Games Books

Although a bit dated, containing strips related to the Y2K craze here and there, this little book is still otherwise as funny and timely as any commentary on the computer industry could be. The X-Men and Borg references are absolutely hysterical. If you work in a tech job, you should be reading User Friendly.

It's a good book, but I think previous books have been funnier.

"Am thinkink. Erwin, to fight such big powerful company as AOL, am to be fightink fire with fire. Da?"
"Umm...what did you have in mind?"
"Am to becomink half computer, half human, like Borg. Then to become super administrator of all Borg functions."
"That means...you'll become..."
"Da. I will becomink root of all evil."
"Don't do it, Pitr! Don't go to the bad place!"
- Pitr the techie and Erwin the AI, in conversation

After opening with a few post-Y2K-bust strips, the Columbia Internet crew having stockpiled lots of soda and pork rinds for the occasion, the book settles into its more usual long-running plot threads.

Stef's been given the title "Manager: S&M." ("It stands for SALES AND MARKETING you depraved monkeys.") In his efforts to sell a line of products the same way that the Pokemon empire does their stuff, he persuades Pitr to make collectible Unix text editors. Pitr, in fact, goes through several evil little anti-Unix projects in the book to keep his hand in as a budding Evil Genius.

Other developments in the continuing story:
- AJ struggles to figure out how to court Miranda properly (badly timed in light of the "I love you" virus).
- Stef (who as a Windows user sees Unix holy wars as an added bonus of his job) makes the mistake of interfering in Miranda's life, which leads to a lot of Matrix crossover references.
- Mike becomes a Sims addict. ("Hey! Are you *allowed* to have four wives?")
- Greg's tech support calls turn into a game-help hotline.
- Pitr has an evil twin brother in Sales who affects the same fake accent.
- Introducing Sid Dabster, the aging ex-HP tech who becomes something of a blood enemy of Pitr's.

And, of course, the fantasy elements, such as:
- Parallels between Steve Case of AOL and Anakin Skywalker.
- Greg's Linux daemons (think "shoulder angel" here).

You have to be a computer geek to understand the humor. If you are, and especially if you have a unix/linux background and/or have worked with internet or other computer support you will find this one of the most hysterical comics around.

If you don't find at least some of the strips very funny, you should have your geek status removed. :)

I have followed Ian Adamson for years, and he is the real deal. This book has proven to be an indispensable resource for my team mate and I as we prepare for our first adventure race. The information in this book was immediately useful, and it has kept me from making several crucial mistakes in gear purchases. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in adventure racing!

This book is a expert job by a man who knows his trade! Is a must to anyone interested in this subject.

Whether you're a veteran or a rookie just starting out in adventure racing, this is one book you should never miss in your collection. This is a classic reference written in clear and understandable language by adventure racing's Michael Jordan. Each page contains a veritable treasure of information, from training, to equipment selection, to navigation and sleep management, culled from years of racing across the world in diverse terrains and climates. If there was only one book you can buy to learn about the history and discipline of adventure racing ---this is it.

If you are a fan of adventure racing (AR), the author's reputation is quite familiar to you. Adamson is among the very best adventure racers in the world, with loads of big race experience.

He is also a good writer. The book is clear and readable. Most of the material will not be new to you if you have significant experience already, but there are tips and tricks and anecdotes that are both entertaining and illustrative.

The sport is so varied and demanding that no book, and certainly not one as brief as this one, can be complete in its coverage of it. However, there is a lot of good, accessible information here and you will not regret including this book in your AR library.

Note that as to gear recommendations, the equipment available is changing very quickly, and some preferences are just personal, so update your information before spending a lot on gear if your only reason for buying was because Ian likes it.

I have read two other books on Adventure Racing that were published before Ian's book came out in the market. Those two books were also good, in fact Ian wrote the foreword on both. But Ian's book came out a cut above the rest. His book offered his and his teamates "winning strategies and experiences". The book was intelligently written and commanded authority on all topics discussed such as proper training, purchasing and use of the right equipment, proper nutrition, good leadership and teamwork skills, sleep strategies etc. For sure the book will inspire and guide beginner racers to the sport, and will further provide veteran racers of new knowledge and valuable proven race strategies and techniques from Ian and his awesome NZ and OZ teamates. Ian is truly one of the best adventure racers in the world along with his mates John Howard and Steve Gurney. To sum it all up, this is an outstanding book, I can't wait to buy the second edition.

I've been woodworking for a a little over a year and had read about Sam Maloof in articles here and there. A few months ago I got to visit the Sam Maloof foundation and I fell in love with the way he shapes his pieces of furniture. As part of the tour we got to sit on one of his rockers and not only do they look beautiful but they are amazingly comfortable. That's when I decided to buy this book to learn more about him and his art.
This book includes Sam Maloof's story from when he first began and his experience as he grew into his woodworking career. It is inspiring to read and to see how he persevered even though it was not easy at the beginning. The book is full of pictures of his work, more than was available at the Maloof foundation. It includes a high-level description of how he makes his famous rockers too.

As you most likely know, Sam Maloof is an icon in the world of woodworking. This book does a great job of both highlighting his many creations as well as to tell the story of the man who would define an entire style and change the face of fine furniture. Written by Sam himself, the book gives you an insight into his genius and humility that you can't get anywhere else other than from the man. And it's clear he had creative input into the design of the book itself, as it's beautifully illustrated and elegantly laid out. I'm relatively new to woodworking and the brilliance of Sam Maloof, but I'm so glad I'm able to have discovered him while we're still blessed with his presence on the earth. Get this book.

IF YOU ARE INTO WOOD OR WOODWORKING AS MUCH AS I AM, OR EVEN IF IF YOU ARE ONLY INTO READING ABOUT GREAT ARTISTS/CRAFTSMEN, THIS BOOK IS A MUST FOR YOU !! IT DETAILS WITH GREAT CLARITY SAM'S LIFE & WORK THROUGH BOTH PHOTOS & REMARKABLE WRITING. I FOUND IT INFORMATIVE & INSIGHTFUL!! DO NOT PASS UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO OWN THIS BOOK !!!

BILL

Sam Maloof is a world treasure. His book reflects his passion and skill as a master. Sam's book is not written in a pompous manor but in a matter of fact point of view. Sam shares his life with us and puts it on paper. I have had the opportunity to meet Mr. Maloof and his lovely and gracious wife, Alfreda before her passing. Sam's love and passion for his craft is second only to his devotion to God and his love for his beautiful wife. His book reflects that in a way that is educational, thought provoking and simple. His warm and friendly demeanor in person is very evident in this book! Sam beleives there are no secrets in woodworking. He shares his finish and techniques in this book, although this is NOT a "how to" book. Reading this book, you will learn something about philosophy, Spirituality and some woodworking along the way.

Keith Kidd Vice-President Cerritos Student's Woodworking Association (CSWA)

I bought this book when I was a student of woodworking/cabinetmaking in college, after hearing and seeing and studing some of Mr.Maloof's work in class. I found his command and respect for his craft, and the material that he works with to be second to none. His work is a insperation in it's self but once you find out the story behind this unbeliveable man it is all the more fasanating. his simple thoughts and down to earth style are a insperation to all. after reading this book I was amazed and inspired by this man and will remember and re-read this book may times.he will always be a insperation to myself and all woodworkers for years to come

I can only rate the service of the delivery and the accuracy of the description of the book. I haven't had a chance to read it yet.

The book arrived fast & in great shape. My nephew loves it! He loves it so much that he had to have the Scarne book on magic.

Many magicians own the Classic book "Scarne on Card Tricks." But it is said if you want to keep a trick a secret, put it in print! Most of what's in Scarne on Card Tricks is no doubt a complete mystery to most laymen--and many magicians! Its a great book for the card beginner.

On the other hand, there's a lot of boring and tedious count-down stuff in there as well.

The book is BIG--over 300 pages of carefully detailed effects. It can be a little overwhelming to someone the first time he picks it up. How do you separate the wheat from the chaff?

Best, in my view, are the tricks that can be done TOTALLY impromptu, with very little or no stacking, when a deck is shoved into your hands and somebody says "Do a trick!".

Here are some of the effects that I have judged to be best, based on the above criteria:

The Upside down Deck by Francis Carlyle
Hit the Deck
Scarne's Follow the Leader
Cardini's Color Discernment
Card on the Ceiling
Card through the Handkerchief

Of course, You Do as I Do is also a classic, though it is fairly well known among magicians.

In short, a little work digging out the best tricks will make you a true card magician in most people's eyes, with enough practice and performing experience.

John Scarne is today perhaps best remembered as a leading authority on gambling scams and card cheats. However, in his prime, he was one of the best magicians in America. In the late 40s, as stated in the Introduction, Scarne decided to gather for magicians a set of card tricks involving no sleight-of-hand. The result is "Scarne on Card Tricks". The 155 effects in the book range from quick tricks and puzzlers to more elaborate card demonstrations. All of the effects are attributed to either the originator of the effect or to a magician who used the effect frequently. The book clearly bears Scarne's unique genius not only in the selection and variety of effects, but in Scarne's improvements of the original effects. There is no doubt that anyone can put together a most entertaining routine with the material in this book. Two words of caution. First, the copyright of the book is 1950 and so some of the patter is clearly dated and needs to be revised for contemporary audiences. (Patter is the words or story that accompany the effect.) Second, because the effects are easy to do when practiced, there is a tendency to perform the effects before fully thought out. For every hour learning the basic effect itself, two hours should be spent on how to present it in an entertaining and interesting manner. The book itself, however, remains one of the very best in card magic. Scarne's work clearly stands the test of time. Frankly, the book is a steal at the published price. I bought two copies because I knew I'd wear one book out. I did. The book is that useful.

This is the definitive collection of non sleight-of-hand (you don't have to be quick with your hands) card tricks. I bought my first paperback copy in 1974 when I was still a schoolboy. Some of the tricks are easy but astounding, such that I've memorised two of them and have amazed my friends over the years until now. Since then, there hasn't been any other card trick manual that can beat this one, to the best of my knowledge.

Some of the information in this book may now be out of fashion and sometimes wrong, it is a great pleasure to read "Scouting for Boys". The ideals defended by B.P.: courage, generosity and compassion are as much a necessity today as they were a hundred years ago, when that book was first published.

The idea of an active, "hands on" education still find its echo in today's most recent education innovations.

Of course, the key message lies in the the initials of the author: Be Prepared!

Excellent book detailing the original , if somewhat dated thoughts , of the founder of the Scout Movement- Sir Robert Baden Powell. A must have read for all interetesed in the movement and it's principles

At the very beginning of the twentieth century, retired General Robert Baden-Powell, the hero of the siege of Mafeking, coalesced his ideas for an organization to train young British boys in scouting for the British Empire. Not a very organized thinker, Baden-Powell borrowed heavily from all sorts of unrelated resources - newspaper articles, military dispatches, fiction, and much more - and produced this, his first book on scouting. Originally published as six separate books, this book brings all of them together, complete with original illustrations.

Now, as might be expected from its roots, this book reflects a lot of the biases and ways of thinking from Edwardian England. But, leaving that aside, this is a fun and interesting book that shows clearly the forms that have stayed with the Boy Scouts movement to this very day. The introduction was written by Elleke Boehmer, a professor of Colonial and Postcolonial literature, and is a fairly predictable deconstruction/analysis of B-P and his movement.

Now, as a newcomer to Scouting (my son is a Tenderfoot) did I find anything useful in this book? I sure did. Robert Baden-Powell was very knowledgeable about the subject, and this book sure shows it. (I never thought of tying my shoes like that!) Of course some of the information is out of date, especially the first-aid information, so it isn't really usable by the boys "as is." But, this is a nice resource, one that shows you where Scouting started.

Oh, and I must say that I actually enjoyed the somewhat jumbled organization of this book. It isn't as scholarly and antiseptic as modern Boy Scout books, and the stories and tales laced throughout make the reading much more fun. Plus, I did find the focus on some subjects, such as logic and deductive reasoning, to be quite interesting. I loved this book, and highly recommend it to you!

I was an Eagle Scout as a boy, and now I'm the founding Scoutmaster of my sons' troop. As such, I was anxious to get a copy of this hard cover version. Baden-Powell's work is a classic and well worth the read. The problem with this edition is the Introduction by Elleke Boehmer. Without it, the book is a 5-star. Ms. Boehmer appears a non-believer. Reading her is like taking a pessimistic art critic along side while viewing an art gallery. Far more benefit (for all concerned) would occur without her input. For each positive she states about BP, she mentions a negative. She also spends just over two pages discussing homosexual tendencies (pp xxxii-xxxiii) within BP's works, something which is out of place in this work. I started to list several quotes, but I think one sums it up best of all from the back cover: "She has never been a scout, but she did once shake hands with Lady Baden-Powell at a jubilee celebration in South Africa." I guess that must make her an expert.

This original text of BP's "Scouting for Boys" is an excellent read. You can skip the introduction, however. The intro is a steaming pile of horse excrement written by someone seething with contempt for BP and the Boy Scout movement. Why it was included with the book is beyond me unless it's to provide bum fodder whilst camping. Remember, a scout is thrifty!

This is the ultimate players manual--great information in a concise and logical format. I have been searching for the perfect golf manual for years and now I have found it. Practical, insightful, brilliant in its' simplicity. Well done!

If there is one book to add to your golf bookshelf, this is the one. There is something to learn in every chapter and each one treats a specific point. You not only learn the basics but he shows you how through pictures and then explains in details the different aspects: setup;the swing; the strategy and the swing thoughts for each and every shot he teaches. To make it complete and very functional, he even gives you practice strategies and fundamental drills.
All in all, probably one of the best books I have read on shot making and shot shaping.

I'm a high handicapper, however, this book is concise, clear and actionable. Mike describes 12 useable shots. The descriptions are technically clear and memorable. For example, the chapter on putting was simple and to the point, the 3 steps Mike recommends have helped me see green slope. The thoughts on hitting a low trajectory shot (a low shot requires a low finish) are simple to understand and stay in your memory regardless of if you are in a forest to the side of a fairway or on the practice range.

If you are not confident being able to get the ball into the air on the golf course you need a book on basics. Otherwise, this is a really good, valuable, actionable, short read. David Perz take note (please).

I have read a number of books and magazine articles over the
years, but none have given me insight on what shots I need to
concentrate on most.

This book outlines the twelve most important shots and
describes in detail, how to go about accomplishing them.

This book is making me a better golfer in record time!
I highly recommend it!

Golfers know that to recover is what it's all about. When you don't have your A game that day, to still score takes the shots that McGentrick gives in this book and the ability to pull them off with consistency.

From playing a fade to draw, to flyer lies to flop shot to restricted swings, this book gives chapter on each of these and seven others. In each is hints on setup, swing and strategy, followed by practice drills and what I find especially useful to learning it, competitive drills, i.e. drills which give you games to get the adrenalin going and groove the shot.

Despite being a novice player and owning other excellent end game books, in this book there is much material that is not out of my intellectual reach. It feels like I will be learning from this book for decades to come!! The accuracy and clarity of the text with the numerous diagrams makes the book excellent to even the weaker players. Doubtless this book has even material useful to grandmasters. Enjoy reading it, I do.

This book starts with the basic concepts of King and Pawn against King, gives a thorough tour of the situations arising with progressively more pawns, and ends with general advice about finding plans in complicated situations. The whole exposition is given in clear, logical prose supported by valuable and well-diagrammed game analyses and exercises. The authors do not shirk giving clear explanations of the basics, while there is enough advanced material to give food for thought, I suspect, to much stronger players. In short I was delighted with this book, and strongly recommend it.

Ok, endgame books are mostly raw facts and calculation. Accuracy is more important than writing ability. If you purchased this book, there is no doubt what you expected to take from it.

When I found the first typo on the first page of chapter one I thought I made a bad purchase. I don't care about excuses...poor editing, hard to translate from German, or anything else.

As I continued to read I found the book to be better than I had expected. Once I got used to the codes and symbols, the book was very enjoyable. The exercises were outstanding. They hammered home the critical ideas without wasting your time on exercises that would never occur in an actual game. And yes the book was very accurate. I learned a few new ways to quickly evaluate complex positions. The order of the exercises was perfect. Each exercise built on the previous exercises as they flowed smoothly through the book. You can not spend too much time with a book like this.

After living and playing in Germany for the past two years I am amazed at the strength of German players and their passion for the game. They are absolutely crazy about chess. I find chess everywhere I go in this country. These two authors are a direct reflection of chess in Germany today. I will look for more of their books.

I'm a class C player interested in seriously improving my game. My first endgame book was by Yasser Seirawan, Winning Chess Endings. I didn't really get enough out of the book's section on pawn endings. Due to this I decided to purchase this boook and I was amazed at what I could learn and how quickly. I believe this is the easiest to understand book on any aspect of chess theory I have ever read.

To get the most out of this book I highly recommend playing through the positions against a strong chess engine (Fritz, for example). Evaluate the test positions in your head and if you get any incorrect play through the positions against the engine.

I rarely reach endgames in my play, but I'm sure that I am able to correctly evaluate if I should trade off into an ending or not when I am faced with the choice.

This is a rather difficult book for us, C-players, to follow. The positions have only two types of pieces, Kings and Pawns. In order to win, some Ps must reach the 6th or 7th to demonstrate to us that game is decided. The King- and Pawn-moves are single squares; therefore to achieve this goal the game must take many moves. This makes the variations of many (sometimes dozen of) moves deep. Unless we have the visual ability like the masters or grandmasters do, we need a chessboard or program to follow the moves incrementally. To study and understand these deep analyses, the authors recommend us, average players, to use chessboard and play them through. I think this is good for even masters and GMs. For us, amateurs, with 10 percent of its knowledge we could hold ground fairly against our opponents. I need at least one year or so to go through all the details the book provides.
I just caught three major mistakes that I wrongly believed all these years.
1) Two isolated P's separated by 1 file against a King are an automatic win. Wrong.
2) Two connected passed P's with the rear P blocked by enemy lone P is an automatic win. Wrong.
3) In pawn ending with two P's each, the outside passed P wins always. Wrong.
Above are three of many simple rules I often aim for when reaching the pure P endings.
Diagrams 8.01D, 4.07 and 3.12 from this book debunks my beliefs. What is missing with my simple rules? The King-position. In the pure pawn endings, the K-position is the single most important factor. The list on the Crash Course page is very helpful. There are about 40 different themes. So far I could recognize and understand 3 or 4 of them, but not 100% certainty, unless I have to carefully and quietly study the book.
This book is worth 5 stars. Hope I could use what it offers in real games. At C-class, our games are often over during the middle-games by blunders. The fewer pieces on our endgames are, the stronger (or more equal) are we. Good luck to all.

Great book. I was about to spend a few hundred bucks on a Double Your Dating DVD program, but I'm going to skip it. Compared to the other books I have on pickup/seduction, this one is the best and probably the least expensive. I hope my best friend gives it back to me...

I bought this based on the reviews and the Search Inside... I never heard of it before. All I can say is this is the book I was hoping was out there. I have a few of the others, notably Mystery Method and Bachelor's Guide, but this one really made the most sense and just got right to the point of where my head should be and how to get things done.

I grew up in a family of all women and the advice I got my entire life was to be myself, be nice, etc. There isn't anything wrong with that, but it doesn't work very well when you first meet someone. This book helped me dump what didn't work, keep what does work and add a few things to really boost my ability to walk up to a woman or even groups of girls and just start talking. I'm not even using half of what I read, but hopefully it will come into play in the very near future.

It would be lame to say this book changed my life, but it gave me a better perspective and now I'm meeting a lot more women. That's all I was looking for. so... 5 stars for that

There a lot of books and products on pickup/seduciton out there that cover essentially the same ground. There are only a few you actually need that cover just about everything you a guy should know... this is definitely one of those books.

In fact, I would say it's the best compilation of knowledge on how to meet and attract women. It's a thick book and some guys won't need all of the advice - like how to dress or where to meet women. I already had confidence, but I was looking for an extra edge and I found it in the second half of the book. It follows through a few different logical stages from what to do before you start talking to someone, how to build attraction, and what to do with that attraction once you pick up on it.

I've always had problems approaching women in groups and I had made some progress before I read the book, but after just doing what the books said works... I don't have a problem hooking a group. Maybe it was a confidence thing, but I still have to give credit to teh book. I'm sure other guys will find their own breakthoughs when they read it or even better, when they try out some of the techniques.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to meet more women. Glad I bought it.

I've bought more pickup/seduction programs (DVD, CD, Book, seminars) than I would like to admit. Just about all of them had something useful that I added to my life and probably still continue to use today (even with out thinking about it). I searched the web and couldn't find any more information out about the "A" Game or the guy who wrote it, but I bought it anyway.

I gotta say that this book is like the greatest hits collection of just about all of the other books and programs I've bought in the past. It doesn't have *everything*, but just about everything I ever remembered and continue to use. I've spent... ugh... thousands of dollars and I think I probably wouldn't have kept buying all of that stuff if I had started with a book like this.

The A Game has all of the fundamentals that every guy needs to know before he even leaves the house. There is some deeper psycology in Mystery Method, but for the average frustrated chump, I would start with a book like this. It's a big book so I covers a lot. There is only one chapter I think is a little questionalable - The Close, but I still felt OK about handing this book off to my nephew who's in college. The Close chapter just had some psychological techniques that I don't think are necessary - basic NLP / Hypnosis stuff. It just isn't for me... but I don't doubt that it works.

I highly, highly recommend this book. It's only $20, but seems like it would be part of more expensive program if it had some CDs with it. Whatevs... it's a bargain and worth every penny.

Frankly, I've never heard of Logan Edwards, but I did the Search Inside and it looks decent, so I bought it anyway. I gotta say, surprisingly, that it's one of the better books on the subject. Up there with Mystery Method and Professional Bachelor.

If you know anything about David DeAngelo, than you'll have a basic understanding of what this book is about. It's like a condensed version of all of that material without all the DVDs and CDs. Not to say that it's no original, but it's not some scientific study a la Mystery Method.

The first half of the book seems focused on getting your look and your attitude where it needs to be before you hit the field. The Myths that hold guys back, the Rules that guys should follow at all times, and adjusting your attitude so you don't get discouraged no matter how good or bad things are going.

The second half of the book is all technique. It's a five part progression that can happen in one night or spread out over a few days. It's Open > Hook > Attract > Connect > Close. None of it is mind blowing, which I think is the point. It's all relevant, detailed, informative advice that you probably know, but forgot or assume it doesn't work. I've applied the tactics in the first two steps, some I have already been using and a few that I added in and it all works beautifully.

It's a big book - 400 or so pages - so it sits in my bathroom and I read ten pages every time I went in there for my business. That's probably the best way to read it and not cram it all in over a weekend. It's just too much information to take in and make use of. Maybe a chapter a week so it sinks in and you can use little bits of it every day until you're ready for the next chapter... at least that's what worked for me.

I'd say this is the second best book on meeting and attracting women after The Game. The Game is just a fun, awesome read and this one is more of a companion that goes into great detail on how to bring a some of the magic of The Game into your own life. I would recommend this to single guys between 20-45. It covers a lot of ground I think experienced chumps to near PUAs would find something useful in this.

I'm gonna re-read it now...

Ok about the authors: Lev Alburt came from Rusia, was Ukranian chess champion three times, then he moved to United states a became USA chess champion(twice). Alburt defeats Yasser Seirawan.
Larry Parr, serve as a editor of Chess Life, and has a respetable writer.

This book approach to the fundamental, just beginer player, but are nice commented games in the book.

Alburt's soviet secrets chess school are revealed, but too fundamental.
I ama strong player, and enjoy the book, but just for read.

My recomendation, beginers should have it, strong players, buy the second volume.

Thsi book could have any parent that has a child in chess, or trainer

I have bought many books here but have never submitted a review. For this book I have to say its one of my best buy. 5 stars!!

This book begins with the very basics, how the board is set up, how the pieces move, the basic rules. The book then progresses at a steady pace introducing strategy and tactical tools. The book goes further than just explaining principles, and offers "chessercizes" at the end of each section to ensure the reader fully grasps each concept before moving on. I have read several chess books and browsed many more and this is hands down the best one. If you play chess or want to learn, you must read this book.

This is an excellent book for beginners that does more than just teach the basics. It teaches skills needed for any level of play.

This is one excellent Beginner book; it is unique and very informative. The first 102 pages have a lot of basic fundamental information ALL beginners should learn. Pages 103 to 264 of the book are devoted to Tactics & Strategy theory of The Opening, Middlegame and Endgame-this is the meat of the book. Lev mixes games, theory and teaching diagrams artfully. The diagrams are clear; most ask you a question or two with the answers right there, no flipping pages to the back of the book to hunt for answers. Many answers are very detailed. This is a great study book for beginners. Reading it once is not enough. Good Luck.

I was in a book store near Atlantic City last week, searching through the 50% off bins, which backed up to the "Books on New Jersey" shelves. The title, THE SKIN GAME, kind of grabbed me, but I turned it over, saw Wilkins was self published, and I went, "Ehhhhhhhh." Harcourt publishes my novels. And I think many of us try to buy self published books about our state/city on Amazon for a penny, because, well, you know (they're generally overpriced, under edited, and as amusing as watching a mud puddle dehydrate.) But something came over me. I was thinking it was the anti-Christ, because I coughed up $12.95 for a self-published story written by a local guy.

Well.

I have this laugh like a ballistic rooster. I almost got kicked off a public beach reading THE SKIN GAME because my response was "deeply disturbing to the bathers," said the beach patrol captain. It's Wilkin's writing style, though the fodder is certainly there. He wrote this "novel" via memories he garnished as a defense attorney for Legal Services in Atlantic City just before casinos were legalized. Hence, he represented the hookers, bookies, and loadies, with an occasional divorcee thrown in for respectability. Welcome to Atlantic City, circa 1970.

Wilkin's tale centers on one particular case where lawyer Tim Donovan (whom Wilkins swears is not himself, uh-huh uh-huh) had to defend a client assocated with a Skin Game. That's an illegal card game played out in the bowels of Atlantic City for nearly thirty years. One night, some even badder guys broke into the Skin Game to rob it. They forced twenty-seven players (all men) to strip naked and pile into a two-stall bathroom. Obviously this request sparked a shoot out. The cops arrived, there was more of a shoot out, and naked men were running around the street like crazy. One of the even badder guys holed himself up in a ripe, aluminum trash can until dawn, hoping the cop he shot at wouldn't find him. He got found. Wilkin's Donovan was called upon to defend him.

Wilkins weaved in other characters with the timing of a pro. By the time he'd introduced Mary the near-sighted hooker, Cindy the goose egg wife of an even dumber pimp, the grandmother who kept changing her will to give her ugly ceramic turtle to a different relative, I'd been kicked out of my bed for laughing too loudly while reading. I even tried to read holding my nose, but the whole bed was shaking, so my husband said, "No more."

If you're familiar with Atlantic City in the 1970s, you'll love this read. But if you don't know AC, it's still a great ride just because Wilkins--yeah, self-published--is the funniest guy I've ever read. Last time I got kicked out of bed was ten years ago with Winston Groome's FORREST GUMP, and this was funnier that that.

I hope self-publishing was a business choice, because the thought of the New York wigs passing on this makes me dizzy. Wilkins is a terror. In fact, there is no longer any way to contact him, and I'm assuming it's because he got so much fan mail--so many of us wanting to tell him what Atlantic City Street we worked on in 1970, and wanting to ask free legal questions--I bet he's hiding out and can't take anymore of us.

I don't want this book to die out. Do your holiday shopping NOW!

CAROL PLUM-UCCI
STREAMS OF BABEL (Harcourt, May 2008)

Once I started The Skin Game, I could not put it down. It was a great and funny read, I laughed out loud many times. I look forward to Mr. Wilkins providing some more laughs in his next book.

The type of book you don't want to put down untiil it is finished. Keeps one laughing throughout. A must read for anyone who ever visits Atlantic City. Even more entertaining for those of us who knew the city before the casinos came.

Treat yourself to the comic escapades of a variety of eccentric characters playing their own game within a dubious justice system. I laughed out loud reading this book. You will too!

Joseph Wilkins has a free and easy writing style that shifts easily from anecdote to anecdote. The book is funny - very funny.
If you know Atlantic City - and I do - the book captures the City before it becomes swamped by casinos. It exposes the inside city - the side you can't get without reading this book or another one that informs as well. The trouble is - there are no better, not even equal, performers.

Martin L.in