Games Books

My two year old grandson loves loves loves this book. I loved the photos and he found things that I could not find on my own. Great to help alleviate fears that children may have of some "scary" things.

Each night we read with our 5 year old before bedtime. At the end of reading, we select a page from this book and the 3 of us spend a few minutes trying to find all the items within the pictures. It's been a fantastic way to bring all 3 of us together, spending time laughing, patting each other on the back, and creating confidence and self assurance in our son. We'll complete the discovery of this book tonight, so I've ordered 3 more from Amazon to keep our fun going!!

This is my #1 choice for the new Halloween books released in 2008 feature on my blog at thirteenforhalloween.com

OK. Absolutely awesome!!! This book is so, so cool. From the photographer of the I SPY series. They built a set worthy of a full-scale stop animation film like "Nightmare before Christmas" and then photographed it for the images in this book. It is so amazingly detailed. The story concept is taken from the well-known "In a dark, dark wood" classic. You start far away from this incredible castle, work your way through the village, inside and up the top most room where there is a cabinet and on a shelf of that cabinet is a bottle and in the bottle is a . . . well, you just have to see it. Did I say it was amazing? It absolutely knocked my socks off.

Dixie (my 1st grade teaching wife) and I look at every new Halloween book we can find, and we both agree, this is the cream of the 2008 Halloween releases for kids.

My 3rd grade daughter and I enjoy doing look and find type books (we have a lot of Disney ones), and we recently picked up this Halloween themed one by Walter Wick, who also helped create the "I Spy" books. We bought this at the Scholastic book fair at her school.

This is an excellent Halloween look and find outing. There are 12 pages of pics that you can spend a lot of time pouring over trying to find the requested items. The production quality of the pictures is top notch, and they have just the right Halloween atmosphere.

The pages are very challenging, and there are a lot of additional items thrown in the pics, giving you plenty of "replay" options. I plan to buy the Christmas themed one next since this one was so well done.

It's also fun trying to find the red and yellow wooden robot included in every picture.

Great book! Fun for the whole family! Could anyone find the "too" on the spirit potion picture?

So as you might expect this book includes extensive research as far as magi and cabala's are concerned. The artwork is amazing, the setting is perfect and the ascension war has begun. I you want my opinion, buy it, it is surely useful in completing your storyteller skills and knowledges and will prove your wisdom to your players. Really, this book is worth it.

Easily the Best historical Game and maybe the best game white-wolf ever came up with. The setting takes upa majority of the space but it also doesn't explain the Spheres like it does in Mage for example- Mage2nd:Life5:Transform complex lifeforms. Mage:TSC: Life5- Greater Godhand. Also the game greatly Stresses magic Faith and Science. The only flaws it has in it relates to them. Their is a form of Paradox regardless of what people would think but It can help or hinder you. It is also interesting to have the Technocracy (or Order of Reason) be the ones strugling. Any Player of white-wolf games should get this it is a must! and has a map of Europe in 1500.

The Sorcerers Crusade is a fine book, which contains everything you need to get a Renaissance game going. The Traditions and the Order of Reason are both given equal treatment. It is interesting to see the Order of Reason before they got reorganized into the Technocratic Union. This was a time when their paradigm was not as accepted as miracles and traditional D&D-style spell craft.

This book is more thorough than the second edition of Mage the Ascension. Not only does it provide a lot of examples and explanations for spells, and rituals, it also cleared up a lot of the limitations and potentials for the various spheres.

Even though there are already party lines, the rules make it possible to have both Traditional and Technocratic magi working together. It is a time of reorganization and both parties are trying to find their destinies. In fact, the reader will follow the experiences of a Celestial Chorus member and a member of the Hippocratic Circle throughout the book. The idea of same goals through different methods was stressed.

The time period seemed to be the ideal setting for Mage. Not only are their so many possibilities in terms of new ideas and beliefs, the age of exploration in the high seas, the skies, the unknown continents, as well as the Void are all available for curious magi and their associates.

This book is a must for anyone who is interested in Mage. It is a very complete work and has vital information for storytellers and players who want to use the Renaissance setting. Whether you have an interest in high artisans, explorers, knights, shamans, witches, alchemists, there is something here for you.

Mage: The Ascension is, without a doubt, my favorite RPG. It's concept about Awakened beings who *know* they can change reality because they are convinced in their paradigms is the best concept I've ever seen.

In the Mage timeline, though, there was a crucial event which splitted history in two: Renaissance. It was then that the whole world started believing in science and it's apparent limitless capacities. It was then when people started removing some attributes which made the world turn from God, and it was then when the church started the most brutal prosecution against "pagans": Inquisition.

This is a book about the clash between 3 forces: Faith, Science and Magick. And as the Mage storyline goes, it's the perfect moment to play a Mage.

The Sorcerers' Crusade is a good setting for Mage. A lot of the modern game focuses on how magic doesn't really work the way it's supposed to because people's belief in science is too firmly entrenched in the world's paradigm. In the SC setting, science is a bit less accepted, and magic works a little better. Paradox, which in the modern game is always bad, is called Scourge in this setting, and can occasionally help a Mage. The Technocracy is on more equal footing with the Tradition mages here, as both are struggling to put their paradigm forward as dominant.

There's quite a bit of history and world setting information in this book. Possibly too much, depending on your needs. Relatively little of the book is taken up with game system mechanics. What system rules there are cannot be found all in one place. The organization of the rules is somewhat loose. Like the modern game, the magic system is open-ended, with ability defined in areas of control rather than specific spells. But like most other Mage books, spells (rotes) can be found if one looks hard enough.

If you've played Mage: The Ascension, it will be easier to understand this book. If not, some of the game rules might be confusing. If you like the Mage magic system, but don't care for the dark-goth game world White Wolf sets the games in, this is probably the game for you.

I first bought this book a year ago, and have used what I learned to optimize computers that I would have normaly considered obsolete. It's allowed me to put off having to upgrade untill the new memory standard (DDR) comes out in march, saving me lots of $. I also bought copies for friends this year (2000) for X-mas. Some may say it needs updating, but the authors web site has all the info you would need updated. Many thanks for the Book Dave!

.............Curtis

I use computer frequently, but I am not that of an advanced user. This book really brings me into a higher level of understanding about how Windows works. The author goes into lots of detail about what happens while Windows is running (e.g. during boot up). Yet, the text is very easy to be understood. This book also gives me a new way to look at computing. A faster CPU doesn't always give you a faster computer. If you think your computer is too slow, THERE ARE things you can do to make it runs faster. When performance matters, you have to give up things that you are used to, but not usful. (I can't complain that my computer is too slow when I am using a fansy theme that costs too much memory.) Also, this book does not simply tell you what to do. The author's explaination enables me to make decisions on my own.

This is not a book that simply tell you how to improve your computer's performance. If you have some experiences in using Windows and want to know more about the operating system, this is a nice size book that can get you started. What's more? My machine is faster now. :)

This book has a huge collection of excellent tips for getting the most out of Windows. Every Windows owner owes it to themselves to go out and get this book!

I am an experienced windows user, and I bought this book because I figured it was cheaper than upgrading my PC. I run a K6 266 overclocked to 300, 160 megs of ram, 7200 RPM 27 Gig HD. Once I implemented ALL of the tricks in this book (This is no easy task... it takes a lot of time, and is very high maintenance), my system out performed my ex-girlfriend's Pentium III 850 with 128 megs of ram for applications (not for games, though it still does those well).

I don't mind making the effort, but some people might. If you have lots of time, and you love customizing your PC, you can't go wrong.

Litestep, registry hacks, DOS utils, 5 partitions on a HD... if you like this kind of stuff, get the book! If you don't know what any of these things are, you may be better off upgrading you PC.

This book is an attempt to collect (and organize) a series of tricks to speed up Win9x machines (it does work for Windows 95, 98 and ME, but most of the advices do not translate to WinNt and Win2000, as the author honestly points out).

The author's idea is that you can actually obtain a lot of performance even from older machines, if you are ready to do some work for it (tracking down utilities, testing different configurations, dropping some "cool effects" in the standard UI and so on).

I've recently applied the book ideas to "renew" a couple of very old machines (a 486-based, 24MB ram Compaq portable and a Pentium-75 with 64 MB Ram). I am not a Windows Guru by any stretch of the term, and I did learn a lot on how Windows is organized in the process. This fact alone is probably worth one extra star in my rating.

The book is clear, and is a good read (i.e. it is not a simple itemized lists of tricks, but tries to tie up things in a coherent thread).

Unfortunately, the end result of my attempts to optimize my two museum-quality machines were less stellar than what other reviewers submitted. I think that the main reason is due to the fact that most of the tips seem to be aimed at computers which have been subjected to a lot of "install-the-new-software-gizmo-I-just-found-in-this-magazine-CD".

If you start from a clean installation (or work on a machine on which little extra sw was installed) there seems to be very little gain from applying most of the techniques offered by the author.

Another problem is that both SW and HW are a moving target, so when you try to obtain some of the utilities which the author recommends, for example, you may find out that the current versions may have grown new requirements which makes installing them on an older machine a little troublesome.

This is even more obvious when we talk about RAM or other HW specific issues.

All in all, I'm pleased with the book, but mostly because helped me to better understand how Windows works. People who already have a lot of first-hand experience in installing and maintaining Windows machines would probably give this book three stars at most.

I recommend this book because it is a solid and real guide to video games. It gives you real-life advice, not hype on the various gaming careers and head's up for anyone that thinks it's all "fun and games". Do you love your family and your free time? Think on that before you become a designer....

This book was extremely informative and answers most of the questions you would have about the gaming industry. I'm hoping for a second edition! Definitely purchase this book if you are considering a career in this field.

I bought this for my bf because he was thinking of a video game career, he hasn't done anything with this field yet, but he said the book was good

Are you considering going into the video games industry, but you want to find out more about it before making the decision to make the jump? This book will give you an honest and insightful look at just about every facet of this competitive industry.

Whether your serious or curious about the games industry, you'll enjoy this entertaining read. I wholeheartedly recommend it!

This book gave me more insight about what the Gaming work world is like than all the other research I did my whole life.

This is an essential read for anyone who wants to design electronic games!

An excellent, informative overview of this delightful breed.

This is a great book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about this wonderful breed.

I just got my first PBGV in Augest of 2001 and before I got my wonderful little pbgv I bought this book and it helped me alot understand more about the breed and it also helped me in learning about the differnt begining kennels of the first PBGV's. It also help me understand how this wonderful breed came to be. If you are intrested in getting a PBGV or are getting one I would seriously recommend this book because of all the information it will help you with in the future.

I realize this is one of the definitive studies of the PBGV, but for the average prospective pet owner, it is just a slog. The first 200-some pages are devoted to the evolution of the breed from one country and century to another. Ho hum. It wasn't until page 243 that I finally found what I needed to know about the characteristics of the dog that would matter to me as a potential owner.

From The English Dog World magazine: Breeders and exhibitors of the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen round the world have been waiting for a definitive book on their breed, and here it is.

The authors have taken immense pains with the history, development and spread of the breed round the world, Many hundreds of hours of research and much traveling must have been undertaken to produce a volume of this scope.

The detailed discussion on the points of the breed will be of great use to those in PBGV, to those considering buying into the breed. and to any who essay to judge.

Phase 10 is so much fun! Had to go all the way from Sweden to Hawaii to buy it.

Phase 10 is very fun (especially when you bring it to family gatherings). The more people you have playing, the longer the game will last. It's for ages 8 and up and for 2-6 players. It's a game of both skill and luck and never gets old.

If you are looking for a challenging game that is easy to learn, Phase 10 may just be what you are looking for. We encountered this card game after Thanksgiving dinner ... it seems complicated at first but once you get started, you want to keep playing.

If you like Uno, Rummy, Yahtzee, Poker.. it's all of these games meshed into one.

We are addicted now and play weekly.

If you enjoy playing, uno, spades, or rummy this is the game for you. I was introduced to this game at my neighbors get together. I went out the next day and bought it for myself. The game will drag on if you have too many players. For the most enjoyable game I recommend 4-5 players and age does not matter. My players are usually between the ages of 9 - 26. I play so often I don't even take score anymore. I suggest only keeping score if it's just 2 players. Other than that its a waste because whoever completes phase 10 first wins.

This is a very good card game. It is mainly luck of the draw but there is some skill involved at times. I will say that I just finished a game, no, we didn't finish, but we were going on playing for 4 hours straight. WARNING! Don't play with too many people, you will suffer a game of great lengths. Although, I have played games that took more than one day to complete.

This game is very fun though. Great for those camping trips, family get-togethers, long rainy days (like today). I highly recommend. The only bad thing I have to say is that the games can go on, and on, and on....but that is easily dealt with. Give it a try if you're a fan of UNO, Skip-Bo, Rummy, etc...

Enjoy!

Like I said, if you are a quilter, and DO NOT have this book - your quilting library is incomplete! I don't have many friends that are into quilting, and they thought quilting is an old-fashioned and "for old people" art, but I crushed those believes by showing them this book. None of them will look at quilting the same way again.
The instructions in the book are very specific, and although the quilts are complicated and constructed from many, many, many pieces, by following Ruth's instructions step-by-step I believe any quilter will achieve stunning results (even I - a full time working mom of 3 kids!)
I could not imagine my house without this book! In fact, I have 2 copies just in case (what a wonderful gift it will make for a quilter!) If you can find this book - do not even question whether or not you should purchase it, question how many copies you will need. Even if you do not quilt yourself - the book is a masterpiece that can easily be displayed on your coffee table - a sure eye catcher!

I liked this book and the wonderful ways in which the author was able to transform a picture into a quilt. All her techniques to this approach were wonderful.

However if found that there was just too many pieces going on in some of the quilts for me. I appreciated knowing how she accomplished what she did and was inspired by her work...i think i will work with a few less pieces...

I borrowed this book from the library after seeing a quilt my aunt made after attending a class taught by Ruth Mcdowell. Ruth is an amazingly talented artist, and for her to even compile and explain her techniques to us...wow! I can honestly say that I am overwhelmed and more nervous than even to try and learn how to piece like she does. But the book is definitely inspiring and one I can look at over and over again. The book is set up in such a way to be a step-by-step, hands on guide. The quilts featured in the book are fabulous and mind-boggling. This book is not for beginners to sew from, but for quilters to dream from!

This book has been out for a long time, but remains and important reference for anyone who wants to make a quilt with complicated piecing. Her technique LOOKS complicated, but is actually easy once you study the basics. It's a definite MUST HAVE for any quilter's library. My skill at piecing intricate curves, points and seams increased substantially after working with this book.

This is a wonderful book. It really helped to unleash my creativity. I have been gathering fabrics ever since my first glance at this book, to put together my new masterpiece. I am really excited about trying some of the techniques. I don't have time to write anymore...I have to get started on my new project!!! Lynne

This book, even in the oldest version, covers all the basics for every player position as well as just about any situation you would confront during a game. No tricks, just solid information. I have purchased about two dozen of these for coaches and players who glanced through the book and simply had to have a copy of their own. I've bought other baseball coaching books, but they stay on the shelf. This book is especially good if you're coaching for the first time or have been away from the game for a few years.

and especially for coaches of younger players. This book reviews lots of fundamentals and is written in a pretty straight-forward, easy to read manner. It is not for the college level player, but anyone below that will find at least 1 pearl here worth remembering.

I HAVE READ A DOZEN INSTRUCTIONAL BOOKS ON THE GAME OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, AND THIS ONE ALONG WITH MR.CLUCK'S OTHER BOOKS, WAS A SURE PERFECT GAME. I AM A PROUD OWNER OF A BOOK HE WROTE ON BASERUNNING. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO DISCOVER THIS ONE AND SUGGEST THAT IT SHOULD BE DISPLAYED ON YOUR BOOKSHELF NEXT TO YOUR COPY OF HOW TO HIT/HOW TO PITCH.

I saw this book mentioned in my favorite column in the l.a. times sports section. I thought i would check it out and it is awesome. I had heard about the San Diego School of Baseball, but i never had the chance to attend and now i feel i have a second chance. This book is excellent for anyone interested in playing, coaching or even just watching the game.

My nephew was having trouble keeping up with the league he was in. After a few weeks reading and working with this lifesaving book he is amuch better player, most of all his self esteem! Now he is such a HAPPY GUY! Now our whole league is using this as their Bible for the game Thank you

Terry Stickels is a great entertainer for the mind--and his puzzles are both challenging and wonderful fun for the entire family!

Bought the book to while away the hours on a flight to the "Big Apple" it did a great job, I even ended up lending it to one of my fellow passengers :-)

I discovered the Frame Game phenomena about a year ago and have been busily buying up back issues. I find the puzzles deceptively challenging, and the Pocket Book addition lives up to that billing. I have been using this particular edition to introduce Frame Games to my friends. Everyone has found these brainteasers to be a real exercise in mental flexibility. Each time you solve a puzzle on a page, you feel a sense of accomplishment, but can't wait to get to the next one. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fun challenge. A good time will be had by all who read.

Excellent and fun set of frame game puzzles. Its fun for a wide range of ages and even fun to do in groups. My whole family enjoys these puzzles. My brother and I (11 and 23) worked on them together (or in competition as brothers do) -- it was amazing, he really took to them and got many of them before me! Of course, at our house, I'm still king of our other puzzle book, "Are you as Smart as you Think?" ;-)

Terry's Frame Games have made him world famous, and just when you think all of the possible phrases and ways to utilize them in Frame Games puzzles have been used up, he makes more! All 200 (count 'em) of these puzzles are completely new. The answer to each puzzle is found 2 pages later, upside down, in small print, right at the bottom of the page. This keeps you from having to hunt around at the end of the book for the answers, but also from seeing the answer too soon by accident. At $9.95 for 200 puzzles, that's less than a nickel per Frame Game. You can't beat that.

Having been a professional magician for the past 17 years, I've read many books on magic. In my opionion, "Pockets Full of Miracles" is the best on the subject. It is beautiful, well-written, and has great photographs. It will help the beginner or the advanced magician by giving them clear-cut explanations to some of the many amazing effects in the professional repetoire of Diamond Jim.

If you read only one magic book this year, make it "Pockets Full of Miracles." You, and your audiences, will be glad you did.

This is truly the book for all magicians of any caliber. I have personally read and performed every trick in this book. Diamond Jim has tweeked every description so that it is written for beginners and not belittling to professionals. I would most definately recommend this to every magician to add to their catalogues.

P.F.M.is a wonderfuly written book on the art of Magic.This book has a lot of useful pictures and a glossary.The explaination are clear and vivid,Iwas able to understand it with out having to ask my 11 year old for help.I purchaced two of these books,one for me,and one for my 11 year old step-son.Some of the tricks you will be doing the same day, and others you will need to practice some.We have had lots of fun doing these tricks for our family and friends.

Diamond Jim's book is an incredible book for all magicians. Whether you're just starting out or have been doing it for years, this book gives insight and, step by step, teaches you what you need to know to master the magic. It's a must read!

This book not only has great tricks, but killer routines, with all the details. Most magic books have sketchy instructions with lots of bugs and mistakes, but Diamond Jim is a detail-oriented author, and I appreciate that. There is a difference, of course, between great tricks and killer tricks, and this book is a serial killer. I still have several of the tricks contained herein on my to-learn list.