Games Books

The SEC is my favorite football conference, but I wanted to read this book. Jim Tressel shows readers that there is more to his life than football after reading this book. Chris Fabry collaborated well with Tressel. I own 10 different books about John Wooden's Pyramid of Success and the Block O had its genesis from Tressel's interest in the pyramid. This is not a stereotypical coaches book that centers on four yards and a cloud of dust. This expands to real life. John Maxwell writing the forward is indicative of that.

I was impressed with his mentioning of hearing Bobby Richardson and being impacting by hs quote, "If the game of life ended tonight, would you be a winner?" The influence of his parents, especially his father was interesting. I especially saw insights about his thoughts about his dad when he mentioned his dad coaching at Baldwin Wallace University.

I like the anecdote about James Laurinaitis visiting the boy in the hospital who was wearing his jersey when injured in a lawn-mower accident. The by cried when they cut his jersey. I appreciated Tressel mentioning the impact of the American soldiers who are fans of The Ohio State University.

Tressel is an interesting person as a subject for a sports fan. Even though in a short span he went from coaching Youngstown State University to coaching The Ohio State University to a national championship, he considers being more important than doing. That was expressed by his contrition for telling a YSU after he committed a personal foul, "You are not worth 15 yards."

I feel better as a person for reading this book. There are some things I would have liked to have seen in the book. I wished Tressel would have mentioned what he learned as a person from dealing with Maurice Clarett. It would have been nice it book were bigger to include more about The Winners Manual as long as he did not give away information that would be harmful to his team or helpful to his opponent.

I would recommend a coach reading this book and making sure their players read the book for personal development for the whole person.

This book is one of two books that I will use as a reference for self improvement. It was a great "how to be your best" guide. I loved the numerous anecdotes and inspiring quotes. I especially loved the stories about individual YSU and Ohio State football players. This is definately a book you don't want to miss!

This book provides much insite into not only Coach Tressels' program and philosophy, but also illuminates many reasons why OSU is able to attract so many quality recruits to their school. With pressure to win year after year in major college sports programs, it is easy to see why a prospective student-athlete and parents would see value at OSU compared to other programs that are more football-only oriented. I did not attend Ohio State so I don't believe I have some of the more fervent bias held by actual Buckeyes. In fact, my son, a current Florida Gator, also read the book and is using the 'Block O of life' guide for his own personal development [even though he doesn't dare refer to it by name while in Gainesville]. I congratulate and thank Coach Tressel in his effort to share part of his program and am sure it will be of some degree of benefit to anyone who reads it.

Not one to buy positive motivational books I gave this one a try because I admire the author. There is a load of ideas one could adapt for personal use in this book. he author does not try and sell you on 'his program'. He is just sharing what has worked for him and his programs over the years. You pick and choose what you want to do with it.
It is also a good insite into a major college football program.

I almost stopped reading this book after the first hour because I was afraid I would have to rethink my perspective.
I might have to change my ways.
I'm going to set some life changing goals and its all because of Jim Tressel.
I thought this was going to be a "Book of quotes", but its not, its deep.
I actually feel like a better person.
To be a championship team, you must first become a group of individual champions.
It has a religious feel to it, but in a broad and general "Be a good person, find inner peace, be the best you can be in whatever you do, go do good things in your community" type of way.
I already knew Jim Tressel was some kind of super human, i just had no idea how super he was.

I was wondering what my wife and kids could do this summer that wouldn't break the budget. Boy am I glad I found this book. Great customer service too. Thanks for the ideas!

My granddaughter is with me during part of the summer. When the books arrived, she was almost six.
We found some interesting things to do. I monitor her tv and computer viewing. So when she got bored and it was not tv time, she would say: get the book! And we always found some fun things to do.

This book is great for days when your board. You need almost nothing to to all the activities. We use it much more than our other craft books! You must by it!

I tripped across this book at my local library and I am here looking for my own copy, as we are limited on how long we keep it. I brutally removed the kids from their TV addiction, and the transition has been difficult on the older ones especially. This book has been my salvation. The prereader like to pick out things by picture, my beginner read has no problem understanding the direction and my toddler and teen get involved too. We have used this to fill the huge void of television and to stave of the "mom I am bored..." routine. This is a small book it fits in my purse and we take it with us everywhere. Breaking the index down by activity type means I can have a Doctor's waiting room idea or a park idea up in running in 2 minutes. The materials list is in the margin for easy access and all the material are everyday every house items, half of which are in my purse any way... This book is a keeper!

This book was recommended in the book Living the Simple Life. I'm so glad I took the time to get it. It's a wonderful resource for busy families looking to spend some quality time together. So turn that TV off and buy this book. Encourages you and your child's imagination and they learn through playing with simple things around the house and the bonus is that by not watching that TV, you've spent memorable time with each other...what could be better?

This is one of my favorite 500 books. It is the perfect book for those days when inspiration is hard to find!

I bought this book and looked through it with post its to label all the interesting teapot ideas I was drawn to. When considering this book, I wasn't particularly drawn to the cover teapot and wondered if I would be disappointed in the authors picks, but I wasn't. This is a great visual resource for my classroom and studio.

As someone else has commented, I would have given this book 5 stars if the author hadn't repeated multiple photos of very similar teapots by the same artist.

As a ceramics teacher who teaches her students how to build teapots, this book is a wonderful resource. The pictures are great and it helps give students a better understanding of what a teapot can look like.

500 TEAPPOTS is an wonderful book and is sure to inspire both potters and tea drinkers alike. It is a wonderful companion to 500 BOWLS. I hope they publish ANOTHER 500 TEAPOTS (BOWLS, too).

But if I were a little teapot, I'd be one of the beautiful ones in this book. There are teapots both plain, and beyond description to fascinate, amuse and amaze you. If you know a little about firing ceramics, and glaze technology, the information provided will deepen your appreciation of each teapot. You may find that some of these artists are in your area, and have ceramics for sale. Or if you just like teapots, there enough teapots here in beautiful color photos to sate your appetite.

I've been developping applications and amateur games for a few years using C++... I bought this book along with the Director Bible... And guess what? I made a shoot'em up game in a couple of days - with the help of my brother (graphic designer - thanks for your beautiful sprites, dud! ;) )... Director + Lingo are the best way for quick games... and this book just show me how!!!
Thanks!

Gary has done the Lingo community an amazing service. With code and logic examples that illustrate nearly every variety of game you can create to be played on a computer, this book is an incredible resource.

The examples in this book made it possible to deliver a game-rich CD project with an incredibly tight timeline.

Thanks Gary!

I have a programming background and am learning Director to make professional CD products. Gary has taught me how to do this with his Using Director 8.5 book and this Advanced Lingo for Games book. He writes very well, doesn't treat you like an idiot, and is very practical. Well done Gary and I recommend this book to all people who really want to make interactive games using Director.

I am a Lingo programmer for 4 years and this book helped me advance to the next level in Lingo Programming. Using this book helped me to understand writing my own 'behaviors' and took my understanding of 'lists' to a higher level. I owe alot of my success to this book.

Rich
Multimedia Programmer
Motorola

I've been writing Lingo for some time now, and I probably own upwards of 15 books on the subject. Of all of those books, the two that I find the most helpful every step of the way are undoubtedly Gary's most recent 2 books (this one and "Director 8.5 Special Edition"). Lots of Lingo authors know Director inside and out, but what sets Gary's books on the subject apart is his colorful writing style and an uncanny ability to break down ultra-complex scripts into palatable bite-sized chunks that even a newbie will understand. Highly recommended!

Great Book. It's a wonderful comparison of the manga and the Anime as well as a great reference for how each character is developed. Also makes a great picture book for my 2 year old. She sits with daddy and looks at the picturers.

This book has lots of interesting info on all the characters and enemies throughout the first part of this great anime/manga series Inuyasha. It has many full colored pages and director, voice actor,etc, commentary. It also features sketches of important characters and enemies in the series from Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku to Kaede, Seshomaru, Jaken, Yura, Mistress Centipede, and many others. I found the sketches useful for learning how to draw. Anyways, this is definetly a must have for all Inuyasha fans.

First of all, let me say my daughter is a complete InuYahsa addict. :) She loves the serial tale. That said, this book is marvelous! It has drawing examples, story snippets, voice character interviews.... very informative.

Beautifully colored drawings and detailed black and white work.

My only complaint refers to the hardbound version..... The spine of the book broke down the back very quickly and had to be taped. Otherwise the book is very well constructed.

Be aware the book is made to read from back to front in the typical Japanese manga manner. A little difficult for me, but my 9 year old daughter grasped the concept immediately....

Well worth the money for reference value alone.

Other reviewers have given accurate particulars about this volume, and I agree with their high ratings. This book is really a delight and a perfect way to spend a couple hours in Inuyasha bliss. I was incredibly impressed with the color panels from the manga, taken from Shonen Sunday Jump. The beautiful printing job brings out the quality of Takahashi's art, and I find myself going back and studying these pages again and again. There is also a nice section at the beginning (short but sweet) about the difference between manga and animation when it comes to storytelling techniques. As it's been said elsewhere in these reviews, if you're a fan of Inuyasha, this is a must-have. Keep in mind this isn't a voluminous book with tons of text ... you can read the whole thing in just two or three hours. But the art in it, and its A-plus presentation here, offers many more hours of enjoyment and you may, like me, find yourself returning to this book repeatedly and feeling like you've picked it up for the very first time. The art in it is that good.

I am actually over 13 years old , however I didnt want to give my email address out so I said I was younger. This is a great book. I bought it for my 16 year old son and he absolutely LOVES it. He is into drawing japanese animation and this book was a great inspiration. All of his friends who are mostly the same age want to get the book to. I did see it at Borders also , for the same price , and you dont have to pay shipping and handling charges, also you dont have to wait for it to show up. Borders also had a huge selection of other Inuyasha books and other Japanese animation characters.

I purchased this CD-ROM many years ago, when it first came out, from the Metropolitan Opera House store. At that time it cost $100. I can't tell you how much I have loved and used this CD-ROM over the years. It's an amazing piece of programming - and everything works like a finely tuned clock. I teach the Ring to beginners and advanced opera lovers from time to time and use this to pull down the lietmotifs and learn more about The Ring. Every time I use it I learn something new. It is indeed a course on The Ring in its finest form. I recommend it to anyone who wants to delve deeper in Wagner's Ring to find out what all the fuss is about. A real treasure!

I am very grateful for those who helped create this CD-ROM.

It is an indispensible asset for any musicologist, music student, music teacher, music lover...heck, Wagner Lover!

This forms an extremely vital part of my Wagner discography, it's an important reference I always have on hand when wanting to study the epic Ring Cycle.

Thanks for choosing the Solti version and I guess those of us that were impressed by this are looking forward to further Wagner/Solti CD-ROM's hopefully dedicated to keeping Solti's Wagner legacy alive!

This is an incredible product! For those that like to follow the manuscript, the music and the translation of the libretto, this is excellent. I would love to see more of these. I will buy.

I agree with all the other glowing reviews of the Ring Disc! In 2003, I had the opportunity to perform excerpts from the Ring (I'm an orchestral violinist) but did not know a thing about the opera cycle except for maybe Ride of the Valkyries. Fortunately, my violin teacher owned the Ring Disc which she lent me, and with it I basically gave myself a crash course on the Ring in the space of a week. I really felt that its features helped me begin to understand, in a relatively short period of time, one of classical music's most daunting masterpieces. I now love the Ring and can't wait to attend my first Ring cycle!

As everyone else has already stated, this disc is absolutely amazing. Just getting the entire Solti Ring at this price makes it a bargain. But add in all the essays, the pointing out of the leitmotiffs, the libretto, the running commentary, and all the other features, and this is the kind of deal that you would be crazy to pass up. This disc is, probably, the best and most efficient way to learn everything you need to know about the Ring. Also, if you're worried about compatability, don't be. I have Windows XP, and the disc runs perfectly with no installation or technical hassles. Just put it in and start the experience. If you are at all interested in Wagner's Ring cycle, this disc is perfect!

I love this book and have bought it for several of my coaching friends. Full of great info from one of the best. Good diagrams and great instruction on how to implement multiple offenses and defenses. One of my favorite coaching books (and I have a ton). A great higher-level resource.

I have read this book over and over again. It has been a useful tool is my basketball coaching.

This book is page after page of super basketball information. It goes into great detail offenses and defenses from simple to complex. But best of all, it is written with an emphasis on the fundamentals, which will make any team better. I really recommend this book for any coach, beginner to seasoned veteran, there is a wealth of valuable information from cover to cover.

This is an awesome book. A lot of useful information for students, professionals and athletes.

I coached a camp this past summer in which a few coaches were discussing this book and referred to it as "The Holy Grail" of basketball books. To any coach looking for new perspectives and strategies, I would strongly recommend this book. You may not be able to use everything, and some of the information is a bit dated, but it prompted a million ideas of my own, and helped me plan out some fresh drills, plays, and defenses for my team.

It was in very good condition, came in a quick amount of time and Was very cheap about half off the retail price, while in the same condition you would find it, in any book store. I was very pleased with the order and if the seller has anything else in future, I would buy from him and suggest to others to buy from this seller.

BESM (Besm): How do I put this? This book is anything every GM, DM, Storyteller, or player could hope for. This book makes any storyline possible, any ability ever imagined can be done, this book is as limitless as the genre its about. Keep in mind this comes at a minor price. This is really not a beginners book into role-playing. Although it does give you a grasp of role playing if you are not used to complicated rolling procedures it shouldnt be used as a game book. If that is the case, it still makes a great resource book for comming up with stories. If you wish to put the time into it to make it your primary book it can be most worth it.

I liked the book it makes it easy to create a rpg based of any kinda anime. The ruels are easy and simple. I've even started applying the weapon flaw rules to my D20 games

Big Eyes Small Mouth has gotten even better.

For those who enjoyed the tweaks made to the 2nd edition, these words may be hard to believe, but trust me, it's true. With the newest edition of their anime-inspired role-playing game system, Mark C. MacKinnon and David Pulver have created what is at once both an incredibly streamlined, simple, and fun game, and also a deeply complex, customizable, and rich gaming experience.

First, the TriStat system, what the original BESM was built on (using the three stats of Body, Mind, and Soul to build a character and make rolls) has been changed to a roll-high rather than roll-low system. Instead of trying to roll under a number, you're now trying roll above it, making the game more intuitive and accessable for afficionados of other games like D&D and GURPS. Most everything else will be similar however. You still get a set number of points with which to buy your stats, collect Attributes and Skills (which have now been more integrated, nixing the need to load up on 6 levels of Highly Skilled in order to have a competent character), and get bonus points with Defects.

The changes made to these standbys are mostly "more of everything." You start out with more points than ever before, so most things cost more. However, you also have a broader spectrum of powerful attributes from which to choose, with effects that you can either customize (creating anything from a powerful magic artifact to a highly-evolved AI in your spy gear) or can leave completely alone if you don't want to fuss with the rules. Constant notes (titled "Keep it Simple") are made throughout the book of ways to streamline the experience to make it less complicated, even allowing for near-diceless playing (by "taking 6" instead of actually rolling).

Combat has been expanded as well, with more Armour options (including expanded Shield mechanics for defense), more information on performing wild stunts (in or out of vehicles), and several tactical options like going all defensive (to gain a bonus by not attacking) or holding your action until triggered by your enemy (allowing you break their stride during an attack). Many elements that used to be seperated are now combined to allow for less confusion (Kensei and Gun Bunny are now all "Combat Techniques," so you Munchkins don't have to spend twice the points to be able to wield both two swords AND two guns), and features like "Targeted" abilities allow you to gain bonuses when facing certain foes with certain weapons.

Magic has also recived an overhaul, with powers being divided into Dynamic Powers or bought individually as abilites (Flight, Mind Control, etc.), or even created using customizable attributes with enhancements, defects, and even some spell and spellcaster templates (Want a targeted beam of holy destruction to smite your enemies? You got it, and if you don't like the example in the book, make up your own).

Additionally, there are more options than ever for items, character classes and races (more than 40 templates are provided for classes and races in 3rd Edition like Half-Orcs, cat-girl Nekojin, Mercenaries, Students, and Demon Hunters), and, most importantly, setting.

Skills now have even more genre options (new examples include Historical: Steampunk, Modern Day: Superhero, and Historical: Ancient Greece/Rome) leading to even more options for customizing the setting of your game. In addition, BESM now has an official setting - the Anime Multiverse, seven interconnected worlds linked by the Cosmic Web and joined by World Gates. Earth is joined by the demon world Bazaroth, the high-fantasy Ikaris, the space-operatic Cathedral, and several others. You could start as a highschool studen on earth and end up as a space pirate rebelling against the Galatic Trade Authority in the Interstellar Diaspora.

Game Masters and players can either absorb all of this information for vast and almost-endlessly complex world-hopping adventures using loosely-canonized plot elements, or can just roll up a few basic characters for a simple game, or literally anything in-between. With BESM 3e, the creators have literally placed all of the power to create as complex or as simple a game in your hands, all using the same intuitive and easy-to learn mechanics and loveable style that made BESM a hit years ago.

So what are you waiting for? There's whole worlds out there to discover.

What can I say Big Eyes, Small mouth was like a gift from the gods. I was over at my brothers place for a weekend and he told me about this game. At that moment I made it my quest to get this book. You see I am a huge Otaku (Anime Fan). Well a roleplaying game that you get to roleplay an anime character well how could I not want to get it. I am also a very big person in RPGs as well I have been role playing for 12 years. Played Vampire, D&D 2ed & 3rd, Kindred of the east, Chtulhu, and others not going to name them all. But this RPG I now love more then all the others. The types of Genres and settings are limitless and the only limit you have is your own imagination. You can play anything from Big giant Mecha battles like you see in Robotech, Macross, and VOLTRON!! All the way to your supernatural horrors to even your fantasy worlds like D&D you could even have a game like Vampire. The Characters aren't limited to Races or classes like most games are. Its a very wonderful game. I recommend anyone who is creative and who loves anime to purchase this book. I even have people who hate anime interested in this game and they enjoy playing it. So buy a copy of this book you won't be disappointed.

I got a belated birthday present from a friend last week, Between Friends by Charlotte Lyons. What a wonderful surprise. Charlotte Lyons has made several craft books on different topics. This one is about projects you can share with friends. What about starting a craft group with some good friends or giving away a small hand made gift when you go for a visit or enclosing some fabric in a letter for a dear friend. The book gives alot of creative and great suggestions.

I have done all this, and still do. As a matter of fact, the friend who gave me the book and I have shared so many crafty projects over the years. There really are no limits in what you can do. And as it's said on the cover of the book - in an era when women set aside very little leisure time for themselves, let alone for their friends, Between Friends provides the perfect excuse to invite the girls over.

The great thing about this book is that Charlotte Lyons has collected so many different things you can do, and put them together in a charming and quite whimsical way. Don't start reading the book late in the night. You will never be able to go to bed then untill you have started a new project, phoned a friend to discuss some new yarn you saw in town earlier that day, or written a letter to a pinpal with pictures of some of your latest quilts.

The book will be a favorite of mine for years to come, and I know it will inspire me to make wonderful gifts for and with my friends from all over the world. And a little secret. MY Between Friends has a little handmade bookmark, embroidered with the words"If friends were flowers, I'd pick you" - made special for me by my special sharing friend.

Britt Arnhild Lindland

These are lots of fun and in many cases practical too :) One thing that's especially neat about this book isthat the crafts are broken down into chapters according to how long they'll likely take (e.g. Chapter 1: "in an hour" - these are crafts like seed packets, paper weights, quick frame, painted tea pot etc; Chapter 2: Half a day - these are crafts like note box, a book bag, flea market pillow, oatmeal cake, etc; Chapter 3: All Day -memo board, cachepots, postcard holder etc; Chapter 4: Over the weekend: these include a journal, topsy-turvey doll, wall clock, tea cozy; Chapter 5: As long as it takes - garden throw, craft cabinet, hooked rug, memory album, friendship quilt)

The end of the book has sources, glossary and patterns.

There are lots of pictures (color) throughout, great stories of friends doing things together, good instructions.

Super book - makes a great gift to a friend as well

Plan a leisurely project with friends with the aid of Between Friends, which includes craft projects meant to be shared. From onehour to allday and longterm projects, these are organized first by time frame, making it easy for friends to pick projects that lend to easy scheduling. Sample ideas: a wall clock, doll, postcard holder, or memo board.

I received this book as a gift from a good friend. Even if you're not an experienced crafter but have a fun group of friends, get them together (add a little wine) and try some of these projects. You'll find some really good ideas for sharing your old photos, letters and treasures.

Charlotte Lyons has a real gift for creating something wonderful out of basic odds and ends. And her newest book, Between Friends, offers inspiration galore. Whether you have friends to share the craft projects with or simply want to escape the daily routine by making something alone this book is a fabulous resource. The instructions are very clear and the projects are cleverly organized by the amount of time they take. A great gift idea too.

Though not really a fan of Botvinnik's games - which don't compare with the beautiful clarity of Capablanca or Fischer (or with the breathtaking virtuosity of Tal) - I found this book very instructive. Botvinnik's annotations show HOW to analyse positions and HOW to find a clear strategic thread ,as well as hidden resources in seemingly dubious positions (e.g. Botvinnik's amazing win, despite two sets of doubled pawns, against Levenfish), in chess games.
Botvinnik's annotations are notable in their definitiveness - which contrasts, for example, with the more 'balanced' annotative style of Keres - that some might find dogmatic but which I found helpfully conclusive.

In this book Botvinnik demostrates why he came to be known as the "Iron Logician". His deep and lucid annotations help even ordinary players like me to understand the game of chess as played at the very highest level. I think this book is a genuine "grandmasterpiece." Dustan Straub

We usually read grandmasters' game collections not to improve our endgame or tactical abilities, but to understand chess strategy and planning. Of course, Botvinnik was also superb tactician and a very strong endgame player, so there is surprisingly first-rate endgame and tactical play here than one might think. But that is the icing on the cake. It is in his strategic undestanding that he was heads and shoulders above his contemporaries, and for this reason this book is such a great classic.

First of all, Botvinnik had an incredibly deep and accurate undestanding of which positional factors matter more in a given position: e.g., is it important that White has a double, isolated pawn or not--considering that he has two bishops? Second, he knew perfectly how to create a plan to maximize his positional advantages and minimize his disadvantages. Finally, he was unmatched in converting the strategically-winning position so achieved into an actual victory, by flawless "conversion" of his positional advantage to material, or a mating attack, or a won endgame.

All this comes out very clearly in both Botvinnik's play and his annotations. He makes it look simple: a result of the iron logic and single-minded sense of purposes that guided him throughout every game. The reader will learn a lot about what chess strategy and chess planning are all about, both in general and in particular (e.g., which positional factors tend to matter in what kind of positions).

The one slight problem, which isn't Botvinnik's fault of course, is that this Dover reprint is in desciptive notation (e.g., "1. e4 c5" = "1. P-K4 P-QB4") which might annoy some players. But it is well worth to spend an hour or so to familiarize oneself with this notation even specifically for this book, to say nothing of numerous other older chess books one is giving up on otherwise.

At less than $10, it's a bargain.

This old Dover underpriced book is a bible of chess wisdom from one of the strongest players to ever lift a pawn! The book is cramed with some of the best writting about chess you will ever find.My rating went from 1500 to 1800 after i reread this book back in the 70s.Chess was Science&Art to this Chess God. You will learn Chess the way it should be played today by a close study of this logical Chess Thinking World Champ!
Regards,
Scott Young

Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik was probably the most respected and feared world champion of modern times. In this respect, he certainly rivals Karpov and Kasparov, while his demeanour was more dignified than the latter's. Someone described the essential quality of Botvinnik's style as "iron logic", and that sums up the games in this collection.

A long time has passed since those days, and the names of the players will mostly be unfamiliar. The openings, too, may seem old-fashioned - but there is value in this. It's a chance to learn exactly what can happen if you play such-and-such a move, which nobody does nowadays. Moreover, Botvinnik's methodical building up of positional advantages has never been bettered and will reward patient study. Just where it looks most effortless, that is where the magic is hidden!