assessment has never been performed on any team's fans before now, but it's worth the wait. If you've ever felt the Fever, and wondered, even for a moment, whether it was a good thing, pick up this book and let it help you decide for yourself.

I bought this deck nearly 15 years ago. I have since purchased several other decks, but this one is, by far, still my favorite. The images and messages are light and powerful. They are clearly filled with love. I went in search of Morgan's Tarot in order to add them to my website. They are perfect for encouraging good self-esteem, which is especially beneficial to the content of my site. It is unfortunate that the cards are no longer available, but I will not give up the search.

The "noise" referred to in my earlier review was about lines of text in the book like, "This is an opinion sponsored by entity X-1513." That line doesn't seem to relate at all to the rest of the card's description. Or the du wacky du description? I read my own descriptions into those cards... DWD makes no sense to me at all. I usually take it to mean that I'm not looking around at what is really going on, that I'm navel-gazing.

Morgan's Tarot is truly an inspirational deck. It is the only deck that I know of that communicates to people who have not spent hours memorizing and meditating on typical major and minor arcana symbols.

I have had a person tell me that I did not truly perform a reading for him using the cards because I actually made him look at the cards and interpret for himself (laugh). I only provided insight where he couldn't see an answer for himself immediately.

I highly recommend you to find a copy of this deck if you need some help laughing at yourself (this deck has multiple laughter cards). Be warned though, if you know the answer of your query in your heart, do not be surprised if you find yourself being harshly chastised for asking the question.

I've had this deck for 20 years and I love it. Nothing to memorize, no esoteric secrets. Even tho it's a cartoon, it gives accurate great readings. The imagery and captions are in modern, new age vernacular with a 70's flavor. Everyone smiles when I pull it out. Easy to read and I hardly ever refer to the book, even tho I numbered the cards to match the entries. People don't find it intimidating and find themselves adding to their own reading. Get this deck if you don't take life too seriously and want to have fun with reading. If you want to mystify people you don't want this one.

Morgan's deck is my favorite ... with 'real life' images. When I first began looking at various Tarots, Morgan's deck was the one that felt "lightest" and "cleanest" to me, and so it was where I started. I've now been doing my professional readings "card free" as it were, for years ... as Morgan's cards lent themselves to the opening of my intuitive, to the degree I could relate the information faster than I could turn the cards. As to the "noise" referred to, Morgan had a Very tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, and didn't really believe the deck needed a book, but that each user could develop their own interpretation for the symbols. (in fact, when Morgan himself was publishing the deck, there was no book.) So, when U.S. Games stepped up to be the publisher, and required a book, as part of the package, Morgan's sense of humor stepped up to meet them. Just enjoy or toss out the humor, and use the underlying thoughts as your guide.

The cards, originally, weren't meant as a tarot or even as anything for anyone other than Morgan. When he described their origin to me, he said he was working as a dishwasher at a small place in the Santa Cruz mountains and studying his own personal development. He got some cards (I assume index cards) and started writing down the key ideas he'd been thinking about, just as sort of reminders for himself. There are even around a half-dozen cards in the deck that he attributed to the cook at the same place.
Morgan just carried the cards around to be reminders of his focus in terms of consciousness. (being a spiritual being seemed to make sense, easily, to him, but the "living a human" life was much harder to integrate and make sense of ...)
He described his confusion as other people started looking at his cards and getting something from them ... and started insisting that he should publish them as a tarot. (I'm sure those others pictured that as a simple path to a "well beyond dish washer" income for him ... when I met him, he was washing dishes, again, for a place that would trade food and lodging and some pay ...)

He found the artist ... and thus the black-and-white line drawings came into being ... and, from somewhere, scraped up the money to actually print decks ... and set about selling them himself. Eventually they gained enough "grass roots" popularity to be in Metaphysical (and other) bookshops all over the place, to the extent U.S. Games found him and picked up the rights.

You have to put this all in the perspective of the times, this was during the first waves of popularity of "awareness and consciousness" in the western world ... Timothy Leary and Ram Dass (under his other name) were exploring LSD at Harvard ... and many other folks were doing their own explorations along similar paths ... so, when I met Morgan, over a beer, I told him, first, that I'd been reading with his cards for years and loved them. Then I confessed, (somewhat embarrassed) that based on the mythology around, I'd been describing the author, him, as ... ' a drug-crazed hippy out of Santa Cruz...' ... he paused a long time, looking at me, and finally replied..."Boulder Creek, actually, but nobody knows where that is ... I guess Santa Cruz is close enough..."

Morgan passed over some years back ... and I have to confess, my first thought when I heard about it was, "Wow ... he made it ... he finally finished what ever lesson was SO hard for him to learn ... and made it out..." Being a spiritual being was pretty close for him to touch, it seemed ... but being a spiritual being living a human lifetime ... seemed to be a mystery to him for the whole time.

Scout Bartlett
Scout@LifeInsights.Net

Mortal Kombat 4 is probably the most defining fighting games ever made, so the strategy guide will be right up there with it. This book will pretty much give you all you need to master this unbeliveable game. So if you like MORTAL KOMBAT thiis book is for you.

i havnt bought this book yet but i have looked at it in stores,and its the best one ie'v seen.this book gives good pictures and cool cheat codes.

this guide is awsome you must buy i

Mortal Kombat 4 is probably the most defining fighting games ever made, so the strategy guide will be right up there with it.

This book is the best because it shows you every move and fatality you every wanting to see. But with this book you can do the moves and fatalities.

This book is a great companion for the MotherPeace cards. The cards themselves come with a small booklet that doesn't offer much information, but this book really has a lot of information, and is very well laid out.
I would recommend it highly!

If you order or have the Motherpeace tarot deck, you must have this book to go along with them. It describes what each card means and it's layed out in a way to easily access the card definition you are seeking. It gives one a lot to think about while reading your cards. You will also learn a lot about women's herstory.

I've been using the Motherpeace Tarot cards with the original version of this book for almost twenty years. The cards have a wonderful matriarchal/woman/goddess focus, and the book uses gender-nuetral language, so the cards can be used easily by both men and women. I continue to gain new insight and inspiration from this deck even after all these years! The detailed symbolism in the artwork is incredible, and the book is well organized to either read about the card in detail or get a quick summary. I don't usually use the cards in the suggested layout because it can take a long time to go through each position. I usually spend a little time centering myself and form a question or situation clearly in my mind, then shuffle and cut the cards and lay out one to three cards (one for just the situation, or three for past-present-future interpretations). I then spend some time looking at the cards to see what jumps out at me, then read about them in the book. Sometimes I'll keep a card from a reading out on my nightstand for a few days to continue contemplation of the image, or to remind me of an affirmation or message that came to me from the card. I don't necessarily use the cards for "telling the future", but rather as a tool to help me clarify and focus my intuition and thinking. Every now and then, for really key situations, I'll use the layout described in the book. It's very comprehensive and can be useful to help think about things in many different ways (atmosphere, hopes, fears, obstacles, conscious and unconscious impressions, etc.). I also use the Motherpeace Tarot Playbook by Vicki Noble and Jonathan Tenney, which goes into more detail on how to interpret cards that are leaning in one direction or the other, or are reversed (upside down). The Playbook also has more information about the recommended layout, and about using the cards with astrology and the chakras. I would recommend that anyone who plans to use these cards frequently get both of these books to use together. I've used other tarot decks, but have always come back to my Motherpeace cards!

it is a most have book.with easy to read for beginners.you will not regret purchase

I've used this book and matching Tarot deck for 7 years or so. (I go through phases where I consult it regularly and then periods when I don't use it at all.)

The book is easy to understand, explains in detail a lot of symbolism you might not know, and also offers a quick "if you get this card in a reading" section if you just want to zoom into your current reading. It importantly also encourages users to use the book for general understanding of symbols in the cards, and the larger context of the cards, and to trust in one's own intuition for readings.

One thing I really liked about the book is how the 22 Major Arcana cards tell a story of the history of the world--one that has not yet been completed. It is all a big cycle, with many little currents running through.

This is a tarot focused on the goddess, a panorama of earth-based and matrifocal cultures. But I am a man and have never felt astranged or put off by this focus... quite to the contrary it has been helpful.

This is a good product. But, for the price, i was hoping for more...of the easier ones. THere are lots that i still have not done becuase they make me feel less than stellar. :)

This is exactly what it promises - a collection of 10 weeks of M-F NYT crossword puzzles. It's spiral bound so that you can work on it flat and the puzzles are fun and challenging (more so as the week goes on), without the doozies of the Sunday puzzles.

NYTimes -- so you know they're good puzzles. Clever, fair, and with difficulty as advertised. The Monday-Friday assortment let me stretch on some puzzles, coast on others. A good time was had by all (me)!

For those that don't know: the answers are int he back, six to a page. Some may have trouble with this and feel the desire to glance at the other answers on the page. If you are doing the puzzles in order, you may glance and remember an answer.

The book is spiral bound, so it lays nice and flat, unlike those that are cheap and glue-bound like a magazine.

Printed on newsprint-like paper, which makes it even lighter and packable. This book is much better than those cheap $1 crossword puzzles you find in the store.

Great brain buster, I don't know how can one finish even an easy NY times crossword without an encyclopedia...as in Wikipedia...

Very interesting facts that actually help you to be a winner with this game!

I had to read through this book a few times, as it is quite complicated - I never really knew there was so much to RPS. I always assumed rock beats everything, but after my second or third reading I started to understand the intricacies of the game. I now choose paper everytime, and my winning rate has increased almost 1%

I bought this as a gift for my wife. Whenever it's time to clean the cat boxes or change a dirty diaper or do anything else unpleasant, She always wants to RPS for it. Now, we at least play by the rules and the decision is made fairly.

You think Rock Paper Scissors is a game of chance? think again! This book offersgood information on the game, its history, strategies, and much more.

this guide has really helped my game!