5 comments about Are You Smart, or What? A Bizarre Book of Games & Fun for Everyone.

1. I am a huge fan of brain teaser books. I have a huge collection of these types of book. BUT after reading this book I say that this book is not as good as it seems in the review. If you think that you will find many Logical and mathematical riddles, this isn't the book for you, but on the other hand if you are into word games this might be a great book for you .



2. The item was shipped as promised, on time and looked like knew. I would definitely buy products from this seller anytime.



3. I just adored this book and enjoyed every single puzzle in it. As one reviewer points out, this is a book for word puzzle enthusiasts. It might be compared to Will Shortz's "Puzzlemaster Presents" series. What I love about this book is that it can be done without the aid of a dictionary, as it uses a vocabulary from common cultural literacy (e.g. types of candy bars, etc.). I also appreciate the fact that the references aren't dated like some game books are, which can lead to frustration when I am asked to rely on my knowledge of stars from the eighties. Overall, I simply loved this book for the accessible but challenging fun it provided. I hope that Mr. Battaglia will be gracing us with another book of this type soon!



4. This extrordinary book takes you deeper than a basic quiz book. It challenges your way of thinking and seeks the reader to apply diverse and lateral thinking in order to come up with what turns out to be, the most obvious answer. It challenges the mind far more that you may think and even challenges you to think. An excelent book to improve spatal orrientation, visual ques and logical thinking. Want to improve your cognition and perception? This would have to be the way. Further more, it is great to use to encourage family members to do the same and simply - THINK. A must try to anyone wanting to indulge the brain in lateral thinking.



5. Pat Battaglia has a gift for challenging the reader with his verbal and numeric teasers. With each page skillfully crafted to whet your appetite for his next challenge, he offers an array of puzzles that make it difficult to put the book down. Many of the mind benders are so cleverly done, with a nice balance between difficult and easy, he almost compels you to turn the page to find out what lies ahead. When you miss the obvious, the frustration mounts and yet you push on, desperately wanting to decide for yourself, "Am I smart, or WHAT?" The book is excellent fun !

5 comments about Assassin's Creed: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. The book is quite good in helping you to finish the main storyline part of the game. At first i rushed in and fought everyone with the longsword, but after reading the stategies on the pages i was able to quick strike the main targets and then escape unseen and unharmed like a true assassin. What really got me angry was that there are a bunch of misprints on the maps, and the some of the descriptions of where to find the flag markers and the templars are completely wrong. For example there are 30 templars to assassinate in the kingdom level. The book states this in italic green print, but when you look at the map on the page (and the pull out map poster) there are 30 dots that somehow get labeled up to 32, and there's a bunch of more misprints too. If i had known about the mistakes in the book i would never have purchased it. Shoddy proofreading =2 stars. My advice to others (if you care) is don't buy this book. Look for one by another company or look online for hints. I was amazed because prima usually does a good job with their guides.



2. Great gameplay and scene just a hint when playing the 4th kill you will have to find the view points just a hint



3. This guide will get you through the whole story, but there are quite a few mistakes that will definitely hinder you if you're trying to get every little thing the game offers. One example is the locations of the Templars on the Kingdom map vs the given screenshot examples. The screenshots are listed 1-30, but on the map, the numbers 31 and 32 appear while 23 and 24 don't exist. With this mistake in place it causes a major mismatch with the numbers to the screenshots. It took me a long time to figure out what was happening and even longer to correct the mistakes. Guides are supposed to help you on your missions and quests and this one didn't do a very good job. Instead of having fun, I became quite frustrated only because the guide was not carefully put together.
   
   And for those who did buy this guide and happen to read this, one other notable mistake on the Kingdom Map for the location of King Richard's Flag, is that there are two number 30s and no number 67. The number 30 on the top right of the map is supposed to be number 67.



4. I actually bought this guide as a quick add-on purchase to bulk up my order for free shipping! I've never bought game guides before and generally considered them to be a bit of a cop-out. However, I realized that I just wasn't getting enough time to play Assassin's Creed on a regular enough basis and I thought that a guide might help me to "pick up" the game easier after some time away from it.
   
   What I didn't realize was that the Guide would actually improve my enjoyment of the game entirely!
   
   The guide is jam-packed with hints and tips of how to get around some tricky parts of the game, yet doesn't give away too much that it becomes completely unchallenging. The guide helps open up parts of the games and the maps that might otherwise be un-explored. So not only am I enjoying the game more, I'm playing the game on a much deeper level.
   
   SO - about the guide itself. Its quite well layed out, so information is relatively easy to find. However, no index makes searching a little tougher than it needs to be. Thankfully its not too thick, so you can navigate the pages relatively easily. There have been some complaints about the maps not being accurate. There is an update on the website with pdfs of the maps if you need them. But I'm guessing that they updated the print version, because I've yet to see any issues with the maps so far (I'm about half way through the game now). Outside of the maps, the guide is full of information about each district and provides a very informative and fun way to interact with this fantastic game on a deeper level than the casual player.
   
   I recommend it!



5. This game is easily the best of it's genre. That being said, there aren't many games like this, with free roaming, duty free game play tied so nicely to a storyline complete with interrogations, pickpocketing, and of course, assassination

5 comments about Chess for Children.

1. I have seen countless books on chess aimed at youngsters over the years, but this is probably the nicest introduction I have ever seen, aimed at primary school children. The problem with so many books is that they are too ambitious, too wordy or just downright boring, but such criticisms in no way apply to this latest addition.
   
   The game is taught through the medium of a cartoon character, George, and his pet alligator, Kirsty, a self-proclaimed Grand Alligator of Chess. The large format pages and large diagrams are easier on the young eye, and the language is readily accessible to a young age group.
   
   The book consists of six parts. Part One covers the basics of how the pieces move, then subsequent parts take the young beginner through a succession of easy, welldefined stages, until by the end of the book you are able to play through and understand a complete game. The book is also very much inter-active, as there are tests interspersed at regular intervals throughout.
   
   As I said earlier, over-ambition is the main problem with so many beginners books, but here the authors have set out with the very limited objective of getting the child started on a very basic level. Opening theory, middlegame strategy and endgame technique have no place here. The emphasis is on learning the basics in an enjoyable manner. If you have a young child or relative who wants to learn chess, then I can thoroughly recommend this book, which in addition to everything I have already said comes at a very reasonable price.
   
   This review first appeared in the magazine En Passant.



2. This book is an excellent place to start teaching children chess. I almost gave it four stars because I don't think children under 7 or 8 will be able to tackle it themselves without an adult. It would still serve as an excellent guide for older children and teens and with an adult's help any younger child would love it. It has great outlines and pictures of how the pieces move, the rules, special rules (en passant for example) and can be referenced easily by anyone. Great job by Mr.Chandler.



3. I bought this book for my children's school library. I am the chess coach at their school and have been making efforts to increase the library's collection of chess books for children. This book is a fine addition to the collection. As I read through it I thought that my K-2 crew would probably enjoy it more than my 3-5 crew, but so be it. I think learning any activity should include reading about it, in addition to having personal instruction. This book will help those little ones to develop good learning habits and good chess habits as well.



4. This book is great for teaching beginning children all about playing chess. It uses simple language, and clear explanations, for easy understanding. Cartoon character images help to keep children interested as Kirsty (a pet alligator) teaches George how to play. No prior knowledge of how to play required.



5. I am using this book to teach my two older children (6 and 4) and my wife (who never learned) how to play chess.
   
   It is WELL done at having bite sized lessons followed by exercises. (I add some additional ones of my own.)
   
   I was concerned about the algebraic chess notation lesson with my four year old, but he did great!
   
   The best part about this book is that it isn't just a "here are the rules" book. Last night we went through the lesson on the value of pieces and talking about whether a swap is good or not. Some other really good lessons are the ones showing common checkmates, that talk about what to do when in check, and the chapter on forks, pins, and skewers.
   
   This is a great book, but understand that it is for the absolute beginner. I think it is going MUCH better using this book than if I had tried to teach the kids just by myself.

5 comments about Lost Odyssey: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. I didn't buy this guide until I was on the third disc, and man was that a mistake! There are so many neat and fun side quests you can do in this game and so many items you would never find without this guide! It's a must!



2. The book explains everything for those who wish to know all, so if your stuck on the game then this is a must have purchase



3. Really helps with hidden treasures etc. Sometimes I wish it was a little clearer but all in all a great help.



4. Very complete guide, easy to follow and very usefull maps. it may need a little more follow up with some of the items of the game, since there is an achievement for this task. Nevertheless they are listed and it`s easy to know how to get them.



5. This guide is actually very good, it can really get you to acomplish 100% achivements. Recomended.

5 comments about Will Shortz Presents Ultimate Sudoku: 1000 Wordless Crossword Puzzles (Will Shortz Presents...).

1. Will Shortz has done it again. These puzzles are organized by difficulty: light and easy; moderate; demanding; beware! very challenging. 1000 Puzzles! I will still be working on these puzzles well into the next decade!



2. This is a good solid book. It appeared that someone had worked through the puzzles to be sure they were solvable, which is comforting when you're up against something tough. Loved the extra margins and large boxes to leave plenty of room for notes and scribbling. Sometimes the tough ones seemed easy and vice versa. Definitely requires skills in more than one strategy to beat the tougher puzzles.
   
   Good book.



3. Nice big book. Good paper, lots of space for notes. For me there are a bit too many easy ones, but overall I think it is great.



4. Don't misread the title of this book to mean it is filled with extreme Sudoku puzzles. Only the last 170 of the 1000 puzzles are challenging for the experienced puzzler. But the large format is excellent. And if you are a beginner, it can provide plenty of practice to turn you into a more competent solver.



5. Great, although I would prefer more moderate and demanding and fewer light and easy puzzels.

5 comments about World of Warcraft Master Guide, Second Edition (World of Warcraft).

1. The book helps you in the early stages of the game. Does not have anything on the two new expansion set that the only problem.



2. Amazaing book to start out with, includes everything you need to now about the game and even things that you dont. The book is so finley detailed with everything from your first dagger to level 60(70 if burning crusade) and soon to be 80



3. A seemingly good idea in concept, an unbelievably bad idea in reality.
   These guides suffer from a few issues, that ultimately make them a bad purchase.
   
   (1.) Obviously a printed guide for an online game, won't be up-to-date, but these guides are hopelessly out of date. This fact alone makes these guides a complete and total waste of money. If you really want a guide, buy the .PDF version from Brady's website or ask Amazon to carry the .PDF version. The .PDF version is updated periodically throughout the year.
   
   (2.) Due to the nature of all the games being released at any given time, there are lots of guides to write. Understandably they must be pressed for time. But these guides seem to have be so rushed that there are typos, incorrect information and missing information. Mistakes like these can make the guide unusable at times.
   
   (3.) Any guide will likely be used by newer players. They will need to find information quickly and easily. Whoever setup these guides doe not understand information design or the essential needs of a new player. Even if you skip reason 1 and 2, when you actually use the guide, you will likely be frustrated many times.
   
   [...]
   
   Save your money for other fun stuff, like WoW 60 Day Game Cards which amazon usually offers for a good price.



4. If you are looking for information or maps on Outlands - this is not the book for you. Burning Crusades was introduced well over a year ago and this book has not even a hint. If you have Master Guide one - stick with it for the lower levels - it at least has decent maps. If you don't have either then look it up on Thottbot - cheaper and more up to date.



5. My husband who doesn't read, reads this book daily. It really helps with the WOW game. If you play this game you will love this book.

5 comments about Hold'Em Poker for Advanced Players (Advance Player).

1. Sure, there are tips in the book - but there isn't any supporting...anything. You are expected to just take things on face value. Also, it is TERRIBLY written. I think I read the word "finally" 4 times in a chapter. It's terribly nonsensical at many times. It needs a complete re-write and edit.
   
   The thoughts are chaotic and presented sloppily. It takes 3 reads to understand paragraphs most of the time...
   
   TERRIBLE READ.



2. 
   I was constantly breaking even before getting this book on online poker sites. After reading it, I took nearly all of the guesswork out of my playstyle and recently just bought a new guitar entirely with winnings.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone who already considers themselves decent at poker and already has good intuition as to spotting how others play to determine what they have... or don't have. This book will not probably help you with those things. This book is best for those who are already good at poker but either have their game strategy wrong or off a little.
   
   The best part of this book is it makes it much more easy to spot poor play from other people at your table and thus allows you to profit hugely from that.



3. I really am not a fan of the reviews, but I feel that I have the obligation to recommend this book because if you read it, you will understand better the others players' game, and the best of it you'll get a big edge over them.



4. Hold 'em Poker for Advanced Players is simply the best single volume study of Hold 'em as it is played today that I have ever read. It is endlessly informative, rich in detail and illustrations, complex in its treatment of complicated concepts, and insightful in every important way. It omits nothing of any importance to the game.
   
   The book begins with a consideration of general starting hands requirements, adjusted for playing style, position, etc., and follows through on the play of each, as well as general considerations for each type or class of hand, and its relation to the innumerable factors impacting expectation or the play of other. Once this analysis is dealt with, Sklansky deals with a whole series of more individual or isolated cases or concepts and miscellaneous topics. The important details considered are too many to list here; Hold 'em played well is an enormously complex game, and Sklansky addresses it from every angle.
   
   Sklansky's writing style is very dense. He does not blather on about his personal experiences, drop names, or chat; he instructs in the style of a particularily dry math or statistics professor. He is direct, thorough, and exhaustive (sometimes exhausting). You will not read this book in one sitting and become a professional caliber player. You need to play, then return to the book and read much of it again; upon doing so the reader will find, again and again, that now he finally really understands some new concept. It is a work of extremely subtle and complex analysis.
   
   Nobody playing Hold 'em for money today can do without this book.



5. This book is extremely good for gaining a solid foundation of Texas Hold 'em. I read it on and off for around 6 months and realized that while I learned some valuable lessons and picked up important bits of information I need to read it over and over again to truly take in everything that is being said. For me it is like a good movie that you see once and figure you saw it all only to watch it again and pick up something new, then a while later watch it again and see even more that was missed.
   
   I highly recommend this book for students of the game. This is essential reading if you want to compete seriously. Even if you think you know it all and the book makes sense, read it carefully and understand that many serious players have read, re-read and learned significantly from this and the other classics. It will help your game.

5 comments about The Legend of Zelda - Twilight Princess (GameCube Version) (Prima Authorized Game Guide).

1. I got this book for my nephew (he's 14) who was struggling with a couple of things with the game. He says the book helped, about the same time that he finally figured it out. I asked him if it was a good purchase and he said it has given him more ideas and helps along the way. Overall it was worth it for him.



2. I loved this guide bcause it has all the secrets that the nintendo guide doesn't have! like for example the hearts! This guide is very organized I Liked it!
   
   I have used the nintendo guides before and they're very hard to follow and they don't reveal the most important secrets! I don't like that!



3. I bought this because I have a girlfriend up state and a daughter across the country. When they are having problems with their webcams I am not. The automatic lighting and built in microphone make this plug and play very easy to use. The clipping mechanism could be improved on, but all in all worth the money.



4. 
   This was a gift and by buying it here i got it a lot Cheaper and its almost new.



5. I bought this guide with the game and thanks to this guide I am actually making it through the game. Its a great guide and is able to get you everything while not distracting you to much from your journey. I'd highly recommend it

No comments about Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual: Roleplaying Game Core Rules, 4th Edition.

5 comments about The Million Word Crossword Dictionary.

1. I used to have a "best" dictionary ever until this one entered the scene. Now I turn to it first of all, and if it, for some reason, doesn't have what I want I go to the other. This is the best when you are looking for a name or the word missing in a slogan or motto, or need to locate the actors and their roles in movies. It doesn't include them all, but it makes a great attempt at it. For someone who does NYTimes puzzles, it's a necessity.



2. My wife said; "Not another dictionary!" and she is now using this Million Word Crossword Dictionary as the first place to look for help
   as the previous crossword dictionaries just sit around hoping that someone will look into them at some time. It must be lonely for these
   other crossword sources since this new Million Word is so complete and
   readily meets the needs of crossword puzzlers. Thanks for a winner!



3. My husband loved this book so much, he bought one to take to work, too.



4. This is an awesome crossword reference. Rarely will it not help, and at those times probably no dictionary will help. I have one question for other users, is anyone missing the end or T and beginning of U? I bought the book new, and it doesn't seem to be missing pages, it just goes from 1142 to 1175, I used it for weeks before realizing this.



5. I bought this for my 87 year old father who is an avid crossword puzzle junkie. His old dictionary was not current enough for the newest slang or movies and actors and awards. Although this was currently published in 2004, he has already found it immensely helpful and was astounded at the list of academy award entries. He uses it daily. Although I found the print to be small and hard for me to read, he has not complained about it, nor does he wear glasses. I bought the hard back so it would last longer. Some people don't like the larger book but my father prefers it. Go figure.