Games Books

The item arrived in a timely manner and it was the exact item I ordered.

A wide variety of different styles of puzzles, each with the payoff of several very good New Yorker cartoons, makes this book a blast to play with. I work hard to limit myself to only a couple of puzzles each time I pick it up (and so far I've refused to share the book with the gift-giver.) I've enjoyed it so much, I'm buying a copy for my mother for her birthday.

I was just cruising through my Big Box Bookstore to see what was appearing on the shelves for the upcoming Christmas season.In the Games section ,between a bunch of Crossword Puzzle books and what is becoming a flood of Sudoku and other number puzzle books,I spotted this little Gem.Most people who do crosswords know of Will Shortz of the NY Times Crossword puzzle fame,Robert Mankoff of Games Magazine and the famous New Yorker Magazine's Cartoons. Well, all these are combined and with some great "Thinking Outside the Box" have come up with a puzzle book that will entertain and challenge you.Some of the other reviewers have made reasonable attempts to describe these puzzles;so I won't try.What I suggest is to search it out in the store and get a feel for them.
This book is just the thing needed for those who have become obsessed with those Sudoku puzzles,have been doing nothing but crosswords for years, or even those who have never done much in the way of puzzles.
I'll tell you one thing;if you like puzzles,and who doesn't,and also like cartoons,and who doesn't;then you'll love this latest addition to the world of puzzles.

Is this a book of New Yorker cartoons or a puzzle book? Well, it's a little of both, and the result is a novel way to laugh and exercise your brain at the same time. Most of the 83 puzzles consist of cartoons that are missing words, captions, or picture components. By figuring out the missing elements and sometimes combining them with acrostics, crossword puzzles, or other word grids, the cartoon humor is revealed.

For the most part, the puzzles are of only moderate difficulty, although there are a few difficult ones (at least for me) that involve matching a cartoon with the decade in which it was created or matching cartoons from early and late in a cartoonist's career. Frequent puzzle solvers will recognize many of the familiar puzzle types from Games Magazine and other media that Puzzability publishes in. The foreword to the book contains a casual and loosely coupled conversation between New Yorker cartoon editor Robert Mankoff and New York Times puzzle editor Will Shortz.

This is an entertaining book that you'll hate to throw away when it's been completed because of all the witty cartoons it contains. Enjoy!

Eileen Rieback

I love word puzzles though I'm not a serious puzzler - I do a few crosswords a week and have owned maybe three puzzle books as an adult. I am, however, a big cartoon fan, though honestly I've been more FoxTrot & Calvin than I am the New Yorker. So, my favorite puzzles are cryptograms with cartoons. Don't find them much - but when I searched specifically for this, I discovered this book.

I enjoy the New Yorker Book of Cartoon Puzzles and Games (and have purchased a second copy for a friend) because the combo of puzzle and cartoon has proven very relaxing - I involve myself in a semi-hard puzzle, but then find a laugh waiting for me once it's solved. New Yorker cartoons do typically contain some of the least expected twists, and I found that here.

However, I don't think a serious puzzle person would be happy with this book, unless he were interested in the New Yorker cartoons. I say this only because the puzzles range from easy to medium difficulty for an adult. (A teen or younger might enjoy more of a challenge.) I still recommend this though - for a more relaxed puzzler like myself it's a good mental stroll.

Though not typically a history buff, I found it a pleasant surprise that the editors included the history of New Yorker cartoons, and with it a history of the U.S, WITHIN quite a few puzzles. Several times you are asked to place the puzzles in the correct time period (and the New Yorker puzzles go back at least to the 1920's) or even with the correct author/cartoonist. The puzzles are just challenging enough to give me a think (similar to a midweek newspaper crossword perhaps) but not overly hard. And there is an ABUNDANCE OF GREAT CARTOONS - usually five or six to each puzzle and often grouped in interesting ways/topics.

But what of those cryptograms? Good news is that they were well done, and with increasing difficulty; Disappointment is that there were only three pages of cryptograms while other types of puzzles were represented more. It does seem that the editors missed out on utilizing the perfect collaboration of crypts and cartoons.

I give it a 4 - enjoyed the cartoon aspect, most puzzles fun but some just too easy for an adult. Still worth the stroll.

I've looked everywhere for books or video's that would provide instruction on the proper way to play Straight Pool. There were dozens of players that offered dozens of home-spun versions of the game, but until now, I have been spinning my wheels. This is the best and most comprehensive book that I have ever seen on ANY game of pool. I'm well aquainted with Mr. Capelles previous publications, but none of them even come close to this one. I think the knowledge that a Player gains in Straight Pool is vital to his/her overall growth & skill potential. This book gives more and better information than many Instructors provide. It's worth every penny!

I have skimmed all of the book, have read parts of it carefully, and will continue to consult different chapters from time to time. I seldom play straight pool but practice it quite often. This book showed me some things I didn't know and pointed out some things I knew but hadn't paid enough attention to. It's detailed and thorough. I may not reach my lifetime goal of running 100 balls but this book will put at least a few balls on my occasional high run. It's a good book to read just before going out to hit balls.

This reference guide for pool will show you every possible shot you may have to take. Your game will greatly improve with the tips in this book.

If you want to improve your game, no matter what you play, this book will
greatly help you. This is the difinitive book on straight pool. It leads you through every possible situation you could run accross and shows you how to deal with it. The book can be used as a reference for
any pool game. This book belongs in any serious pool player's library.

i am a above average pool player, this book covers everything. if your looking to excell at pool get this book better than any video you could watch. excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I especially like to create ninja borgs from it but it is a great reference for creating robots and other types of ninjas my secon favorite is juciers.

This book is great! It is for new players to the Rifts books because it uses a lot more of diplomacy than other worlds in Rifts, a great book.

I especially like to create ninja borgs from it but it is a great reference for creating robots and other types of ninjas my secon favorite is juciers.

I have purchased 6 of the world books (Africa, England, Atlantis, Vampire Kingdoms, Japan, and Federation of Magic) and seen several others and out of them all I love Japan the most. Its where I chose my character, a Borg Ninja from. It contains awsome characters, awsome weapons, some cool armor, a lot of cool cyborgs, and is overall my favorite book. It was EASY to find a character to play in this book and equip him real quick. I love this book, a definet must have!

This book was great! It combined old mysticism with amazing technology. The only thing it was missing was that the cool motorcycles and other vehicles that were pictured, but were not given stats on! It also made Japan seem less powerful than the "NGR" (technology wise). The old mystics (like the traditional ninja and samurai) are a little weak, as they had low mega-damage stats and refuse to use technology so you can't even fit them into a suit of power armor to protect them! A lot of it was rehash too, like the Japanese "Samas" operator and the Japanese "Glitterboy". Other than that, the weapons were pretty cool, the possible adventures are good, the OCCs are excellent, and if you combine this book with "Ninjas and superspies" it really brings it to life!

After Dungeons and Dragons, Perrin and Chaosium had another take on the fantasy role playing game setting, with an explicitly deity based magic system, and a skills based system in general, both for combat, and for everyday tasks.

This allowed characters to be whatever they wanted without classes, or other such distinctions.

This marvelous roleplaying game far eclipsed AD&D and it's overrated successors. Why is Hasbro holding onto this gem? It belongs to Chaosium.

Why? The world of Glorantha gets all the glory when people talk of Runequest, and it is indeed an incredible world set in rich detail, but it is the simplicity and playability of this system that really sets it apart. Keep in mind, the system we are talking about is well described in about 150 pages. Compare that to games with volume after volume of rule books like D+D and Rolemaster, etc and you will appreciate it. Not only simple, but in my mind the most realistic and fun. If you can get your hands on the Chaosium version you will know what we are talking about.

No matter how many other rpgs I have seen over the years, I still return to Runequest. I am grateful for my cousin for first introducing me to the 2nd edition back in my early teens, and I eagerly bought the 3rd edition in my later teens. Since then I have been involved in other rpgs on and off for almost 20years, but I often return to GM a game with the RQ system when I can.

Chaosium should of held onto the rights for the system and the Glorantha world, rather than move into Stormbringer. The current Call of Cthuhlu rules are a version of these rules, but it can be a limited at times in it's scope due to the limits of the world setting.

Runequest, with all it's quirks and sometimes amateurish publications, firmly remains one of the best roleplaying systems I have ever seen, easily playable in any genre. With minimal adaption it can be played in a typical Tolkienesque style fantasy setting (I have played it in Middle Earth, and it works fine), but it's own world of Glorantha was just as rich, with more elements in common with Ancient Rome or the Norse sagas.

Any gamemaster worth his salt should own a copy of the Runequest 2nd Edition rulebook or the Runequest 3rd Edition Deluxe Rulebook - this is fantasy rolepaying at it's height, when roleplaying was a spirited past time, and not just another marketable commodity to try and rival the computer game industry as it is today.

Buy these books if you ever come across them!

Now sadly out of print (but reborn as Hero Wars using a totally different system), this was the best fantasy RPG out there. It built a truly magical world interwoven with myths and legend. Instead of paper-thin religon systems all crudely based on a Judeo-Christian model, they created realistic pantheons that interacted with each other. The built a creation myth that integrated all races instead of religions in a vacuum. The magic system is neat and subtle. No simplistic fireballs or lightening bolts, but it enhances your abilities. The combat engine was simple yet deadly. If you ever wanted to roleplay in a heroic world in the style of Achilles, or Cu Chulainn or Herakles, this is it.

Excellent book steeped in history and written with great style. One can almost feel Africa and how Safaris changed people as well as a country.

This book, Safari, is one of the best books I have ever read. The
chapters can be read individually yet read perfectly as a whole.
I bought a number of the books as gifts. They were VERY well received.
Thank you for this excellent product.

Safari: A Chronicle Of Adventure details the history of the African safari from its first expedition of 1836 to modern times. Bull is an environmentalist, so his survey Safari isn't your typical gun-hunter's celebration of good old days, but a survey of conflicts between hunting and conservation, weapons and transport, game control and more. From economics and financers of the safari to mishaps, adventures, and famous personalities involved in safaris, vintage black and white photos pair with wide-ranging personal and political stories for maximum effect.

A wonderful book covering the beginnings of the African Safari to the present. Many current authors use this book as reference for their own books such as Peter Beard, Bibi Jordan, Kuki Gallman, and Mirella Ricciardi. If all of these authors use this book as a reference and quote it throughout their own books it has just got be good. I recommend it highly for any African Safari book collection!

This well written book documents the evolution of Safaris from the early Boer settlers through the modern camera hunters.

I just finished reading this book this week.. Had the book for over a year.. not sure why I waited to read it.. It was an excellent book.. Throughly enjoyed it, couldn't put it down.. except to go to work. I cried when one of the flight medics gets killed by being hit by a car while working a MVA.. Just shows how much they put their lives on the line to save others.. They are by far the everyday heroes we never really get to meet, but they are on the streets and in the air to help save people who suddenly find themselves in trouble.. Speaking from experience from being involed in a MVA. Thank You.

This is one of the few books that I have had to read all in 1 sitting! I could not put it down. I laughed out loud, I cried, I clenched my muscles, my heart palpitated, I relaxed. Talk about an all around best read! Everyone should buy one to give for Christmas. Don't know whether you'd get a more true to life book than this one. Definitely shows the life of a flight nurse! A sequel to this story is a MUST! Hope Pat Jensen's fingers have time to fly over the keyboard another time or two.

I loved this book, i was on the edge of my seat the entire time, i could not put it down. I work in the EMS field on a volunteer ambulance service so this book was so realistic. I loved it.

I am hoping to be a medevac pilot in the army, so I thought I would read this book to get some kind of a feel for the civilian side of air ambulance. I found this book to be excellent. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the medical conditions and the way Pat paints such a clear picture of the medevac life. I would give the book 5 stars but some of the sappiness got to me at times. All in all, one of the best books I've read in a while.

While reading this book, I was unable to put it down. I felt like I was right there with the crew. I laughed aload and I cried while reading this book. It just kept you reading. I can not say enough about this book. I would refer this book to anyone to read.

Very good item if you collect thing's from the silent hill series or if you have the game and are stuck in it, or if you want to unlock all the hidden thigns about this game. Very helpful.

I didn't expect to receive a Brand New copy of this book,since you can't even buy the game new anymore. I was really surprised and delighted that not only were there no missing pages, it was unused.

This game is the best of this serie that i've ever seen. This one is full of surprises and tips. The strategy guide is complete for me. It is helpful for get all ends.I enjoyed a lot with this guide. I hope you too.

This guide looks great and detailed. The only thing I don't like very much is the appendix. The endings weren't detailed but a few sentences instead. Also there is no pictures that correspond to each ending.

i thought this was a good cheat book and it was really descriptive, even though there were a few typos...the game was also good as well

I stumbled on this book at a bookstore in upstate NY, a far cry from the Houston area. As a baseball fan, it caught my eye although I had very little knowledge of Houston's MLB origins. What sold me-- at least during that quick perusal in the bookstore -- was its treatment of how Houston and NY both came into the league at the same time. After reading it, though, I'm astounded at the history and story of baseball's first major-league team in the south. The no-hitters, the futility, the tear-jerker about Jim Umbricht .... this story reeks of everything that baseball is -- good things, such as colorful characters, true fans, baseball as a game first and business second, and tragedy as well -- the real "Love of the Game" story, not that Kevin Costner tripe. Whether you know anything about Houston, the Colt 45s, or Texas, do yourself a favor and read this book. Heck, it's a human story, not just a sports story. The younger fan may not "get it," but those of us who grew up with those hot summer nights listening to baseball on transistor radios -- no matter were you lived of what team you claimed -- will enjoy the trip back.

Unlike most of the other reviewers, I grew up in Indiana but the Colt .45s were my team. When I first started following sports I wanted my own team, not the Yankees, Cubs or Reds so I picked Houston. Yes, I paid for it my entire life.

In a word, the book was amazing. I would have been the ideal subject for a Norman Rockwell painting, as I sat outside the local drugstore anxiously awaiting The Sporting News to get delivered so I could read everything about my Colts. The book filled in so many of the missing pieces for me especially on the planning before they took the field. The photographs brought to life a lot of what was only mental images of my youth.

I would highly, highly recommend this book. I know my Sixshooter Club card is around here somewhere.

An excellent and detailed history of the Colts and their origins in the planned Continental League, the National League expansion of 1961-62, and their colorful early days until they became the Astros. Lots of great photos of players, now-defunct ballparks, and memorabilia, and the real inside story of the name changes from Colts to Colt .45s to Astros. A winner all around.

Anyone who enjoys reading about the history of baseball will love this book whether one is a Houston fan or not. It is a history book and a human interest story all rolled into one.

One get's the feeling after reading this book a feeling of a little sorrow of not having the opportunity to have known some of the unusual personalities depicted in the book, especially pitcher Dick "Turk" Farrell whom obviously was an under rated but solid major league pitcher and a man of a thousand pratical jokes.

The power struggles between the men who helped bring major league baseball to Houston is a story that is almost too intriguing to be true yet is a story that is factual in every detail.

To the fan of the Houston Astros baseball franchise, this is the ultimate book on the history of the origin of the team.

Author Robert Reed definitely did his homework on this one.

I grew up and still reside in the Bayou City. I was born in 1967, two years after the Colt .45's moved from Colt Stadium into the Astrodome and changed their name to the Astros.


Even as a young child I remember having an almost mystical interest in the Colt .45's. It was a marvel to me that they could actually play basball outside in the summers in Houston. I clearly remember my little leauge days in Houston thinking about the heat and humidity and the glare of the sun.

There was never an abundance of information on the Colt .45's or pictures of the old stadium unless you heard it about it from older Houstonians or former players that still called Houston home. This book is truly the Bible of Houston baseball. It is comparitive to the Old Testament's GENISIS. I swear if you curl up on a lazy afternoon and let your mind flow with the book you will feel as though you have travelled back into yester-year and you are there at Colt Stadium, mosquitos, humidity and all.

Sadly baseball in Houston now is a joke. The Astros are the epitome of over-paid, grossly under achieving, lazy athletes. I grew up with the Dome and I would have glady gone to Colt Stadium to root on a near last place team. AT LEAST THEY TRIED AND MADE AN EFFORT. The new ballpark downtown I have nicknamed "The Coffin". With it's retractable roof "The Coffin" is either opened or closed depending on what day you drive by. Most every player inside the place is alrady dead or just going through the motions.

This book celebrates the effort, the entertainment and the energy that once exsisted in Astros history but no longer does. This is the written account of the genisis of major leauge baseball in Houston. It also includes INCREDIBLE photographs in color and black and white.

This book is NOT to be missed ! Read it !

This game is very enjoyabale. It takes about an hour to play a round with the standard rules. The pieces are pretty indestructable. They are pre-painted so the out-of-the box time to play time is low

As collectibles, many of the pieces are worth a lot right out of the box. Each box is a suprise as to what you will find. A decent collectible if you want something harder to damage than cards, but still want to be able to play with the collectible item (as opposed to say, coins)

This toy is really cool. It is simple for young players and fun for everybody. I like the board best.

This toy is really cool. It is simple for young players and fun for everybody. I like the board best.

I used to love to lay Yu-Gi-Oh. I even played in tournaments. But then I discovered Star Wars. It's even greater than Yu-Gi-Oh! After watching all 6 Star Wars movies, I really into the characters, which made the game more interesting.

This is a great set of minis for a good price if you buy from a third party seller. In my first 3 packs I got 2 very rares and 1 rare. I was so pleased that I am buying the rebel storm boosters

This is by far the best book on vintage Star Wars action figures that I've ever read (and I've read just about all of them)! Covers all VINTAGE Star Wars figures (and most vehicles and playsets) released by Kenner between 1977 and 1985 (perhaps the author will consider including a section on the Ewoks and Droids figures in the next edition?). Tons of full-color PHOTOS, and tons of details and information you will not find anywhere else. Here are some of the highlights: (1) great photos of every loose and carded Star Wars figure every released - including important variations, (2) a complete description of every version of every cardback ever released, (3) a nice section on vehicles, playsets, creatures, and cases, and (4) thorough sections on promo and mailer items, POTF coins, multi-packs, pre-production items, and store displays. I even found the price guide to be more credible and helpful than most. All in a high-quality book with nice, thick, semi-gloss pages. Great for the new or intermediate collector; but, even serious, long time collectors and professionals will likely learn a lot from this book.

Beautifully photographed and exhaustively researched! Nothing like it exists out there. Could we persaude the author to do a volume for the 1995 and beyond material?

I happened upon this book while browsing through some other Star Wars titles and let me tell you, I'm glad I did! I have been collecting vintage carded Star Wars figures for about 3 years now and I have been dreaming for a book like this. I am by no means trying to collect every cardback and figure variation created by Kenner, but any one can with the help of this book. (And alot of $$$ of course!) Mr. Kellerman covers every aspect of vintage collecting, from sequence(release)numbers, to figure/card variations, vehicles, playsets, pricing/value and even store displays. It is all in very easy to understand text and charts showcasing the entire history of the vintage Kenner line from the first release double telescoping Luke Skywalker SW 12 back to the POTF Imperial Dignitary 92 back. A MUST have book for any vintage fan/collector. Weather you've been collecting for 2 years or 20, this book is a valuable addition to our hobby.

This book is great for Star Wars action figure collectors. It was very helpful as a resource to fully understanding my collection. Excellent photos throughout book. Written clearly. This seems to be the only book in the market to cover the entire vintage Star Wars action figure in such detail.

I REALLY, REALLY liked the book. Hopefully the previous reviewer will eventually understand how to like the original bubbled carded action figures too.

John Kellerman has stepped up to the plate and hit a home run! This book is without a doubt the best on the market. I've been collecting vintage Star Wars figures for 26 years and can honestly say that any collector who doesn't have a copy of this book should have their memory erased!

From the pictures to the rarely seen prototypes, this book has it all. It is warm and inviting to the reader, not like some rigid price guides, and has clear, crisp photos. The compilation of this book alone is a triumph in itself! A book that the collecting community has been waiting for.