1 comments about The Ins and Outs of Peg Solitaire (Recreations in Mathematics).

1. This is the definitive reference for Peg Solitare, including the history of the game and mathematical theory. For players who have been stumped by the game, a few minutes spent on Chapter 2 will make the game seem much easier, kind of like learning specific techniques for solving Rubick's Cube.

   Later chapters go into the theory of the game quite deeply. However, no advanced mathematics is needed and most of the book is accessible to anyone who has taken a high school algebra course. However this does not imply the theory is simple, Conway's balance sheets can be quite difficult to understand. Remarkably, the computer was not used to produce any of the results in this book. The author is clearly very meticulous as I have spotted only one or two typographical errors in the entire book; quite remarkable considering the hundreds of diagrams of board solutions and pages covered with move sequences.

   Perhaps the only drawback to the book is its singular focus on Peg Solitaire, and this is hardly the fault of the author. This game seems to lack the sexiness of more modern board games and recreational math puzzles. Although many game enthusiasts have played it at some point in their lives, few have mastered it. It would seem few people have the interest in the subject to buy this book, as I don't think there are any plans to republish it.

1 comments about Winning Monopoly: A Complete Guide to Property Accumulation, Cash Flow Strategy, and Negotiating Techniques When Playing the Best-Selling Board Game.

1. This book is the ultimate strategy guide. Kaz had a personal computer play hundreds of thousands of game of Monopoly and analyzed them. The book is about what a saw and how to use this to win. There is a great amount of tips in this book. Mr. Darzinskis goes into extensive detail. This book is designed for the die-hard Monopoly fanatic.

1 comments about The Basics Of Winning Roulette, 4th Edition (Basics of Winning).

1. The overall idea for this book is good -- a simple introduction to playing roulette accompanied by some short examples of winning systems, but some how that gets lost in the translation.

   The description of how to play occupies a good 60% of the book, but numerous typographical errors, and worse yet, technical errors plague this description. For example, the five-number bet illustrated on page 21 isn't the correct five-number bet at all, but rather is a three-number bet on 0-2-00. This is real confusing for the first time roulette player, which is the only real target audience for this book.

   In addition to technical errors and typographicals, there are many out-right contradictions. For example, on page 40 we read "What they don't know is that there is no law of averages.". On page 43, we read "... as we have shown, the game is one of pure chance governed by the law of averages...".

   Only one common winning system is mentioned, the Martingale, and then the author turns around and says that it really isn't a good system because of losing streaks and suggests just "playing numbers". Why did the author not chose a "good system" and explain mathematically why it is a good system? Or is he trying to say that no such system exists and that the only way to win is not to play?

   For those looking to learn to play roulette and then extend their knowledge to include a good description of some of the common winning systems, I'd have to suggest "All About Roulette" by John Gollehon and "Secrets of Winning Roulette" by Marten Jensen, rather than this book.

1 comments about Ghastly Games.

1. I borrowed this book from the library and played the snakes and ladders game with my classmates for two hours! The rules of each game are easily understood but the fun is hard to be put down in black and white! Unfortunately the book was lost after a while or I'll certainly bribe the libarian to let me have it.

1 comments about Beyond Boardwalk and Park Place.

1. This book does an excellent job of making the game fun again! It puts a lot more skill into the game (rather than the old "land on something and buy it" characteristic of the original version).
   
   When I first got this book (when I was in college), two of us in the dorm tried to get our friend to play with the new rules. He wanted to play the old way, but we convinced him to play the new way. He won the game! The next day, he wanted to play the old way, but we convinced him to play with the new rules again, and he won again! The next day, HE came over asking us to play with the new rules!
   
   The only "optional" rules we use are to put in only HALF of taxes, housing assessments, etc., into the kitty (rounded up - so Luxury tax would pay $40 to the kitty and $35 to the bank), to keep the amount of money in circulation to a minimum. Possibly, to decrease the "blind luck" aspects, the kitty could be limited to an amount like $200 or $500, and the fifth and sixth railroad rents could remain at $200 (or maybe $250). Otherwise, six railroads is almost a guaranteed victory!
   
   We also created a few extra "go" cards (like sending yourself to jail). The main goal of any tweaks, like the changes listed in the book, should be to keep the element of skill high and the element of luck not as important.

4 comments about How to Win at Checkers.

1. Reinfield's book is a must for the serious checker player. He covers various situations, openings and endgames, and provides the reader situation problems to solve on his/her own. My game was improved by reading this book.



2. I found this book to be a very good introduction to checkers. It covers, in depth, sacrifices (pitches) to set up two-for-one exchanges, and the "five positions" that most commonly occur in the endgame. The analysis of openings is thorough, and a major plus for me was the section on forcing draws from "losing" positions. Only two things stopped me from ranking this book at 5 stars - the pictures of the boards are just too big, and are sometimes two pages back from where the written analysis takes place. Also some sample historic games would have been nice. The author has used an appendix to describe different versions of checkers around the world and this is, frankly, useless. That space could have been better used by a couple of analysed historic games. Other than these minor peeves, it is an excellent book. I would not hesitate to recommend it to a checkers enthusiast from beginner to intermediate level.



3. Reinfeld has truly excelled in this book about checkers. This is the most complete book on checkers you will ever find, in or out of print.
   
   The book covers tactics such as traps and shots and then goes on to cover just about every important opening to at least some degree, often with main-lines and numerous variations. Finally, the section on endings is quite complete; nowhere else can I find the four kings vs. three situation covered.
   
   Whenever I have a question I turn first to this book and almost always find an answer.
   
   Be aware that information is packed tightly into every page and you will need to study each situation carefully, playing through the variations on a second board. For instance, opening variations are often contained in a few lines of commentary; you will lose out if you don't pay attention to these variations. It is clearly not a book for dabblers, but one which requires substantial effort, which will be well rewarded.
   
   This book does not get a lot of attention from the experts, perhaps because Reinfeld's is known primarily as a chess writer. In fact this book is a must-have for serious beginners and intermediates. If you combine this with The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Checker Puzzles you have enough study material for months, and your game will improve rapidly.
   
   (Don't be put off by the cover photo, which is full of errors and serves to trivialize and stereotype the game of checkers. The contents are what matters.)



4. A great book for intermediate level players or determined beginners. Won't make you a Master, but you'll still be better than everyone you know.

1 comments about Pente Strategy.

1. This isn't really a review, per se, but readers/buyers should be aware that, from the inside copyright page, this work was "Previously published as Pente strategy I and Pente strategy II."
   
   Just so you have *some* information on the contents, there are chapters covering: 1) Openings, 2) Middle game, 3) Endgames, 4) Perspective, 5) Illustrated Games, 6) Pente Problems
   
   As for "Reading level: Ages 4-8". Umm... no.

2 comments about How to win at Othello (A Harvest/HBJ book).

1. Goro Hasegawa was the Japanese rediscoverer of Othello. Originally, the game was known as Reversi. Two rival Englishmen each claimed to have invented the game late 19th century. Hasegawa modified the rules slightly and his father, a Shakespearean scholar game it the name Othello, because the reversals in the game reminded him of the plot of the play. This book is the only widely distributed manual of Othello strategy. Although it may have some value for the collector, unfortunately most Othello players regard the strategies discussed in the book as being obsolete and even misleading. Readers who are interested in the game should look for resources on the Internet.



2. Othello, devised by Hasegawa-san in the 1970s, is an improved version of the century-old English game, Reversi. [What is called Reversi on-line is almost always Othello rather than Reversi].
   
   This book was written soon after Othello was devised, before anyone understood much about the game. Unfortunately it shows, and beginners would do well to avoid it - at least as a source of ideas on strategy and tactics - because it will lead them down a deceptively appealing blind alley.
   
   Because of its many diagrams, however, it is may be of use to those who know enough to recognise where it goes wrong but otherwise I recommend it for historical interest only.
   
   Better resources can be found free on the Web, in the form of strategy guides, illustrative applets and programs that can beat even the best humans. A printed alternative is Othello: Brief & Basic by Ted Landau, which is old but still excellent (as far as it goes).

3 comments about Ste Stones to Go: A Game of Strategy.

1. this book has nothing to do with checkers but is othello. I don't play the game so I couldn't say if its good or not. But I have a book on it now and minus $ii.95



2. With profound apologies to the reader who first reviewed this classic work; the game is certainly not checkers, but neither is it Othello. It is the classic game of Go. For those wishing a superb literary explanation of the game, see The Master of Go by Yasunari Kawabata. For those looking for a superb introduction to a game that most checkers lovers will find to be enthralling, see this book, but more importantly, play the game. It is addicting.



3. The book is not so bad for a Basic starting point on how to play Go. My review is of the uneducated review calling the game of Go Othello. You have never played Go or Othello if you would make such an absurd remark.

No comments about Trivial Conquest: The Smart Reference Source for Trivial Pursuit : The Board Game.