Games Books

Well-covered by other reviewers, I feel compelled to add my vote for this rare, well-written chess book. I've played chess for years but just recently started getting serious about getting a decent rating. While Reuben Fine's book is often referenced as great for understanding openings, I found it to be impenetrable. Meanwhile Sam Collin's book has become my first go-to book for getting a basic understanding of what an opening is all about. His writing is crystal clear, and he gets you straight to what the opening is trying to accomplish. Other books, like Modern Chess Openings or Standard Chess Openings, can then be used to examine alternative variations, but speaking for myself, I really need to start from Collins to get the strategy behind the opening first. I find this book to be an essential reference for a beginning or intermediate player.

There are many different openings books which focus on different aspects of opening play. This book is like a survey of the territory and covers the most likely openings to come up and the many variations of each. What I most like about it is that it is logically organized, well-written and easy to follow. It includes commentary, but the commentary is not comprehensive. This good or bad depending upon what you are looking for in a book on openings. In short, the text gets to the point with respect to the major tactical advantages and disadvantages of particular openings. However, it doesn't cover any of them in great depth.

I like this book because it doesn't repeat a lot of the ground covered in other books. It is a small volume at less than 225 pages of many different openings and the MOST important points about each. This makes it a great reference book to get one started with a particular opening. However, you need something with more depth to go along with it.

I am sometimes "turned off" by chess books which are 1,000 pages with very little text or diagrams. This is a bias that I have and learning anything sometimes seems overwhelming. This book strikes a nice balance between text, diagrams and presenting a series of moves. It makes the content more digestible and because of how its organized, easy to learn.

As far as I am concerned, this is a MUST own book for a serious chess player and particulary for someone transitioning from the beginner to advanced beginner or early stages of intermediate play. It uses modern notation and it is extremely well thought out with respect to layout. Both the author and the editor did an excellent job!

This book WILL help you to improve your opening play. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to any player and if you are turned off by poorly organized or cumbersome large volumes, you will like it even more.

If you have already read a comprehensive book to get your started on the basics of chess, you may well be interested in a variety of openings. You need to prepare an opening system to get get you going.
I have looked at all of the opening books out there (own over 500 chess books) and in my humble opinion (well maybe I am somewhat experienced as a chess teacher and tournament player) feel that there is no better book that covers the ideas behind the different openings. Certainly, this is not a reference book to look up all of the critical variations. But, if you are anyone ages 8 to 108 and want a "general assessment" of what you will get into with each opening this book is perfect.
[...]
A neat aspect of this book is that is does an excellent job of explaining the ideas and has enough lines to make it a more than worthwhile purchase!

This book is very well organized. I am very pleased with it. By playing several of the openings in the book I have found myself (finally) able to defeat the computer at chess at levels where I couldn't do so before. I have also learned which openings are to be avoided as well, that way I don't have to spend time memorizing all of them. But it is still important to understand why some openings aren't good.

Note: This review first published in the Irish Chess Journal, August 2005

Following the success of his first book, An Attacking Repertoire for White, an extract of which was published in the last issue of the ICJ, former Irish Champion IM Sam Collins has written his second book, titled Understanding the Chess Openings.

I have to admit that I didn't quite know what to expect from this before I read it. It's not the kind of chess book that gets written any more, having been squeezed out of favour first by databases on dead trees - the likes of MCO and BCO, and later by their software counterparts. The proliferation of modern opening theory seemed to have killed the opening primer off. The thing is, even now, a database is not a friendly tool for the weak to average club player. A high success rate in a particular line against the Grünfeld in my million-move monster doesn't really tell me much. Even if the line hasn't been found wanting after some super-GM decided he'd really like his knight on h8 and won a game or two, statistics, and to some extent, raw game scores don't explain how the strategic complexities of the line work. As such, I'm rather pleased to see this book appear.

Sam has really tried to be comprehensive - he's got pages on such off-beat openings as the Grob (1 g4?! - the Basman in Sam's terminology), the Black Knight's tango (1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 Nc6!?) and even a little sideline called the Sicilian. That's come at a price. There's only so much room, and devoting pages to the sidelines means that the well-trod paths get less attention than they might have. The Sicilian Dragon, for example, which Sam rightly describes as, "A truly critical test to the viability of 1 e4," receives a mere three pages, which seems almost criminal when compared with the half page of white paper under his assessment of Bird's Opening (1 f4).

That said, Sam seems to have mostly done his homework. The main line he gives for each line seems to be the critical test, especially for the slightly offbeat ones. Or, at least that's true for those parts of the book where my own theory goes as far as the book's (no, not just the copyright notice!). Particularly notable to me was the line he gave against the Blackmar-Diemar Gambit, which he seems to have a personal hatred for, 1 d4 d5 2 e4 de 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 f3 ef 5 Nxf3 Bg4 6 Bc4 e6 7 0-0 c6 "And, after ...Be7, ...Nbd7 and ...0-0, where did the pawn go?" This seems spot on and it illustrates the usefulness of the book for its target readership (I guess 1200 - 1900 at least, probably a little wider). Having played against the BDG just once so far in my competitive career (for lack of a better word!), I hadn't a clue what to play against it, but here is a line which will, should I meet it again, let me avoid all of the complicated mire that opening often drags the unwary into.

Judging his choices for the mainstream openings is a bit harder for me, as my own repertoire choices tend to be a little offbeat. However, I do note a couple of places where Sam has ignored (or been unaware of) a significant main line. For instance, in the French Advance, he mentions 6 ...c4 in passing, but doesn't elaborate. By way of contrast, Gary Lane, in his book on that opening, devotes 40 pages - the longest chapter, to that line. In the Modern Benoni too, Sam gives the Taimanov as the critical line, which is fair enough, but then totally ignores John Watson's entirely critical 9...Qh4+.

Those criticisms are perhaps a little harsh and are certainly nowhere near as important as they might sound, as the intention of the coverage of each opening is more to give a flavour of how it works, combined with pointers in the right direction if you want to explore one further. Certainly, you'd be mad to try playing something like the Modern Benoni having read just two and a half pages on it. That said, the coverage of some openings is really excellent. The four and a bit pages on the Guioco Piano encapsulate the opening like nothing else I've read, including a page and a half on the Evan's Gambit (including a key novelty from Grischuck which I hadn't seen before), an odd but lively and useful possibility in a very normal opening which many readers mightn't otherwise have known existed.

Before I wrap up, a note on the structure of the book. Sam organises the openings into Open, Semi-Open, Queen's Gambit, Indian Defences and Flank Openings. At the start of some sections, and several openings, he discusses some themes common in the positions arising from the opening(s) in question. While I would have liked to see more of this sort of thing, what of it is present is well-written and useful, while his notes to the lines as they arrive expand very well on the themes and plans in the positions. The next time I'm looking for something different, I'll open Understanding the Chess Openings, because it is a source of information unlike anything else I have. I've read people criticising books of this sort on the grounds that any strong club player can explain most of this stuff to you, but that argument doesn't hold any weight with me. I don't have a tame IM at home waiting to explain what on earth is going on in the Semi-Slav! I have no reservations recommending it for average to above-average club players as a reference book you'll keep dipping into, and to weaker players as a good general opening guide.

As always Angus McBride's color plates are as lifelike as can be. Especially, plates A,E,F, & G. These elite series are more in depth than the usual armor, weapons, & uniforms. The text is more varied. From their origins in the eigth century to all their adventures from all compass points, we get little gems of information. A refreshingly wide range of sources are used. Norse sagas, English, Arab, Byzantine, Frankish, & Irish chronicles. Most areas are touched on to varying degrees. From their tactics, well known campaigns, & the Varangian guard to the less known "Jomsvikings." The latter being independent, strictly run mercenary companies.

Also, some interesting anecdotes: Did you know that dark hair was much more common among the Danes than the Swedes & Norwegians? That certainly would explain the physical appearance of the Normans on the Bayeux Tapestry. If it had a dozen more pages I would have given it five stars. For 63 pages it was well worth the price.

This is by far the best book on the Vikings from a military perspective, Osprey or otherwise. The text is concise and is both exciting and informative. The plates depict the Viking warriors as well as their enemies and their women with lifelike expressions and poses, and include several spirited battlescenes.

One of the best books I have seen on the Vikings. The Text does a brief but good & concise job about the history of the Norsemen. That & the illustrations of these barbarian slavers is 1st rate and worth the price alone.
Well done to all hands involved!

Like other books in the Osprey Elite series, this one held my interest throughout. Therefore I finished it very quickly. The illustrations help me visualize what real life Vikings must have looked like.

The description of the Viking rite of "carving-the-blood-eagle" was something that I had never read anywhere before. Imagine the terror of seeing these guys arriving from over the horizon ca. 950 A.D.

I have always been a big fan of the Osprey series books, and a fan of Angus MacBride's work.
This book is a good overview of the evolving nature of Viking warfare, from the first raids on the British isles, to the end of the Viking period.
Included is a useful collection of photos of Viking weapons, armour annd other artifacts. But for me, the star of the show was the colour plates, what amazing work! MacBride gives us a diversity of glimpses, such as Viking home-life, building a long ship, the aftermath of a raid, and a great sea-battle, and the end of the Norse adventure in North America.
This is a great book for anyone interested in the Viking period!

I wanted to recommend this tarot deck. It is my favorite. The images are deeply powerful as well as beautiful. I can relate to the idea of water representing the emotional body, as well as fire the energetic body, the air the spirit body, and vegetables and flowers the material realm. The Vision Quest Tarot booklet makes this deck different than other tarots. The definitions are very precise and accurate. I too, like a previous reviewer, usually do one reading about once or twice a year; it is that good. The cards are surrounded by a white framed border. I am ordering another deck to write key words around the frame of the cards for easy and instant interpretation when I read for others.

The Vision Quest Tarot was created by Gayan Sylvie Winter and Jo Dosé in 1998. It is published by AGM Agmüller in Switzerland, and distributed by U.S. Games in this country.

The seventy-eight card pictures for this deck are all based on themes from the Native American Indian tradition. The artwork depicts Native American Indians engaged in traditional activities, and these pictures serve to define the meanings of the cards.

Each of the pip cards has a single word printed at the bottom, and that is the meaning of the card. The meanings of the Major Arcana and court cards are contained in the instruction booklet.

When I first started using this deck a few years ago, I had mixed feelings about it. I liked the earthly artwork and the spiritual quality of the card meanings, but I had difficulty doing intelligible readings with it.

During the intervening years I discovered the magic of using the combined meanings of Tarot cards dealt in pairs. Typically, I would deal eighteen cards, nine pairs in all. Most of the time, a card meaning would be only one or two or three words long to facilitate combining its meaning with that of another card. In this way, a pair of cards produced a new, systhesized single meaning.

I recently rediscovered the Vision Quest Tarot, and started using it again. This time, however, the cards came alive. Their one-word card meanings were ideal for my eighteen-card layout of nine pairs. As I used the nine-pair layout, I noticed a quality that was missing from other decks I had used in this way. Amazingly, the nine pairs of Vision Quest cards rendered divinations that answered each question in a logical, linear fashion. The systhesized meaning of each pair was like a sentence in a paragraph, with one sentence serving as the foundation for the next. Each pair produced an orderly progression of thought from one pair to the next.

This was astounding. In all the other decks I had used in this way (and there were a few), there was no logical or narrative flow from one pair to the next. The nine pairs of cards would provide a comprehensive answer to the question, but not in a smooth narrative fashion as with the Vision Quest cards.

I have no clue as to why the Vision Quest Tarot alone answers questions in this way, but it does.

With all that said, the relevance of the one-word card meanings is sometimes difficult to comprehend. As with all decks I have ever seen, you will need to use your imagination and intuition to flesh out the meanings of the cards into more fully realized statements.

I think this is the best Native American tarot deck that I have come across. Not only is the artwork beautiful, but it is so peaceful and calming. The pictures are not overdone, or too busy. This is a deck where the tougher cards are not really scary.. but at the same time avoid being "cute" or playing down to the message.. Actually, the death card, "Transformation" in this deck, is captivating to me.. while still getting the message clearly across.. NOT an easy task. There are keywords on the minor arcana.. some people do not like this.. myself usually included. However, here, they somehow seem to blend into the overall meaning of the picture without being distracting. Amazon does not have this deck readily available.. but it is out there.. ...

I recently purchased this deck. I had been using the Faery Wicca Deck. I wanted to work with my Indian ancestors and energies and did not feel the connection I desired with the Wicca deck. The bond was immediate with Vision Quest. It has given me insight and direction in multiple dimensions in my life.

This deck is beautiful in concept, as well as beautiful in illustration and working. I can only use this deck once a year, as it is SO accurate it makes me a little uncomfortable. However, with the intent of the cards inherent in the pictures, this deck should really be and CAN be used more often. A more experienced practitioner should be able to handle the depth and power of it. I use a three card spread, past-present-future.
The card pictured on the box, the medicine woman card, to ME, unlike one of the other reviewers, IS the most powerful and beautiful card in the deck. (In fact I plan a tattoo of her,changing out the hawk for a raven and adding wolves and an owl). She is particularly powerful in her peace and strength, and should be honored. The shamaness card is powerful, but a little disappointing to me in illustration. She is the only Pacific NorthWest Native American in the deck and I find that a little strange.
This deck is WELL WORTH your money and energy. Its illustrations promote positive contemplation no matter what the issue you are addressing.

I Thought I know how to work with Photoshop, but after I read this book I discovered that I didn't. This book was extermely helpful to me in building web site graphics, and has introudced me to many different techniques that I used in to build the effects that I need in short time; Everyone was amazed, and so was I. Most of the Books has very boring and useless Intrduction, this book doesn't. It was very useful to me ( I confess I was about to skip the first two chapters , but the writer urged the readers not to).

Although this book is useful, I was able to get all the techniques it offered in less that three days !

If you know your way well in Photoshop, don't buy this book. If you are a confused designer; you see these amazing designs and wonder How did they do it ?, then buy this book, and the best of luck.

I've been using Photoshop for years, but only recently for web graphics. This book totally opened my eyes to things I never knew it could do! I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get more out of Photoshop. It's written clearly, even though it has too many typos, and gets right to the point.

This book is simply great for an amateur photoshop 5 user. I know what I'm doing, but I wouldn't consider my a pro. However, with the aid of this book, I can create graphics for my web site just like a professional. This book is invaluable as a learning tool and as a reference.

I have only scratched the surface of Photoshop. The directions in this book are very clear, and easy to follow. Even for me who jumped right into the middle of the book. It's set up in a logical learning sequence and covers EVERYTHING for someone wanting to use Photoshop for their webpages. I admit, it was an impulse buy for me, but it has been worth every cent.

I Thought I know how to work with Photoshop, but after I read this book I discovered that I didn't. This book was extermely helpful to me in building web site graphics, and has introudced me to many different techniques that I used in to build the effects that I need in short time; Everyone was amazed, and so was I.

Most of the Books has very boring and useless Intrduction, this book doesn't. It was very useful to me ( I confess I was about to skip the first two chapters , but the writer urged the readers not to).

Although this book is useful, I was able to get all the techniques it offered in less that three days !

If you know your way well in Photoshop, don't buy this book. If you are a confused designer; you see these amazing designs and wonder How did they do it ?, then buy this book, and the best of luck.

Sent this to my twin grandsons - haven't seen them with it yet but I hoped it would be good for getting them to focus and concentrate - they are well below the recommended age but I don't see why this should be a problem, and I am told they have certainly enjoyed trying to beat each other to find the figure. Some pages are very difficult but they will keep going back to the book too.

My kids are 3,7,10 and 11. This is one of the few books that I can sit down and have fun with any one of them.

Este es un libro muy bueno para el entretenimiento de todos los ninos de cualquier edad, se los recomiendo.

I first got turned onto Waldo books while in college. I was working at a small bookstore, and spied a paperback of Where's Waldo? in Hollywood. I've had it all these years, but recently brought it out of the basement for my 7 year old son. He was thrilled with that book, so I got him Where's Waldo?: The Wonder Book in hardback for Christmas.

While the Hollywood book is difficult, The Wonder Book also has some difficult scenes! In one, I STILL haven't found Wizard Whitebeard. Arggh!

Martin Handford is the creator of the Where's Waldo? books, which features elaborately detailed scenes, hidden objects, and visual puns. The reclusive, bespectaled author works fervently for EIGHT WEEKS for EACH of the 2-page spreads on these books. This means that the Where's Waldo Wonder Book took him 1.8 years to create! Amazing!

My son and I love to pore over the pages--not only looking for Waldo, Wenda, Wizard Whitebeard, Odlaw, and Woof--but also other clues. For example, Wenda always loses a camera, Woof a bone, the Wizard a scroll, and so on. BUT, at the end of the book, there are TWO pages of checklists for other things to find in EACH of the visual puzzles! Some are quite hard to find. For example, a clown follows Waldo and his friends all through the end of the book. One of the challenges is to find the scene in the book where the clown changes the color of his hat band.

The creative scenes you'll find in the Wonder Book include:

*Once Upon a Page
*Clown Town
*The Fantastic Flower Garden
*The Odlaw Swamp
*The Might Fruit Fright
*The Corridors of Time
*The Game of Games
*The Battle of the Bands
*Toys! Toys! Toys!
*Bright Lights and Night Frights
*The Cake Factory
*The Land of Woofs

Odlaw Swamp and Land of Woofs are *especially* tricky, because all the characters look the same...except for one defining element.

As with all the Waldo books, there's also some great visual puns that will tickle adult funny bones. Make no mistake...the Where's Waldo? series isn't just for kids! I love searching for the characters and items as a way of relaxing and enjoying my son's company.

Highly recommended!

This is another excellent Where's Waldo -- almost as sublime as "The Fantastic Journey", a little harder, and just as engaging. As a piece of artwork it's clear that Handford's style is maturing: his lines are more precise, there are more individuals packed into every open space, and there's also a slightly more vibrant color palette. Unlike the other four Waldo books, these twelve scenes are printed digitally. Each miniscule pixelated line edge can be seen upon close inspection, a little disconcerting at first but very crisp and clear -- and probably one reason for Handford's new stylistic developments here.

If you love the Inner Child Cards, you will love this deck. It is much smaller so it is portable and easy to handle. The art work is very detailed so you have something to focus on. The only "problem" was that there was no enclosed book. If you are a by the book reader this is a negative but if you are like me, it prevents you from second guessing your messages.

I really loved this deck and book. I teach
english, so the concept of using fairy tales, nursery rhymes and folk tales to teach tarot is wonderful. It has been done before, but this deck and book really get into the concept and it is worth the money. A warning, I bought the book and deck separate, which was a mistake as it cost more. I would get the entire set together if I were to do it again. I really love the cards, the images and the stories. I have made good use of this deck already.

This book accompanies the Whimsical Tarot Deck. While there is supposed to be a gift box set, I have only seen the book and decks sold separately and when I purchased the deck, I also purchased the book. I have reviewed the deck under it's listing.

The book's layout is easy to follow. It begins with an introduction to the purpose and style of the cards, use and care of the deck, discussion of various layouts of tarot readings and then meanings of the cards as designed by Dorothy Morrison. The Major Arcana is first, followed by the Minor Arcana in order and each card has a black and white graphic rendition of the card so it is easy to visualize and follow.

The discussion in the beginning of the book focuses on children reading Tarot. This may sound surprising to some but to those of us who have our kids around us all the time, the curiosity of child is only second to how persistent they can be to know about things that attract their attention. Ms. Morrison offers assistance in helping us introduce the tarot to our children. From examining the cards to blessing and handling the cards, it is a basic handbook for introducing our children to simple, basic divination. In the layouts section, there are suggested layouts for use by kids, and it is grouped by ages, from very simple one card readings to more complex spreads for the experienced older child.

There may be questions as to the card's subject. If we are not familiar with all the fairy tales that Ms. Morrison has included in this deck, this book will help you out with that. For example, the Queen of Rods, while looking very queenly, is actually Cinderella. If you look her up in the book, the association is clearly laid out. "No matter how dire her circumstances or how horrible her treatment, she never let it get her down. She just kept on working, kept on smiling, and kept on with the business of living. In the end, she prevailed and won her heart's desire: a charming prince with a gentle heart, a fast horse, and all the love she could ask."

Ms. Morrison is very clear in her meanings; nothing is hidden and nothing is left open and mysterious. This is the plain English Ms. Morrison we know and love. She even gives details of how she designed the cards. To continue "Dressed in the yellow and green of creative growth, the Queen of Rods is the eternal cheerleader. She loves everyone and everything." While this is very insightful for the reader, it also gives us insight into how Ms. Morrison is guiding us along as we search for answers in our own lives. Very clear, very easy to understand and so insightful, this handbook is a guide as well as a companion to using the deck.

She also offers some advice and insights into what this card may mean if it shows up in your readings. Again, referencing the Queen of Cups, Cinderella: "When the Queen of Cups graces your spread, it's time to look at life with a loving eye." Further down, she adds "Remember that love is a gentle, kind, and nurturing emotion that carries with it many responsibilities." She goes into what she means by this and you are left with much food for thought as to how it can reflect in your own life.

The book is the signpost to be used with the deck which presents the road as we are walking down it today. These roads change as we make decisions which affect our future. When we use these tools, we look for ones that we can relate to, that can be easily interpreted by us and also provide some enjoyment when we use them.

There is a small bibliography in the back of the book, and a good table of contents, but this book is good on it's own for ease of use. I believe Ms. Morrison has provided us with a great companion book to her delightful deck as well as solid advice and practices if we wish to introduce our children to the basics of tarot. boudica

If you're not the cutsey type or won't appreciate the artwork because you're "darker" or more "serious" than that, all I can say is, lighten up. This is a great deck and a great springboard to learn from before getting into something as esoteric as Rider Waite or Crowley Thoth.

Everybody knows the fairytales and even if you don't, it's fun to look them up. These cards are definitely more accessible to us modern pagans and witches!

I would highly recommend this for the absolute and not so absolute beginner (a welcome addition to any tarot library, as it's less intimidating than other deck images!).

My four year old grandson has this deck. He picks out a card and brings it to me to tell him the story. After he hears the story, we talk about the life lessons the story holds. What a wonderful way to spend "quality time" with my grandson!! I highly recommend this deck to anyone with children or grandchildren!! This deck is wonderful for all ages. It brings back memories of the fairy tales and nursery rhymes we loved as children, and brings the stories into new light. The story or nursery rhyme that goes with each card fits in excellently with the meaning of the card. For instance, the Lovers card is Beauty and the Beast. How perfect!!

The bridge-bidder's arsenal is usually full of "gadgets": non-literal bids meant to convey or suggest information that might escape the normal bidding sequence. Even by the time this 1940s book appeared, "scientific" systems by leading bridge "experts" were all the rage. Who would disagree with scientific "experts"? After all, you can't fight progress.

WHY YOU LOSE AT BRIDGE dares to differ. S.J. Simon, author of this enduring little volume, shows us the genuine odds behind competitive bidding and play and explains things the highly regarded experts of his day didn't know -- or didn't want us to know.

[Note: the following two grafs assume some bridge experience.]
Would you almost automatically double a competitor's bid of "Six Spades" (12 of the 13 card tricks) if you had two "quick tricks" in your hand? Think about it, Simon warns. If the opponents have even a one-in-three chance of winning, your unthinking double will give them between four and six times the number of points for making contract considering vulnerability. Besides, when they hear your double the declarer will figure you for the two Aces and act accordingly. Watch out for the sure things that really aren't.

And sometimes (usually, the author implies) the scientific gadgets aren't worth it. At one tourney, following tortuous symbolic bidding, one partnership came to a contract of four spades and went down one. How had the author and his partner bid that "impossible" hand? Like this: South - 1 NT; North - 3 NT. Simple and literal.

After offering a bracing immersion in what I all "unlearning," Simon spends the second half of the book on the psychology of bridge, starting with the times a partner or opponent starts what he calls "trancing" -- mulling things over. Chapter Eleven, "The Logic of Luck," typically illustrates Simon's curmudgeonly attitude. We could almost blame him for the high-British-arch tone of his writing, except that he is always right!

WHY YOU LOSE AT BRIDGE is a tremendous book for bridge beginners, perhaps even more so for intermediates and even the more experienced players trying to cope with a new partner. Of course, this WAS the 1940s so the author assumes that major suits (Hearts and Spades) can be bid upon with only four of them in hand as opposed to today's more prevalent "five-card major" approach. And I have to wonder: what would Simon have made of today's bidding in general?

Everyone with any interest in bridge should read this book. The bridge hands are interesting and instructive, but the characters are what make the book great.

Skid Simon writes about club bridge, and how to deal with various partners.

We kibitz a rubber among Mrs. Guggenheim, The Unlucky Expert, Mr. Smug, and Futile Willy. A loong rubber.

A reasonable player in any of the seats would have won the rubber for his side. Bidding is British style, but what the heck...

The truth of the book is eternal, and the style sparkles with humor.

The essence: play for the best result possible with this partner, not the best possible result.

S. J. Simon's Why You Lose at Bridge remains (since its original 1945 publication) the best text on improving one's partnership available anywhere at any price. Read it. Practice what you learned. Watch your partnerships improve. Read it, again ...

If you have a standing partnership, read it together. Even the most capable professionals may well (re)discover ways to improve their game as they absorb Simon's words of wisdom. Improve your partnership, and your game improves. Simon sez ...

Entertaining and informative,especially for rubber bridge players.
A bit old fashioned now but the message gets across loud and clear.
A must for all bridge fanatics.

Have you ever been 1500 miles away from home, with $3 in your pocket (between the 3 of us) and watched as your horse beats a guy out of $1200 playing 9-Ball, and then beat's the same guy 22 games in a row, playing $500 a game onepocket?.. We thought the guy was gonna have a coronary at the end.. He was all red and flustered, and breathing funny.. Best part is, when they first started gambling, my guy put the coldest move on him.. Since we where on the air barrel, he told the guy (as he reached into his pocket, as if to pull out some $$$) " Do you wanna post?.. Nah, you don't have to post with me.. I trust you".. LOL..

That's how it is on the road, where you play onepocket for the big bucks, and 9-Ball to pay the room rent.. And that's what this book is about, hard nosed gamblers, playing a man's game.. This book is written by some of the greatest players that ever played, and thoroughly covers most aspects of the game.. From power onepocket, to the "wedge" game, and including a "Shots From the Past" section, that is sure to amaze..

Plus, 'Winning One-Pocket' delves into many finer nuances of the game.. Secrets that take years to aquire, and infact, most of the time only get passed from champion, to protege.. Things such as logical end game strategies, and uptable traps.. Moreover, the book discusses high concept of knowing how AND WHEN to apply pressure, and more importantly, when to back off.. After all, it's about getting the money, and this book will give you better insight on how to do just that..

I have personally spent thousands of hours playing and gambling at pool.. My brother is the 1999 US Open Onepocket Champion (He is also the 2003 US Open 9-Ball Champ).. He and I both have copies of this book, and we (I'm sure he would agree) recommend this book, highly, if you can find a copy..

This book is a great resource for shots rarely seen. This book has brought my One Pocket game over the top. I have won more games after practicing some of these shots. I have lost a lot of money players after execution of these shots as well for the cash. I am telling you, this book will be the most valuable investment for serious players.

I bought the book about 2 years ago when I was young to one pocket. And still today, I like to browse through it and solve problems. It has great commentary and advise from some of the best players, and interesting stories along the way to let your brain rest. This book is a must for beginners to experienced players.

This is an excellent book on how that most esoteric and frustrating of pocket billiard games should be played.

The diagrams are very helpful and the discussion of the theory behind each of the possible shots really helps make a difficult game more approachable.

For this edition the authors also made an effort to capture a lot of stories about "best" one-pocket shots across the years.

Having this book and working through just the beginning points has already added 2 balls to my game.

The only problem? It is not available. I actually ahd to go to e-bay and pay more than 2x the original price for it. But it was worth it!

This book gives tremendous insight into one of pocket billiards most cerebral games. One-pocket is a game where knowledge of the "moves" of the games are as important as playing ability. What I found particularly good about the book that seperates it from others is the way it offers multiple solutions to common situations with some of the game's greatest players all giving opinions on what particular shot they liked best and why. The book is well illustrated and has rare photos of tournament players as well as legendary road players. The book is quality bound, is oversized and I for one am glad that I bought this when it was new. The other one pocket book by Eddie Robin "Shots, Moves and Strategies" is also very well done.

I've played World of Warcraft for a couple of years, so anyting having to do with the game, I usually buy. I like this calendar, for the art work, but, the pictures are not labled. As in, what boss, where the screen shot was taken, what instance, alliance, horde. Nice to have all the moon phases in it, and also stickers came with it, for labeling birthdays, and such. If it is offered next year, I will buy it. 4 stars for not labeling the pictures.

i am a big fan of warcraft and i got the calender last year and so i bought this one too and it is great i will buy the next one when it come's out next year.

Artwork looks pretty good and the raid calendar helps those who do a lot of PvE.

I got one of these for my kids and my daughters boyfriend, they are all diehard wow players and it was great! They loved it. It came quickly and in good shape.

It's a calendar; not much more to say. Although I am getting tired of the "16 month" calendars that are really 12 months with the other 4 months on one little page. It's false advertising in my opinion.

Other than that the artwork on this calendar is very good. The stickers are updated to have EOTS and Karazhan for marking as well as some of the old time Raids such as MC even though that is only a 25 man now if that. (It can be 15 manned but we're getting off track here.)

Other than that; it's a Calendar, what more is there to say?

The ups and downs. The highs and lows. The good the bad and the ugly of LV advantage playing. Could not put it down.

Read it all in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down!

LV Pro is a card counter. He turns himself from a degenerate losing gambler into a degenerate winning card counter and shares all the details as he proceeds to build his bankroll trip after trip, beating the casinos at their own game of blackjack. Unlike the high-rolling whiz-kids on the MIT team in Bringing Down the House, LV Pro grits it out, starting on small teams, but deciding to make it on his own. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas is the usual rule, but not this time. The good games, the interesting folks who count cards and pursue them, sex, drugs, and money...all find their way into this genuine account of one man's pursuit of the Vegas dream.

I too have been following LVPro's adventures in the Blackjack Insider newsletter. When I heard that he was compiling a book of his trips, I just had to read it and see how it all started!

His approach to grinding out an advantage in BJ play against the casinos was written in a much more realistic style than other books I have read on the subject. I could relate to his goals, problems, highs and lows in his pursuit of the elusive bankroll.

His style of writing is easy to read as well as humorous. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and found many nuggets of knowledge that I can apply to my own pursuits.

I have followed Barfarkel's trip reports as posted on bj21.com for many months now. "You've Got Heat" is a compilation of the reports that blackjack fans have followed for several years on bj21.com and on Henry Tamburin's Blackjack Insider site.

"You've Got Heat" is not a how-to manual on card counting. It is, however, a very entertaining read about the author's journey into both the secretive world of the card counter and the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas.

Books such as "Bringing Down the House" would have one believe that card counters live a lavish existence and routinely throttle casinos for millions of dollars. "You've Got Heat" dispels this myth and shows that the card counter faces an enormous challenge. Barfarkel describes the emotional highs and lows of his grind against the casinos in a very straightforward fashion.

Las Vegas guidebooks and Travel Channel specials generally show only the glitz and the glamour of Sin City. "You've Got Heat" explores the various cultures and subcultures of Las Vegas from many angles, ranging from the ritzy shows at the Bellagio and other high-end Strip properties to the prostitutes, vagrants, and other unsavory characters at the city's numerous run-down casinos.

Anyone with an interest in either Las Vegas or blackjack will like Barfarkel's book. Frequent Vegas travelers can learn a great deal from Barfarkel's experiences. All aspiring card counters should read this book so that they may thoroughly understand the focus and discipline required for long-term success.