Games Books

I bought the book for my grandchildren after having purchased "The Chicken That Could Swim" and loving it. The puzzles and illustrations in Puzzle Island are absolutely amazing! The whole family (mom, dad, grandparents, grandchildren (ages 4-9), aunt and uncle was involved in figuring out the names of the animals as well as looking for the animals in the pictures. After about 2 months, working on it at least once a week, we finished the book, solved all the puzzles and found all the animals. What is so amazing is that as you read the story you don't even realize all that is hidden on the pages. We loved it and can't wait to get another Paul Adshead book.

After going through several boxes in my garage, I finally found this book. I've had it for over 10 years and still am amazed how great this book is. It still grabs my attention and it doesn't matter that I remember the answer, I love looking at the pictures and solving the puzzles all over again. I can't wait for my son to enjoy this as well! I recommend this book to everyone out there!

abslutely wonderfol book. Me(8) my sister(11) and my brother(12) have almost finished it. We have been doing it since yesterday and are very very excited about finishing it. It has kept us puzzled scince! If I could I would rate it 20 stars!!!!!!

I loved this book as a kid. I remember brushing it off when I first got it, but once I actually sat down and read it, it was surprisingly intricate for a children's book.

Everyone seems to have a problem finding the fourth animal in Lily's Pond. But I have found it! Unscrambling AGILNRST gives the bird STARLING. It is very difficult to find but once you see it, it is very clear. It is at the top right hand side of the page directly below the letter S and the missing P of the frame. It is one of the leaves of the tree. The head is directly below the missing P and the tail is below the S and below another leaf. You have to flip the page upside down to see it. Hopefully this helps you all sleep better tonight!

This book is one of the best I've read until now. It is really a pleasure to read it for hours and hours.

the best endgame book I have seen, easy to understand and
divided as to your skill, also easy to remember , Silman is great teacher.

I bought this book for a specific purpose: to learn more about drawing Rook vs Rook + pawn endings. I've been working through Convekta's Chess Endgame Training and have found that many exercises end in a position declared a draw but that would still leave me nervous as the weaker side. One strong player told me that every Russian schoolboy know those drawn positions. Oh, to be a Russian schoolboy.

IM Silman's book does indeed address these positions in some detail. Initially, I was not able to find the information, having relied on a quick scan and a look in the index, which has no entry for 'draw'. I sent IM Silman's an email asking why such important information had been omitted. I was surprised to receive a warm and helpful email in reply that explained that, in the spriit of the book itself, infromation about R vs R + P endings was introduced in stages throughout the book. He also mentioned Emms book on rook endings which contains the same material but compacted into one place over 13 pages.

I prefer IM Silman's treatment because ultimately the collected pieces form a more thorough whole.

Overall, the book is a treasure. I don't know of another work that is so accessible, yet complete. Previously I had to make due with the interesting but error-ridden Endgame Course by Pandolfini. One thing I do like about Pandolfini's book is the catchy names he applies to endgame techniques and positions. IM Silman also uses that mneumonic technique but to a lesser extent.

I had also previously relied on Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual. That is a superb reference book but not friendly to someone learning the ropes. For example, Dvoretsky has a page on corresponding squares. It became clear that I was not comprehending the nuances of what he was saying. I tried and tried. In the end I bought Müller and Lamprecht's Secrets of Pawn Endings which covered the same concept but over the course of a dozen pages. Then I got it. I think.

IM Silman's book, on the other hand, is designed so that there are no unresolved mysteries at each stage. Its a nice concept and well done.

The only thing that keeps me from giving the book a full five stars is the single-column format. The book is beautifully laid out and with generous diagrams but I remain convinced the a two column layout is superior.

What a super book. I wish I had spent time on the end game earlier in my chess playing life. This book is organized by one's level and takes you through essential end game ideas. I think it is essential reading no matter what your level. Not only is it highly instructive, but its also a lot of fun.

Lots

Of

Empty


Space


Makes the book seem like it has more to offer than it does.


Maybe good for extreme beginners, with diminishing returns as one moves up the strength scale, as errors in analysis become more frequent.


Silman is not a Grandmaster and overuse of his own games against lessor foes may make for lucid examples of endgame techniques, but is a drwaback from both the megalomaniacal perspective and lack of really strong pratical endgames.

A lot of repetition, and much less info than a book this size should hold.


Literally.

The book is OK. Photos are not all that great (some blurry and out of focus, obviously amature). Most of the dolls are modern and mass produced. I was hoping that there would be more artist creations, one of a kinds, limited editions, and antiques. Instead there are a bunch of plastic/vinyl manufactured dolls with just a few quality pieces sprinkled in. I only recommend this if you collect that style of doll (manufactured/mass-produced).

Loved this book. I am a collector of black dolls for many years. I saw several of my dolls in the book.

I enjoyed looking thru this book to get ideas of the different kinds of dolls to add to my collection. There were a lot of dolls that I didn't know existed untill I read this book.

Debbie Garrett's "The Definitive Guide to Collecting Black Dolls" is a magnificent combination of beauty, knowledge, and cultural celebration! It was wonderful learning about the history of antique and vintage black dolls, as well as the current artists and their creations. This guide provides a fabulous array of delightful pictures denoting the significance of black doll collecting, that is both informative and inspiring!

It is the answer to all Black doll collector's dreams! I have a number of "doll" books and magazines but none of them have ALL color Black doll photos in additon to valuable collecting information such as that found in this book. I must confess that initially, I looked through it four times on the day it arrived. It's fun seeing how many of the pictured dolls I have in my own collection!

If you want to explore ways of colouring clay, mixing,streaking, blending for surface effect. This book is a great start for ceramists and clay artists as the contents illustrates some patterns they can easily be applied to clay material.

I just want to add my praise for this book. I have tried many of the recipes and they work very well. The recipes are written in a step-by-step format -- very easy to follow. This book is far superior to others I have looked at. Highly recommended.

I totally agree with Babette> this book was purchased mostly because of her revieuw and she has not said a word too many
If I would have to pick only one book on working with PMC this would be it!

Very Easy to Follow Directions for Making Faux Stones!!! Why Pay Big Bucks to use Turquoise, Tiger Eye, Marble, etc., in your Jewelry Making when you can make it?

I was hopeful that this book would have some interesting new techniques for faux work. It does have techniques but they're sometimes scanty on the instructions and the projects tend to take up more space than the techniques themselves.

I find it odd that amber is mentioned early in the book and shown in the gallery but there's no instructions for making it.

I'm a huge fan of Sue Heaser and I think I'll stick with her books going forward.

This series is a great read. If you like MTG books in general, this one will not disappoint.

The Gathering Dark does a great job of fleshing out a Dark-ages world, and should be well-liked even by those unfamiliar with the card game. The characters (even minor ones) are engrossing, the villains original and classic at the same time, and the descriptions of spellcasting absolutely enchanting. Since reading the book, I often find myself thinking about all the places I've been, mountains and mangrove swamps, lakes and rivers, and wishing I could do something with those memories. And thats what a fantasy book should do; draw you into itself.

I would consider myself Blue-Green, by the way.

A warning to religious folk: one of the villains is an agent of the Church of Tal, a mideival-christianity-style religion that burns people at the stake, particularly suspected spellcasters. For me, it's a villain I love to hate, but others might disagree. It highlights the difference between religious scholars and true scholars, miracle-workers and mages: one group truly understands their feild, the other just repeats by rote, without understanding or innovating.

Try the book. It feels Right, and thats what matters.

An amasingly well written story talking abaut a young mage Jodah.It is happening during period of time betwen the Brothers' war and the Ice-age, known to Dominarians as the Dark.The world lies in ruins, depostated by the blast of Sylex (Brother's war).Day are getting darker and colder, magic-hating church of Tal rules the lands of Terisiare,goblins raid around and in the secret wizard scool Conclave of mages the leader mage Ith was kidnaped by his own student Marisil who became the new lord mage. But as a new student Jodah arrives to the Conclave, everything changes.He frees Ith and with his help defeats Marisil, who is trying to open a gate to the machine hell of Phyrexia.Later (in the next two book) he becomes an emortal archmage of great power and fights a war with Lim-Dul the necromancer during the Ice-age.Jodah wons it but his trubles are not over yet as his friend Jaya becomes posesed by the evil soul of Marisil. Archmage saves her banishing Marisil's spirit.Jodah then ,togather with a planeswalker Freyalise cast an enchantment to end the Ice-age.As he did so,he accidently rose Lim-Dul back to life,killing him again soon after. Jodah is not known to die or appear in any other book so who knows.He just might be an emportant character in the next one.

An amasingly well written story talking abaut a young mage Jodah.It is happening during period of time betwen the Brothers' war and the Ice-age, known to Dominarians as the Dark.The world lies in ruins, depostated by the blast of Sylex (Brother's war).Day are getting darker and colder, magic-hating church of Tal rules the lands of Terisiare,goblins raid around and in the secret wizard scool Conclave of mages the leader mage Ith was kidnaped by his own student Marisil who became the new lord mage. But as a new student Jodah arrives to the Conclave, everything changes.He frees Ith and with his help defeats Marisil, who is trying to open a gate to the machine hell of Phyrexia.Later (in the next two book) he becomes an emortal archmage of great power and fights a war with Lim-Dul the necromancer during the Ice-age.Jodah wons it but his trubles are not over yet as his friend Jaya becomes posesed by the evil soul of Marisil. Archmage saves her banishing Marisil's spirit.Jodah then ,togather with a planeswalker Freyalise cast an enchantment to end the Ice-age.As he did so,he accidently rose Lim-Dul back to life,killing him again soon after. Jodah is not known to die or appear in any other book so who knows.He just might be an emportant character in the next one.

After finishing the Brothers War a few months ago, I finally started reading The Gathering Dark. Brothers War I read over the course of a few weeks, but this book I finished in three days. Contrary to others, I actually liked it more. Grubb has done a fantastic job and I'm very much looking forward to reading the next two in the Ice Age series.

My ten year old loves legos ... and I love peace and quiet in the car! This product worked out great as a "trip treat", the bag was great so he could keep track of them. We use an aluminum cake pan with a plastic cover for a lego desk/holder in the car, but the book with a bag made it so he could take it into the hotel and restaurant with no fuss ... and isn't that what every mom really wants ??? no fuss??? GO LEGOS!!!!!!!!

This has many fun and challenging activities a child can do with Legos. The projects use the pieces that come with the book plus basic pieces most Lego fans will already own. Easy to follow directions with fun results. The child can use the basic ideas and expand upon them, so this kit isn't limited as some are. We got it for my son's 10th birthday and I think it would be appropriate for an 8 to 14 year old.

I purchased two books. One for my 6-year old son and his same-age cousin. They both enjoy creating projects from their Lego books, as well as using some of the instructions along with their own ideas and creativity. I recommend this purchase.

He wasn't excited when he opened it up but after reading what you can do he got VERY excited and was looking forward to get home to his Legos.

I asked for this before Christmas and got in January. I didn't check the contents of the bag until Saturday (February 2nd) when I had time to start building the models. Six pices were missing, two of them very important (24-tooth gear wheels). I got some extra-pieces, but some models I won't be able to build because of the missing gear wheels. I tried returning the item to Amazon but I had until January 31st so if anyone buys this please check it very soon, the models are fine, easy to do, BUT I WANT MY MISSING PIECES!!!

This a great addition to any d20 campaign, but particularly D&D ones! It finally gives playable options for overcoming obstacles sans fighting. Well there is fighting and battle scenarios in the book, but their are also lots of scenerios, and ideas for more, that involve more thinking and skill use then base attack score and spells per day. A good buy!

This is a refreshing sourcebook filled with interesting scenarios that will challenge and refresh your game. Say good bye to the dry, repetitive "kill the monster" adventures. Its a breath of fresh air to have your players utilize that dusty section of their character sheet that tracks their skills.

Just when you think d20 reference books have all gone flat, out comes Skirmisher with one that rocks! A must buy for the serious gamer.

There's nothing better than writers who are combat vets - with an important part of the game knowing when NOT to fight; Knorr and Varhola share their knowledge of tactics with you. Reading this will make most people better players //

This is the most impressive sourcebook I've seen in a long time. It is essentially a conglomeration of encounters all set in the same general area. While many of the encounters seem a bit overpowered, each has a number of non-combat options to make them easier, or even completely avoidable. I LOVE this, and try to do similar things in just about all my games. If you think ahead and use all of your abilities, your encounters should be much easier than just storming straight ahead. The guys at Skirmisher understand this, and have come up with what I think are some really interesting scenarios. Perhaps the best compliment I can give this book is that I will use it enthusiastically in my future games. And the AC/DC references don't hurt a bit, either.

When my first born turned one (almost 12 years ago), a friend gave this to her for a birthday present. Over the years, and with the addition of our second child, this book continues to be in our top 3 books. We still pull it out to read -- it's never far away!

I now "pass it forward" and buy it as a gift for baby/young children presents.

This sweet book is one of my four-year-olds favorites, and mine too. I enjoy reading it to her as much as she enjoys hearing it. The illustrations say as much or more than the words. It's a great story for validating the child who loves home and the one who loves to "visit".

I have become a HUGE fan of every Toot and Puddle book available and want to collect them all. I've found they have a wide age appeal, from 2 years on up to....well, I'm 28. Such clever adventures and experiences are depicted in each book and the illustrations could be the artwork in my child's room. In fact, I'd buy the prints if they were available. Great book!

This adventure with Toot and Puddle is one of my all-time favorites. It is an adorable story about two friends, one who loves to travel the world and the other who loves just staying at home in Woodcock Pocket, USA. The postcards that Toot sends Puddle from his world travels are cute and humorous! The illustrations in this book are incredible. This is a book that adults and children alike will enjoy together. I never get tired of reading this one over and over. It is a book my children will keep and pass on to their children!!

The sunny and vibrant watercolor illustrations caught my attention first. The little pigs, Toot and Puddle had so much expression and character, it was impossible not to smile. Then I opened the book and the story line was no less delightful. The idea that it is fine to pursue your own star and return to connect with family and friends is a worthy one, especially in this day and age. And the adventures of Toot were such fun to discover, as were all the activities of Puddle at home. Neither one had an uneventful life. They loved what they were doing and they loved each other. The sheer mirth that I felt reading and following the illustrations was great and I'm sure a child would feel the same. Holly Hobbie has rendered these little guys totally irresistible to all who open the cover.

This was the book that sparked my lifelong love of Chess. It is beautiful and wonderfully written. If you are just starting out in the game, you can do no better than to read this book.

I am so glad to buy a used copy of this book since I lost mine many years ago. This book is so good, I looked it up here just to buy it again. I am rated USCF 1752. Though I am already well versed in fundamental tactics, going over this book again and again is great practice to keep sharp. Any club player should have this book in his/her library!

I couldn't help myself -- I just had to agree with the other reviewers. I learned how to play chess with this book more than 20 years ago and it is still by far my favorite chess book. I played chess in high school and was 1st board for three years all because of this one book. Too bad it is out of print.

Hopefully, someone will reprint it using algebraic notation.

Reading this book was a major milestone in my "chess life"! I immediately started zapping my opponents. It shows you the basic tactical tools(Pins, forks, skewers, x-rays etc). It shows you mating patterns, back rank weaknesses, queening philosophy to mention but a few. Reading this small book is equivalent to reading ten or more chess books.
When I played people after reading this book I felt as if I was cheating! My question is why nobody is printing the book at the moment. I have owned two copies before(no doubt stolen by my opponents) and am looking forward to own my third copy which I will guard jealously.

Winning Chess ranks as the finest chess book I have ever encountered in terms of total effectiveness. This book will be indispensable to the beginning chess player looking to enhance skill level on the board and boost overall chess rating.

At the master and GM levels, chess has evolved from tactical play to positional play over the last generation; however, strength in tactical play is typically more than adequate for convincing play at the amateur level, and that is just what Winning Chess delivers.

Prior to reading this book, I played at a 1200 level. Exclusively using the tactical knowledge gained from the material presented in this book I raised my quality of play well into the 1600s. Having vastly enjoyed Chernev's style and his appreciation for the Colle, I followed up by learning this opening and now hover at an 1800 level.

I am not alone among those who credit Winning Chess with substantial improvement in rating. I have had many instances where merely identifying a tactical weaknesses such as an overworked piece led me to a victory; some even pulled out of near certain defeat. Such a concept only encompasses a single chapter in this book, which is an indication of just how much benefit one should anticipate.

As certain as I am this book is vital to beginners, I am also confident this book will offer only little value to any player already at tournament level; perhaps nothing but an enjoyable refresher. However, to the great number of us who are not at this level or are just seeking to find ways to reach this level, Winning Chess will be invaluable. I highly recommend this book above all others for any player yet to reach 1800 in rating.

I was given this book when I was a child and I still cherish
it today. The pictures and wonderful little rhymes and
verse are as amazing today as they were over 30 yrs. ago.
You cannot go wrong in giving a child a Remy Charlip book.
Enjoy!!!

This was my favorite book as a child. When the library sold the copy I used to read, I was lucky enough to purchase it. It's a delightful combination of illustration and poetry, with the text being part of the artwork.

25 years ago I used to read this book over & over & over to my baby sister. After I had kids of my own we used to talk about how much we loved this book. She has searched for it over the years even though we could only remember clever bits from it. A little while ago she found it! I'm ordering a copy for myself and both my grandchildren. She is the best Aunt in the Universe! Thanks

About 25 years ago, I had a copy of this book. I remember reading and re-reading it for hours on end, mesmerized by the drawings and the round-and-round stories. I remember all the stories and poems being short enough that I could read them in a minute or two, but could ponder them for days. It was a fantastic experience for me at seven years old, and I can honestly say this was the most memorable book I ever owned. I still remember the pictures and writings in "Arm In Arm" like yesterday even though I have forgotten about some of the books I still have.

I lost my copy 25 years ago, and at least once a week since then, the "dark and stormy night" story will pop into my head with the image of the ships going round and round in a circle, getting smaller and smaller as the story kept going round and round without end. I remember thinking that if I just had a magnifying glass strong enough, I could keep reading the story forever!! It was that kind of wonder that made this book so memorable and treasured.

I have kept telling myself that I was going to research the book and find it and get a copy, but never took the time. No disrespect to Mr. Charlip, but over the years I had forgotten the title and author, so I thought my chances of finding it were slim. Finally, today, I spend about 15 minutes on the Internet and found it. I am looking forward to getting my new copy and reading it with my three children (7, 5 and 2 years old). I can't wait to share this magnificent work of literary art with them. It is truly timeless. Thank you, Remy.

As a child some 30 years ago I used to borrow this book from the library again and again. In my late teens I thought it would be a kick to look up that most favorite childhood book, only to find it available no more. But now I can buy it! I still remember so many of those goofy, beautifully illustrated mind twisters, but I'm really going to love seeing the ones that time has long hidden from my memory.

This book is a nostalgic treasure that has definitely stood the test of time, I've no doubt it continues to enthrall young people today. And I'm very pleased for Remy Charlip, in finding in these reviews that SO MANY of us remember this book from 20-30 years ago, went out of our way to track it down, and continue to share this book with future generations!