Board Games Books

... Today my grandmother gave him the Puzzle Gallery: Food book, and he loves it! The only drawback is that the puzzles can be hard to fit together if you try to do them inside the book. I'd recommend doing them out of the book, on a table or the floor.

This book was a big hit with 2 boys (ages 7 & 8) They enjoyed answering the questions of what to look for in the painting. And the puzzle of the paintings kept them interested in the art by trying to put it back together. Very nice book great' value And a keepsake for other children to use

We got this book for our toddler daughter, who loved looking at the pictures, representing charming examples of children in fine art. At age 2 we introduced her to the actual working of the puzzles, and at 3, having mastered them, it is still one of her favorite books and activities. Highly recommended.

I just got this book for my 2.75 year old son who loves puzzles. I was very pleased to find that, not only did he love to work the puzzles, he was also fascinated with the paintings themselves. He's too young to address the questions that the text poses about each painting, but has spent a good deal of time simply studying each on his own. I highly recommend this book!

This book on Puzzles was first published in 1986 and later published in paperback. I borrowed it from my Library a couple of times and recently obtained my own copy. If you have any interest in puzzles,you'll immediately agree that this book is outstanding in every way. The authors are two of the biggest names when it comes to writing about mechanical puzzles of today and of the past. Jerry Slocum has collected puzzles all his life,has over 30,000, and has probably the finest collection in the world. He is President of the Slocum Puzzle Foundation,in Beverly Hills,California.
This book is an overview of just about everything there is about puzzles.There are all kinds of puzzles such as Crossword,Word Search and many types more commonly called Pencil Puzzles;but that is not what this book is all about. It is somewhat difficult to define Mechanical Puzzles;but if you think of the types of puzzles that you can pick up in your hand,it helps to see the types of puzzles covered in the book.
The authors cover puzzles everyone is familiar with such as Rubik's Cube,Sliding Blocks,Tangrams,Wire,String & Rings,Mazes,Puzzle Locks,Puzzle Boxes,Take-Apart Puzzles,and on and on. I think you get the picture.
The authors cover the history of the puzzles and give hundreds of pictures of them from their collections as well as from collections of other great collectors. The book has many pictures of the creators of puzzles and it is a real treat to put a face to the names which are so well known in the puzzle world.
The book is a pure delight to read and to look at the fascinating array of puzzles;but it doesn't end there. There is all kinds of information on how to go about solving many of the puzzles;and on top of that lots of instructions oh how you can make many of the puzzles. No doubt,the reader could build quite a collection of puzzles,just from the information in the book.
I also find this book to be a real help in finding and identifying puzzles. People don't throw away these puzzles;but they often end up in Flea and Antique Markets,Second Hand Shops,Garage Sales and so forth. This book shows you what to look for and find. Let me give you an example. A while back,I saw one of the Japanese building towers shown on page 65,sitting on a shelf amongst a bunch of bric-a brac,didn't recognize it as a puzzle ,and passed it by. When I saw it in this book,I immediately knew what I had missed. Oh well,live and learn. The point is,if you hope to find puzzles,you got to know what to look for;and this book shows you. Another good example. The Bombay stores carries puzzles at times and recently had 4 very well constructed puzzles.I bought one called "The Comet" which is quite similar to the "Papa-Chuck" puzzle on page 74 and consists of 51 interlocking pieces.
So,if solving,collecting,making or anyting else about puzzles interests you,this book will become a prized possession.It would take many lifetimes for one person to find and enjoy what the authors have assembled in to this excellent book and made it available with extremely high ,color,paper,illustrations ,printing and construction quality;and at the same time a very reasonable cost. While you're at it,why not check out Jerry Slocum's Page on the Web,to see what's going on in the world of puzzles.

I bought the book originally to learn how to make some of the puzzles. The fact that there are dozens of puzzles to make immediately differentiates the book from others. There is an enormous wealth of information about puzzles of all kinds. The authors have notes about puzzle inventors, tips on making puzzles, and, in a few cases, tips on how to solve the puzzles. Really a nice book for anyone with an interest in puzzles.

This book is full of many types of mechanical puzzles many dating from the early 19th century. 150 pages of pictures and discriptions of how to make and solve many of these puzzles along with history and biographies on many of the puzzles and makers. The authors have included concise instructions on how to make many of these puzzles from wood with common handtools and a basic knowledge of how to read net drawings. A great read for any age.

Whether you love puzzles or they just frustrate you beyond belief, you's sure to find this book intriguing and absorbing. Filled with 150+ pages of pictures, diagrams, text, and solutions, this book is the most comprehensive treatment of puzzles of all natures that I've ever seen. Puzzles addressed include: 3D Wood block puzzles, Drinking Vessles, Imposible Objects, Folding Puzzles, Disentanglement Puzzles, and more...

Of course not all puzzles are solved by the book...the authors have to leave you something!

If you're handy in the machine shop you'll enjoy the diagrams of wooden blocks and other items that you can make. I've made a few with great results.

Tangrams are a fascinating set of puzzles, but quite frankly, the descriptions of many of the figures require a selective use of your imagination. Using seven standard pieces, (five triangles, one square and one rhomboid), you are to arrange them to create a figure. The 330 puzzles in this book will sometimes be easy to create and other times they will test your resolve. Solutions to all of the puzzles are included at the end.
When she was two years old, I bought a set of tangrams for my daughter and we worked at them for hours, she enjoyed making figures and sometimes created credible ones of her own. We spent hours doing this and it was father-daughter time that was well spent.

The tangrams themselves all have to be enlarged in order for my students to use them but I do that in Photoshop and it is working fine. I like that all the answers are there as well. Lots to pick from.

This book have 334 pages and it is very complete.
The introduction is very instructive.
There are 11 parts: Letters and numbers, Animals (tangram zoo, cats, dogs, birds, horses, bats, sea creatures...) Mankind (servants, Sam Loyd's portrait gallery, horsemen, medieval ladies...), around the house (watering can, baby carriages, stocking, pistol..), boat and bridges, stories and pictures (the house that jack built, the story of cinderella, a game of billard, the orchestra), a little mathematics (! ), chinoiseries (some chinese characters, dagger, raincot, "drinkink alone"), paradoxes and illusions, double tangrams (rocket, coach, sport car, television set, lion..) et the fifteen-piece puzzle (a pavillon in the moolight, a man asleep in a drifting boat..).
The solutions are given in the back of the book. The illustrations and the explanations are very clear. The author wrote a book really complete about tangram

Ce livre de 334 pages est vraiment complet. Il a une introduction très instructive. Il est divisé en onze parties: Letters and numbers, Animals (tangram zoo, cats, dogs, birds, horses, bats, sea creatures...) Mankind (shoeshine boy and customer, acrobats, medieval ladies...), around the house (pipe, shoes, chairs, pistol..), boat and bridges, stories and pictures (the house that jack built, the story of cinderella, a game of billard, the orchestra), a little mathematics (! ), chinoiseries (some chinese characters, "Buddha hand"...), paradoxes and illusions, double tangrams (house, cyclist, sport car, telescope, microscope..) et the fifteen-piece puzzle (a pavillon in the moolight, a man asleep in a drifting boat..). Les solutions sont données à la fin du livre. Les illustrations et les explications sont très claires. L'auteur a écrit un livre vraiment complet sur les tangrams.

Very good product for beginners and those who have not played in a long time. You really need several books on chess, but this is a GREAT product.

This book is so easy to read, makes the concepts so clear for a beginner, I keep it at my side. Very well written. Every beginner should have it.
Annie

Most chess books for beginners are simply awful. It's quite refreshing to see a book like this. High resolution photographs of the board really make a difference. The writing is remarkably clear and free of jargon. Lots of great players unfortunately are ineffective teachers. Not so here. The author has his chess accomplishments, but more important he has taught the game for 30 years. It makes a difference and it shows.

What impressed me most is how far the book will take you. There are the usual basics. Some very effective sections on openings, middlegame, and endgame play, including a section on the five steps to victory that you won't find in any other beginner's book on chess. If you casually compare this volume to the other chess books for novices, you'll quickly agree that this is the way to go.

'chessguy' nails it -- Jon Edwards is a great teacher because of what he does not write. Leaving aside anything that does not get you up and running as a player with a clear understanding of the game's rules, tactics, and traditional strategies, this book is pure gold and betrays its simplistic visual "series" title. There's far more here than meets the eye. If you work your way through the book with a chessboard in front of you, it will go quickly.

As a beginner in 2007, I bought over 50 chess books. However, this book was the most helpful of all of them. If you're buying someone you know who's recently become interested in chess a book, Jon Edwards won't let you down.

My husband never relaxes he is always either at work or working on the house. I bought him the set of four of these puzzle books. He loves challenging his mind and learning new things. This series is great at getting him to sit for awhile. He still is doing something but resting at the same time. My teenage kids also have gotten in on reading and doing these books. We love the whole bathroom reader collection. I have even given bathroom reader books to my in laws as presents and they love them as well. Its a gotta have book in our house.

This book had all the puzzles that I love and a great mix of them too. It also has a few fun facts and stories to keep things interesting. Love it.

I did not buy the book for myself but for my son who is (sad to say) currently in jail. He did enjoy the book and it helped to pass the time and I will be ordering him another the books soon. Thanks

This is a puzzle book like no other -- it's got something for everyone. The crosswords and other puzzles are very high quality (but not necessarily hard) and the quizzes are fun and funny, just like the Uncle John readers. We've been playing it together as a family and we've been consistently amazed and amused. Other puzzle books usually concentrate on one kind of puzzle, but this one has a great variety of fun stuff to do. We can't wait for the next one!

I never did make it throughout all the 101 games. They were designed on Microsoft 8K Basic Rev.4.0. David H. Ahl is the Founder of "Creative Computing".

By typing in the game you learn how the basic code controls may code functions and algorithms. Like many other technical items this information has been sway surpassed by the industry but it is still fun to mix and match code.

Back in the Golden Age of Microcomputing (roughly from '75 to '89 or so) the way people shared programs wasn't through the internet. Instead, it was through typing in program listings in the backs of magazines. "Compute!'s Gazette" was my means of getting software.

When I recently came across a copy of Ahl's "Basic Computer Games" I had to snatch it up immediately. There, contained in 101 program listings are games of varying degrees of quality, but many the games from that Golden Age are in there. Especially that Star Trek(TM) game. [Star Trek is a trademark of the Paramount Pictures Corporation]

Many of the games are just plain silly. Who knows why Ahl included them? Bunny, Poetry, Combat, just to name a few. But there are enough good ones in there to elicit a wave of nostalgia in those of us who lived through (and gamed through) those golden times.

This was the beginning for many people to their love affair with computers. Many simple games that you program yourself in Basic, one of the first computer languages. Not only could you learn simple progamming form this book, but have something tangible to show for it! Easy to use with set-by-step instructions.

This is a fine GO book --- the most enjoyable book on GO I have ever read. Good Stuff, not stuffy. Very glad to have read it.

This book treats the major facets of go theory from two perspectives: historical and practical. This book has seven chapters that teach all of essential go techiniques. You don't miss it.

This book provides commentary on 32 games organized into 7 sections. Each of the seven sections details "Master Lessons" about some general aspect of "go theory". For example, section 1 is subtitled "The Master of Deployment Never Faces Combat", section 5 "The Master of Planning Never Faces Restrictions", etc. Each concept is further developed with illustrative games that include insightful discussions of wei qi in China and players personalities. For example, the author asks "when playing go, when should you be attacker and when should you be defender?" and provides an illustrative game with insights to help you resolve this dilemma. Early in the book we learn that Chinese rules used to require an initial placement of stones on the star points. As a result, Chinese masters did not develop joseki and fuseki theory in the same spirit as the Japanese. For the Chinese, board reading and fighting was paramount - but eventually, from these restrictions came the famous Chinese opening. The analysis of the selected games highlights innovative thinking and developments from Chinese masters who are applying new insights into the game. The exquisite play are those "Aha" insights that forever change your perception of the game. This book is higly recommended for all go fanatics, regardless of skill level.

Someone gave us this book, and since I didn't have anything else, I started reading it to my baby (3 months old) every night before bed. I couldn't BELIEVE IT but she would stare and stare at the cute little (african themed) pictures. The words are probably fun for her to hear, and the simple story is just darling. She will sit still the entire time I read it, and sometimes try to grab the bright little animals. I LOVE this book.

Normally I am very tired of hearing authors make up new words and using little sound bites, but not with Chicky Chicky Chook Chook. We read this with a classroom of three-year-olds and they were giggling away. My son loved it at least 7 times! I had to keep reading it just to hear him attempting the new sounds he heard. The talent of Cathy MacLennan goes even further with illustrations briming with imagination and texture!

I bought this book for my nephew who is 18 months old. He absolutely LOVES it. The manner the author/illustrator uses is VERY good. Upon the first reading, my nephew thought the chicks were actually fuzzy. The sounds that make up the text are mesmerizing. The story features bees, chicks, and cats. Children who are learning animals will be captivated. Many times when playing, we'll hear him, "Chicky, chicky, chook chook," or "Snuggle, snuggle, sleepy shine."

I was also taken with the methods of illustration. The author was born in Zimbabwe and now lives in the UK. Influences of Africa are apparent in the vivid and sweet illustrations.

This book is very enjoyable for toddlers and adults alike!

I found this book by accident at my local library while looking for books on the fall of Rome for a college paper. The librarian told me it was in the children's section, but that the author's books are so well written and highly documented that adults can use them too. And she was right. This book contains a wealth of information about gladiators, chariot races, and other Roman games, all done in a methodical, thorough, but consistently entertaining manner. Extensive footnotes, a good many of them informational, and a large bibliography add to the value of the volume. Meanwhile, I discovered that the author, Don Nardo, has written extensively about Rome's fall. His Decline and Fall of Ancient Rome (which borrows its title from Edward Gibbon's masterpiece), is also excellent and I plan to review it separately.

The best general non-scholarly overview of ancient Roman games I have seen so far. It's positively crammed with information even though it's a small book. The author does a really nice job of weaving in quotes by ancient authors, such as Ovid, Cicero, and others, which makes the text more interesting and also more authoritative. As an overall comment, I would call it excellent and extremely well researched and well written.

If you saw the recent movie "Gladiator" and happen to know a few things about real ancient Roman gladiators, as I do, then you were probably just as disappointed as I was. Most of the gladiator fights in the film were not accurately staged, especially the way they showed one guy taking on four or more opponents at a time, which rarely happened, if it happened at all! Anyone who wants to know what these fights were really like should pick up this book. It tells what the fights were really like and includes numerous fascinating deatils about the different types of gladiators. There were several that most people have never heard of, including ones that fought blind-folded!! The author also goes into the way the gladiators dressed, and the way Roman society both looked down on them as low lifes but also cheered them as heroes. The author also points out the movies that did accurately show gladiator fights, "Spartacus" and "Demetrius and the Gladiators" both of which I have seen and agree completely with him. And that's only part of the book. It also goes into the chariot races and mock naval battles and wild animal fights and more!! Unfortunately the book is short for someone like me who wants to know even more on the subject. But the author lists lots of books in the back and I am reading one of these now, "Gladiator" by Micahel Grant, which is also very informative.

My two oldest daughters love this book! Their Dad and I have been having fun doing one page a night before bedtime. The illustrations are amazing! They are so intricate that it easily takes us 20 minutes to do just one page. The great thing about this book is that it can handle the interests of a wide range of ages. For example, my four year old has fun counting the fairies she finds while my six year old can sound out 'S-U-N' and then find that in the picture. Once we have found all the things the book asks for the girls have us search for other things on the page.

We have heard rumors that this author and illustrator have two other books coming out soon. We can hardly wait!

What an enchanting book -- an absolutely wonderful tool for a grandparent and grandchild to share. It brings magic to all ages. This book has become my gift to big sisters who are welcoming new babies into their family space and to brand new grandparents. I can hardly wait for the next books to come out so I can enjoy more special time with my special little ones!

My family discovered this wonderful book on Saturday, when we happened upon the release party in San Francisco. We met the both the Author and Illustrator who were enchanting the crowd of children like the fairies in their fairyland. My sons and daughter are captivated by the book - filled with lush color, wonderfully imaginative illustrations and playful, engaging rhyme that delights while leading us through the pages of discovery. Really a treasure.