Games Books

Having worked with great pros like Dave Stockton, Lee Janzen and others, a psychologist and her husband work with more than 300 PGA pros comparing their mental game abilities with those of champions.

The areas considered are: focus and concentration, abstract thinking, emotional stability, dominance and competitiveness, tough-mindedness, self-assurance, self-sufficiency and opimum arousal and tension management.

On each section, they give a questionaire, which then you score and see your abilities comparative to those of champions. For example, on focus those scoring 8.0 and higher have good routine and focus on last round, while my score was 5.6. Suggests ways to improve.

As another reviewer pointed out, one can take more complete inventory and send in for assessment.

This book is definitely for the player who seriously wishes to improve their game with effort and persistence.

We spend so much time pounding balls at the range when we really know that most of our mistakes are mental?? I thought this book was GREAT! I followed it last summer and my handicap dropped from 12 to 8 and I played less practice rounds. Next spring I plan to continue working on the mental side of my game (with this book) and hopefully drop a couple more strokes. This book would also be a great read for the off-season.

I filled out the GolfPsych questionnaire and Deborah and John gave me the results comparing me to the traits of champion golfer's. Although most of my results didn't surprise me, I wouldn't realize the rational behind their theory until my game went south. I always thought I could analyze my shot result and correct it immediately. What I have since found out with their help and the concepts in this super book, is how much all that analyzing contributed to my problem. I'm looking forward to finishing the entire program. If you want to play better golf and enjoy it more, you have to read this book!!!

As a professional golfer, I've found this book to be of great help. I plan to take the test Dr. Graham and Mr. Stabler write about to clear the cobwebs and play to my advantages. What a relief!!

this is instruction for the future. the pro or scratch am can't compete without this edge. the answers to why we play the way we do are no longer a mystery, buy the book!

I bought this book a week ago. Although I haven't had time to study it all in depth, I already like it more than my other opening books. I already played the accelerated Dragon, without knowing a lot of theory.

Many Whites play some sort of move order to reach the Yugoslav variation of the Dragon. That's not possible against the Accelerated, since Black can play ...d5!. But there are many tactical points in those lines to make Black equalize or win a pawn right away, and I always missed them. This book will allow me to punish mistakes every White seems to make, and I like that most :).

Furthermore, this is an opening book with quite a lot of text. It starts out with an overview of typical plans for both sides, and in the analysis chapters, many moves are accompanied with a small line saying what the idea is. I know I played many moves from other books not knowing why...

And it is complete. Aside from the main Accelerated e4 c5 Nf3 Nc6 d4 cxd4 Nxd4 g6, it also covers lines like the hyper-accelerated (e4 c5 Nf3 g6) which I sometimes like to play to avoid 3.Bb5, in 23 pages!, and things like the dubious e4 c5 Nf3 Nc6 d4 cxd4 Nxd4 Nf6 Nc3 g6.

The authors are absolute Accelerated enthusiasts so maybe there is a small Black bias, but I think most people who want to buy this book play it as Black anyway. The opening is completely playable.

I am one of those people who doesn't play the Sicilian often, because of how sharp and bookish it can be. In particular, the Sicilian Dragon is something I play only in the least important blitz games, as there are so many variations, and one's king gets stormed so darn often. From hard experience, I'd known that the Yugoslav variation stuff doesn't work against the accelerated dragon, but I'd never known the move sequences nor how to deal with all those c4 Maroczy Bind situations. This book capably tells you how to play the Accelerated, how to turn back white's efforts to try the Yugoslav Attack, and how to deal with the bind. It has a nice chapter on the Hyper Accelerated, and a mildly throwaway chapter on the Semi Accelerated system with ...Nc6 and ....g6. This is a good book, easily understandable by a B player like myself. Well done.

This book supplied lots of practical information. A "must have" for the dedicated chess player.

The Sicilian Dragon is an exciting opening to play as black but dangerous too. This is an excellent book for those who love to play the Dragon. Dragon players should add this one to their opening collections. It contains some tactical themes too. Shows how to play against whites setups, including the Maroczy Bind. Very solid and theoretical. Advanced players will find this one useful too.

In an earlier review about "Chess Openings for Black, Explained (A Complete Repertoire) by Lev Alburt", I've stated that GM Dzindzichashvili left out the line starting with 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Qa5 as on his 4th DVD of "Roman's Encyclopedia of 40 Essential Chess Openings" featuring also the Accelerated Dragon. Instead, he only treats the main line where Black plays 7...0-0, not 7...Qa5 (assuming that it was him who wrote the part on the Accelerated Dragon - read my review there if you wonna know why I think this is so).

For people who have this DVD, I've got good news: the book "Accelerated Dragons" (Everyman Chess - by J.Silman and J.Donaldson - first published 1998 and reprinted 2004) contains 38 pages (!) devoted to this particular line. Note: instead of 13.a3 a5 (Dzindzi's recommendation) they only mention 13...b4 and 13...a6, so maybe 13...a5 really is part of Dzindzichashvili's (later?) revelation on this line...

Accelerated Dragons also spends 22 pages on the Hyper Acc. Dragon (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6) although there's one little error on page 296; the authors mixed up two games. They wrote: (after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 3.d4 Bg7) "4.dxc5 Na6? 5.Bxa6 bxa6 6.Qd5 Rb8 7.Qe5 and Black resigned in a few more moves in Braley-Pupols, Match 1970", but this way White simply drops his queen to the bishop on g7! The actual move order came from a Smith-Morra Gambit (in a friendly reply from J. Silman regarding this matter, he didn't mention which game exactly though): 1.e4 c5 2.d4 g6 3.dxc5 Na6 4.Bxa6 bxa6 5.Qd5 Rb8 Qe5.

Summarizing: in the book "Chess Openings for Black,explained" the "Anti-Yugoslav Variation" (with 7.Bc4 Qa5) is lacking completely, although on DVD 4 of "Roman's Encyclopedia of 40 Essential Chess Openings", GM Dzindzichashvili recommends this line to be used as a major weapon for Black after White plays 7.Bc4.

One thing Dzindzichashvili and Silman/Donaldson have in common: they both give the line 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 (2...g6, Dzindzi, but this transposes) 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 0-0 8.f3? (their evaluation) Qb6 9.Bb3 Nxe4 which, according to them, wins a pawn for Black after White plays 10.Nxe4 Bxd4 (Dzindzi, page 62) or 10.fxe4 Bxd4 (Silman/Donaldson, page 11).

This assessment is probably wrong (I've read this in a review on "Chess Openings for Black, Explained (A Complete Repertoire)" written by "A.J. Goldsby I "A.J.G."". He says:

'Also - on page 62, there is another oversight. After 8.f3?, Qb6!; our team of authors provide the following comment: "Black threatens ...Nxe4 and ...Qxb2. White does not have an adequate defense - for example: 9.Bb3, Nxe4!; 10.Nxe4, Bxd4; and Black wins a Pawn." All this might be true, but 10.Nxe4? is a terrible move, ('??'); White has to play 10.Nd5!, with a fairly good game. Play could then continue: 10...Qa5+[]; 11.c3 Nc5; 12.Nxc6 dxc6; 13.Nxe7+ Kh8; 14.Nxc8 Raxc8; (Fritz confirms that this is Black's most solid move in this position.) 15.0-0. ("+/=") White is slightly better due to the two Bishops, the computer confirms that Black cannot play ...Nxb3; anytime soon, as this releases the WR on a1. (Bobby Fischer reached this position as early as 1958!!!) See the contest: GM W. Watson - GM M. Chandler; ICT / Lloyds Bank (Open) / London, ENG/UK; 1984. (All this was adequately covered in a book on the Accelerated Dragon - published a few years ago, written by IM's John Donaldson and IM J. Silman. There was also a good book on this opening by GM's P.H. Nielsen and C. Hansen, published in 1998, I believe.)'

This reviewer obviously skipped page 11 of "Accelerated Dragons", but I do get the impression he knows what he's talking about concerning White's refutation of 8.f3 Qb6 9.Nxe4 (by playing 10.Nd5 instead of 10.Nxe4 or 10.fxe4).

So, except for a few minor errors in "Accelerated Dragons" and the inconsistency between Dzindzi's DVD featuring the Accelerated Dragon and his new book (as I've explained above), the two books "Accelerated Dragons" and "Chess Openings for Black, Explained" together should provide a pretty thorough guide to the (Hyper) Accelerated Dragon.

What I love the most about Jeff Wilhelm's reading strategy books is that I always come away with ideas I can use the next day in the classroom. This book has ideas you can use in the classroom on EVERY page. Teachers, myself included, don't have all the time in the world and can't read all the articles and books on new research that we wish we could. But make the time to read this one. It is worth every minute!

This book arrived in excellent condition. It arrived much better than I thought it would. Thank you so much.

I have not found a better book to help students really get into literure and LOVE IT!!!

It is exciting, informative, and has great ideas for teaching literature!

Wilhelm's book, Action Strategies for Deepening Comprehension is one of the most valuable teaching resources I own. I've had phenomenal success with the hotseating and tableaux activities, only two of the terrific resources in this great book. Kids of all ages love hotseating in particular because it's so much fun. In a nutshell: one kid gets in front of the room (I drape a piece of red fabric across the stool) and "becomes" the character. He/She may have a "helper" of their choosing by their side. The rest of the class are "reporters" who ask the character any question they choose. The student in the hotseat may confer with his "helper" in order to answer as the character would...and therein lies the beauty of this. As the questions and answers unfold, everybody is thinking and when an answer doesn't ring true, the majority
will know it and question it.

We've done this with multiple characters as well as the "author." The questions are nearly always completely authentic; as kids, most would feel stupid speculating about motive, etc., and asking questions, but as
"reporters" it feels completely natural. I love to see the light bulbs go in everybody's head when new ideas--synthesis!--occurs.

One of my best hot-seating moments was after reading "The Gift of the Magi," a difficult work for my 8th graders. We'd hotseated the two main characters as well as O. Henry, and it was the question to O. Henry that did it. A girl who had a real problem with making inferences asked him why he'd written the lines about Della being afraid that her new short hair made her look like a Coney Island chorus girl. My student, Tony, clearly had paid no attention whatsoever to that description--in fact I was surprised that anyone had-- and he really had to think. Finally, he answered, saying, "I wanted Della to be a little bit afraid that maybe she didn't look like a (and he stressed thsi)nice girl."

The book also offers a number of other "action" activities that you can use. For my money, these are terrific
for any age! I encourage you to check this out. I also had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Wilhelm present his research and findings on his new book, Going with the Flow, and I was wowed to hear him in person as well.

I took a workshop with Wilhelm this summer. He demonstrated these techniques and I quickly bought the book.
This book has revolutionized my teaching and I am going back to school this year incredibly excited about using it in my classroom. I teach kids that struggle and this is going to be great for them.

Wilhelm is a dynamic speaker. If you can, snag him for your school's professional development or run to any workshop he is giving.

Enjoy!

for DMs in the game world, great book on monsters and their stats and purpose in life.

This book harkens back to the "good old days" when playing the paper and pencil D&D used to be new and fun. It is also the last of the original manuals we purchased to play the game. There have been several reincarnations of this manual and I've thumbed through them but they just don't hold a candle to the original, despite the fancier artwork and rule changes. There are lots of new monsters to supplement the original manual and they were all done in the same style as Monster Manual 1 with black and white line drawings. I am not at all happy with the direction TSR took after Mr. Gygax was booted out (or left, can't remember which) and one big loss was the original manuals. They are now up to version 3 something of the rules but I do not even know what they are because I just play computer games now. All I know about the new rules is that multi-class characters are easier to work with. It was an exciting time, a different era. I still have this manual and will always treasure it. If you can find one, pick it up just to see how things used to be done. Highly recommended.

This is the final piece of the 1st Edition AD&D monster puzzle. Despite its age, the book still offers up several monsters that never found their way into the 3rd Edition of the game. My favorites are the Modrons from the plane of Nirvana. They are some the silliest monsters ever created, but lend a lighthearted feel that 3rd edition lacks.

Back on the serious side, the Random Encounter Tables are terrific. The tables not only list the monsters in this book, but also those in the original MM and Fiend Folio. They even have note next to each monster that indicates which book it can be found in. Very nice.

This book has a lot of creatures that can be found no where else as well as a good look at demons and devils. While all the creatures in the first monster manual can be found in the newer versions this book is truely unique. If you ever get a chance to buy one, do so even if you already have the new monster manual.

Here's the most valuable compendium of advanced and extra-planar monsters in existence for AD&D. Gary Gygax's last major contribution to the menagerie includes many old favorites, most of which were expurgated or "toned down" in the later, politically correct version of the game. You get dozens upon dozens of demons, devils, undead, demodands, daemons, dragons, giants, and more; if it's evil, and fun to kill, it's here! Lots of classic illustrations, too, far superior to the later Monstrous Manual (bleah!). Find out why it's an eternal DM favorite!

This is one of my favorite books by John and I would highly recommend it to any intermediate to advanced folder. Like most of his books, it gives you some fairly simple models to start out on (grass, tree) and then move to some more intermediate ones (various African birds, snake, crocodile, etc.) Getting into the more difficult animals you have things like a hippo, gorilla, chimp, aardvark, etc. Next you will tackle models like the elephant, rhino, gazelle, plain giraffe and lion. Finally when you are ready to tackle the hardest models, you have his "multi-colored" animals which make full use of both side of traditional origami paper, the striped zebra and the spotted giraffe. You can see John's developing skill as one of the premier origami authors in this book. The diagrams are all wonderfully done and easy to follow for any experienced folder, and the models themselves are all quite detailed, even some of the easier ones are beautifully representative of the real animal. John clearly puts effort into making a number of these models capable of standing up and often having 3 dimensional aspects such as the lion and hippo in this book which have large bulky heads similar to the live counterpart. If you love animals and love origami, this is definitely not a book to miss!

This was my first "intermediate" origami book. I really enjoyed the fact that the models are spread out over several different levels of difficulty. You can start out with the simpler animals and gradually advance to the more complex, ending with the hardest model in the book, a striped Zebra. It took me 4-5 hours to complete the zebra, but I am so proud of it! For anyone who has experience folding, this is a great book!

For all you John Montroll fans out there, buy this book. For everyone else, buy this book also! It is one of the best books for animals, with a wide variety of difficulty levels. From simple 'grass' to complex striped zebras, this book has it all. I enjoyed making some of the more unique models, like the bee-eater and rhinoceros. Another nice thing about this book in particular is that the models are much different than what are in many other books. Because the theme is Africa, a lot of the animals in this book I have never seen made in another book. (Some however, have been made elsewhere, and quite honestly, better, such as the elephant and gorilla).
The Bottom Line:
If you like Montroll, animals, or semi-complex models, buy this book. If you are a beginner, there may be better choices, likewise, if you are an expert, there isn't a lot to whet your appetite. For everyone else, a great book for your collection.

This is my most favoured book in Origami. I have done all the models from the zebra, giraffe, elephant. All models are par excelance. Montroll is my best folder. I think folders who like folding animals should try Racoon from Inside our Origami book by Montroll.

This is a great book for experienced folders. This one along with North American Animals makes a great pair. One thing I find missing in most reviews is the contents is so here it is. There are 24 models in African Animals in Origami and they are Grass, Tree, Sacred Ibis, Crowned Crane, Flamingo, Crocodile, Hippopotamus, Snake, Chameleon, Bee-Eater, Hoopoe, Hornbill, Gorilla, Chimpanzee, African Elephant, Ostrich, Vulture, Aardvark, Rhinoceros, Gazelle, Lion, Zebra, Giraffe, and Spotted Giraffe. Happy Folding.

I absolutely LOVE this book! The concept of taking something and remaking it is so practical. I like that there are patterns in the back of the book. The descriptions of "how to" are well written. Great pictures. I was so inspired that I went to the author's website and blog for further study! If you like handsewing and embroidery work (although machine sewing is an option, you will enjoy this book.

I sew for a living and this book is beautiful. Can't believe I didn't hear about them until now. Went to work making some pieces. Wish sources listed places to buy the super fabric they mention. Quality fabric is hard to find without some tips.

book! if i had to write about growing up in the south (nc) it would look something like this.i was taught at a very young age to sew with with a needle and thread from my great grandmother the exact same way the author teaches.
to this day, it is easier for me to take a scrap piece of cloth,draw out my pattern with a pencil and sew it up on my hands than it is for me to sew on any machine.the black eye peas and biscuits would have been prepped at dawn so they would be ready to eat by lunch, then at dinner,fried chicken and rice would complete it.
my husband's job sent him to alabama for a few weeks and the entire time he complained bitterly that it had to be the most backward state in the union,where the worst southern stereotypes were a all day long indignity to endure.
the projects are gorgeous and inspiring and i was pleased to see some beautiful truths emerge from the pages of this book,proving that alabama,like everything else, only needs a loving eye to be seen through.

I had pre-ordered this book and kind of forgot about it. When it arrived on a particularly over cast day it was a wonderful surprise. This is a beautiful book. I love the history that she starts out with as well as the incredibly beautiful projects. I am going to be making the skirt that is featured in the book. The only bummer is I wish she would of listed sources in which to find the jersey t-shirt knit fabric that she uses. What I like about the projects is one you have the base garment finished you can bring your item with you where ever you go and stitch to your delight. I love some of the beading that is added to some of the projects. If you want to get your socks blown off check out Natalie's Project Alabama website. If only I was rich I would be buying every single garment she makes. I have been truly inspired by this book and I think that is what it is designed to do. I am going to take her basic technique and make it my own by designing my own stencils. This book is worth every penny if you haven't figured it out by now. Destined to be one of my favorite craft/sewing books ever. Enjoy!

I have admired Natalie Chanin's clothing for some time now. I have completed the corset shown in this book, completely hand-stitched and beautiful! Chanin gives you all the tools and information needed to complete this project and many more. It comes with stencils, full-scale patterns, and so many projects... I can't wait to do them all! I am by no means a seamstress, or even that good at sewing, but these projects are so easy, with such beautiful pictures and illustrations, even a novice like me can make amazing clothing! Thank you, Natalie, for sharing your vision and creative gifts with us all!

We have been reading various books to my daughter for the past 5-6 months. Now she is a year old and this is one book she points to and insists we read. She turns the pages on the book and bounces up and down when she see the pictures.

I am buying some more books by Helen Oxenbury for her.

Sing-songy verse like the other books in this series make it a favorite for babies just getting into books. Fun gift, too!

I have all 4 of these Oxenbury books and both of my kids have been absolutely captivated by them. It is the only book that they will just sit and actively listen and follow from between 6-15 months. Watch their faces while another reads it to them and you will be amazed at how the respond to the simple, large pictures and rhymes. As an adult, I am attracted to more detailed and complex illustrations, but this is what a BABY likes! Any of her books are a perfect way to introduce you child to book reading.

We have all of Oxenburys books in this series (Clap Hands, Say Goodnight, All Fall Down & Tickle Tickle). We also have her Big Baby Book as well. My daughter is 13 months old and loves books, but the books she continually picks out and hands to me are the books in this series. She adores them. My husband and I have probably read these hundreds of times to her, and she is captivated by the art work and the rhyme. A definite must have for your little one!

This is my 8 month old's favorite book. Everytime I read it to her, which is everyday for the past several months, she goes into a state of bliss. She loves the big, happy, bouncy multi-cultural babies and I always sing the words to her for added pleasure. Great choice for infants.

This book is jam-packed with useful info, great pictures, and a very enjoyable writing style. I found myself constantly saying "I had that -- I remember that -- my friend had that one!" The book has been my constant companion ever since it arrived. What's more, it has sparked a new interest in collecting the old tin litho houses from the 50s and 60s -- items I had all but forgotten when I moved on to 1" scale wood miniatures. Thank you for a truly remarkable book, one which many of my friends will be enjoying, too.

Informative, well written, well illustrated. If you're a collector, this book is a great reference.

After searching for a reference book of this type for many months, I finally discovered this book through the internet. I have over 50 collectible reference books in my library and this one I would rate at the very top. A comprehensive, beautifully photographed, helpful reference guide.

Zillner has actually answered burning questions I've had on dollhouses and their furnishings. This is by far the BEST reference I've seen in 25 years of collecting. I highly recommend the book.

This book filled my burning desire to know everything about dollhouses & furniture from the last 50 years. There are no gaps of missing information or omitions of important items in this detailed and comprehensive book. Quite a relief after seeing an army of inadequate collector books flood the market. I'll have hours of fun reading this. My only complaint is some of the photos are dark or of poor color quality. I want to view these things in their full glory.

I got this book for my daughter over a year ago and it is still a favorite. The flaps are fun, the touchy-feely parts are very well done, and there are a lot of little details -- like spiders and worms in the farmyard -- that give you a lot more mileage for learning than a book with just a story. It's also very sturdy. I recommend it to friends over and over.

This book is the best touchy feely one I've seen and my son has loved it for 6 months. He especially loves finding the animals behind the flaps and the wide variety of textures.

I ordered this for a baby shower gift and found that it covers all the bases for little ones' enjoyment - flaps to open, fuzzies to touch, colorful pictures to discuss. I will enjoy reading it to my grandsons.

Usborne has done it again!
This book has at least 5 touchy-feely spots on each page! Not a whole lot of words, but it also has a flap on each 2-page spread.
My son has loved this book since he was ~10months!

My 10-month old girl never tires of this book, so we usually read it twice in a row. The first time through, she goes straight for the flaps. The second time through, we stop and feel the "touchy" parts of the book, talk about the animals, and find the duck. (It is the same duck from the "Find the Duck" book.)

My only complaint is that the flaps are positioned in a way that makes it very easy to shut them in the book incorrectly. I have to hold the flap down to turn the page safely. However, when I finally let my daughter do things all on her own, I found that it is easy enough to re-bend the flaps. They probably won't last as long as I want them too, but they are sturdier than they look.

I am very pleased with this book. It has a great selection of stuffed toys making it hard to choose the first pattern to start with. The size of the toys are just right. I also love the creative writing that accompanies the directions. All in all a great book!

"Fun Dolls" can be thought of as "Cute Dolls" volume 2. "Cute Dolls" provided patterns for making 18 full-sized (8-12 inch) Aranzi Aronzo character dolls (if you aren't familiar with the Aranzi Aronzo characters, check out the Aronzo website, www.aranziaronzo.com - they're sort of like the Sanrio/Hello Kitty characters, only with more personality) and "Fun Dolls" provides more of the same (18 more patterns). However, because most of the more popular and well-known Aronzo characters were dealt with in "Cute Dolls", this time around, the patterns are for some of the lesser characters (and, in some cases, ones that I had never even seen before). That's not to say that they're not cute, they are, but if you're looking for a pattern for making Brown Bunny or Bad Guy, you should buy "Cute Dolls" instead.

As was the case with the other Aronzo craft books, the patterns are easy to follow, the instructions are fully illustrated and there are colour photographs with hilarious captions throughout.

This is the third book in the Aranzi Aronzo "Let's Make Cute Stuff" series. People who enjoy this book should also consider purchasing the other books in this series: "The Cute Book", "Cute Dolls" and "Cute Stuff".

I love Aranzi Aronzo books for their super easy instructions and light-hearted tones. So far, this one's my favorite. I actually laughed out loud while flipping through the pages. I have a boy and a girl and there are tons of things in this book that both of them love. The patterns are so easy and there's no need to measure anything. A few of them suggest enlarging them slightly, but they look great as is! I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to make cute and easy kids' toys.

I love the variety of designs in this book; there are ideas for both boys and girls such as stuffed cars, cute bunnies, bears, and snakes. The directions are very easy to follow, although all of the measurements are given in metric (finding a metric ruler was the hardest part of the whole process!). The narrative that goes with the instructions give the projects personality.

This is the first Aranzi Aronzo book that I picked up. I chose this over the other books because I liked the wider variety of dolls (snakes, cars, turtles, bears) that they featured. So far though I've only managed to make the bears, dogs and bunnies so it looks like I'll probably be picking up the original "cute dolls" as it seems to have more of the... er... cute dolls. Instructions are incredibly easy to follow. Another reviewer mentioned that the measurements are metric but I honestly haven't even noticed as I haven't had a need to measure anything because of the great pictures/explanations. I like the consistent reminders throughout the book to try new fabrics, to have fun and, of course, to make things cute.