Board Games Books

This book is divided into two parts: the first contains problems covering the opening (11 positions), middlegame (12 positions), and endgame (18 positions) and the second consists of 16 self-test games (similar to ýHow Good is Your Chessý or ýSolitaire Chessý from Chess Life).

The problems are very difficult, maybe too difficult for most players. For comparison, I have an over-the-board USCF rating thatýs varied between 1750-1850 (which is at least 80th percentile) and I found most of the problems frustrating. However, Pedersenýs solutions and annotations are convincing: his effort shows and I did feel I learned something.

The ýHow Good Is Your Chess?ý section with its sixteen games is slightly easier going but not to be rushed through. If youýve sped through Chess Lifeýs ýSolitaire Chessý with good results, youýll be surprised at how difficult these games are. The games deserve close to tournament length amounts of time to solve, so much so that I almost felt that I had been the player.

If youýre sure youýre a strong player or highly motivated, than this book might be for you. If youýre relatively lower-rated, or looking for more casual combination books, I think youýd be disappointed here.

This book consists of two parts. The first part comprises brief tests on the Opening, Middlegame, and Endgame. These tests are puzzles positions, usually with some accompanying text to set up a more specific question. The reader is expected not merely to find the best move, but also find the applicable lines of analysis that support the move selection. Credit is also sometimes given for identifying critical features of a more descriptive nature. Detailed and thorough solutions are provided at the end of each test. The second part of the book is a collection of 16 complete games, to be treated in the guess-the-move manner. Points are given for the quality and depth of the solutions, including important sub-variations. At the end of each test and game there is a table for assessing the score.

As a training resource, this book incorporates two proven approaches - deep analysis of critical positions, and interactive study of master games. Readers at the appropriate level (see below) wishing to get both things in a single volume need not hesitate. The problems are interesting and challenging, as are the games. I found the solutions to be thorough, detailed, and illuminating.

Although the score assessments speak to players from casual level all the way to Grandmaster, I believe that this test is best suited for very strong players, perhaps USCF expert and above. I say this because even a player rated 2000 is not expected to score better than 50% of the possible points. If you cannot reasonably get at least half of the credit, then perhaps the test material is too advanced - isn't this more or less true of any subject?

The test are rather brief, especially the ones on the Opening and Middlegame. This limits the value of the scores, which are based on too small a sample. A bigger concern is that the choice of topics is unbalanced and limited. For example, 5 out of the 11 exercises in the Openings section deal with "advantage in development." It would have been preferable to see 11 or more problems each devoted to a different sub-topic. Therefore it is not likely that the tests will help you determine what areas of chess require your further attention.

A much better resource from the diagnostic point of view is Igor Khmelnitsky's Chess Exam and Training Guide. In CETG there are 100 problems spanning a fairly complete range of chess issues, and there is a range of difficulty level to make the test experience meaningful to average players and above. Even more important, the test scores broken into in various categories (tactics, endings, calculation, strategy, etc.) are rigorously correlated against Elo ratings, based a large sample of previously submitted scores. Readers especially interested in the diagnostic aspect of a chess test should turn to that book instead.

I found this a good introductory work to joseki. It did well in that it addressed the principles behind what was going on. As so many others, I would warn earlier beginners (20kyu or less) to wait before studying joseki. Then, when they do, they must STUDY joseki, not just memorize.
I would suppose my only two complaints are that the authors gave not enough attention to what one may do if the opponent steps away from best play. Also, like many strong players, there was no thought given to showing why a final position was balanced or may be good for black or for white. Still, a good book overall.

Well written introduction to opening moves in the corners for players who have progresed beyond the earliest beginner stage. If you are beginning to have a little feeling for the game instead of feeling totally confused, this is a book for you. These opening sequences give an even result locally. The authors (a Japanese and an American professional) discuss how each opening sequence interacts with other areas of the board.

My son loves this book! He got it around 1 yr, and at 2 still loves it! The car pieces fit into matching puzzle areas in the book. And the story teaches opposites, up..down, full...empty, ect. When the pieces are in place it makes a full picture and shows for example a construction site with the approprite truck pieces emptying and filling, going up and coming down a street, ect. My son also loves to just play with the cardboard truck pieces, pretending to drive them across the table, or other places. The yellow cardboard behind the pieces in the front cover slides in and out for storage. It's quite a snug pull tab though, my son is 2 and still can't pull it out himself...so he brings the book to me to get the trucks out. So you might need to help 'em a little bit. It's a very sturdy book also, my son has put it to the test the book and pieces are very thick cardboard.

We loved this book to entertain our kids during church. It's been really nice to help them stay quiet. We also use the animal farm book that fisher price published.

My 4 year old son recieved this as a Christmas gift and he loves it. The puzzles are not too simple, but there is a matching picture on the book under the puzzle, so he can do it without any help. It has kept him occupied for up to 30 minutes at church,the doctor's office, and at home. That's saying a lot for my VERY busy child. I would recomend this book to anyone who is looking for a good quiet activity for their preschooler (and who isn't?).

This book has nice, thick puzzle pieces. Many other puzzle books are flimsy and fall out of the book to be lost forever. We take this one to restaurants as a distraction while we wait and my 3-year-old son loves it. It is well made and colorful. I would recommend this book.

My son received this book for his 3rd birthday. I am now going to buy it for his friend's birthday. This book is a magnet for children. They love the fact that the book comes with little animal pieces that they can take out and play with and put into the book! The illustrations are adorable and the text is simple and educational (mostly about animal sounds). The only reason I didn't rate this book 5 stars is because the neat way the pieces are stored (behind a little sliding panel on the front cover--which is really cute and ingenious), has been torn a couple of times (I've had to glue and then tape the front cover). Little 2 and 3 year olds cannot easily get the pieces out on their own. With a little help and practice they can learn to, but until then the front cover can be quickly torn up.

This is a very unique book. My 2 year old daughter loves animals and books. This book not only teaches about the animals but allows the child to play with the book. The animal shaped pieces fit onto the correct page and again at the end...which teaches dexterity and problem solving skills! My daughter couldn't put this book down. It is wonderful to carry in the diaper bag for those times when your little one needs to play quietly somewhere! Very interactive book...my daughter takes the animal pieces and plays in her own imaginative way, too!

This survival guide puts the roll playing emphasis on the journey and not just the combat rounds. The material is presented well and is entertaining. The information is thorough enough to lead DMs to develop games and campaigns that are engrossing and not just a series of die rolled battles. It should inspire players into seeing the possibility of roll playing the journey for the journey and not just the respite between a series of dice battles. I have used this book for over 20 years of game playing!

A great companion to the Dungeoneer's Survival Guide.

If you want to expand your campaign beyond the confines of yet another dungeon, this book is an absolute necessity! Here, you'll find complete rules on the wilderness, skills and proficiencies, shelter, weather, encumberance, travel, wandering monsters, climbing, jumping, swimming, flying, hunting, foraging, healing, traps and natural disasters (like quicksand and earthquakes), using magic in the wilderness, and much more. An outstanding compendium of lore that will finally make your campaign world complete, with endless horizons!

Nice little book for a quick read to our daughter before bed. I like the pictures which incorporate the vivid imigination of the baby and mommy rabbits.

I bought this for my son after receiving Goodnight Moon, which is written by same author. Both are classics and the colored pages are more engaging to my 18 month old than the black & white pages. A similar story line as Runaway Bunny but with a more colorful, easy-flowing story is I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt. My son just won't put it down and wants it read to him over and over again.

A classic book. Right size to slip into a baby gift basket. Sturdy enough to stand up to years of baby abuse.

I just noticed another review (one of the few on the lone star end) describing this book as "creepy." There is something haunting about it for sure, but I always felt as we read it to our children there was something immense about it too. It's extremely compact and the images have tremendously simple focus and power. I think part of Margaret Wise Brown's genius (a good bio of her is Margaret Wise Brown: Awakened by the Moon) was her willingness to honestly take on something as awesome as a mother's ultimate bond to her child. It's like The Giving Tree in which the parent doesn't lie down and make herself into a chopping block. The story might start out seeming whimsical and light, but in the end it comes down to bonds of steel. I was never sure how our son and daughter reacted to it. I think the chemistry is bound to hinge on timing and on things about the particular child and parent. Powerful medicine. Handle with care. But surely great poetry and literature for the young. Nutty to Meet You! Dr. Peanut Book #1

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby

This imaginative book reassures children that Mom will always love them and be there for them, even if they are angry or feel like running away. Yet, I find it unsettling how the mother bunny is so determined to undermine her child's sense of independence. One line is particularly disturbing: the little bunny says he will become a sailboat and sail away, and the mother answers, "I will become the wind and blow you where I want you to go." I'm not a psychologist or anything, but this line seems so controlling - not a message I want to give my child.

I received the book in a reasonable amount of time. The book was supposed to be used, but the only thing that looked used was a dogeared corner on the last page and cover which I was able to straighten out.

This dictionary is excellent to read and has definations that the smaller version does not have.

Do NOT get this book -- which contains only the THIRD EDITION of the allowable Scrabble words. If you want the FOURTH EDITION, which is current up through its publication in late 2005, use this number to search Amazon's catalog: 0877796343 which will take you to the Fourth Edition, Large Print. For some reason, you can't find it by using words like "Scrabble Large Print" to find that edition -- you have to use the ISBN number.

Using the older edition might be okay if Amazon starts selling it at a discount; it's certainly good enough for friendly family games (in most families!) but won't get you where you need to go if you are playing competitively, and need the most current list of new coinages, acceptable 2-letter words, and q-words.

A wonderful tool for the scrabble players. Easy to use and handy to have

And she doesn't dare part with this to anyone. This is something she truly appreciates. The one thing that surprised her is that since it's in large print, the book is larger than the smaller print pocket version. She keeps it at home for safekeeping and enjoys it very much.

I love this book, as does my daughter. When I first picked it up, I thought the language was odd, but it really grew on me. This book actually chokes me up when I read it; it is so warm and sweet and beautiful. My daughter loved it as a baby, and still likes it now and then at age 3. The illustrations are wonderful too.

This book is not only charming, it is also illustrated with pictures of loving families which may not be biologically related to each other-- and not a word is said about it! As an adoptive famiily, we have lots of adoption-related picture books, but it is nice to just have a fun comforting book which shows that loving families come in all colors and they don't need to "match"!

This has been a favorite gift book for me--I give this book to all kinds of families with babies and toddlers and everyone loves it!

A timeless book about love, this book is for every reader. It should be read and reread by all children(that's all of us) and parents(no matter the age of your children). The book is great poetry,too. The illustration is bright and sunny.It will cheer you up and catch you up.

Great illustrations, good multicultural representation, and a fun, sing-songy text. My daughter likes to say and do the sign for "more" everytime we come to the word.

The story of loving families is wonderful. My kids love it. The print color is odd and the wording is unusual, but after you read it through once its not a problem.

This book has a lot of depth, but you must see past the simple text. One great thing about the simple text is that emergent readers can read this book with ease! If they can't get it right on the first page, they are sure to get it right on the second page. The repetition is actually very beneficial and encouraging to a new reader.

Regarding depth, the pictures tell most of the story. Great discussions while reading will involve the different members of the cat family and also the country or area of the world that the boy is now visiting. These discussions can develop into both science and social studies lessons.

Don't judge a book by its number of words! This is a great choice for young families!

I love Eric Carl and this is a great edition for the cat lover.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

This book is adorable. Yes the words are very simple (I have pretty much memorized it). However, the illustrations show so much more of the story. We talk about all the different cats (lion, bobcat, mountain lion, leopard, panther, cheetah, tiger, long haired domestic (probably persian), and his cat is a short haired domestic grey tiger (like ours is) with 6 kittens (which we like to count)) We also talk about the other animals in the book (horse, donkey, camel, squirl, etc). And we do the signs for "cat" and "bird". We also sometimes talk about the people in the book. She loves looking at the pictures and talking about the "kittys".

This book has made it back in to the rotation at my house and it's being well loved by both my almost-2 year old son and my very beginning reader (4.5 years). The repetitive and simple text that bores adults is perfect for a new reader. My daughter is so thrilled to be able to read the book herself and she's learned several new words from this book alone. My son loves looking at all the pictures and saying the names of each of the cats and the sounds of any other animals that are feature in the wordly travels. (lion, leopard (in the tree), panther, cougar, tiger, cheetah, Persian if I'm remembering them all correctly). To answer the person who posted about not understanding the story - cats often disappear when they're about to have a littler of kittens.

My daughter who is 6, just adores this book. It's a simple read, and because of that, it gave her much confidence in her reading ability. She rented this book from her school library in September, and has rented it over and over again. Luckily for her, "Santa" brought it on Christmas Day, so she doesn't have to rent it anymore.

If you have a child who loves Cats, and is a beginner reader, this may be the book for her/him.