Games Books

Reading this book was truly a passage back in time for me. As I was growing up, I played with so many of the toys listed in this book. The Slinky, Lincoln logs, the Spirograph, Cootie, Mousetrap, Etch a Sketch, Mr. Potato Head, Gumby and Pokey, Rock'Em Sock'Em Robots, Twister, Tinkertoys, Frisbees and the Hula Hoop all passed through my hands. With a large number of children my age in the neighborhood, the toys I didn't have were often owned by others. Therefore, reading this book brought back very fond memories of playing with Clive, Sandy, Dale, Rick, Paul, Terry, Cindy and all the other kids who grew up with toys that you physically manipulated. I strongly recommend this book to anyone with a background similar to mine.

This 208 page, softbound walk-through-the-past volume features 250 full color, very large, sharp photos that are a joy to behold. I enjoyed looking at the photos and reading each comprehensive write-up. A real memory jogger. I was quite surprised at the number of these things I actually owned as a child, and welcomed seeing them again in life-like color. Even many of the boxes are shown. There's plenty of interesting text accompanying the photos and year 2000 values. The toys run from Easy Bake Ovens, Slinky, Cootie, Thingmakers, Lincoln Logs, and Spirographs to Tootsietoys, Monster Kits, Pez, Colorforms, Life-Size Kitchens, Gilbert, Renwal Doll Stuff and Captain Kangaroo. You'll really enjoy seeing some of these toys you haven't thought of in years. I have many books on baby boomer collectibles, and this one ranks among the best. Get it and enjoy !

No generation is so defined by its toys as the Baby Boomers. They loved them as kids. They collect them as adults. 100 GREATEST BOOMER TOYS explores the phenomenon. It's fun and it's serious.

First the fun. The books got hundreds of great pictures. It's like a Christmas catalog. Look up old favorites. Discover items you'd forgotten.

And there's a ranking system which seems pretty much designed to provoke arguments. Wait until you see who's #1!

More substantially there are short essays on many of the toys. Little studies in anthropology, in social history, they tell us about the 50's and 60's. The tie-in of G.I. Joe and the draft is, I think, very apt and really well done.

Once you pick it up, you will be drawn in.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends 1000 GAMES FOR SMART KIDS as both a gift for the children in your life ... & yourself!

A truly "inter-active" game book for playing alone or in company, anything to get your kids away from the TV or PC & practise their eye-brain-hand coordination while trapped in a car, or waiting room, or a blizzard.

Mazes, counting puzzles, matching, spelling, creative thinking, there is literally something in here for everyone at all levels. From very simple mazes that are appropriate for a four year old through more complex multiplication and division problems more appropriate for the nine or ten year old child. There is something for everyone in the book and a wide variety of puzzles and games so children are sure to find some that they really like. 1000 Games for Smart Kids is highly recommended for hours of fun.

1000 Games For Smart Kids is an inexpensive, comprehensive, and very highly recommended 371-page compendium of puzzles, mazes, and clever challenges specifically designed to provide "pencil & paper" entertainment for children ages 4 to 10. The games do more than just keeping the kids quiet for a few hours on a rainy day or a long car trip! As they turn the pages and work the games, they will exercise reading and writing skills, learn about new things, and enhance fine motor skills and experience intellectual stimulation as they color, link dot-to-dots, spot differences, count, observing, finding and linking pairs, add, subtract, and involve themselves in complex problem solving. 1000 Games For Smart Kids is ideal for "rainy day indoors" and extended car trips.

this book has more football drills for line play than any book I have ever bought and I have them all.

I have both read the book and seen Coach Snyder on the practice field, and what he tells you about in print, he uses with his own players. In a position where technique can make the player, this book is a must.

this book has more football drills for line play than any book I have ever bought and I have them all.

"106 Yards" gets 5 stars from me. As one who began following Al Carmichael's exploits as a post-war star with the El Toro Marines, at Santa Ana College, as a USC Trojan and in the NFL, I thoroughly enjoyed this editorial and pictorial trip, which brought back so many great and nostalgic memories. It's a "must read" for every USC fan or alum, as well as anyone who appreciates one of football's truly "class acts."

I found this book to be not only an account of an extraordinary career, but a tale of human perseverance and triumph. I thoroughly enjoyed it, cover to cover.

106 Yards is a comprehensive photographic masterpiece and the stories told by Al 'Hoagy' Carmichael capture a time in football that enthusiasts of the game will love to read.

This book is an extensively researched masterpiece which goes into great depth about the Fifteen Puzzle craze that swept 19th century America. I was shocked to discover that Sam Loyd lied when he claimed he invented the impossible 14-15 Puzzle, and he wasn't even the first to offer a prize for solving it either! That honor goes to dentist Charles Pevey who bizarrely offered a $25. set of teeth. The book contains many more fascinating insights like this and is a must for any puzzle lover.

Whenever you see Jerry Slocum and any of his associates,in this case Dic Sonneveld,involved in something; you can count on it being First Class.
This new book is simply delightful for any puzzle lover. They take one of the most common of all puzzles,The 15 Puzzle,and show that it has a background that arguably makes it the most popular puzzle craze of all time.
The book is a great read,filled with everything about the puzzle; from its creation,and how it took the whole world by storm. Much of what the book covers is unknown to many who love puzzles and have seen this puzzle from the days we first became interested in them. Most of us had never imagined what an intriguing history it has had.
Their search of everything written about the puzzle would take many years for one to attempt on their own; but here in this book,they give it all to us to enjoy.
The book is loaded with excellent and rare photos and illustrations of the people,newspaper clippings,and puzzles from the worlds finest collections. They have run down all the legends and things said about the puzzle over the years and sorted out the fact from fiction; a major puzzle in itself.
They show why the puzzle,with all the tiles in their proper locations,except for 14 and 15 reversed; cannot be solved. This was the problem that created the frenzy in 1880; and made it "The Greatest Puzzle of All Time".
The book also includes several puzzle arrangements to challenge you; along with solutions.
There are excellent references at the back which will be a treasure for anyone who wants to dig further. As much as anyone thinks they know about the 15 Puzzle; this book will be a fascinating eye opener; and it is unlikely they will ever look at this little gem of a puzzle the same way again.
I have been a puzzle fan for over 50 years and have over 500 puzzle books in my library; however,I have no hesitation in saying this will become one of my favorites. I am sure I will pull it out many times to thumb through it in the future.
The highest quality of paper,printing,color and overall construction has gone into its manufacture and it is sure to become a classic among puzzle books.
There is another excellent aspect of this book,that is not at first obvious. Even if someone is not particularly interested in puzzles; they will find it does an excellent job of showing how a "craze" gets started and takes off like a firestorm. We have all seen it with things like Yo-Yos,Hula-Hoops,Pet Rocks.Rubik's Cubes;and the latest,Sudoku Puzzles.
The 15 Puzzle is surely a great example,and even after 125 years,it is still one of the most common of all puzzles.
An excellent treat for yourself or for anyone who likes puzzles.

In the late nineteenth century, the Fifteen Puzzle became an international craze. It is a simple puzzle made of square blocks, labeled with the numbers 1 through 15. They are placed in a flat container with room for 16 squares, which leaves one cell empty. Without lifting a block out of the container, the player is to rearrange the blocks into a different pattern.
The great puzzle master Sam Loyd claimed to have invented the Fifteen Puzzle and that claim has stood largely unchallenged for 115 years. Slocum and Sonneveld have conducted extensive research, exhaustively exhuming every mention of the puzzle that they could find. Loyd did not invent the puzzle, but to learn the name of the inventor, you will have to read the book.
A great deal of the book is devoted to short blurbs from newspapers that mention the Fifteen Puzzle. By themselves, they are not terribly interesting. What I found most interesting were the graphs that display the spread of the puzzle across the United States. The graphs are based on the number of times the Fifteen Puzzle is mentioned in the newspapers of the cities. It started in Boston, Massachusetts and ends in Helena, Montana.
This book is a complete history of the Fifteen Puzzle and several proofs of the conditions that allow for solutions are also included. It also documents how the puzzle started a craze, where so many people worked at it to the exclusion of many other aspects of their lives. If you are interested in puzzles, history, fads or group social behaviors, this is a book that you can read and enjoy.

This book provides great insight into the mind of a man who knows women inside and out. The main character "Q" definitely has a story to tell. Once you start reading it is definitely hard to put down because you just can't wait to find out what will happen next. The intermingling of poetry, gives it a softness that is very appealing. I would recommend this book to all women who, for just a moment, would like to enter into the secret domain of a man's mind.

"17 Quivers" is an excellent book! I strongly recommend this book to mature young adults, adults and those struggling to understand the man. The novel's pace moved fast without losing its readers' interest. There was never a dull moment reading while the character of "Q" held your hand as you walked into his darkness. Once I picked up "17 Quivers", I hated to put it down. If you enjoy reading about life experiences that you can relate to, then it is a must that "17 Quivers" is added to your library. Ladies; if you've been hurt, prescribe to this scribe's book for relief! It's educational, emotional and enticing! Can't wait for the sequel!

This is the type book that should be made into a movie. From the moment I started reading the book I was hooked. The tone, pace and topic resonated well with me. Every friend I've recommended this book to has had good things to report.

The book is amazingly honest, refreshing and entertaining.

As a member of a Dollhouse and Miniatures Club, this book on the advertising of early dollhouses, I find this book a MUST BUY for all collectors and other people seeking info on dollhouses and the styles that were out there for the public to buy. Again, as a collector, it is essential to have a book like this to use as a "guide", especially when so many houses and furniture of these periods are unknown and this also gives a glimpse into how these products were advertised to entise the public, especially children to buy these products. This book is yet another fantastic book by Dian Zillner to further eductate us in the past and present Dollhouse and Furniture collectables.

I purchased this book for my Mom for Christmas and she was in heaven!

I didn't want to wait the 2-3 weeks to receive this, so I purchased it from one of the secondary sellers listed in the Amazon ad page and got a wonderful NEW book for under $20.00! Paging thru this fun nostalgic book is just like Christmas morning for any baby boomer who was a little girl waiting for Santa in the 1940's thru 1960's.....also has some 1970's dollhouses and furniture. What a wonderful find! You will love it!

I borrowed my husbands copy of this book, not expecting to enjoy it (I'm not much into Baseball), but I was CAPTIVATED!! Baseball aside this is a human story, one the author approachs with the softness and sensativity of young William's mother....I cried and then was enthralled with the ultimate victory...against all odds... of the 1940 Reds. This should be part of Oprah's book club. I just wish the cover had the author's picture on it.....I just wonder if he has kind eyes.

This book was both an exciting read and an informative picture of pre-war Americana. From the Deacon to the Duke I just couldn't put it down. By the time the story reaches its inevitable climax....the 1940 World Series...you not only feel like you are there, but as if you are part of the team. Lets Go Reds! I can't wait for the next tome from this great new writer.

If you are a baseball fan, you know the stories of the big-named players from the 1940s. This is the story of a team of not-so-famous players who pulled off a World Series Championship. in 1940. If you enjoy baseball history, you will enjoy this book. You get know the stories behind a group of rather ordinary guys -- a great snapshot of life in the US just before World War II,

2004 NFL Record & Fact Book

I have never felt a need to purchase a statistic book. When I received one for my birthday I was obligated to open it. Well, to my surprise I was fascinated with the records that the NFL has kept. I am an avid NFL fan. (Green Bay Packers) When I scanned some of the records, the who's who of football greats started popping up. Walter Payton, Jim Brown and Vince Lombardi to name a few. I knew I had great book for my collection.

The book is broken down quite well into easy access information. The 2004 events are listed first. Schedule, Post season and nationally televised games, Scheduling formula, NFL active statistical leaders, coaches records, What to look for in 2004, 2004 Draft list, Tie breaking procedures and then each individual team is broken down in detail.

Each team is deciphered by:
* Club officials-owner on down to front office personal with
historical background of each person
* Coaches-Head coach and assistant coaches' history.
* Stadium-Capacity, playing surface and training camp location.
* Individual stats in 2003.
* Rosters

The next notable chapter is the 2003 year in review: Trades, week by week results, players of the week and month, team and individual stats, best performance and attendances.

The next chapter is for the betting public looking for any edge to lay the line. Inside the Numbers includes records of teams on the road from 1970 to 2003, bye weeks-team record after and monthly record win percentage per team from 1994 to 2003. These are just the numbers no predictions here.

Other chapters include: Pro Football Hall of Fame, Chronology of Professional Football, All time team vs. team results, Super Bowl summaries, Monday night records, Thursday-Sunday night, First round selection history and Records-all time and team/individual. Here you will find names like Rock Island Independents, Columbus Pan Handles, Tonawanda Kardex and Cleveland Indians. (Yes, Cleveland was an NFL team for those MLB baseball fans.) Of notable quiz show highlights: Jim Thorpe was the first NFL Commissioner for one year. (1920)

And last and most subject to interpretation are the Rules of the game. The roster of officials (Includes day job), Official Signals with illustrations and the Digest of Rules.
Notable highlights are the jurisdiction, positions and duties of each official. Definitions of official's words like impetus, muff and chucking.

Since we are on the subject of NFL rules, the most controversial rule pass interference is dissected like no other. Underlined words are for stressing to the public what to look for while watching games I think. The pass interference rule has five additional notes. These notes break down certain incidents that could occur on each play and what to look for. After reading the pass interference rules a couple times through I am still confused! What is true of most written rules applies here "what is written and how it is interpreted by each individual is always different."

This book should be in all NFL fan's collection. It is a NFL official publication, so you can rely on the facts. All that is left is to sit back and enjoy the best game on the planet.

And don't forget the referee is the final authority for rule interpretations.

I found the National Football League's annual Record and Fact Book to be a lot more than just the league's media guide. Sure, the book is the official source for NFL statistics and minutia; however, I also find the book is actually a good read.

Of particular interest is the History section, which gives you a short, year-by-year summary of pro football from Pudge Heffelfinger, the first pro football player, all the way to last year's Super Bowl-winning firld goal by Adam Vinitieri of the New England Patriots.

You won't find a detailed, mind-nimbing socio-economic analysis of the effects if the NFL on the nation's GDP; nor will you find a lot of negativity abouy the league's problems - after all, this is an NFL publication. However, the league takes great pains to give you a reader-friendly set of the rules (thank God for that alone, it's won me a few wagers) and the records, including separate pages detailing the careers of some of the greatest players who played the game.

There's also a very good outline of the members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and also historical data on the league's competitors over the years (did you know that there have been upwards of a half-dozen versions of the American Football League?).

Overall, there are some sections that you might look through only once in a year; but there are also sections where you can lose yourself in the game simply by taking what's there on the pafe and using your imagination to make the numbers leap off the page. Yeah, maybe I wax a little poetic about the stats in the book, but any true football fanatic knoes that the numbers all tell a story; it's up to the reader to make that story come to life. This book is comprehensive enough to be considered complete, yet spacious enough to allow you to tell yourself the story of the NFL in your own words.

Published yearly this book is a great resource for every NFL fan. I can't tell you how many times a season I pull this book out while watching an NFL game. It contains information on all 32 teams, almost EVERY single game, regular season, post season, Super Bowl, and career NFL record you could think of. Also included is an overview of the rules and regulations of the league. It is a very handy guide for all NFL fans.

One small piece of advice: If you have last year's book, you may not feel the need to buy another, there isn't much new material added from year to year (though at such a cheap price it may be worth it). I would definitely recommend the book though if you don't know any previous versions, or if your version is more than 2 or 3 years old.

I read & collect everything I can find on hunting in Africa. I rate this as one of the best of the modern books on the subject.

It is beautifully illustrated, nicely bound, and well-written - it is hard to believe an officer actually wrote this! (Tongue-in-cheek here.) It is both informative and entertaining.

I hope it is a great seller for Donarski and for Stackpole. It is good to see them putting out a book like this.

I'm not a big-game hunter and am not interested in becoming one, but I knew I would love this book when I read an excerpt in Sports Afield. Hunters will find much to admire in it, but it is about much more than hunting. The author proves himself an amiable, enthusiastic, reliable, and knowledgeable companion as he blends his compelling stories with a great deal of useful information about traveling to and within Africa. He manages to do it all with skillful literary touches and enough light-hearted moments to keep a reader chuckling. And he never blows smoke up your skirt. This is the straight dope -- and it conjures up the sights, sounds, and smells of one of the planet's most magical places.

David Graham of the Flint Journal was the critic who recommended this book. He said it brought back the verve and honor to the safari genre. He couldn't have been more correct.

This book is not just for hunters-- it is for anyone looking for an adventure tale that occurs in real time. Sure, there's good stuff for travelers to Africa to know, but the meat of this book is the journey. It is simply very well done.

Oh, the photography is stunning. It should have been a coffee table book simply for the quality of the photos.

Africa veterans will remember their first trip with smiles and tears, Africa virgins will have their dreams burn all the brighter.