Game Studies Books

This sequel to A Gangster's Girl was a very good and fast paced read,it was way better than the first book. I wasnt to upset with how it ended because I know there is a 3rd and upcoming 4th installment to this series. so now Im about to go read The Naked Truth and i also look forward to reading Return of a Gangster's Girl which drops at the end of this month!!!I hope those get even better!!

I read a wide variety of books, but this was very amateurish. No real character development. I'm about half way through and contemplating not finishing it. Urban fiction, when done right, can be very good. Read something by Leo Sullivan or Tracy Brown to understand what I'm saying. They have skills!

After reading "A Gangster's Girl", I couldn't wait to read, "Married to the Game". I finished this book in one day. It's definitely a page turner. This book made me want to cry and cuss, lol! There are some parts in this book that will definitely make you cry. Duke was my favorite character. He was just off the hook. I didn't like the ending, but the book was hot!

the first book was off the chain i could not put the book down i read it in one day , but this second book was not that good it dragged on and was alittle to the left for me

i LOVED THE BOOK AND I MUST SAY CEAZIA NEVA SEEMS TO AMAZE ME ITS LIKE SHE DOES ONE WILD THING FROM DA NEXT BUT I REALLY LIKE DA BOOK AND ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS GO N BUY IT

Great little pocket dictionary for those who don't want to carry around a heavier full-sized eng/span diction. It's not 'quite' as complete, but it's about 99% there. It's going to have all of the important words

Great little pocket dictionary for those who don't want to carry around a heavier full-sized eng/span diction. It's not 'quite' as complete, but it's about 99% there. It's going to have all of the important words

The best SPanish-SPanish dictionary is of course the academy dictionary agreed upon by all the Spanish language academies in every spanish-speaking country. However, for smaller ENglish/Spanish, this dictionary is pretty good. It's the one I give to relatives or friends studying Spanish.

This book is easy to use and full of excellent vocabulary for a beginning Spanish speaker. On a few occasions I was not able to find the word I was looking for but I did find close substitutes and was able to complete my assignments for my Spanish class.

I use this dictionary quite a bit as it is small enough to be light and easy to carry and big enough to contain most everyday words. I think that the content is good but I compared to my other (larger) dictionary by Harper Collins the paper is somewhat gray and the words don't stand out as well. Also the ink is not the most permanent so if you are not careful you can end up with gray stains on your fingertips. I would recommend spending slightly more to get something with a higher quality of paper and printing.

The professional historians faint as prominent mathematician Doctor Fomenko et al research the known historical data and come to fairly controversial conclusions.

For example, the English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. As the sign of recognition of the special role of the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Russian historians brand it as pseudoscience because Dr Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by over two centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called `Tartars and Mongols' were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a trilingual state and aspiring Global Empire with Arabic and Turkic spoken as freely as Russian.

The ancient proto-Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities and the hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called `blood tax'). Their `invasions' were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion.

Fomenko proves for a fact that official Russian history is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scholars brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs. Their ascension to the throne was the result of conspiracy, so they charged these German historians-imports with the noble mission of making Romanov's reign look legitimate.

Dr Fomenko et al prove Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. These rulers represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate Godounovs and the ambitious Romanov upstarts.

The European historians fume not only because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History but for asserting that all medieval European Kings and Princes were but breakaway vice-regents and vassals of the Global Empire who badly needed glorious and very `ancient' past in order to legitimize their new independence from the Empire.

Dr Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one: the Ancient Rome: the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the 14th century A. D., the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, the Ancient Egypt: the pyramids of Giza become dated to the 11th to 14th century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global Empire, no less.

The civilization of the `ancient'' Egypt is irrefutably dated to the 11th to 15th century A. D. following the breakthrough in decoding of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone and painted on the temple walls.

Arabic historians may find some consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire as a part of the Global empire in the 15th - 17th century. The trouble is that this Empire was initially a proto-Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, but built in 1550-1557 A.D. by Sultan Suleiman according to Fomenko and Islam with all its key figures is datable to 15th 16th century A. D.!

The Chinese historians are also an unhappy lot because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such history. Period. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the 17th 18th century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation.

The Divinity excommunicates Dr Fomenko because the history of religions according to Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the 11th century and Jesus Christ ), Bacchic Christianity (11th to 12th century, before and after Jesus Christ), Jesus Christ Christianity (12th to 14th century) and its subsequent mutations (15th to 17th cy) into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on..; and The Old Testament written after the New Testament in xiv-xvi cy A.D., if you please! Everybody served? Saint Augustine was quite prescient when he said: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RAZQNMXM4M9CL Has history been tampered with? Yes, it has! Did events and eras such as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Roman Empire , the Dark Ages, and the Renaissance, actually occur within a very different chronology from what we've been told? Yes, they certainly did!

The history of humankind is both drastically shorter and dramatically different than generally presumed.

Why is it so? On one hand, it was usual custom to justify the claims to title and land by age and ancestry, and on the other the court historians knew only too well how to please their masters. The so called universal classic world history is a pack of intricate lies for all events prior to the 16th century. World history as we learn it today was entirely fabricated in the 16th-18th centuries. It's likely that nobody told you before, but

there is not a single piece of firm written evidence or artefact that is reliably and independently dated prior to the 11th century.

Naturally, after what you've learned in school and university, you will not easily believe that the classical history of ancient Rome, Greece, Asia, Egypt, China, Japan, India, etc., is manifestly false.

You will point accusing finger to the pyramids in Egypt, to the Coliseum in Rome and Great Wall of China etc., and claim, aren't they really ancient, thousands of years ancient? Well, there is no valid scientific proof that they are older than 1000 years!

The oldest original written document that can be reliably dated belongs to the 11th century!

New research asserts that Homo sapiens invented writing (including hieroglyphics) only 1000 years ago. Once invented, writing skills were immediately and irreversibly put to the use of ruling powers and science.

The consensual chronology we live with was essentially crafted in the 16th century by the Jesuits.

The world history was compiled from contradictory mix of innumerable copies of ancient Latin and Greek manuscripts and other irrefutable proofs delivered by late mediaeval astronomers that were cemented by the authority of writings of the Church Fathers.

Early in life, we learn about ancient history. Children love the magical lessons of history - they are like fairy tales. Teachers recite breathtaking stories; very soon We learn by heart the names and deeds of brave warriors, wise philosophers, fabulous pharaohs, cunning high priests and greedy scribes.

We learn of gigantic pyramids and sinister castles, kings and queens, dukes and barons, powerful heroes and beautiful ladies, emaciated saints and low-life traitors.

Ancient history is based documents, manuscripts, printed books, paintings, monuments and artefacts - called primary sources.

The problem is that neither these ancient documents, nor events described therein can be irrefutably dated, moreover they contradict each other for the most part.

When a school textbook tells us that Genghis Khan in year X or Alexander in year Y, have each conquered half of the world, it means only that it is so said in some of the written sources.

There are no answers to simple questions:

When were these primary sources written?

Where and by whom were these sources found?

It is wrongly presumed that ancient and medieval chronicles, written by Genghis Khan's or Alexander the Great contemporaries and eyewitnesses, are readily available. Actually, only sources written hundreds or even thousands of years after the events are there, compiled mostly in the 16th 18th centuries, or even later.

As a rule, these sources suffered considerable multiple manipulations, falsifications and distortions by editing. At the same time,

innumerable originals of ancient documents under various pretexts were destroyed in Europe under various pretexts.

The names of persons and geographical sites often changed meaning and location during the course of the centuries.

Geographical locations became clearly defined on maps only with the advent of printing.

This made possible the circulation of identical copies of the same map for purposes of the military, navigation, education and governance tasks.

Historians from Oxford say: "hey, everybody knows that Julius Caesar lived in the first century B.C.

`Julius Caesar' statement is only a point of view as

there is simply no irrefutable documentary proof that Julius Caesar or any other great name of antiquity ever existed.

Better than that - extremely rare sources that can be reliably dated back to the 10th-14th centuries A D, do not show the polished picture of classical history.

They show a picture both contradictory and confusing.

All methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts are erroneous:

Radio-carbon C14 method produces dating with exactitude of plus minus 1500 years, therefore it is too crude for dating of events in historical timeframe!

The Almagest tractate, which lies as corner stone contemporary chronology, compiled in the 2nd century A D by Ptolemy, the founding father of astronomy, contains astronomical data of 9th to 16th century!

The Bronze Age,that has supposedly began 5000 years ago. Bronze is made of 90% copper and 10% tin, but the technology for tin extraction dates back to 14th century A D!.

All eclipses contained in manuscripts, like Thucydides one, relating 'ancient' events have exclusively medieval dating. All horoscopes cut in stone or painted in Egyptian temples, like Dendera have exclusively early medieval dating solutions.

Not quite what you have learned in school? Open your eyes, and, you will find sufficient proof to reach step by step the inevitable conclusion that the classical chronology is false and therefore, that the history of ancient and medieval world universally accepted today, is also false. Have a fresh outlook on everything said or printed about "ancient" and "enigmatic" Roman, Greek and Egyptian, medieval as well as all other "lost and found" civilizations.

Antiquity and Dark Ages are phantoms invented in the 16th 18th and polished in 19th 20thcenturies. Human civilization is in fact barely 1000 years old!

This book will change your perception of History forever!
What if Ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt were invented during Renaissance?
What if The Old Testament was a rendition of events of the Middle Ages?
What if Jesus Christ was born in 1053 and crucified in 1086 AD?
Sounds Unbelievable?
Not after you've read "History: Fiction or Science?" by Anatoly Fomenko, the genius mathematician.
Armed with astronomy and computers Anatoly Fomenko turns History into a rocket science.

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun (ie. closer), different tilt on its axis (ie. less than 23.5 degrees), different orbit (ie. more circular), different rotation (ie. in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different relative positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently from how we would today? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history or geography is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

I read through this book with great surprise. I couldn't believe what really goes on in the fashion industry. Let me tell you, this book was a pleasant read, providing excellent anecdotes about the sleaze in fashion. I highly recommend it.

"Shut Up and Smile" attempts to cash in on the success of Michael Gross's superb history "Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women." However, it falls far short of the mark.

For one thing, the book design is hideous and amateurish: the cover looks like it was put together in twenty minutes copying pictures from websites. Inside, there are plenty of misspelled words, which, though it does not take away from the quality of the book, disheartened me a lot. Names were often misspelled (Gisele Budchen, Kyle McClaughlin, Cheryl Crow.) I found it appalling that although Katharine Hepburn is listed as a coauthor, Halperin didn't even spell her first name right. Also, the chapters on Stella McCartney (how much did she pay him for that glowing profile?) and the late Gianni Versace seemed to have little to do with the rest of the book.

Halperin totally overuses the word "supermodel", which is usually used to describe the greats of modeling (Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, etc) the greats of modeling and is even appropriate for other major models like Shalom Harlow and Gisele, but he uses supermodel as a replacement for model, which is just about any girl who happened to do some ads and runway.

What was shocking in "Model" (drug use, sexual abuse, agency wars, etc) is made utter trash in "Shut Up and Smile." There are ubiquitous and lascivous descriptions of sex acts scattered throughout the book which I found to be in poor taste.

However, since "Shut Up and Smile" was published several years after "Model", it has a lot of new information, like about Naomi Campbell's supposed suicide attempt and Kate Moss's struggles with addiction. And since it is more of an expose than a history, there are more extensive and shocking cases listed of models (often underage) who were killed, raped, abused and/or harrassed, which further convinces me that anyone who's less than razor sharp is eaten alive in the business; and how an industry verging into prostitution is already crossing the line. The subject of racism in the modern day fashion industry is also interesting.

"Shut Up and Smile" is worth a read, to further convince yourself that you really don't want to be the "gorgeous" girl on the cover of Elle, but only after the much more in depth and serious "Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women."

If I could give 10 stars, I would. This book exposes the seedy underbelly of the fashion business. I learned so much by reading this book. I never realized how much dirt covers this corrupt business. I recommend anyone interested in modeling or fashion to go out and pick up a copy. It's essential to read this book to understand what really goes on behind the scenes. Models being drugged and raped repeatedly by men more than 30 years their senior. This made me want to vomit. Perhaps we can all learn a lesson by reading this book, no matter what industry we work in. It's vital to treat people equally and with respect. I highly commend the author for his courage to go undercover and expose this rather seedy business. I encourage any young kid who has aspirations of entering the modeling business to read this book first.

To get into the inside life of being a supermodel, you might as well go talk to someone coming out of one of those instant photo boths at the mall.

This book offers the dark side of the modeling business, a much needed account since we only see the beauty and glamour associated with it. The dark side consists of grueling shoot hours and strict diets forcing young models into cocaine and drug habits just to keep up with the pace. Then there is the gloomy life of prostitution many struggling models turn to with no help from the horny old agents who would drug or blackmail them to have sex. It is very sick, but intriguing reading since most people like to read about beautiful people. I gave it three stars because the price is pretty steep for such a book. I can't believe I bought it. The pictures are really bad so there was no point of including them in the book. Also, the author went undercover with the intent to expose dirt, but only offers stories from other people's accounts. Most of the sleezy stuff happen to the no-name models so the title of the book is quite misleading. I like the section about the up-and-coming supermodels. My favorite being Devon Aoki because she looks so exotic. You should search for her website...cool stuph. But the chapter on Jenny McCartney and Versace is irrelevant. I pay good money to read about supermodels [...]!

The Beautiful Game by Jonathan Littman is a very compelling and well described book. It is very easy for me to relate because as a soccer play I have won state cup three times. I can also relate because I know the journey and the obstacles you have to overcome to be a champion. I relate best to the player Kim because she had to suffer with an injury, exactly what i have been going through. I think why I liked this book so much is because I have a lot in common with these girls, and I have a love and passion for soccer. I recommend this book to any soccer player, or anybody who is chasing after a dream.

I think this book, The Beautiful Game, was an extraordinary display of a group of 14-year-old girls, who came together as a magnificent soccer team, to overcome a new coach, and many of the road bumps they had on the highway to success. This soccer team was extremely committed and dedicated, not only to the game of soccer, but to each other. And that is the key to playing competitive club soccer. I especially enjoyed this story about this club team called Thunder, because I also play club soccer in Dallas, Texas. My club is called the Dallas Texans (West). I am a '92, which makes me 14 in January. I was incredibly inspired by this book to train as hard as I can, and I learned that getting along with my team is very important. I was also very interested in this book because it must have taken a lot of courage to accomplish what these girls did. I was very fascinated by how well this book was written, and how much I felt like I knew every one of the girls on this team. I think I enjoyed this book because I can relate it to my own experiences. But I don't think you have to be a soccer player to have you heart touched by the lives of the girls in this story. And I also don't think you have to be an athlete to be inspired by the soccer these girls learned to play. This book should be passed down from generation to generation. The Beautiful Game is a phenomenal display of what soccer and true friendship is really about. I overall enjoyed this book because of its amazing life story of the club soccer team Thunder, and its talented 14-year-old players.

This was one of th most fantasic books I have read in a while. It show how deticated you have to be to go all out in a sport and how good you can get if you have a good coach. I read the book, and a year later I got a really tough coach. I was temted to quit the team because of the endless running but I remembered how much the coach in this book put the tea through and how far they got, and I kept with it. I have gotten really far and I am still on the team. This is the most wonderful and well written book about teen soccer out there.

I am a girls high school and club coach and I had high hopes for this book, maybe for inspiration, maybe for insight or ideas on how to train my players. I came out with neither. This is a typical story of undisciplined kids that get someone to discipline them and then they become successful. It is very, very close to the same story line and tactics in the movie Hoosiers, only with a young girls soccer team. It does throw in some interesting perspectives about club team rivalries and California soccer, but they are not relevant to other states soccer experience. The types of teams and seasons overlapping do not happen in any state around me.

I agree with a previous post that if it was told 5 years after the season and through the eyes of the players it might be a little better. But we never relly know how it affected the kids. How did it help them? How did it help them mature as adults? Where are they now?

Most important to me is the impression this might leave for other coaches. This is not necessarily the best way to deal with a girls team. Sometimes it works, others it doesnt. I hope this does not encourage all coaches to do this with girls teams...

The positive about his book is in the things parents could learn from this book. I did think the dealing with parents and the attitudes of some parents was humorously accurate. I would suggest all soccer parents read this book and I would suggest players might learn some from this book. But it really could have been alot better...

I am the mom of one of the players and have just recently re-read this book about my daughter's team. Looking back on our Thunder experience, I know that it was a unique, almost surreal experience. At the time, we knew it was special but of course, you can't fully appreciate it until it is over. After winning State Cup, Thunder continued to grow and develop as a team, winning several major tournaments and getting back to the State Cup finals in 2000 only to lose to the Placer Sharks. I still see many of the girls and most agree that Thunder was an experience that shaped their life. It wasn't just the soccer or the incredible success the team had, it was more than that. It was the relationships, the experience, and the unique bond that is formed when a group comes together with a unifying goal. It is that undefinable, special something that takes just a talented team and makes it into a great team. So, for those readers that wonder, did it work out okay? I think, for the families that I am close, that yes, yes it did. We are better for the experience.

The basic treatise on card magic. Though somewhat outdated, this is still the fundamental course on card sleights. Pretty good tricks in here too. Sound learning principles: learn sleight, learn tricks using the sleight, only then move on to next sleight. As this is inexpensive every magician ought to have this in his library, if only as a reference work.

This book is great for learning different card handling and shuffling techniques, however it can be a little tuff to follow sometimes. If you dont already have a basic understanding of how to handle cards you might want to start with a video first. It's usually a bit easier to learn when you can actually see whats going on. A side from all that, this is a really good book.

This book is designed to teach the reader how to perform a wide variety of basic sleight-of-hand card tricks. The sleights themselves are classics; I think that knowing basic sleight of hand is fundamental for performing really impressive card magic, and this book contains all of the groundwork you will need. The book includes information on the overhand shuffle, the riffle shuffle, the glimpse, the palm, the double lift, the pass, and much more.

The explanations of the sleights are quite detailed. This allows the reader to pick up fine points and refine the techniques.

That said, I think this book has some important deficiencies. (1) Many of the moves are not illustrated at all. It's very difficult to learn some sleight of hand moves with just a verbal description. More pictures would be tremendously helpful. (2) While the book contains many great tricks, especially towards the end, it also includes a number of dull ones. I personally hate any card trick that involves spelling (i.e., you count cards out as you spell some word, and the last card counted out is the chosen one), and this book includes plenty of those. Still, if you select tricks carefully from the book, you will end up with some astonishing routines.

One warning, though: sleight-of-hand magic requires a LOT of practice. If you're interested in picking up a new magic trick in five minutes, this is not the book for you! If, however, you would like to learn really deceptive card tricks - tricks that the average spectator will really be stunned by - and you are willing to devote time to daily practice, then this book is a fine option.

This is a truly wonderful book. I can't think of a better one for Card magic. It explains the different sleights, and has excellent routines to use them. It does assume one has a basic understanding of Card magic, so I suppose someone starting out who has no background could find it frustrating. It's not the best book for a rank beginner, but for someone who has some knowledge of the basics, I think it's terrific.

This is the best book to start in card magic. Small, easy to follow, full of information. After you read this book, you will be able to understand the description of most tricks to learn, and also, you will surprise yourself figuring out tricks just to look at someone performing it. If you want to be a professional magician (not my case at all) you'll have to read a lot more, but, this book will be always a good reference.

I recommend after finishing reading RRTCM, move to Expert Card Technique written by the same authors.

I liked this book most for the insight that even in trench warfare in the first world war the soldiers on both sides cooperated. The lesson that I got from this book was something that I've known for a long time: When people cooperate, more good and greater wealth is generated than when they don't. I also liked the pretty good discussion on the prisoner's dilemma (though I still think THAT is an American fiction).

I'm not the first reviewer so I won't provide a summary. This book can be a bit dense at times, especially if you're not a quant or charts person. I am, but you may not be. If you're not but are still interested in a descriptive discussion then you'd likely give it a 4-star due to skipping over a few sections.

It is interesting to note this book which was written more than 20 years ago is still fresh in ideas.

Some philosophers said human are born benign, but some said otherwise. The most famous answer was given over three hundred years ago by Thomas Hobbes. He was pessimistic and argued that before government existed, the state of nature was dominated by the problem of selfish individuals who competed on ruthless terms and life was solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. He thought cooperation could not develop without a central authority.

You may have heard, or played, the Prisoners' Dilemma. The setting was that two criminals together committed a serious crime were caught. The detective kept them in separate cells and asked each of them to confess the crime. Circumstantial evidence was weak and so if both of them cooperated and kept silence, they would only be convicted of a minor offense. The detective told each of them that if he confessed and turned into a prosecution witness against the other, he would be acquitted while the other would get the maximum sentence. If both of them confessed, they could beg leniency for a lighter sentence. The game theorists proved that the best strategy for the game was to confess and to defect against the other. This may partly prove that Thomas Hobbes was right.

The crux of the game was that the prisoners did not know the intention of the other party. They could only guess the scenarios and calculate the probability of returns. Axelrod developed a variation of the game, involving repeated game interactions between two players with the results of each interactions known to them. He gave scores to each game played: 3 points each for mutual cooperation, 1 points each for punishment of mutual defection, 5 points for defection leading to conviction of the other, and 0 point for keeping silence while being defected against. When previous performance of the other side was known, the player could take it into account and develop a strategy to take advantage of cooperation and also timely defection to gain points. There is afterall merit in cooperation sometimes.

A computer programming tournament of the iterated game was organized. Programmers engaged various strategies, ranging from algorithmic complexity, initial hostility, occasional defection, being nice or forgiving to induce cooperation, etc. The winner of the game was the program Tic-for-tac. Its strategy was to be nice and cooperative on the first move, then consistently repaying cooperation or defection according to the last move of the opponent. Analysis showed that the success of Tic-for-tac was based on four factors: being nice and never defect first, being provocable as it would retaliate by defecting whenever defected upon, being forgiving as it only retaliated once; being clear in intention as its strategy was quickly known by its opponents. Axelrod concluded that these basic characteristics were conducive to developing cooperation. Being nice and forgiving were essential attributes while making them known was also important. Being provocable was a good defense from being bullied of being nice and could raise the chance of survival.

A further conclusion by Axelrod was that Tic-for-tac was robust even in a hostile environment. In such an environment where there was no cooperation, participants would gain a few points through mutual defection and a single Tic-for-tac would die out. However, if there were a small number of Tic-for-tac in such environment, interactions of cooperation between them would bring more points. If they were a close group, then such in-group interactions, however small in number, would be better off than the always-defect majority. As a result, this Tic-for-tac group would grow in the population and cooperation would eventually evolve to be the dominating strategy. This phenomenon has been observed in the development of many civilizations.

The book also found that cooperation did not necessarily occur between friendly parties. It described the case of the trench warfare in World War I. Known as Live and Let Live, troops on both sides of the trench warfare spontaneously developed a strategy of cooperation whereby they shelled the other side according to a fixed schedule only known to the soldiers and allowing either side to minimize casualties. The generals were satisfied that the war was going on with the shelling but the combat line was neither advanced nor breached. The soldiers followed a similar strategy as Tic-for-tac that they never directly shelled bunkers nor supplies first, always retaliated with more accurate shelling when directly hit, always returned to pretentious shelling afterwards, and making sure that such behaviour was known to the enemy. This cooperative phenomenon which went on for a long time during the war saved many lives.

From the perspective of a reformer, Axelrod proposed the strategy on how to promote cooperation. 1. Enlarging the shadow of the future - Mutual cooperation can be stable if the future is sufficiently important relative to the present because the players can each use an implicit threat of retaliation against the other's defection. 2. Change the payoffs - This is usually adopted by government in raising the payoffs in terms of taxes, harsh punishment for crime and obligations to honour contracts; that is: to raise the payoffs for cooperation and vice versa for defection. 3. Teach people to care about each other - Through education, adults shape the values of children so that the preference of the new citizens will incorporate their own welfare with the welfare of others. 4. Teach reciprocity - Always reciprocating defection may not be the standard of morality for some religions, for example the teaching of always cooperative by turning the other cheek. However, reciprocity is a robust strategy in upholding cooperation and avoiding exploitation. The self-policing feature of the strategy gives an incentive to cooperation. Teaching reciprocity to those with whom one will interact will help build a mutually rewarding relationship. 5. Improve recognition abilities - The ability to recognize the other players from past interactions and to remember the relevant features of those interactions is necessary to sustain cooperation.

http://raympoonnotes.playgroundhk.com/2008/03/evolution-of-cooperation.html

An idea that is elegant, simple, and powerful is a beautiful idea. That is why I think this is a beautiful book. It is elegant in its ideas and the way these ideas are presented. It is easy to read and understand with very simple math. Yet, the insights and conclusions of the book are very powerful and very interesting.

The book studies how agents behave and interact in social systems. It studies what strategies those agents might adopt and what strategies are most beneficial to the agent and to the whole social system. The results are very interesting. Another major question the book tackles is whether or not the strategy of cooperation can evolve in a social system where the majority of agents don't cooperate. The results are very interesting.

I strongly recommend this book.

"The updated edition includes an extensive new chapter on cooperation in cancer cells and among terrorist organizations."

WHAT?? I bought this, with the new preface and cover, and it DID NOT CONTAIN NEW MATERIAL IN THE BOOK. I wrote the published, and THEY DID NOT REPLY. Crappers.

Teaching Chess by Todd Bardwick has helped me to keep up with my son as he learns the game. I played a little when I was young, but never having learned much about the strategy I needed help to learn....quickly! Easy to read, lots of tricks to remember concepts, appealing to adults, but clearly explained so you can share ideas with young kids learning to play.

Of all the Chess books I've reviewed, this is by far the best. Even if you don't teach Chess, as I do, you'll find this book a necessary part of your treasure box. Above and beyond just being well written, easy to comprehend, and complete, the impact of the quotes offered from the age of wisdom blows you away. As in life "When the game is over, the king and the pawn go into the same box."

This book is very well written. With a little previous chess knowledge I was able to learn enough to help teach the kids in our local school's chess club. I like the way this material is presented, it is easy to understand and structured in a way that makes a lot of sense. I would highly recommend this book. It arrived quickly also. I was emailed when the book shipped and it arrived a few days later. I really appreciated that.

I was immediately impressed with the customer service Todd provided. I had an email the book was shipped within an hour of placing my order. It arrived in less than a week too, which is unheard of. The best was yet to come. I ordered this book for a teacher friend who started a chess club for elementary students in grades 4-6. He was thrilled with the techniques and exercises inside and can't wait to start incorporating them into his weekly sessions with the kids. According to him, this is an outstanding teaching aid, and the best he has encountered since starting his chess club.

This is one of the books that my chess teacher has and also lets the class use it. Though it is more for chess teachers I also recommend it for students...

This is a masterwork by one of the founders of the Scouting movement. It is designed to provide children (boys) with ideas and plans to make everything from kites to traps to invisible ink. It is writen in a style that is easy for the child to understand. In an age when kids can't be pried away from the TV and video games, this book takes us back to a simpler time when kids were sent outside in the morning and didn't come back in until supper.
My 25 year old son asked for this for Christmas because he loved it so as a boy, and I wouldn't part with my copy.

This book is an excellent "how-to" guide for any project imaginable, many of which have become "lost arts" in todays society. Great for outdoor enthusists as well as scouters, with tons of fun crafts, activities and skills for the taking!! It contains many alternative activities to video gaming,virtual reality, and electronic pastimes to get kids outdoors and thinking and learning creatively. I gave one to all seven of the boys and men in my family for Christmas, and they all love it.

Our son loves to do outdoorsy and handywork types of things, so this book has been fun for him. He is 9. Some of the projects are still a bit too complicated for him to do on his own, and some he likes to read about but doesn't necessarily want to do, but he has enjoyed the pictures and descriptions of "how things were made in the old days" like his grandpas used to do.

I ordered this as a Christmas present. I recieved it in plenty of time. My son is really enjoying it.

I was rather disappointed in this book, as I had bought it based in large part on other's reviews, thinking it would give my boys some really good ideas on things to do with their idle time. When I received and thumbed through the book, however, it appeared clearly more of a nostalgic coffee table book than a "how to" manual of the activities/projects it covers. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone seeking help with filling up a boy's idle time, but instead to those needing another book for their coffee table or bathroom rack. It's a nicely written book, but I believe improperly packaged/marketed as a "how-to" book, misleading the buyer/reader.

with me being a beginner i thought this book be helpful in learning how to workings and incantatins

This book offers a specific structure for a Wiccan BOS that also encourages personalization of the BOS. The specific information offered is presented as personal, which is good as the background that would be necessary to assess the material is generally omitted. There is a lot to think about on a topic that is generally overlooked entirely and it definitely creates many jumping off points for research. This is far from a definitive work on creating a book of shadows and fails to live up to its title as it doesn't teach spell composition or writing on many levels, but instead gives some hints and spells. This book doesn't offer the same quality as many of Telesco's books, but it is worth a read. Telesco did a good job with a tough subject, but I am left wishing she had done better.

This is a very helpful book on making and putting together your own BOS. I read it and couldn't put it down. I have reread it and use ALOT of her information in putting together my own BOS. Great start for the beginner.

It is the most awesome book to start off with in order to create your own book of shadows. It kept me interested throughout the whole thing. I highly recommend the beginner or even the experienced witch to get this book. It gives you a good base to start off with and when you are out of ideas on what to put in or on your BOS, you can just look up for ideas. 5 stars!

This book has a lot of good ideas on how to make your own book of shadows as well basic information you may want to include on things like crystals, element corresponds, charms, meditations, spells, rituals and divination. It is a good book of ideas to help you get started and I would buy it again. At the same time, I really feel the need to point out some of the books flaws that no one else mentioned.

To start, I was very unhappy with her crafts section. She says she is not crafty, and that she writes this for beginners. However, any non-crafty person would become easily frustrated with many of her techniques. There are also no diagrams or pictures help with these. If you think you want to any of the crafts she mentions, borrow a book (or several) on those topics from the library.

For example, her instructions for papermaking were bizarre. I have made paper and have many books on it. Yet, I have never heard of the method she describes. She says to make a papermaking screen with wire and nylons. She mentions that with her method, you can only make one piece of paper at a time and mush let it sit in the screen for a day or two to dry. She also states if you want more than one sheet, you will have to go through the tedious process of making more flimsy screens. You can buy inexpensive kits with screens and couching sheets - felt sheets that you put the paper between to dry so you can make more than one sheet at a time. Some papermaking books even tell you how you can make your own, much sturdier, papermaking screen.

She also tries to teach candle making. The method describes does not give enough information and could actually get you injured. Yet, another craft she mentions is bookbinding. The instructions are too basic. Actual bookbinding books should be helpful in sparking ideas as well as give good instruction. While I have not tried it yet, the only craft that seemed reasonably described was making your own wax seal with soapstone.

The author mentions using various scents on papers for your book. This is fine, but for some unknown reason she never though to warn you if you do this and you have several different scented sheets that do not blend well, your book will reek. If you want to do this, just do it on one sheet or choose compatible scents and realize scents on one page may transfer onto other pages in the book.

I also found that her descriptions of various spells / rituals were sometimes too vague. I absolutely loved the idea of a portable scared space. I was very disappointed to discover that her description left me with unanswered questions and so I can't use it.