Games Books
Related Subjects: Conventions Game Design Game Studies Resources Developers and Publishers Play Groups Gambling Video Games Miniatures Trading Cards Puzzles Dice Internet Board Games Card Games Play-By-Mail Tile Games Hand Games Hand-Eye Coordination Roleplaying Party Games Coin-Op Paper and Pencil
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Used price: $7.75

One of my favoritesReview Date: 2007-04-18
A truly amazing bookReview Date: 2005-12-13
Everyone should read this book, and anyone you know who likes to build things should get this for Christmas.
Absolutely loved it!!Review Date: 2005-10-06
A wonderful book, a great gift.Review Date: 2004-12-01
The author fills the reader, even a reader with minimal knowledge or interest in carpentry, with a true respect for the tools, their usage, and the history behind them. Not just the history in a greater sense, but also the history these tools have in the author's life.
My favorite bookReview Date: 2002-04-30

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Collectible price: $16.00

The classic book on play of the handReview Date: 2003-05-02
a masterpieceReview Date: 2005-12-30
Should be in everyone's libraryReview Date: 2005-07-01
The utimate bridge bookReview Date: 2006-01-03
I wanted to find a book that was covering both the dummy play and the defense. Also, I wanted to revisit the very basics, to have a solid start, and then to go gradually into more complex techniques, covering virtually all aspects of the play, including the more advanced techniques. I was looking for the ultimate book: the Bridge Bible written by a brilliant teacher!
When I was not really looking for a book anymore, I finally tried Watson's book. I hesitated at first, because I was told his style is a bit dry and too detailed. EUREKA!!! I regret not having started with this book the very first day I played bridge. This is the ultimate BIBLE! Not only it fulfilled all my above expectations, but it goes one step beyond, he is a genius, each chapter is a revelation. I did not learn techniques; I learned the principles underlying the techniques. It is like being thought secret knowledge by a wise guru, realizing how simple everything was in the first place. His style is clear, concise, and straight to the point, but he covers a lot of material. His summaries are ideal for fast and easy review. I don't have to mention how drastically my level of play changed.
My quest is now over, I found the Grail, I now understand why Watson's book is recommended by most schools around the world. This is probably the only book you will every need about the play of the hand.
When Only the Best is Good EnoughReview Date: 2005-03-26
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Good Intro to a DEEP SubjectReview Date: 2006-05-13
This book is actually a gentle intro to these topics, and the most amazing part of it is that Dr. Smullyan keeps the level suitable for children.
That does NOT mean this book is not suitable for adults. It is extremely entertaining no matter what your age is.
The book is mostly a progression of logical conundrums. You are started out on the island of knights and knaves. These two types of people are visually indistinguishable, but knights always tell the truth while knaves always lie.
You are then presented with various scenarios where the objective is for you to ask one question from which you obtain some meaningful information without knowing whether or not the person you are asking is a knight or a knave. The classic example is that you meet two people one of whom is a knight and one of whom is knave. Your objective? Ask one of them one question that allows you to determine which one is the knight and which one is the knave. Answer? "If I were to ask your friend if he was a knight, would he say 'Yes'" A knight will always answer this question "Yes" and a knave "No". If you can follow the logic through to conclude this, you are on your way!!
The situations through the book grow more complex. For example, later you find yourself on a similar island where the natives no longer speak English. They words for yes and no are "boo" and "da". The problem is, you don't know which is which!
At the end of the book, you are presented with the ultimate level of complexity where not only do half the people always lie and half tell the truth, and not only do they use the words "boo" and "da" for yes and no (without you knowing which is which), but half of the population is also insane which means that whatever is true, they BELIEVE the opposite. So an insane liar always inadvertantly tells the truth because what they believe is false...and then they lie about it.
Sound hard?
Yeah, that's the point.
Nonetheless, the book is a nice progression, and you definitely get better and better and following the logic through and thinking in these terms, which makes this book GREAT mental exercise! Some of the best I have found, in fact.
One final comment, John Houston's review is very wrong on the point of implication: an implication of the form a->b, is ALWAYS true when a is false. This is elementary logic -- a subject in which Dr. Smullyan was a world renowned expert.
I have no doubt that Dr. Houston is a very knowledgeable physicist, but unfortunately -- in spite of his apparently strong feelings to the contrary -- this has not prepared him to comment competently on formal logic.
A wonderful workout for your brainReview Date: 2003-12-23
A must have book of logic puzzlesReview Date: 2000-07-24
A Good Introduction to LogicReview Date: 2003-01-18
Added January 2003
I used some questions from this book in my college physics class last fall (2002). I noticed a couple problems with the book and what it tries to present. The book is still fun and amusing, but not fully accurate. Consequently, I reduce my rating to a four.
I believe that logic is nothing more than reading (or hearing) and comprehending sentences, and identifying whether sentences are true or false. This book does an excellent job of training the reader to read what he reads. This is something the modern reader needs desperately -- witness the success of persons like Hugh Ross in persuading people that the Bible says what the Bible manifestly does not say.
However, the book emphasizes something that is very wrong: the claim that "A false statement implies anything" and its logical equivalent, "Anything implies a true statement."
"If we hadn't stopped and turned back, we would have been caught in an avalanche" would be just as true (after stopping and turning back) on the hottest summer day in the desert as on a stormy snowy day in the mountains in winter. Likewise, "If Al Gore had been allowed to take office as President, 9/11 would have not occurred" and "If Al Gore had been allowed to take office as President, 9/11 would have occurred" would both be equally true without considering what might have happened had Gore been President.
If "a false statement implies anything," then we cannot discuss intelligently what might have happened if we'd made different choices.
The book does prove that "If 2 + 2 = 5 then I am the Pope." It is possible that false statements of a certain type are guarranteed to imply anything.
I would like to see this book back in print. Most of it is excellent and on target in logic. Perhaps a second edition could be published, adjusting its take on these issues.
Great BookReview Date: 2004-07-17
Anyhow, this is a great book for young children with inquisitive minds and even for old children who think they know it all.
MB

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My 3 and a half year old LOVES this book!Review Date: 2008-02-18
The pictures in the book are pretty tiny though, so it's a real challenge to find Waldo. It looks like they shrunk the images from the original version so they could fit them into the small book. I'm 36 (i.e. my eyes are not that bad) and I needed to use the magnifying glass in a bright room to find Waldo! The only downside to this book is if you misplace the magnifier, it's not as fun to find Waldo, but hopefully that won't happen to you.
Waldo Review 1Review Date: 2008-01-20
Thanks Amazon! And another big Thanks for helping make a little boys Christmas great!
Next time, I`ll check Amazon first!
Great fun for all.Review Date: 2008-01-07
bought for the libraryReview Date: 2007-06-12
Fun bookReview Date: 2007-03-08

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Perfect for Teachers and WritersReview Date: 2008-05-12
At home, I opened it, expecting buyer's remorse. No way!!! This kit is amazing. I plan to use it in the classroom next year, both during school hours with my writing students and after hours with my Writers Guild. I especially like the sample story -- in the directions -- that is essentially the result of the toolbox games.
My favorite device? The non sequiter sticks. I plan on using them to help keep some of my non-fiction writing dynamic. Of course, I'll have to modify the items to my own research and reality, but that strikes me as half the fun.
A very clever little box full of games, ideas, and methods for creative writing. Thanks!
Scott Snair
Engaging for Writers' GroupReview Date: 2008-03-05
Tanja Moriarty, "Encouraging Words", Haddam, Connecticut.
Brilliant Creation!Review Date: 2008-02-28
Creative and Inspirational!Review Date: 2007-12-28
Unleash your muse!Review Date: 2007-12-05

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Almost All InReview Date: 2007-06-13
There is very little analysis of the hands, although the match-turning decisions are recounted well enough. There are insightful bios into some of the players, including Stu Ungar, who had won three tournaments during the time the increasing size made this an incredible feat. Recommended for those with an historical interest in the event and the growth of the popularity of poker.
Finally an Inside Look at the Professional Sports BettorsReview Date: 2007-01-10
Fun, Informative ReadReview Date: 2006-08-30
All In: What's there is very good, What's missing is too bad.Review Date: 2006-03-12
I didn't really expect much coverage of the secondary tournaments, but I did expect a more complete coverage of the main event. With a lttle more this would be well deserving of 5 Stars. As it sits, it is more like 3.5-4.
A fun, historical ride of the World Series of Poker.Review Date: 2006-04-14
And such stories...like the 1972 WSOP had 13 entrants, but only 8 of them played because they would rather play in the lucrative sides games than the WSOP. 1972 is also the year that Benny Binion made it a $10,000 buy-in...but paid half of it for the players who entered.
You'll watch the rise of the Binion family only to see it implode along the lines of a "Dallas" script. You'll read where a tournament director was fired because he refused to move old grumpy Johnny Moss who didn't want to sit by the railbirds during the tournament. Stories of great poker players like Jack Strauss, Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim and others fill this book. Read how Jessie Alto, who made the final table 6 times, went on a full tilt after he was bluffed out of a pot.
It's a fast read and I definitely recommned it to anyone who has a passing interest in poker.

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Amazing GraceReview Date: 2007-02-05
What a teaching tool!!!Review Date: 2004-11-30
Grace, a first grade African American female, has an imagination with no boundaries. Grace loves to act out stories that she is told. At school, Grace's heart runs with excitement when her teacher announces that the class is going to do the play Peter Pan. Everyone wants to be Peter Pan, which highlights the enthusiasm for theater among these students. However, as Grace wants to be Peter Pan, her classmates tell her first that she can't because she is not a male. The second reason her classmates say is that she can't be Peter Pan is because she is black. Here lies the racism in this book.
The teacher allows each student to take home lines and memorize them to try out for roles. The best would get Peter Pan. In the mean time, Grace's grandmother takes her to a Romeo and Juliet ballet that features a black Juliet. This inspires Grace to go home and learn those lines as best as she can so that she will be the best one in the class. When it is time to try out, Grace is by far the best Peter Pan and the class votes to let her fill this role. This is where the shattering of stereotypes comes into play.
Past the social issues, Amazing Grace also fulfills the requirements that the Temple textbook states are good children's literature. First, children's literature must speak to the child. Children, especially that would read Amazing Grace, are extremely egocentric. Therefore, they want to read about the potential for individual achievement. Any child that is repressed for any reason could identify with Grace. There are a lot of things that Peter Pan was not, not just simply black. African American students could truly identify with Grace, having to deal with their differences that are spawned by their skin color and culture.
The last noticeable characteristic of good children's literature apparent in Amazing Grace is the presence of in depth thought, especially on morals. This book spawns thought on all the social issues mentioned above. This book would most certainly cause students to re- evaluate their thoughts and stances on racism, stereotypes, and maybe even theater. So many times, students think that what their parents believe is what they have to believe. However, educating students can help not only in letting them make their own decisions, but also educating their parents as well.
Finally, this book is an excellent book for teachers because there are many activities that can be done to accompany the reading. Perhaps this would be a great book to lead into their own class play. Another idea is to place this in a unit on racism and segregation in the upper elementary levels. Also, a teacher could do dress up day and the students could be whatever they want to be. All stereotypes are shattered for the day and each student can be free to be who they are. Amazing Grace may be one of the most influential books that I have ever read on racism and the way that Grace and her family handle this issue is admirable.
You Can Do AnythingReview Date: 2002-12-16
Amazing GraceReview Date: 2005-11-09
By: S.J.
Los Angeles
Age 5
Amazing GraceReview Date: 2005-10-17

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Barbie doll Fashion-1968-1974Review Date: 2007-07-05
Barbie Doll Fashion Vol 2Review Date: 2006-08-17
Collectors shouldn't be without it:Review Date: 2003-08-31
Bible for Barbie collectors!Review Date: 2003-08-28
The Most Beautiful and Informative of All Barbie BooksReview Date: 2003-01-25
'Barbie Doll Fashion: 1968-1974' covers the fashions from Barbie's exciting Mod era, and includes fashions not only for Barbie, but for her friends and family as well. These include original outfits, Pak outfits, Best Buys, Get Ups and Gos, Store Exclusives and every other type of outfit available from 1968 to 1974.
Each outfit is described in detail, with a photograph showing the outfit and all accessories next to it, laying flat. Some outfits are shown on the doll. The photography is stunning, by far the best of any Barbie book I've ever seen.
'Barbie Doll Fashion: 1968-1974' isn't just informative, it's a catalogue of dreams to build on, and a fun book just to sit and look at. You'll never be sorry you own it!

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A Black Art No More....Review Date: 2006-01-02
I have a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science. I'm also a professional software engineer in the video game industry.
In my education, I had a few classes on electronics/digital circuits and I loved it. I started doing my own circuits outside of class and buying digital ICs to add to my toolkit. Over the years, I'd lost touch with that side of myself and the joy that it gave me. Then I found this book, "The Black Art of Video Game Console Design".
This book is basically an abridged EE (Electrical Engineering) degree with a focus on video game consoles! And the kicker is that you're being instructed by one of the most "readable" authors around. By "readable", I mean that the author has a way of teaching you things as if it was your friend, sitting next to you, turning complicated subjects into an easy-to-understand, entertaining, data stream. The information is clear and the tone is upbeat and occasionally humourous.
As I read through the book, I was hitting everything that I learned in months and months in the classroom, but without all the fuss and only the relevant information. Resistors, capacitors, diodes, truth tables, timing diagrams, etc, it's all there. Then, the author jumped into complicated areas such as joysticks, sound, microprocessors, assembly language, the NTSC (standard TV) video signal (just to name a few). Finally, there we were at the pinnacle of the mountain, the culmination of all our learning, and here's where the real "Black Art" of the book kicks in, the full process of designing a video game console.
In today's hardware driven world, this book should be on every game programmer's shelf, whether they're a hobbyist or a seasoned veteran.
A monumental work, but beware!Review Date: 2006-01-24
Perhaps it's his sheer enthusiasm that makes him seem to sometimes write too quickly. A few minutes spent with The Black Art Of Video Game Console Design brings this tendency to light: I don't know how long it took to write this book, but I imagine the author was under some pressure to get it finished before some kind of deadline, because there are the typical signs of a book that didn't get properly edited. There are occasional typos and punctuation glitches, but more worrisome is the potential for factual errors. For example, an early and very glaring inaccuracy is the claim on page 66 that most electronics solder is 60% tin and 40% flux. In reality, typical solder is 60% tin and 40% *LEAD*, not flux; the flux burns and evaporates away from the solder once the solder has been melted. Yeah, it's a small detail, but any technical editor should have caught that one a mile away.
On a larger scale, however, LaMothe's enthusiasm propels the book forward at a speed not typically seen in how-to books. Comprising almost a thousand pages, this is already a pretty massive book, but the amount of material LaMothe crams into that space is remarkable. The first few chapters are something you have to see to believe, each chapter condensing basically an entire college electronics class' worth of material into around 50 pages. While this means that, in a sense, the book is a good value because it provides a lot of material, this compression obviously comes at a price: Some concepts were just not meant to be explained in a single paragraph, and the book falters multiple times trying to explain something as quickly as possible when the concept would really have benefited from some elaboration.
The result is a book that often makes me wonder what audience would most benefit from it. The first few chapters are all about electronics, and are written on a level that would benefit someone with literally no background in electronics at all. However, the focus of the book is on console design, not EE, and there are better books out there for the person who just wants to learn electronics. This, combined with the fact that you really can't (and probably shouldn't try) to learn the entire field of electronics in one night, leads me to believe that anyone approaching this book should probably have some thorough grounding in electronics technology before you actually start reading the book. Once you get past the first half and into the really game-focused material, the book comes into its own, but a majority of the material here would be better read elsewhere.
So ultimately, this is a book with a HUGE amount of material that you can learn a lot from, and if you really want to buy just one book, it's hard to find a better value than this. But if you want a truly broad-based education in electronics, you'll need to do some heavy supplementing with other books before you can get the most benefit out of this one.
Always a step ahead...Review Date: 2006-01-10
I'm in school for Electronics and I am shocked at how much information is packed into a single chapter. I think I learned more reading half of this book than in a year of schooling (as far as practical matters go). I have much to say but I should ramble no more... just buy it man! You won't be disapointed.
Stuff that mattersReview Date: 2005-12-30
This book gives a unique glimpse to the stuff needed to build your own game machine, the decissions you need to made, why to take certain paths in your designs and so on... even it gives you a very good primer on electronics and semiconductors.
Given the great number of Atari homebrewers out there, this book arrives just in time to create a whole new scene... a scene in which not only you will make your own games.. but the very machine they run on!
Definitely, a must have.
The Keys to the Kingdom Review Date: 2005-12-30
I wanted to return to my roots and be able to do what the WOZ did with the Apple 1. After surfing the net I came across this book and the XGameStation. With it I have learnt the basic electronics needed to produce a gaming system. I have in fact built my very own video game console and am now programming PacMan for it.
This was all made possible by the information in this book. If the book didn't have it, it told me what to look up with regards to other IC's timings speed etc. Thus providing the Keys for me to unlock those doors that remained hidden until now.
Simply put this book is truly the 'Keys to the Kingdom' of video Game Console Design. I can say that because I have made my own Game Console and I know it to be true.I completely taught myself and I am not an EE student but just a hacker/hobbiest. I highly recomend this book for any beginner or EE student/hacker interested in designing their own Video Game Console.
If your new to electronics Andre' gives you crystal clear basic teaching for you in this book so don't be afraid and have some fun.
Mike
Related Subjects: Conventions Game Design Game Studies Resources Developers and Publishers Play Groups Gambling Video Games Miniatures Trading Cards Puzzles Dice Internet Board Games Card Games Play-By-Mail Tile Games Hand Games Hand-Eye Coordination Roleplaying Party Games Coin-Op Paper and Pencil
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