Games Books

Very nicely done system. Taking D&D to the stars in a fairly hard science way. I really have been impressed with what they came up with, but DAMN they need the next book shipped printed...

An actual working ranger class! I just about had a heart attack at this one. The races and equipment are cool as well. The new classes are great, I like the mecyhanist best. All in all hte only truely negative thing is that there are no description of the spell ware, but regaurdless, it is a good book.

An interesting, if brief set of rules for running DnD in outer space with futuristic weapons and vehicles. Now, I realize that Fantasy Flight Games is probably a smaller company with limited resources, but please, GET SOME REAL ARTWORK. The sketch of the soul mech looks like a cross between a bi Mr. Rogers and some reject from the band REM. The pictures consistently look something I might draw on my notebook out of boredom during class. Also, they could have included more pictures of the vehicles. More and better artwork may cost more, but I know I am glad to pay extra for it.

This product, along with The Witchfire Trilogy from Privateer press, are tied for the best D20 products by third-parties on the market - and may well come out on top of ANY D20 product, barring the core rules.

Dragonstar is a game that takes D&D to the stars. Unlike spelljammer, it isnt magic that drives the starfaring races, but hard sci fi - but magic is there, still, and often integrates with technology seamlessly.

The setting is very compelling; with the rise of technology, Dragons formed a great empire and conquer the rest of the galaxy. Each Dragon clan, good and evil, rules for 1,000 years. The first 5,000 saw the rule of the 5 good dragon clans. Now, it is mere decades into the first rule of the first of the evil dragons, Mezzebone the Red. He has formed a Secret Police Force of Drow, and the galaxy groans under their lash.

The rules are excellent, the setting is incredible. As with any product, there are a couple of weak points. For instance, the lack of Spellware, and the lack of variant gravity rules, both of which are referenced in the book. They will be included in the upcoming Galaxy Guide, as magic items were in the DMG, so this is understandable, but a tad frustrating. Nevertheless, if you like the D20 system, and if you like the Sci Fi genre, you cannot go wrong with this product.

The artwork does leave a little to be desired, but I don't buy products for their artwork - I buy them for the content, and this product has that, in spades.

well, maybe not totally as SJ relied more heavily on magic than hard core science and Dragonstar reverses this trend, but it still fits to some degree. In someways this is SpellJammer advanced in timeframe to the era of Star Wars or Star Trek. The people at Fantasy Flight Games continue to push for their Thug NPC class, which could just as well be served by the generic Warrior NPC class but I digress. The ranger has been altered from a mellee to a missile specialist and fighting with two guns has been relegated to a seperate feat away from two weapon fighting. Wizards now have the option of trading in their spellbooks for a datapad. New stuff is in abundance in this book and in this settings. New skills, new classes, new races and new feats, including one that for many classes is a freebie feat that serves as a gateway into the new toys away from the traditional sword and sorcery fare. Fans of Brent Spiner's role in the ST series he starred in with Levar Burton, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Merina Sertis and Michael Dorn, will be pleased to note the offering of a new type of construct, the SoulMech which in many ways is science fantasy version of the android. The two new core classes are the Pilot and Mechanist both of which are pumped up Experts but offer a unique flavor to the game and to any party that includes them. All in all a wonderful setting that offers a real alternative to the tried and true formula of the D20 genre. If you prefer the future to the past and don't mind a bit of whimsy Dragonstar is a good setting to explore however a word of caution: Much of the setting is designed as a dark and scary place so if you are turned off by that sort of thing you can still work with it, although alterations may be necessary.

As a home school parent, I am always looking for resources to improve my childs education. I found this book to have many great ideas for a wide age range of children. They were well organized and listed the ages for which the activities were geared to. I am looking forward to using this book for years to come!

Polly's activities are easy to use. They teach the 'higher lessons' so desperately needed in our society and world today; cooperation, being considerate, using self-discipline and they are fun! Janice Moore, Third Grade Teacher

"Drama in the Classroom" has been an invaluable source of ideas for sparking the curriculum. My students and I have used lessons from this book to plan special programs. Throughout the year, in Social Studies and English, I have turned to it to guide students as they shape skits and oral presentations. The structure the lessons provide helps keep students focused as they plan and work but does not stifle their creativity. Celima Smith, 6th grade teacher, Mill Valley Middle School, Cal.

Though not an educator by profession, I have had extensive experience working with youth groups and have seen Polly Erion's teachings put to practical use. Results have been everything she claims and more. Obviously, her lessons were derived from many years of teaching experience.

Polly Erion presents a drama program that is rich, varied, and in synch with the children. Drama in the Classroom is invaluable for suitable, stimulating ideas. Helen Morris, Kindergarten Teacher Tam Valley School, California

This wonderful book is much more than a collection of hunting and fishing stories. The author has the rare ability to take his readers with him on both his physical adventures and his philisophical journeys. These journeys delve into the heart and soul of a particular location.

The stories told here take us from familiar ground to the far corners of the planet. Each account includes well-researched observations on the local natural and cultural histories. McIntyre's interpretations of wilderness values and hunting ethics are thought-provoking and profound.

I highly recommend this book to everyone, even those who have no interest in hunting or fishing. If you enjoy visiting truly wild places, or are simply grateful that such wild places and wild beasts still exist, this book will provide much satisfaction.

Tom McIntyre is one of the last great storytellers. His gift with a pen places the reader right in the middle of all the action. The subject matter within the pages of this book is broad. It ranges from an account of a fantastic woodcock hunt in Ireland to the pursuit of the most dangerous African cape buffalo but never once will you loose interest. Be it his candid views of the cultures surrounding the hunt or the excitement of the actual hunt, you will leave each chapter with a better understanding and respect for both the hunter and his prey.

"Dreaming The Lion" is far from the traditional "hook and bullet" prose found in most of today's hunting publications. Rather it is perhaps more of a modern day Hemmingway approach. It is factual, adventurous and all with just the right touch of humor. All of which I found quite refreshing.

If you are a hunter "Dreaming The Lion" belongs in your library.

Ed Noonan
Member of the Outdoor Writers Assn. of American and
New York State Outdoor Writers Assn.

Tom McIntyre is a writer with a distinctive voice and an exceptional talent. His style has pith and elegance -and humor and intelligence. For a couple of decades now (maybe a little more) he has written some of the best prose we have on hunting. "Dreaming The Lion" is a treasury of his finest work, and will prove a delight for every literate hunter.

This is by no means a somber book, but it is a thoughtful one. Reflecting on the prospect of hunting in his native California, McIntyre writes, "The best thing would be to hunt the country you were born into, to make it even more your home. But what if your native country is not only a place, but a time, and what if that time is past?" Not exactly the kind of bang-and- brag drivel so common to lesser hunting writers, and to an unfortunately increasing number of "sporting" publications.

"Dreaming The Lion" is a collection of choice pieces, (mostly about hunting, especially but not exclusively about big game,) connected by one-page, inter-chapter selections from an ongoing African diary. In this safari narrative McIntrye appears more as protagonist than hero; he screws up sometimes, misses badly on occasion, has his ups and downs just like we, the readers, probably would. The book's final section, the title essay in three parts, recounts another African adventure and by any fair standard must be judged one of the finest pieces of hunting writing in our time. Comparisons to Hemingway and Ruark and Capstick or anyone else are as unnecessary as they are trite. McIntyre is his own writer, speaking with his own voice in his own (for a hunting writer, not entirely fortunate) time. Enjoy him.

When a writer conveys an experience he conveys something of himself. Thirty years after reading him, when I think of Robert Ruark in Africa, I remember his honesty in writing about fear and booze and his struggle to live up to his own image of what he wanted to be, as much as his insightful observations of a safari. When I think of Hemingway, the exquisite craftsmanship of "The Green Hills of Africa" is overshadowed by his chest-thumping competitiveness and dishonest self-aggrandisement.

In "Dreaming the Lion," Tom McIntyre brings all the unabashed, unapologetic masculinity you would expect in a book about hunting, but he tempers it with the thoughtful intelligence of someone who thinks about his actions and their consequences, who thinks about the world around him and his place in it. And more: he brings a refreshing mastery of the English language and a wit as quick and sharp as a skinning knife. This is a book about ideas as much as actions, written by a man who doesn't suffer fools gladly, and who sees the world he loves slowly and irrevocably vanishing. Read it and dream of Africa.

In a just world, Thomas McIntyre's Dreaming the Lion would be considered a classic. While it is definitely a "hunting book" it is also literature in every sense, and superior to such curiosities as Hemingway's True at First Light.

McIntyre has hunted everywhere from the Rockies to the Arctic to Africa, not to mention his native California, whose degradation he describes movingly in the essay "Blade Hunter": "...no matter how Californian the armature of my soul may be, in the end it is insufficiently rigid to keep me here until it's all barricaded away and I am reduced to stalking Norway rats in the storm drains with the broken-off shaft of a nine-iron tipped witha fluted point knapped from a glass insulator, til all that's fit to live here is cockroaches and Keith Richards."

McIntyre's essays range from the dark to the humorous to the moving, though always free of the easy sentimentality common to lesser "hook and bullet" writers. He has not only been just about everywhere; he has read just about everything, from novels to history to biology, and thought long and hard about it all. He would never scorn the meat or trophies produced by his hunts, but his real quest is for meaning, experience , and the wild within and without.

If you are a hunter who has not read him, you will find things here that you will find nowhere else. If you are a nonhunter or even an anti-hunter who wants to understand the soul of the hunter, start here. As McIntyre says, "Welcome to the wild."

Duane Barnharts Cartooning Basics has just been so much fun for my kids ages 12, 10, and 7. Using the Books step-by-step guidelines to cartooning they have created some of the most fabulous characters and cartoon strips. Not only is it great from a drawing perspective, but it also has some fun and interesting facts about the history of cartooning. Love this book!!!

'Cartooning Basics' is a wonderful tool for young aspiring cartoonists. No. 2 illustrates how to create friendly, familiar characters from simple shapes, which every child can relate to (ie circles, ovals, squares, triangles, etc.). Art teachers can gain lesson ideas that are effective and easy to implement. This is a great buy and a must read for any aspiring cartoonist, art teacher and student alike. Duane and Angie have created a fun, creative, well-illustrated tool in 'Cartooning Basics'.

Great how-to book, lots of practice exercises. The most helpful, how-to book I've read so far, and I've got a ton of them. Wish I'd found this one sooner!

'Cartooning Basics' is a wonderful tool for young aspiring cartoonists. No. 2 illustrates how to create friendly, familiar characters from simple shapes, which every child can relate to (ie circles, ovals, squares, triangles, etc.). Art teachers can gain lesson ideas that are effective and easy to implement. This is a great buy and a must read for any aspiring cartoonist, art teacher and student alike. Duane and Angie have created a fun, creative, well-illustrated tool in 'Cartooning Basics'.

This book has helped me learn to cartoon, and now, I teach it to my 2nd grade class!

Finally! A book I can gift to EVERY friend I have! I loved it, I laughed until I cried, and just finished ordering one for my folks actually. I have never felt compelled to leave a customer review until now.

The book is great. Bordering on brilliant, then it tells brilliant that it was a mistake and it had to give up its dreams to take care of it. Now that's dysfunctional!

Seriously, though, it's a (darkly) hilarious concept, and Brockett pulls it off at every flip of the page. It's full of witty asides and tongue-in-cheek advice that spark mini epiphanies, causing you to shout out, "Yes! That's so true!" in between guffaws. Brockett hits the nail on the head, over and over again... and all in an easy-to-swallow, beautifully published activity book! Get out your Crayolas and let the healing begin.

This book is just a really fun way to survive your family if they make you crazy (and whose family doesn't - right!?) I am a huge fan of word games and crafty stuff and wiling away hours doing silly projects... this book is perfect for that. Plus there is the added bonus of the last chapter - coping. It is fun and self helpy without actually being self helpy! Yay! I am definitely buying some more copies for my friends.

I bought the 'Dysfunctional Family Funbook' on a whim, thinking that it would be fun to read on the plane ride home to see the folks. I LOVED it so much that I bought 10 copies to give out as Christmas gifts. What a great stocking stuffer! Keep 'em coming, Ms. Brockett!

Catheryn Brockett's Dysfunctional Family Funbook is a riot. You'll laugh -- and maybe cringe with recognition at some of her games and exercises. But there is a very nice takeaway as well: everyone has trouble going home for the holidays. it's hard to maintain your own adult identity when you're back with family -- even if your family is totally functional (whose is?). This book will help keep your mood light and give you some perspective when caught up in the insanity of "home for the holidays." Buy two, as you'll probably keep the first one for yourself.

In this book, you'll find explanation about many things of golden age, old wars, and all thigs that you'd want to know about lunars. I like so much.

Perhaps the most massive revamp of all the exalted types. MoEP: Lunars makes the Lunars as cool mechanically as they are thematically. Not only that, but it expands everything the Lunars are about and ingrains them deeper into the setting.

A vast improvement over its First Edition predecessor. Rather than savage barbarians dwelling at the edges of shaped existence, this book offers the a vision of the Lunars as Stewards of Creation. The Silver Pact now consists of diverse factions, many of which not only tolerate the existence of civilization, but who have actively participated in creation and behind-the-scenes oversight of city states and republics. This new take on the Lunar Exalted adds much needed depth to the Children of the Moon, as well as making it possible to play a wide variety of potential characters, beyond the city-hating, civilization-smashing man-beast.

I can't really speak to the mechanical improvements, since I have yet to play a lunar character in a game, but the backstory alone is an enormous improvement over 1st ed. Back then, Lunars were like a bunch of old World o' Darkness were____s that had wandered into the wrong gameworld--they hated civilization, preferring the 'purity' of the 'barbarians.' Conan plus anarcho-primitivism, how appealing. That, and the old rules made Lunars probably the least popular Exalt type book in the old edition.
Now, however, the Lunar backstory and culture are free of fantasy cliches (ie 'Barbarians') and sure to provide great kernels for character creation. The basic concept that the lunars are 'stewards' as opposed to the Solar 'lawgivers' is well developed into an exalt ethos that puts emphasis on mortal self-determination and self-reliance, a really interesting contrast to the Solar and Terrestrial desire to set themselves up as God-Kings. The factions of the lunars are fleshed out nicely--The Winding Path are dedicated to helping as many different societies as possible evolve among mortals. The Sun King Seneschals once merely hated the Terrestrials but now that the Solars are back may want to be the power behind the throne. The Crossroads Society are the sorcerers who trade lore and take a leading role in protecting the Lunars from the Wyld. Finally the Swords of Luna fight the fair folk (that's it) and the Wardens of Gaia are either civilization-loathing primitivists or simply greens who would like to see mortals live in harmony with nature.

In short, while the old lunars book did little more than provide crazed, not particularly fleshed-out antagonists, the new lunars book paints a picture of exalts at least as interesting as the solars who can either have wonderful adventures on their own or add a new angle to a game with Solars.

Well I must first say that english is not my native language so please forgive me if I make mistakes. Thanks.

Now as for the Lunar Exalted Book. WOAW. Simple.
They completely erradicated all the mistakes of the Lunars First Edition.
Now Lunars are complete characters full of options and with a nice setting, nice background, history, great Knacks, Charms, Gifts and Fury stuff. Excellent new backgrounds, details on what they been doing this last centuries. A good reasoning of the Wyld core in all Lunar Essences. A great explanation of why they need the moonsilver ink tattoos and their restrictions. Also the Thousand Rivers proyect and their involvement in human populations like Halta, Chiaroscuro, Diamond, etc..

IF I have some disagreements with the book would be that some Charms (7) dont work well. Certain lack of Wyld Mutations to develop the Combat Form of the Lunar (cause they are spread between the Main Corebook, the Compass of Celestial Directions The Wyld and in this Book) I feel like they should have reprinted a complete list of possible Wyld Mutations and rules in this Corebook. Personally I feel that maybe they should have given a little more importance to Artifacts made of Moonsilver and maybe special Celestial Sorcery Spells unique to Lunars. But this is just an opinion.

So far an excellent book. Full of great things.
I hunger to play a full-fledged Shapeshifter that can edure anything and slay Creation's enemies while saving humankind from threats of the Wyld!

This is a super book. Sam's simplified tiering system makes ranking players easy for the beginner or the veteran. There are techniques for getting the best team on draft day and tips to guide you through the entire season. An added bonus are the detailed descriptions on the types of leagues that are out there and how all the scoring systems work. Get and read this book and you can be a champion in any league!

JK

Fantasy Football has been a major pastime for football fans and those who dream to be a coach. "Fantasy Football Guidebook: Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football" is a complete and comprehensive strategy guide for those who have taken a liking to the game and want to get an edge on their opponents. Covering the history of the concept alongside the strategies, "Fantasy Football Guidebook: Your Comprehensive Guide to Playing Fantasy Football" is an ideal gift for any fantasy football player and recommended for community library sports collections.

This is the first book to explore every possible fantasy football topic. I know that sounds ambitious but that is exactly what this book does!!!!

Four hundred pages of theories, strategies, tips and rules to make you a better player and a better commissioner or owner. This book has it all.

Chapters on:
-Scoring systems
-Ranking players
-Advanced Draft theories (VBD, AVT etc)
-Start/bench strategy
-Free agency upgrades
-Auction tips
-Auction strategies
-WCOFF, NFFC and AFFL
-Rule variations
-Commissioner tips
-IDP Leagues
-Keeper/Dynasty Leagues
and much more. It has something for every level of player.

This book has been described as a "thinking mans fantasy football book". I take that as a huge compliment. That is exactly what I set out to do. I wanted a comprehensive book that went beyond the basics of fantasy football. A few years ago, I searched for a reference book to explain everything about fantasy football and when I could not find such a book, I decided to write it. Over two years later and you have a hardback or paperback, 400-page reference book to refer to year after year, authored by an individual with a .725 regular season winning percentage at the prestigious World Championship of Fantasy Football (WCOFF).

Am I biased? You bet I am. I wrote this book. But over 500 other people have bought it in the past 6 months so I wanted to invite you to check out the "Search inside feature" on this web page or ask a friend about it or go to a bookstore and leaf through it and make up your own mind.

I promise, you will not be disappointed.

Fantasy Football Guidebook is a great book. I have participated in fantasy football for several years. This year, however, my wife decided she wanted to learn the "game" and draft her own team. She bought the Fantasy Football Guidebook to help her learn the game. Eventually, she was spouting strategy and making decisions based on issues I'd never considered. So I decided to read the book, too. Wow! Not only did I learn a great deal more about the game itself, but I have continued to use it as a reference throughout the season. This book is the only source you need, whether you're a rookie or a veteran. Many thanks to Sam Hendricks and his team of professionals. His style is smooth and light, and the added humor is refreshing.

This book is excellent! I am new to fantasy football and I usually purchase a few books on any new subject, but not in this case. It is the only book I've needed to feel comfortable on all aspects of the game. Every phase is covered in great detail, and I was very prepared for the draft - more prepared than some of the old timers in our league. Now that the season has started I refer to it constantly and I'm doing great. It also covers advanced topics so I know I'll be using this book for many seasons to come - I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about learning and winning in fantasy football!

First, you must understand that Roger Angell has an ear for the language that's unlikely to be surpassed for many years. He was particularly a master of cadence. His virtuosity made even ordinary narrative sing.
Second, Angell understands, indeed reveres, the eloquence of ordinary people.
Third, he sees in this complex, maddening game a key to the virtues of his countrymen.
Home, especially if you know nothing or care less about baseball, this is a marvelous lesson in how to write.

"Five Seasons" is just as good as "The Summer Game", but my personal perceptions, part of maturation, changed my perception of the book. Roger Angell's first work covered events before I was aware of them and then those that occurred in my most formative, fanatical, baseball-crazy years. "Five Seasons" describes years in which I was still a huge baseball fan (I always have been and always will be), but they are all events I witnesed. For this reason, and because as I grew older my interests - girls, cars, awareness, life - changed, so too does my impression of Angell's writing. Do not take this as any kind of put down. To a younger reader who did not witness the events in "Five Seasons", I assure you that Angell's writing can fill you with wonder as much as "The Summer Game" did for me. It has been said, and I agree here, that baseball is the preferred game of intellectuals, or at least educated people. Nobody embodies this reality better than Angell and his writings.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM

This is a depressing book. Not because its subject is depressing; we're not talking about the Ukranian famine of 1932 here. No, this is a "You are there" book written at the end of baseball as we knew it. We weren't aware of that at the time, though we could see that things were changing. But we thought, and were repeatedly assured, that the changes would work themselves out. However, if you're over 40, you know they didn't, and baseball is a far less fun activity as a fan than it was then. There are innumerable little tidbits that make you see how much things have deteriorated. Tom Seaver pitches 12 innings. 12! A manager today would have the talk radio hordes ready to unman him for that, but it is only one of many. Steve Carlton threw 30 complete games in 1972. Contemplate that. 30. More than most teams, heck, probably more than most divisions today. He won 27 games on a team that won 59 total. Unfathomable. But unlike the managers who fear their million dollar boys will throw out their arms, Carlton came back and achieved that for more than another decade. Sure he was a great. But there are innumerable tales through here of guys who weren't greats, just solid players, performing in ways that would be unheard of, or at the minimum, worth millions of dollars, today, and doing it happily, without whining, griping, complaining, simpering or gloating.

Angell chronicles 5 wonderful seasons in the history of baseball, the years of Finley's Athletics and the Big Red Machine, and a new owner for the Yankees named George Steinbrenner, the arrival of Robin Yount and Mark Fidrych and George Brett and oh so many others. But because it is reporting, he also documents the arrival of guys who flashed briefly and then vanished. Baseball is like that.

But it is the creeping arrival of ugliness that hurts to read. Reggie's showboating. Young kids who don't respect their manager. And big money. The sports page went from stories about hits and errors to tales of contract negotiations, threats, and free agency. I know money has always been a part of the game, and there were drunks, wife-beaters, and thugs in baseball since the beginning. But the big contracts and big payrolls have made all the teams change their perspective, and though throughout this book the players assure us we won't think differently about them as a result of these changes, we do. Teams are no longer teams as they once were, a reliable group of guys who continued for years together and added the missing piece or replaced the aging veteran incrementally. They are an assemblage of whomever can be gathered up to make a winner. Because we still want a winner, but we no longer care about the guys who do the winning. How sad. And for me and many of my generation, how boring. Baseball just isn't what it was, and it isn't the DH or the long season or frigid World Series games. No, it's money, and the game has been permanently corrupted by it. So read this to see how it once was, how glory and honor could be achieved on the field rather than in the contract.

And feel disheartened for what we've lost, with nothing good to replace it.

Roger Angell writes about baseball with a poetic mix of reverence, humor and eloquence. He's provided readers with several five-star baseball narratives, and this one is as good as any. It's now dated, covering the national pastime from 1972-1976, but it remains well worth reading. Among the themes are the Charlie Finley's Oakland A's, Hank Aaron's home run feats, the Big Red Machine, the coming of free agency and big money, and the superb 1975 World Series between Cincinnati and Boston - whose sixth game is considered by many fans as the greatest one ever played. Among the personalities covered are Reggie Jackson, Lou Brock, Steve Blass (who mysteriously lost his control), and a trio of middle-aged Detroit Tiger fans whose love for baseball seems a reflection of the author himself. In addition to his flowing prose, Angell mixes his maturity with a child's awe. Angell may not be the top baseball writer of all time, but few doubt he's a serious contender.

Part two of Roger Angell's 15 year written love affair with baseball...this book picks up where "The Summer Game" left off and doesn't miss a beat, covering the 1972 through 1976 seasons. Each chapter has all the classic written/observed anecdotes that Angell is famous for, as well as expert detailed coverage of the game(s) and the ever-discouraging front-office activities that the 70's were famous for (the Reserve Clause, the advent of Free Agency...etc). Still, Angell's ability to write insightful and elegant observations are what make this and The Summer Game standout and really makes all other baseball writing pale by comparison. For this book, he also adds something different when he takes on small projects such as following a Major League scout around the country, visiting with three Detroit Tiger fanatics and detailing the almost tragic rise and fall of Steve Blass, the Pittsburgh Pirate hero from the 1971 World Series. Each of these off-normal stories essentially "tells" itself, but Angell frames each in his own inimitable style that really defines "story-telling". I have such high regard for his writing that I wish he'd take on other projects (like history writing in general), as I'm sure that he'd excel there too (of course, being in his 80's probably has a lot to do with which projects he chooses to undertake). I read recently that Angell hates being called the "Poet Laureat" of baseball writing, but I can't think of a finer term for so marvelous a writer. This book should be combined with "Summer Game" and re-issued as a single volume for future writers to use as a model for taking a subject and turn it into expert storytelling. Highest recommendation!

If you have never painted a miniature before _and_ are particularly interested in historical figures, this is the book for you. The Foundry technique is a very straightforward style for creating great miniatures: basically it relies on 1 to 3 layers of color + sharp black lines for definition. The black lining actually gives the dramatic results.

If you are interested in painting fantasy or scifi miniatures, the technique will definitely work but is fairly different from current styles as it makes little to no use of washes or glazes. Having no access to Foundry paints, I'm trying it with other brands (GW, Vallejo).

The book itself is of excellent production quality; the images are clear and rich in detail, the writing well done (I saw one typo in the entire book) and the examples helpful. It's a pleasure to read and browse through.

My criticisms of the book center mostly around a few secondary areas: brush maintenance, basing and terrain construction. The book doesn't discuss how to condition brush hairs, and I dislike the Foundry basing style as being too drab. Terrain construction is simply too complex of a topic to tack on and belongs in a different book.

This book is an excellent "first book" for learning how to paint miniatures with very respectable paint-jobs. Aside from painting, the book offers guidance on tools, workspace organization, fundamental techniques, etc. The book is loaded with great color photos of minis spanning several genres. The majority of the book focuses on the basic 3-layer technique of applying base-coat, followed by two successively lighter layers of highlights. This technique is effective and fast, but the book shows its age by stopping there as its most advanced technique. More current painting standards include washes, blending, glazes, wet palettes, additives, etc. All in all, the book deserves the title, "classic", but advanced painters are better served buying more current DVD tutorials.

Although I don't strictly use Kevin's methods, I am a big fan of his work. This book maps out growing from a beginner in the hobby to a seasoned painter in a few simple steps, provided you use foundry paint. Using other brands, such as Vallejo or GW will inevitably add a few steps, which may make the learning curve a bit steeper for a beginner, but should be easy enough for those with a bit of experience. He covers a number of genres including historical, fantasy, an sci fi and the scheme considerations for each. Overall, and excellent addition to any wargamer's library.

I think the syatem of painting given in the book is a great one for 25mm wargaming figures. You could use it for smaller scales, but it is probably overkill (I use an easier paint and wash method that gives great results for 15mm, 6mm figures do not even require a wash). For larger figures or ones intended for display, I would be VERY dissapointed with the results (you will need to use some type of blending method). If you are looking to do 25mm for wargames, this method really does work and the book is excellent at telling you how! Highly recommended.

Dallimore has provided an excellent guide to the eye-catching 'Foundry' style of painting in this book. Clearly presented with illustrated step-by-step guides and a plethora of example images for inspiration - many historical eras along with fantasy, steampunk and sci-fi are all covered - this book is a must have for any miniatures painter, from beginner to advanced. The only criticism is that the paints referred to are all Foundry products (unsurprising considering the title of the book). However, conversion guides from Foundry to Games Workshop, Vallejo, Plaka and many other brands of paint are easily found online. Highly reccomended!

I planned to do a talk on the subject of the mathematics of a particular game, called Snood, and I had to learn Game Theory quickly to do so. This book explains things well, and the exercises, while easy enough to do in my head, still cement everything very well so that I can honestly say that I have a solid understanding of the subject even though I just picked up a single book.

Very good.

Game theory is an area of mathematics that has a very short history; it began with the publication of the classic book, "Theory of Games and Economic Behavior" by John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern in 1944. It is a very dynamic field, having applications ranging from parlor games to economic competition to potential warfare between nations. Straffin covers all of these areas in a manner accessible to anyone with a mathematical bent.
To me, the most interesting games are those that rely on the unpredictability of human behavior and there is nothing better to illustrate this than the prisoner's dilemma. Two criminals are captured and kept in separate rooms. If both keep silent, there is no evidence against them and they are released, but if one talks and the other doesn't the talker gets a reward and the silent one gets two years. If both confess, then each gets one year. In the standard model, the fear of being the fall guy causes both to confess, even though it is to their mutual advantage for both to keep silent. Straffin covers this situation in detail.
As some of the examples point out, free markets, where each participant pursues their self-interest are not always the most efficient way to allocate resources or make decisions. Cooperation between the participants where each gets something less than the potential optimal can be the superior way to make decisions. This occurs when the payoff is high when only a few can take advantage but is negative or low if all try to take advantage.
There is no area of mathematics that can match the fascinating consequences of game theory. It is about the complex interactions between humans, both individually and in groups. In my opinion, it is impossible to understand sociology if you lack understanding of basic game theory. This book is the best place to acquire that understanding.

This is a good first book about game theory for those who are not afraid of math but not mathematically inclined. The book is full of math but the simple explanations and the way the author builds up to the theory makes it simple to follow.

I actually bought this copy for my library. I had used this book in college but had borrowed that copy from a friend.

I found this book accessible when I first read it in 9th grade, and I still find it fascinating today as a soon-to-be grad student in math.

I read a couple of books on game theory. This is one of the better books... but it also has one small advantage... it's small. I carry it almost everywhere and read its short chapters (another advantage) without getting too tired. It's also quite difficult to get tired reading the book as the author keeps his explanations fairly simple, lively, and to the point.

A good spread of topics and examples too!