Games Books

These are beautiful cards and I can't wait to get a new set. The reprint was supposed to be out in May 08 but is now delayed for July 08. These cards are not out of print so save your money if your thinking they are rare. I'm sure Amazon will have them available by the middle of this summer.

The Vision Quest Tarot was created by Gayan Sylvie Winter and Jo Dosé in 1998. It is published by AGM Agmüller in Switzerland, and distributed by U.S. Games in this country.

The seventy-eight card pictures for this deck are all based on themes from the Native American Indian tradition. The artwork depicts Native American Indians engaged in traditional activities, and these pictures serve to define the meanings of the cards.

Each of the pip cards has a single word printed at the bottom, and that is the meaning of the card. The meanings of the Major Arcana and court cards are contained in the instruction booklet.

When I first started using this deck a few years ago, I had mixed feelings about it. I liked the earthly artwork and the spiritual quality of the card meanings, but I had difficulty doing intelligible readings with it.

During the intervening years I discovered the magic of using the combined meanings of Tarot cards dealt in pairs. Typically, I would deal eighteen cards, nine pairs in all. Most of the time, a card meaning would be only one or two or three words long to facilitate combining its meaning with that of another card. In this way, a pair of cards produced a new, systhesized single meaning.

I recently rediscovered the Vision Quest Tarot, and started using it again. This time, however, the cards came alive. Their one-word card meanings were ideal for my eighteen-card layout of nine pairs. As I used the nine-pair layout, I noticed a quality that was missing from other decks I had used in this way. Amazingly, the nine pairs of Vision Quest cards rendered divinations that answered each question in a logical, linear fashion. The systhesized meaning of each pair was like a sentence in a paragraph, with one sentence serving as the foundation for the next. Each pair produced an orderly progression of thought from one pair to the next.

This was astounding. In all the other decks I had used in this way (and there were a few), there was no logical or narrative flow from one pair to the next. The nine pairs of cards would provide a comprehensive answer to the question, but not in a smooth narrative fashion as with the Vision Quest cards.

I have no clue as to why the Vision Quest Tarot alone answers questions in this way, but it does.

With all that said, the relevance of the one-word card meanings is sometimes difficult to comprehend. As with all decks I have ever seen, you will need to use your imagination and intuition to flesh out the meanings of the cards into more fully realized statements.

I wanted to recommend this tarot deck. It is my favorite. The images are deeply powerful as well as beautiful. I can relate to the idea of water representing the emotional body, as well as fire the energetic body, the air the spirit body, and vegetables and flowers the material realm. The Vision Quest Tarot booklet makes this deck different than other tarots. The definitions are very precise and accurate. I too, like a previous reviewer, usually do one reading about once or twice a year; it is that good. The cards are surrounded by a white framed border. I am ordering another deck to write key words around the frame of the cards for easy and instant interpretation when I read for others.

I recently purchased this deck. I had been using the Faery Wicca Deck. I wanted to work with my Indian ancestors and energies and did not feel the connection I desired with the Wicca deck. The bond was immediate with Vision Quest. It has given me insight and direction in multiple dimensions in my life.

This deck is beautiful in concept, as well as beautiful in illustration and working. I can only use this deck once a year, as it is SO accurate it makes me a little uncomfortable. However, with the intent of the cards inherent in the pictures, this deck should really be and CAN be used more often. A more experienced practitioner should be able to handle the depth and power of it. I use a three card spread, past-present-future.
The card pictured on the box, the medicine woman card, to ME, unlike one of the other reviewers, IS the most powerful and beautiful card in the deck. (In fact I plan a tattoo of her,changing out the hawk for a raven and adding wolves and an owl). She is particularly powerful in her peace and strength, and should be honored. The shamaness card is powerful, but a little disappointing to me in illustration. She is the only Pacific NorthWest Native American in the deck and I find that a little strange.
This deck is WELL WORTH your money and energy. Its illustrations promote positive contemplation no matter what the issue you are addressing.

This book is a must for any beginning to intermediate polymer clay crafter or artisan. The projects are beautiful and very "do-able"! Irene's own projects are displayed in very good photos, and are a marvelous source of inspiration for combining techniques and textures. Her tiled mirrors and wall pieces are breathtaking.

I found this book contains everything for a beginner to get started in the craft of polmer clay. My 15 year-old has already started her project, and I'm into my 4th project. All this production and we have had the book for only 2 weeks. I'm already ordering the polymer clay by the pound. The two ounce packages are wa-a-a-a-y to small for this new found medium! If you are looking for summer projects to keep the kids busy, this is the book for you. Both Mom and the kids will be hooked in no time.

I enjoyed this book because it offered some fresh new concepts and interesting projects. I feel anyone from the beginning clayer to the accomplished artist would enjoy this book. Photography was very good. Easy to follow directions make 20 Weekend Projects with Polymer Clay a great book for all clayers. We need more like it and hopefully the author will have another one for us soon.

...this is the one I'd recommend. I've been working with polymer clay for 17 years, and I have seen *all* the books. This is the one I recommend to either beginning OR more experienced clayers. A beautiful, interesting, well-done book.

This is my favorite polymer clay book -- the first book I "ask" whenever I have a question. Irene gives clear explanations, painlessly taking the reader through 20 gorgeous projects....

This was a very professionally written account of the lives of 15 very diverse people who also happen to be professional lacrosse players. The book really makes you view these athletes as interested in their sport, valued members of their community, and very different from the multi-million dollar primma donnas who play other professional sports. I definitely recommend this book.

This book is filled with stories of professional lacrosse players. The players are atypical from other professional sports players, who are often filled with self-admiration and greed. Yet, they are not exactly everyday people either. The players do have full time jobs and families, but many of them are in noble fields such as teaching, law enforcement, the armed forces, fire fighting... Of course, it takes a noble character to be devoted to such an underpaid and under-appreciated sport. The players sacrifice their bodies, time, and some family commitments for the love of their sport. The writing is clever, and the author gives good insight about the players' individuality, achievements, reminiscences, and dedication.

After the Duke Lacrosse scandal, it was refreshing to see an upbeat well-written book about lacrosse. These players truly honor their sport, and make the casual observer want to learn more. The stories were interesting, and it was a good overview of the NLL, and the players who make the league work. I really enjoyed it, and hope to see more books like it.

This book was interesting, insightful, and sometimes even funny when explaining the lives of 15 "ordinary" people who have jobs, wives, kids, and play professional lacrosse on the weekends. It makes you realize how different pro lacrosse is from other pro sports. (And I mean that in a good way.) The writing was clear and engaging, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

It was great to finally read a good book on professional lacrosse. The writing was interesting and insightful, and provided a good mix of lacrosse history combined with people who play the game. I would definitely recommend this book for the lacrosse fanatic, or even the casual observer. I enjoyed it!

I really have only glanced through the pictures so can't give an accurate review at this time.

A picture tells a story better than a thousand words. The author presents socially conscious photographs. i.e.

o 5 cent rental rooms in 1889
o a 1968 Saigon street execution
o inside an ice cave up North
o the dwindling Penguin population
o glacial changes in Athabasca and Pasterze
o windmill farms

Each photo is presented in breath-taking color. The volume is worth the price of admission.

The stories in this book could serve as a primer for being a globally-aware citizen in an evolving world. Despite the grim nature of some of these photos, the book's message is not one of despair, but of hope, as evidenced by the thorough "What You Can Do" section in the back.

Some of the most interesting work in the book is from photographers under most people's radar. Shehzad Noorani's Children of the Black Dust and Stephen Voss's Economic Miracle, Environmental Disaster both examine underreported issues with excellent photos and strong writing. The book's impact comes not just from the photographs, but the excellent writing that accompanies them. I highly recommend What Matters as a hard-hittng and opinionated book that is both journalistically-sound and passionate.

Hard to see, impossible to turn away
Issues and images combine in 'What Matters,' a powerful and passionate new book

By Michael Zajakowski
Chicago Tribune Book Review
September 6, 2008

Great documentary photojournalism, squeezed out of mainstream newspapers and magazines in an age of shrinking column inches, has had a hard time gaining traction in other venues. Although it has found new life on web sites and in books, the age of the topical visual long form is in remission.

But nobody has told the 18 photographers in "What Matters: The World's Preeminent Photojournalists and Thinkers Depict Essential Issues of Our Time."

These are photo essays by some of today's best photojournalists following the great tradition begun over a hundred years ago with the exposés of New York tenement life by Jacob Riis. Through the doggedness of these photographers--who are clearly committed to stirring us out of complacency--all the power and passion of the medium is evident in this book.

David Elliot Cohen, who co-created the famous "Day in the Life" series of photojournalism books, had a keen eye in selecting the photo essays and coupling each with cogent commentary from writers such as Samantha Power, professor at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government; Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of the Earth Institute and Columbia University professor; and Elizabeth C. Economy, director for Asian Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

The book is an engrossing journey from pristine wilderness to glittering Rodeo Drive boutiques with stops along the way focusing on genocide, global jidad, child labor and AIDS victims in Africa, to name a few.

In a provocative bit of editing, James Nachtwey's searing photo essay about global poverty, "The Bottom Billion," is jarringly followed by Lauren Greenfield's "Shop til We Drop," a vivid but embarrassing look at another extreme, which is only slightly less shameful than the first.

Some of the pieces will break your heart, some will anger you. All will make you think. To channel your thoughts and feelings into action, the book ends with an appendix "What You Can Do," offering hundreds of ways to be a part of the solution to these problems.

This book is a testament to a simple truth: the still photograph still matters. The stories here are carefully chosen to give the reader an intimate and truthful look at the most pressing issues of our time. The accompanying writing both complements and extends the story-telling ability of these images and the essays are excellent across the board, from Pulitzer-Prize winning author Samantha Power's passionate and vivid description of the genocide in Darfur to Jeffrey Sachs' story about a village in Malawi that accompanies James Nachtwey's images of poverty.


From a technical standpoint, the photographs are brilliantly reproduced and sequenced well, in a way that most poignantly and directly tells the story. This book is highly recommended both as a great read and a visual document of our times.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highly recommended!

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

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

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

A worthwhile addition to any child's library!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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