Race Games Books

Well with the arrival of the 4ed. you may think this is a dead supplement...well not at all. The mechanics and rules are really dead, but the flavor text dont. This three books provide a huge dose of informations about the major races of the DeD world. The social characteristics, the phisiology, and many other aspects of each race is very well explained. The artwork could be better, but the information is really precious. If u don't agreed with the new cosmology or the race changes of 4ed., this is a good book for you, if you loved what they did in 4ed., forget about this.

this was an excellent buy. It came in plastic and was unopend and undamaged.

This a good set of books for experienced played who want more information about how different races work. The addition of other races a player can use is also handy. They are really nice source books.

This box set of books is good for any player who wan'ts to make more specialized characters.

These books are just an awesome resource for players. They give a little more information on typical life for the races (even humans, go figure). They also have some new subraces and some new prestige classes as well as racial feats and a few more tactical feats. Just an all around good resource for tweaking characters.

As a person who reads a great deal about sports and who has a twenty-five year background in High School and College Athletics, I felt Farrey did a great job of providing some fresh information and certainly made me think a bit outside of the box. I would recommend this to parents, coaches, and athletes and give a thumbs up to the author for his insights.

I enjoyed the format of the book and how the information was presented, therefore, making it a pretty east read. Farrey provided me with some key observations that warrant deeper and further investigation. I would have given this a 5 star rating but I was bothered by a number of factors I felt were omitted.

First, I realize that the author works for ESPN and it may not be in his best interest to touch on the role the national sports media plays in youth sports in particular ESPN, but to fail to mention how this effects the youth sports culture took something away from the book personnally. He is correct in placing blame on some organizations such as AAU and in some cases the school systems, but he fails to address the comparitive damage caused by his employer and its representatives. To give ESPN and the culture they have created a pass is an omission by Farrey. Second, most of the information and chapters deal with the upper levels of youth sports and athletics. Farrey, chose to focus most of his attention here, but in doing so neglected to touch on Middle America and the average youth participant. High school sports are much larger than the national power schools, there are hundreds of high schools who have provided great experiences for student-athletes. I also objected to Mr. Farrey's indictment of private schools and recuiting the argrument was much of the same with very little new insight.

Despite these objections I salute the author for his efforts and research.

...and I still think this is one of the most important books I've read in a long time. How a society treats its least powerful members--and I would say that kids definitely fall into that category--can tell you so much about what its values are, and what lays in store for its future. So what does it say about us that we pimp our kids (or their athletic abilities) to profit-mad sneaker companies, glory-seeking coaches who've never received training in child development, and NCAA colleges who in turn sell the kids' talents to TV networks in order to fund megastadium complexes? About the only good thing it says, I think, is that parents are genuinely doing these things out of love, and because, in the completely nutso youth sports system of today, there's precious little alternative. A great, alarming, incredibly well-researched book.

Game On should be required reading for all parents currently spending their weekends in the stands watching their beloved child grind through a hockey, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, baseball or football game. With hard statistical data (don't be counting on that college athletic scholarship after looking at the tables in the back of the book) and revealing anecdotes (the Canadian golfing star at 6 who is burned out by 12 but still has a website tells you all you need to know about junior golf pressures) that should cause every parent traveling 100 miles to watch 8 year olds play hockey: what are we doing here exactly? (Interestingly, the author's kid is on a travel soccer team) Do the long odds of sports justify the unbelievable sacrifices. In addition, Farrey tackles the thornier question: does this early exposure and specialization really work? Are we producing superstar athletes in the US. Increasingly, the answer seems to be no. Also, it reveals that the club coach who has taken a special interest in your child for his/her team is, at their core, a businessman running a business over what we used to call child's play.

Would be a great book club topic, since increasingly you can't talk about parenting young kids without talking about the sports culture that they are growing up in.

Andrew Beyer, My $50,000 Year at the Races (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978)

Now, I rush to start by saying that while a $50,000 year at the races doesn't look so spectacular when some guy in Phoenix just cashed for $1.7 million on the Derby superfecta (on a quick-pick ticket, no less), remember that you need to figure in 1978 dollars, and this was back in the days when the exacta was the hot new thing, unless you happened to be in Mexico, where they had the Pick Six at Caliente. Most horseplayer were still grinding it out with win bets. And as anyone who's tried to make fifty grand betting $100 a race (or even, as Beyer did in his serious bets in this book, a grand) on win bets will tell you, it's a pretty serious achievement.

Andrew Beyer has always been somewhat crass, elitist, and off-putting. These traits don't come out much in his handicapping books, Picking Winners and The Winning Horseplayer, but his editorial columns almost always spark some sort of minor furor among a minority of racing fans. This being a memoir of sorts, you can be sure you're going to get the same attitude here, and you do, in spades. If you don't like Beyer's Washington Post style, you're probably going to want to pass this.

Even though this is a memoir, however, Beyer offers a number of common-sense tips that many horseplayers have probably either never learned or forgotten about; for example, the idea of specializing. Beyer shows how to do it while still betting aggressively, putting your cash down on a number of races that would cause most pros to turn somewhat green, and still make money. This is something you need to know, but you're not going to find it in any respectable handicapping tome.

A definite must for students of the game. I have long through that handicapping books should be not in the gambling section of the bookstore, but in self-help; stick this one in the inspirational section. ****

Mr. Beyer takes us thru his year of betting the horses. This is the year he finally realizes his goal of becoming a full time player. I first read this book as a teenager and have been hooked on the game ever since. I might not agree with all his methods of betting but the book is a very enjoyable read.

Beyer once again hammers home the fact that he's the Master of Masters, the Seer of Seers, and simply the best handicapper (and author) ever to come down the pike. His witticisms, combined with a rare insight and feel into the game, make this a true joy to read and behold. His love for horse racing comes through on every page, and as we take the trip with him into realizing his lifelong dream (which is many of ours as well, I'd venture), his joy is palpable. Since the time of his writing this tome, of course, the game has become even more difficult for pure Speed Handicappers, due to the immense popularity (and success) of his now world-renowned Beyer Speed Figs, but that just adds to the pleasure. A must for any 'capper, and even for those who just enjoy great writing!

Make sure you're buying the "Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space Companion" and not the game manual.

The Companion is divided into two parts. The first, slightly longer, section is a history of the Space Race, including information about proposals that never made it (such as the X-20) and how they fit into the game, if applicable. The second part gives installation instructions (no longer useful), information about how to play the game, and, finally, pointers on how to play it well. It also gives a history of how BARIS came about, from Fritz's first ideas about writing a space board game to the release of the CD version.

If you're hoping for 400 pages of expert suggestions on how to beat your opponent, you'll be disappointed. But if you're looking for a book that gives a general view of the game, including historical background, game info, pointers, and that otherwise rounds out your understanding of the game, this is the book for you. If you are just looking for pointers, you might be better served by reading the tips available at [...]

At least two of the vendors alleging to offer this title are actually offering nothing more than the instruction manual that shipped originally with the game.

Very shoddy work by these vendors for not comparing the visible specs on this page, the ISBN number, and dimensions and number of pages in the actual book.

I just got this book and I have to say that White Wolf just keeps making me happier with the Trinity game. This latest in the Field Report books tells you very important and informative information on the 3 main races in the game. This book is a must for any Trinity player or GM!

The information of the Three main Alien races in this book is astounding. It gives Gms and Players a like great ideas and settings, along with a few surprises,

This is a great book! It is well written and the story line is very easy to follow. This book was one of three books that was required summer reading for my daughter's 6th grade class and she loved it as well. It gave her a different perspective on the different and most often times unfair treatment African American received during the 1930s. I strongly recommend this book to every young person to learn a few of life's lessons.

This was my favorite book in the world as a child. I read it over and over, beginning I think in the 3rd grade. It was deeply moving and probably shaped who I am today.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry shows how in the South, African Americans were treated. One complaint about the whites and the African Americans where in danger of being sent to jail, losing land, and death. This story is told from a African American girl, Cassie Logan, and gives readers a taste of the Southern life she faced.

I had to read this book for my freshman English class and I loved it. If your realy into history this is the book for you. It's exciting from the start and really gives you an insight to what it was like for colored people years ago. Great book I recomend this book to everyone!

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
By Mildred D. Taylor
Published by Scholastic, Inc., 1976
210 pages
Historical fiction
Reading levels: 6.9 grade level equivalent, 920 Lexile level

Mildred Taylor's novel Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a captivating story told from the perspective of a fourth grader, Cassie, struggling to understand the segregation that plagues her cotton-growing region of Mississippi during the early 1930s.

The story begins as Cassie and her siblings trudge down the dusty dirt road on their way to the first day of school. The first injustice readers experience is seen through the eyes of Cassie's younger brother, Little Man. The first grader refuses to take a textbook when he discovers that the books have already been used by white students. Only after 11 years of use were the books old and ragged enough to be given to "nigra" students, as written inside the covers.

In the next chapter, Cassie and her three brothers deal with the injustice of the school bus. The bus passes them on their walk to school every morning, but it is only for white students. Yet after carrying out a trick to get back at the bus driver, the siblings are afraid they will be found out and will receive the same fate as a family of black neighbors who were burned after making retaliatory comments to a white storekeeper. Throughout the story, fear of who these "night men" will attack next keeps Cassie's family on edge, particularly because the family owns land desired by one of the involved white men.

Cassie next experiences the injustices of segregation when she gets to take her first trip to town with her grandmother. There, Cassie and her brothers must wait in the store as white people, even a young girl, are helped before them. Upon leaving the store, Cassie gets herself into trouble when she refuses to step off the sidewalk to let another girl her age walk by. Cassie is also reluctant to apologize and address the white girl as "Miss."

Throughout the story, Cassie's older brother Stacey repeatedly gets into trouble because of the lying and tricks of his friend T.J. By the end of the story, T.J. is known as a thief and has made friends with two local white boys. Those two boys wind up getting T.J. into enough trouble that the night men once again set out to wreak havoc on T.J.'s family and other local black families. Only a clever turn of events is able to prevent dire outcomes in the enthralling final two chapters of the novel.

While a great read overall, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry is a bit confusing for two reasons. First, the characters are at times hard to sort out. It can be difficult to keep Cassie, her siblings, and their young friends straight. It also can be difficult to keep the local families involved in the story straight. The novel is difficult to understand also when Cassie's grandmother explains how the family came to own the farmland around which much of the story's conflict revolves. However, with careful attention, the characters and history can be sorted out, and the story's interesting events will keep you reading.

If you are looking for a page-turner, this book will not disappoint you. Mildred Taylor's vivid descriptions give her characters distinct personalities that bring the novel to life. The novel is a chain of short stories that are entertaining enough to stand alone, but together carry readers to the novel's thrilling climax and conclusion.

Taylor's novel effectively conveys the experiences of children who are just beginning to learn how segregation affects their lives. Readers come to deeper understanding of the hatefulness and unfairness of many white people's treatment of their black neighbors during the early 1930s. Taylor also includes enough explanation of the history of slavery and segregation for readers to fully understand the events. Even if segregation is not a topic of great interest to you, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry will hook you till the last page. A Newberry medal winner, this is a famous book that everyone should read. I assure you that it is well worth your purchase.

Ainslie breaks down several factors that should be looked at when analyzing a race - speed, pace, trainer, class, form, etc. His writing style is great, the info is great, and it is a great primer for anyone just getting into the sport or wanting to improve their skills. Some of the jockey/trainer info is a little outdated, but I refer to the book often. Highly recommend.

What an eye opener it was when I stumbled on this fifteen years ago! Some of the material is dated, but the fundamentals are well covered and still relevant. Still a terriffic primer for someone wanting to learn the game.

Let's start with the obvious. Ainslie wrote in a different time: before exotic wagering, which he considered a gimmick, became 70+% of the daily handle. His specific advice about WPS betting and money management, as a result, should be discarded. Likewise, his advice about which trainers and jocks to follow has aged poorly.

At the same time, there's information in here that's invaluable, such as the sections on understanding trainer intent, and on post parade and paddock behavior.

This book has a special place in the history of handicapping, and for that reason alone, is worth having, but in the modern player's arsenal, it should be an added coloring and not the central philosophy.

I had read nearly a dozen books on horserace handicapping before I read Ainslie's book. This should have been the first book on horseracing that I read. Ainslie covers every aspect of handicapping and the racing game imaginable. He writes in a simple, concise, easy style -- easy on the eyes, easy to absorb.

It is well-organized. Each chapter covers a specific aspect of the game. Perhaps what I enjoyed the most (and have put to good use) is Ainslie's 60 item list on how to handicap a race --what to look for: angles to be aware of in class, form; speed; jockey/trainer angles .. and on and on and on. The beauty of this book is that the reaader is exposed to so many different topics and subject areas that he will able to find his nich, his own style in handicapping. If you are like me, after you read this book, you will have a list of several more books that you will simply have to have. Thanks to Ainslie.

Ainslie doesn't tout any particular handicapping style; he simply informs the reader of all the many different angles there are instantly adding to the reader's knowledge of the game and providing instant improvement to his handicapping. This is the racing book you would keep on your bedside table; this is the book that you will be referring back to time and time again -- there is that much in this book. Tell you one thing, I envy Ainslie's friends who are able to get tips and suggestions from the author.

If the reader is buying this book in paperback, perhaps he should buy two copies. Surely, he will wear this book out. I have.

Some things don't change. Horses still have four legs. And Tom Ainslie still reigns as the Triple Crown Champion of handicappers. Forget the Beyer speed figure
and pace gurus and go with the fundamentals. You'll also be treated to cogent
and lucid prose, a rarity in racing books. This is The Bible, both Old Testament and
New.

This book contridicts the Forgotten Realms book written by Ed Greenwood. The elves inpertcular.
The book is put together well, but WoC should get their sources straightened out before they publish them

This book is a great resource for any lover of Faerun and the Forgotten Realms. The background on the human subraces adds some great flavour to the Forgotten Realms! The feats and prestige classes are good. And the information about the different races of Faerun is also very helpful (particularly about the planetouched - tieflings, genasi, and aasimar).

This book is quite useful.
It expands on some races and reintroduces some old classics. like the Winged Elf, the water elf, the Wemic, and the centur.

However it also just copies the entries for dark elves and planetouched races basically straight from the Forgotten realms campaign settingbook.
They could have used the space a little better instead of repeating races that 97% of us have access to. (If you have an interest in this book then its pretty much fact that you already have the Forgotten Realms Campaign setting).

Some of the region feats are nice and the a couple of the prestige classes are going to appeal to my players so for that regard it was worth the purchase price.

Summing up it gathers all the races from the Realms campaign setting and adds in some new ones. Mixes in some new feats, some old ones tweaked and a few prestige classes.

It should be called SOME of the Races of Faerun. The book offers a great deal of information, however it leaves gaps here and there just so it can fill them through another volume. For the price tag of this book I feel it is a bit incomplete. It could contain a lot more info on a lot more races. If you're only looking for general information on the most prominent races of Faerun, this is for you. However it should not be considered THE source of info, as it is anything but complete and thorough.

Well, this book covers many races for Forgotten Realms. It also adds in a few interesting feats and a few items. It gives much greater depth to all the races already covered in FRCS. However, there is one problem here- if the race already had it's base stats covered in FRCS, only the extra "fluff" is here, none of the "crunch". This means you'll need both books, and note that Race of Faerun is 3.5 and FRCS is 3.0, so there's a little problem here. I'd have prefered a bit less fluff, and the basic race stats redone for all.

However, there are also quite a few interesting new races here, some which were only covered lightly in another supplement. For instance, there are complete rules for playing a Shade or a Wemic.

There is also a lot of background fluff on the various human "races'. This may thrill you or bore you- depending.

Anyway, if you play in the FR, at least one of your group should get this book.

Races of Ebberon is an excellent resource for the Dungeons & Dragons Ebberon campaign setting. It gives players more backround information on the various races and power groups to take role-playing to a new level. This book also introduces new feats and spells to take your character in new directions.

The Races of Eberron supplement is well-written, well-organized, and contains a relatively extensive set of information for anyone interested in incorporating the new races presented in theh Eberron Campaign Setting into any generic campaign. The information is complete, and the book does include feats and other means of specialization for each race that cannot be found in the Campaign Setting.
Depsite all of these plusses, though, the supplement suffers from trying to fill a niche that has already been filled. I had a chance to read both of this product and the Campaign Setting before I purchased them, and though I did purhcase both I feel a bit ripped-off. Like I said, there is enough new content in the Races of Eberron supplement that it was worthy of purchase, but this book is another entry on the list of Wizards' attempt to make us buy the same material twice. It's a frustrating trend that I see developing.
Like I said, the book is worth buying, but it gets four stars because I do not feel that the new information is worth the full price of admission. I would buy the Campaign Setting first because for $10 more you get a great deal more material that you can also integrate into any generic campaign with a bit of imagination.

Races of Eberron has added depth to the new races presented in the campaign setting plus offers insight into the standard races from the PHB and their culture (per the Eberron Setting). It also offers new spells and racial feats.
Races of Eberron is great for those playing in the Eberron campaign setting or looking to spice up another setting.

This product details the four new races introduced in the Eberron Campaign Setting (hereinafter "ECS"): the Kalashtar, the Changeling, the Warforged, and the Shifter. While it clearly has a strong Eberron focus, the stats for these races along with their feats from the ECS are reproduced here for any DM who wants new races without having to purchase the ECS. Discussion on inserting these races into more traditional fantasy worlds is presented as well.

The book falls flat in a variety of ways, however. The racial write ups are the height of bland, saying very little that a person of average intelligence would not naturally realize. While there are occasional gems in the race write ups, such as the discussion of different philosophies among the changelings, even those interesting bits of insight are repeatedly used until the reader is tired of them. The racial setting material adds extremely little to the Eberron setting, though it may be of more use to a reader who is completely unfamiliar with Eberron.

New feats, spells, prestige classes, substitution levels, and other mechanical additions are presented. They're a mixed bag. Many of the feats and prestige classes do a good job of expanding on the potential conceptual focus of the existing races. The racial substitution levels are likely the best part for many gamers, though some of them do very little to change the base class.

If you are playing the Eberron campaign it will really help you get into the head of those races you are.

I like these subjects and I read a lot of books in this field. This book is very useful, extremely informative.
Many things, many information are given.
I liked it so much.
I wish a great success for the author.

S. Mahdi, Cairo, Egypt

A life time of research has created the most comprehensive compilation of ET information I've come across.A must have for all those who think outside the box. Jean O'Hara

Be warned about this book. It is a book of lists. It has lists of alien races, starships, mother ships by name, etc. It also includes some radical new ideas about the Bilderbergers and the United States. BUT it does not attach reference sources for any of this information. It leaves much doubt of the authenticity even of the whole book. The author invites feedback so here goes.

When I see something so extreme as this, and if it is scholarly and it covers its bases with reference sources, I am delighted. But with this my hunch says maybe disinformation. Say it's science fiction; then it's okay.

The translation is poor, frequently avoiding idiomatic English. The typesetting is poor with paragraphs neither indented nor line spaced making it a chore to read. The artwork and the poetry is poor. The author uses an arrow at the beginning of some lines with no explanation.

The author is Swiss and I had always thought the Swiss had systematic ways of doing things--but not here. If the author had taken a fraction of his list names and attached references and a bit more of explanatory text and footnotes it might have been a valuable reference--but alas not.

Under the Amazon star rating system, it allows one star as the lowest rating, which I gave it. I would have prefered to give it no star or a black hole instead. This is the first time I have ever thrown a book into the trash. I would not even want to give it away to anyone I respect.

I absolutely disagree with the hate review below by NJ Pinney. Without at least some knowledge concerning extraterrestrials ( modern / ancient ) this book might be perceived by a few readers as somewhat science fictional, but its not. It contains an incredible amount of information, some obviously from a metaphysical viewpoint. I don't think this book is meant to be an easy read, after all it is a catalog, all in alphabetical order, refreshingly accompanied by fascinating alien art and poems. If the reader is not familiar with Ezekiels encounter with "god", unfortunately that poem wouldn't make much sense. The whole biblical event from a ufological perspective. Outstanding! "An Overview of Extraterrestrial Races" is simply a must have for any ET enthusiasts, to have an open mind would be helpful.

Sam Dylaney
Chicago, Ill.

There is a lot that can be said about this book, both good and bad.

The english translation is not great, with numerous instances of odd grammar and usage and occasional spelling errors. The information in the book is stuff I came across during the nineties when I was more actively involved with interviewing abductees/experiencers/contactees, reading the UFO literature (including some channeled information), and researching the UFO contact phenomenon from a variety of perspectives, all in an effort to determine the number of different alien races interacting with out planet, what they look like, and how they relate to each other. Having a book like this fifteen years ago might have saved me some leg work. However, it is important that the information in Waeber's book not be taken too literally, as it contains some internal contradictions, as well as apparent contradictions with established science in subjects such as biology, physics and planetary history.

The source material for the book is varied and that may be part of the reason for the seeming inconsistencies, as many different systems of nomenclature have emerged for trying to classify the intelligences behind UFOs. The book contains references to contact cases described in the UFO literature, such as Riley Martin's "The Coming of Tan" and Phillip H. Krapf's "The Contact Has Begun," but especially noticeable is a heavy reliance on channeled information, which cannot be corroborated, except in the sense that many different channels seem to get similar information, pointing perhaps to a common source, possibly connected with the intelligence behind the physical phenomenon of UFOs, but without offering us a means of determining veracity.

The book contains several nice pieces of artwork by Yeva, but the printing quality is mediocre and only the cover image is in color. I would have liked to see illustrations for the numerous alien races that are briefly described in the text, as well as for the various stories about alien bases, alien homeworlds and galactic history. However, to do a thoroughly illustrated version of this book would have been a much greater undertaking. If you want a similar book (although without the metaphysical bent) with more illustrations, I would recommend Ronald D. Story's "The Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrial Encounters."

With its metaphysical perspective, this book is in a similar vein to Lyssa Royal's "The Prism of Lyra" and "Visitors From Within." As such, it stimulates thought and is really an essential overview of extraterrestrial races, or at least of the lore that has built up about them. I am grateful that someone has finally taken the time to assemble and publish a book like this. (I know of efforts to do a project like this in the nineties but those did not come to fruition.) I recommend Rolf Waeber's book to any serious student of the UFO phenomenon, but with the caveat that you also consider other approaches to the question of "Who is Who" among our visitors.