Board Games Books

If you like the art work of Gorey you will love 'Baby's First Mythos'. Perhaps not so much for children as for the adults who share their love of mythical history in reading to their children. The drawings are wonderful and the sense of humor amazing.

My girlfriend has this on her desk, and she handed it to me to read. (My age is over 50) I really chuckled when realizing so many connections to movies. Cthulhu is a very ancient creature - and it was rather funny to realize the 'Davey Jones' character in Pirates of the Caribbean was basically like Cthulhu.

Our eldest daughter is a comic creatrix and I gifted her with one of these books because she likes Gorey so much. I also bought a copy for myself and our now 1 year old granddaughter to share with her later.

IF you love gorey, lovecraft, mythology, and graphic novel type books, this will not only be enjoyed but will be come a collectable.

This book is spectacular, I can't wait until I have a baby to read it to!

This is funny stuff. It gave me a real chuckle.
The new edition with the hard pages is fantastic.
I use this with the 'Call of Cthulhu' roleplay game.
I recommend it for anyone who is in to the mythos.

Very well done. The poems sometimes stretch a bit, but then, it's sometimes hard for find words to rhyme with Nyarlothetep or Cthulhu. The drawings, though, are wonderful. If your intention is to twist your child, much like Wednesday Addams, then this book is essential. Personally, though, I prefer to twist myself, and this book does that very well.

The idea of parodying the typical children's ABC and 123 books by illustrating them with Lovecraft's Elder Gods just tickles my funny bone. Every little snippet of writing, including the author and artist bios, is subtly clever, and the ink drawings are perfect for the subject.

The best part is...I thought I knew a bit about it, but the book actually taught me plenty I didn't know about the Lovecraft mythos. The only complaint (and a slight one at that) is the binding looks the kind that's going to crack and fall apart after not too long, which is a pity, because I'd like it to last long enough to show my own future spawn.

Every Lovecraft fan should get one.

This book contains 15 wonderful games, and excellent instructions on how to play them all. This would be a great gift for somebody of any age. It's just fun to play....

This book is a great collection of board games from around the world, with easy to understand instructions, and all the peices to play. The board games are all multileveled but easy to play, and all of games are fun. The pages are all heavy laminated board, with a sturdy wire binding. The pieces are glass with a carrying case attached. The only problem I had was the carrying case tearing. All in all, a great buy.

We have had this wonderful book - collection of games since it first appeared in 1990 (well before amazon.com). We are ordering another for our sons who are away at college and requested it to share with their friends at their apartment. Does that tell you anything?

What is really awesome about this book is that not only does it tell you How to play the game, but includes the board AND the pieces you need to play for EVERY GAME! So far all of the games have been a blast and I find myself playing them over and over! I'd reccomend this book to anyone that loves games!

This is a classic Klutz book, one of their earliest, and it's wonderful! A perfect way to occupy your kids in the backseat or on an airplane; it's extremely portable and all you'll need is a flat surface for playing.

It's not just for kids, though! Instead of lugging around 3 or 4 different travel editions of games, why not just grab this book and you'll have 15 games in one in a lightweight and easy to carry format.

Having been a Pinball addict since my teens (too many years ago), I bought this book to re-live some of those memories. I was not disappointed. It is full of information on all types of machines together with excellent colour pictures. Many of my favourite pinballs of the sixties and seventies (but also modern ones if you prefer those) are featured together with explanations of what made them special.

The only problem is that it brought back my enthusiasm to such an extent that I went out an bought my own machine, so this book cost me a lot of money!

If you like pinball, you'll LOVE this book. I own several bookson my favourite hobby and this one is by far the best. It covers allaspects of the silver ball and has a great many beautiful colour photos.

I own over 10 different pinball books which I've bought over the years but none of them comes REMOTELY close to this one. This is an exhaustive book which has over 300 jam-packed pages of information. Every imaginable feature that has ever been in a pinball machine is documented in great detail throughout the book. There is even a chapter which talks about and lists every video pinball game ever made for home video game systems and PCs! If you have even a passing interest in pinball machines, you must have this book. Period. The price seems a little steep, but when you hold the actual book in your hands, you'll know where that money went...

Stunning!

Pinball? Strange word grouping. I don't really see how a pin can be a ball, but I am just one little guy trying to think this out. No matter, Keynote told me all about the pinball arcades and games of this nature. And he bought me this terrific book. Now I know a whole lot about all kinds of balls made out of pins and the way you can play games with them. This was very cool. I like this book very very much. And you will too.

Well layed out, informative, impressive amount of detail. The author's love of every part of the game shines through on every page. A truly great pinball book.

This book harkens back to the "good old days" when playing the paper and pencil D&D used to be new and fun. There have been several reincarnations of this manual and I've thumbed through them but they just don't hold a candle to the original, despite the fancier artwork. All the good monsters were there from the Umber Hulks to the Neo Oytughs. I am not at all happy with the direction TSR took after Mr. Gygax was booted out (or left, can't remember which) and one big loss was the original rule manuals. They are now up to version 3 something of the rules but I do not even know what they are because I just play computer games now. All I know about the new rules is that multi-class characters are easier to work with. It was an exciting time, a different era. I still have this manual and will always treasure it. If you can find one, pick it up just to see how things used to be done. Highly recommended.

The Monster Manual is one of the best books ever made. Buy it! Awwwww Yeahhhhhh this book rules.

Just surfing and had to say I love this book. I still have the dog-eared copy I bought in 1979 safely tucked away, 7th grade scribbles and all. I saved my paltry allowance for a month to buy this baby. This is one of those books that always has a place in your heart. Not really useful anymore though for the new gamer, go pick up the updated one (MM 3.5 edition version), but for us vets, back in the day it was all about this bad boy.

This book is the ultimate Monsters Manual, the first is the best. It gives you specific details on monsters. Being that I only have 2 hit points, I have to pick my monsters carefully. Once, while at Burgermaster, a kolbold threw a burger at me with his sling. He rolled a 20, a critical hit, and the burger did 2x the normal damage, knocking me out for 2 hp! As I lay unconcious, a gelatinous cube slowly slimed my burger and fries up. When I came to, I saw him slowly digesting my burger and fries and I exclaimed "How rude!" But the Gelatinous cube just rumbled his gelationous bulbous stomach at me. I would have kicked it's ass, but luckily the Monster Manual told me that would've been a bad idea to use my hands. So instead I used my bic lighter and he apologized for eating my combo#1.

More than the Dungeon Master's Guide, more than the Player's Handbook, this book is what made D&D the gaming force that it was for over a decade.

A complete listing of monsters for use in the game, the book ensured that every DM could craft an adventure that had new and exciting monsters to be vanquished, and the special powers peculiar to some creatures suggested story lines that were ripe for the picking.

This also set up for the first time a way to rate the strengths of various mythological creatures against each other. Can a Troll kill an Orc? Can a Dragon defeat a Water Elemental? How many Goblins does it take to make a fair fight against a Pegasus? Gygax carefully considered these questions and gave us a version of familiar fantasy figures that was grounded in concrete numbers.

The drawings are admittedly horrible, with many of them looking like study hall doodlings instead of the legitimate artwork that came to characterize later editions.

But the value of this book can't be overrated by a would-be fantasy gamer. The encyclopedic format opened the world of fantasy gaming to a world that was vast enough to include a universe of varied creatures, but cohesive enough to be thought of as a single reality.

A wonderful book with beautiful photos. Even if you aren't a fan of pinball machines you will appreciate the artwork. A great price from Amazon and as usual fast service. Why drive to a store?

Truly a compendium. Covers every game from 1982 in outstanding detail with dozens of interviews and a great timeline and discussion behind the beginning and end of a great era with only one left standing.

A must have coffee table book for any pinball enthusiast/gamer.

This book is a must for any modern pinball enthusiast. Great photos and great interviews with the design teams for all of the major pinball releases of the 80s 90s and 2000s.

Much info, nice pictures i lik it a lot. excellent

Just a note that I ordered this book in October from Amazon and still have not received it. You may want to look elsewhere.

I could reduce the number of service calls I perform by over 50% if the pin owners simply followed this manual. The truth is, there isn't any other book that puts pinball repair in layman's terms. How many pinball owners can actually read schematics? How many really do their own circuit board repair? The point I would stress is that all the repairs in the book can be performed by just about anyone, no kind of previous experience necessary. It is truly an outstanding manual and should be required reading for all pinheads, novice or skilled.

This book has step-by-step help for people who have never maintained or repaired a pinball machine. The book has a full section on general repairs, another full section on fixing flippers, and chapters on what to look for when buying a machine, disassembling and setting up the machine, protecting the painted backglass and playing field, checking fuses and checking batteries for leaks.
The book has information about the balls, rubber rings, locks and missing keys, lightbulb types that should not be used, wiring problems, tips for making the machine faster and more fun to play, and where to find parts and game manuals.
This book gathers all this information in one volume, with a separate terminology section that describes the parts and operations of a pinball machine, a lengthy index, and over eighty illustrations. Highly recommended, best guide of its kind.

If you're thinking of purchasing a pinball machine, this book will give you all the guidance you need to making a smart purchase. If you already own a machine, Bear's book will help you make repairs that you never dreamed you could do without a professional repair person. The explanations and drawings are presented for the novice. If you are a professional repair person, you will still probably pick up a tip or two from this book. I have many detailed repair books for pinball but I keep coming back to this one.

I acquired a 1971 Williams Klondike that had almost no maintenance performed on it in almost 25 years. Mr. Kamoroff's layman terms and step by step troubleshooting technics and hints saved me considerable money in returning a dead game into something special again. His simple approach to what may seem a difficult problem coupled with a everyman's writing style made for not only a handy manual but a very good read as well. I recommend this book to anyone who has an old pinball machine and I would not recommend anyone to even consider purchasing one without reading this book first.

I am the editor of GameRoom magazine which covers the world of pinball and all other coin-operated games. "Pinball Machine Care and Maintenance" is a hugely useful guidebook for novice and professional alike. What Kamoroff has accomplished here is the best of both worlds. By explaining the simple things, and offering helpful ideas to the seasoned folk, he's handed the hooby an all-around silverball guide.

This game is great -- easy to learn, and moves much faster than scrabble! Much more engaging, as everyone has to pay attention all the time. We gave it to our parents for Christmas, and the family became instant addicts.

This is a clever new word game which is simple yet incredibly addictive. My husband and I play this game almost every night. It is cleverly packaged and takes up little room, so we keep it accessible on the kitchen table and consequently, play often.

It has a simple premise and scoring method, is fun for 2 or more players, and keeps all players involved in the game. It takes little time to play one game, so it's a great option for after dinner. It only takes a game or two for new players to become very competitive with experienced players, and thus is great for mixed groups. Good spelling is a help, as is a good vocabulary, but even those skills are less important than being able to track the words and letters in play and keep possibilities in mind for when the right letter appears. My 17 y/o stepson can routinely beat us, and he's not an avaricious reader as we are, he just sees --and seizes-- the opportunities available.

The game is great fun for all ages and I highly reccomend it.

I seriously adore this game. Never did I think that playing with my snatch could be so much fun. I love to beat my friends while we play with my snatch. I haven't picked up boggle or scrabble since I started playing with my snatch...game. It is quite possibly one of my favorite word play games of all time! Seriously!

If you like scrabble then you'll love this game. It's super simple to learn and great for teens or adults. I'd definitely recommend it!

I gave this to my neices (11 and 15) and apparently they love it and play it all the time.

I got this and several other books for my 20 month old grandson. He loves this book. He looks at the knees in the book and then looks at his knees. He laughs and giggles!!! This book is TOO CUTE!!!!

I purchased this book, along with "Whose Toes are Those?" for my twin boy and girl. They both love them! I think that these are great African-American books.

I have a new baby and I am seeking out books for black babies. I stumbled across this and I love it. I am buying a load of them for friends for the holidays--I'm planning ahead! Also check out the matching book, "Whose Toes Are Those," which features a little black girl--I have that too! I am glad to share my love of books with my son and better still that they feature children of color.

Jabari Asim has created a wonderful board book featuring characters of color that centers around, you guessed it, knees. The story starts with a question, that is sure to give a sense of mystery and intrigue to even the youngest of readers; "Whose knees are these?" Throughout the book, which is filled with fun illustrations, readers follow along until the narrator finally figures out to whom the mysterious knees belong.

WHOSE KNEES ARE THESE is an engaging celebration of individuality. The fun, rhyming language, and the overall simplicity of the story itself make it perfect for the target age group. In addition to celebrating uniqueness, the book promotes body awareness, introduces the concept of left and right, and encourages positive self-image and familial bonds. Toddlers, who often enjoy reading the same book over and over, can quickly pick up the book's content, and may even chose to "read" it to their parents.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I was so happy to hear of this book on the NYTimes book review and see board books (along with partner book Whose Toes are Those) written for African American toddlers. My son is 18 months old and this is his favorite book! He carries it everywhere and forces me to read it over and over and over and over at bedtime.

From the day that my daughter started showing an interest in books, this was her absolute favorite. She's now two, and still often requests this book over many other choices. I have bought a copy of it for every new mom that I know. Great book!

I picked this up in a bookstore a couple of years ago, and it is the clear favorite book in our house for the 2 and under kids. And we have a lot of books. But something about the simplicity, the fabulous photos, and the interactive aspect (not to mention the surprise ending) gets them laughing every time!

We originally found Baby Boo at our library. It was the very first book my son really hooked onto at around 10 months. He would pull it out of the bookcase over and over. It was also the first book he responded to interactively- the "Do you want to play with me?" page always gets a big nod yes and the BOO page always causes rolling giggles.

My son is now 14 months old and still adores the book. We read it several times a day upon demand. And I actually don't mind reading it over and over and over, it is fun to read and easy to remember.

My 17 month old really likes looking at this book. I read about it in Parent's magazine and am so glad I found it. This would be the perfect book for any child fascinated by babies or under the age of 20 months.

My infant girl enjoys this book. It doesn't seem to appeal to her like some other books (ie as the Boynton books do) but she always giggles at the Boo part. I would recommend it.

I purchased this book along with the colors book for my ten month old son and both of the books are his favorites. He loves to flip through the pages and look at all of the babies. I would highly recommend this book.

These books are vibrant and simple enough to teach young babies objects. My son loved them and I always give them as gifts.

My 13-month-old just LOVES this book. It has lots of pictures of babies doing different things and she is mesmerized by them. She will sit and turn the pages backwards and forwards over and over again! This was the best toy I ever got her!

My 14 month old brings me this book to read to him. He loves to have me count each baby out-loud, and he'll pull my finger up so I can point at each baby as I count. He loves to look at the pictures. This book is a great first counting book as it doesn't confuse my son with illustrations of unknown items/characters. He has other counting books and I know he'll like them too someday--but right now this is his favorite!

My 14-month-old son loves this counting book; it's among three that he brings to me to read. It features beautiful, colorful pictures of babies engaged in typical baby activities - clapping, bathing, riding, and eating. My son claps with "One baby clapping" and created his own BabySign for "hat" from "Three babies wearing hats."