5 comments about Sharp Sports Betting.

1. Take away the charts,this book is almost useless. Not impressed with it at all. For beginnners with less than 1 year of wagering experience only.



2. wong is no doubt one of the most well known authority on this kind of stuff. if you just started out, it wouldn't hurt reading this



3. This text does not tell you a whole lot if you know what you are doing already. However, if you are not familiar with the basics of probability, or how bookmakers have an edge, or what the sensible things to do are when looking for odds to be on a sporting event, then this book is not too bad a thing to have read. When punting, something that gives you one useful fact can of course be worth a lot of money.



4. This book is not a handicapping treatise. Most of the advice pertains to the NFL but I feel that just about anyone reading this book will get something out of it. Certain key research such as NFL pointspread and Total push percentages are in the book, which would help one decide whether or not they have an advantage betting a certain game.
   
   The information on using the poisson distribution is helpful, especially for one who finds an advantage betting on player props. For anyone new to betting, this book is a good primer, along with King Yao's "Weighing the Odds in Sports Betting"



5. A very down to earth, start at the beginning of sports betting book.A good guideline for both the novice and professional.

5 comments about Complete Book of Chess Strategy: Grandmaster Techniques from A to Z.

1. If you looking for a lot of strategies defined and briefly covered then this is the perfect book. If you are looking for a book on detailed strategies, opening traps or tactics on a deep level then this is not the right book. It simply doesn't get into anything very deeply (though it covers a lot of different strategies briefly). For what it is (more of reference book) this is a good book (you just need to understand what it is!).



2. Every review you see on this book will read the same: TONS of topics, LITTLE explanation. That is the intent of the book. Now the only question is whether or not this approach to chess authorship is appropriate.
   
   The book is divided into four different sections: opening, middlegame, endgame, and "practical matters" (encompassing psychology, tournament play, and all the stuff that doesn't need a diagram). At the end of each section is a little quiz on the material covered previously, generally true/false. Sounds easy, and it is pretty easy.
   
   The section on the openings gives a smorgasbord of most every conceivable opening. It covers everything from the heavily theorized openings like the Ruy Lopez and Sicilian to the less-known openings, like the Polish (1.d4 b5) and the Albin Counter Gambit. It is never in-depth on these openings (one to three pages tops) but it gives you a real vague, general summary. What use it that? Well, if you're looking to pick out a reperotoire, like many beginning players, you're in luck. You can find an opening that caters to almost any player, check the main line and see if you like it. Even a higher-rated player could use that if they wanted a new opening or two.
   
   The middlegame section covers motifs like "blockade", "open files", and "superior minor pieces". Things that every chess player has ingrained in them. If you've never heard the terms before, they will be useful. If you know all the terms, they can still be a great refresher course for you. How many times do we read a book on the King's Indian or the Ruy, replete with blockade ideas, yet don't always remember the little intracacies? Often enough to warrant a review.
   
   The endgame section is weak, as it would have to be (you can't really have a treatise on the many endgames included in the space provided) and doesn't really do anything for the book. The section on practical matters is pretty cool, though, and can be inspiring for someone who wants to get a routine in order for tournaments (or answer questions about things like the staredown).
   
   Like the title of this review suggests, the club player likely will not gain rating points from this book. A lot of people won't, even beginners. However, the book plays a VERY important role in augmenting other knowledge, making networks of association, and just being an all-around good review book. It's a fun read for the bathtub, airplane, or between rounds. If you're a beginner: go for it.
   
   So to answer the question posed at the top: if you're over 1600 and doing a little chessic soul-searching: put it in the cart. Otherwise, perhaps you would be better served by another title.



3. This book is ease to read and understand you dont even need a chessboard to read it.
   
   Excelent book



4. Jeremy Silman is an excellent chess author, known for instructional books such as "How to Reassess your Chess" and "The Amateur's Mind." Here, however, he takes a break from teaching his "method" (anyone familiar with those other books will know what I mean) and instead, gives us an excellent book filled with standard information on openings, middle-game tactics, endgame positions, etc. Although the summary of each point is brief, we get the main idea, and all in all, this book certainly can help improve anyone's play. The brevity of each section also makes it easier to absorb the material faster.
   
   If you want info on common openings (and some that even I wasn't familiar with), consult Section 1: The Opening. If you need help on when to attack the opposing king, or how to position your pieces in the middle-game, Section 2: The Middle-game will help you out. For those of you not familiar with the endgame, and points such as opposition, how to queen your pawn, and how to draw if you're down in material, Section 3: The Endgame will be of great use to you. Section 4: Practical Matters will tell you about chess psychology, blunders, and other things going on off the board.
   
   A fine book, and one that will prove to be helpful to any chess player.



5. This was a excellent book on chess. One of the best. It dealt with most of the basic chess tactics. It covered each topic quickly enough to be interesting but not so deep that it was over my head. A great chess book. It dealt with pawn movement, opening moves, end game tactics, especially rook development, and middle game skills. It was the best book so far that I have read from the author.

5 comments about Understanding Chess Tactics.

1. This is a very good book. I've read MANY books on tactics, and have done countless drills and puzzles. This book is unique, however, because it made me look at tactics from a real game perspective. it didn't just say "find the pin", but it showed how to look through the clutter of the board and find all the elements that constitue a pin, and even how to create one where none exist. The one complaint I have is with the diagrams. they never indicate who's move it is, therefore, it doesn't give me the chance to see if i can find the tactic before he lists the candidate move. Otherwise, it is very helpful and enjoyable.



2. Were not too few exercises I would give this book 5 stars. From the content of the book, Martin Weteschnik had in fact pay a lot of effort trying to teach us tactics. But unfortunately he forgot the proverb " practice makes perfect. " Just 4 exercise per chapter is not enough!!! I think any kind of this book should include at least 200 exercises, may not need to be from real games, but it should gives us more practice. May be in the second edition of this book, Martin Weteschnik can give us more examples. So for those one who has finished reading this book, they should buy, John Nunn's Learn Chess Tactics, another two books is one from Lev Alburt's pocket book for traing and most of all, " Sharpen your tactics, " in this book you would find 1125 ground - breathing exercises. ( Though I would say in fact most and not all 1125 exercise are all that exciting ).



3. This is a gem. Its strengths are the highly interesting examples and its ability to improve your board vision. No chessboard or computer needed.



4. I've followed the Michael de la Maza method (he used to play at our club) "400 points in 400 days" tactic improvement strategy, published on ChessCafe.com a few years ago. And, I have used CT-ART, done the puzzle books, etc. However, there was something missing (for me anyway) in that I felt I was just learning a few tactic patterns without understanding how it all fits together, how various tactical operations build on each other.
   
   This book fills that void of understanding tactics, and is loaded with real game examples that the reader is walked through step-by-step. To some, the scarcity of extra "black to move, what next?" practice puzzles takes away from the book, but I do not think so. There are plenty of raw puzzle practice books out there.
   
   What would make the book perfect is to have a PGN file of the games he uses for illustration, so we can go to the move number, and play the tactics (and all the variations) against a computer for practice.
   
   All-in-all I highly recommend the book!



5. Chess tactics is difficult enough. This book makes the subject even more so. The review of tactical themes and specific examples is okay, but you can get the same from any number of books. This book does not simplify. I sent it back.

5 comments about Making Working Wooden Locks (Woodworker's Library (Fresno, Calif.).).

1. Cool book. Not exactly what I originally wanted but one I will keep around anyway.



2. I have only read thru the project list for the first of the 5 locks but I'm already itching to try my hand at constructing several of them. The instructions are very detailed and with full size drawings, the only difficulty will be finding the time to get started. Although the plan dimensions will generate seemingly large locks as compared with their metal counterparts, it should be of little difficulty to scale down the plans.
   
   One reviewer commented about how two of the locks are fairly similar and I would agree that a unique type of lock should have been included instead. Hence the 4 rating.
   
   Of special consideration is that the cover posted directly on the Amazon ad is not the accurate cover. However, if you "Look Inside" the book, the scanned cover is correct.
   
   The one thing that should be made clear is that this book does not function as a guide to locksmithing. The plans are clear for building the locks but provide little explanation in terms of how the mechanisms work so a bit of tinkering will be necessary if you want to venture away from his designs.
   
   Otherwise, I'm thrilled with the purchase!



3. This book is clearly written and illustrated with concise instructions from raw material to assembly. When completed these fully functioning locks are beautiful and very unique. I have completed four of the locks and they are quite the conversation piece. This book although easily understood by anyone is not designed for the novice woodworker. However a small compliment of tools, a good working knowledge of woodworking and a lot of patients turns out beautiful work. Thanks to Tim Detwiler and his unique application. Love it!



4. I was having difficulty finding something interesting for my dad for the holidays - he turns wooden bowls, ornaments, pens, and creates so many other things in his workshop, I thought he had pretty much everything when it came to guides and instructional books. Once he started reading through this book, he absolutely loved it, and couldn't wait to get started on some of the examples. The locks look great and actually do function as intended if you follow the steps. There's no guess-work involved, only adding your own creative spin. A must-have for wood-working enthusiasts.



5. This book is awesome. The details are very helpful and the patterns are very unique.

5 comments about Geek Logik: 50 Foolproof Equations for Everyday Life.

1. I haven't had this much fun with math since I calculated my latest tax refund! This book not only gives good, useful information, but it is a great way to review some basic algebra. Better for the brain than crosswords. I loved it!



2. Very witty/fun book. Geve this to my husband, who's a senior level statistical analyst, and he took it to work and had a ball with it. The other analysts were asking to borrow it over the weekend.



3. As a high school (and later college) student, I always struggled with the utility of algebra, asking the ages old question, "When am I going to use this stuff in life?" Sundem's _Geek Logik_ finally answers that question with 50 equations that provide a mathematical answer to such burning real-life questions as "Should I get a tatoo?" or "Am I over qualified for my job?" The answers may surprise you. Certainly its not the sort of book one takes too seriously, but the process of crunching through the formulae is both entertaining and (to me) fascinating to see how the equations were put together.



4. The easiest refresher of introductory algebra I've ever seen. No cold-turkey review of numerous rules, this! Geek Logic introduces a mnemonic indicationg the order of arithmatic functions, then the fun begins--readers assign numerical values to formulae and calculate personal answers to hilarious life quandries. It's so entertaining, I forgot I was "studying." I hope the sequel delves into more advanced algebraic functions.



5. Finally, a book that helps me use math for the really important stuff in life.
   
   In high school I was told that Tom is riding his bicycle North towards Town A into a Southwesterly wind at 13.7 miles an hour. Bill is driving his mother's 56 Chevy towards Town B at a speed of 78 miles a hour with a tailwind of 3.2 miles an hour. Additional variables include: Tom's bike is a pink girl's bike which means he has to either take back roads or submit himself to cruel adolescent taunting; that Bill stole, or took without permission depending on who tells the story, his mother's car; that the Chevy leaks transmission fluid at a rate of 1 quart per 822 miles; that it is a hot Sunday afternoon when the mean temperature is 98 degrees farenheit and the police are all at the park watching the girls sunbath. I was then taught, or at least they tried to teach me, to take the above information and calculate when Tom will arrive in Town A; When Bill will arrive in Town B; what will happen if Bill stops to pick up a 17 year old female blond hitchhicker wearing a tank top and cut off shorts; the probability that Tom will receive a merciless beating from the members of the football team; if Bill will get arrested for stealing the car; and what color shirts they were wearing.
   
   I purchased Geek Logik: 50 Foolproof Equations for Everyday Life by Garth Sundem for the entertainment value. However, I find that in addition to being a quirky fun read, it is also a valuable reference book. I am finding myself coming up with ways to calculate all the really important stuff.
   
   For instance, if I stop on the way to work for coffee, what is the probability that my boss will be mad at me that I am late and/or appreciative because I got a latte for her?
   
   Or how long can I let my gras grow before my neighbors become irreconcilably hostile, form an angry mob, and attack me as I read in the hammock in the back yard?
   
   Or, how many beers can I have without crossing the line between "life of the party" and "cautionary tale"?
   
   This book gives you the tools to get the really important information that you can actually use in real life that is never covered in any high school math classes. !!

5 comments about Belgian Ale (Classic Beer Style Ser).

1. I am a big fan of all of the Styles Series books, but this is by far my favorite. Nearly every brewing book covers British ales and continental lagers in detail, yet offer only the briefest of comments on Belgian ales.

   Pierre Rajotte did extensive research for this highly readable book and he covers the history, styles and brewing techniques in just the right level of detail. Of particular value are his tips for working with high gravity beers.

   If you brew and you love Belgian ales, I highly recommend this book.




2. I have been a homebrewer for five years. I have read a lot of brewing literature. I own eight of the "Classic Beer Styles Series" and have read several others. I will be frank: the Series' quality is not consistent.

   Pierre Rajotte's Belgian Ale is one of the best in the series. I have brewed five of the recipes in the book and all have turned out well. When brewing other Belgian recipes I always use the mashing program found on page 83 in the valuable chapter four, "Brewing with a Belgian Brewmaster."

   If you are contemplating brewing a Belgian, (not spontaneously fermented that is found in the book "Lambic" of the Series) then get your hands on this book, particularly if you are going to attempt a high gravity Belgian.




3. This was a very good but. I have a few complaints. One if your a beginer home brewer forget about understanding most of this book. Two the 1st 3 chapters are mostly history of the country and how they brewed/brew. Very intereseting but it went beyond brewing or anyhting that was related to beer. Not a history book a beer brewing book. Not bad if your into alot of history. Most homebrewers do not use open fermenters and wood fermenters so I feel he did not need to keap bringing that up all the time. And three, the autor realy got deap into the science of microorganizems and brew science. Way over my head and most other people I'm sure. I'm not a pro brewer. Othere than that the bookl was good. Recipes good. He gives all grain 5 gal. Extract 5 gal and all grain 1 barrel (31 US Gal.)recipes.



4. Rajotte's book may not be the ideal book for the beginning homebrewer, but I don't believe it's intended to be. For that, check out Palmer and many others. Rajotte's book gave me insight into what makes up these enigmatic brews. I brewed his saison recipe and was very pleased with the results, in fact, the beer was very favorably reviewed at a competition as being representative of the style. All in all, this book is a valued part of my brewing library.



5. I thought this was a fairly decent, and above-average offering, from the Classic Beer Style Series. My problem is not so much with the author, or the book, as it is with the somewhat underambitious slant of the series as a whole ... it aimed (back when it was first published) a bit lower than it could have.
   
   Although a bit too brief, the author of this particular volume (book 6 of the aforementioned series) does overview the basic elements of the region: the history of abbey brewing, the primary yeast & microflora strains, specialty ingredients (candi sugar), the role of temperature in stimulating the production of esters and phenols, etc. The author also includes some information on certain advanced techniques: such as dual-strain use (1 for fermentation, one for bottling) for high gravity styles, as well as helpful appendices including a glossary of technical terms, a series of basic no-frills recipes for each of the major Belgian sub-styles, and brief survey of commercial examples.
   
   It's a good, if unspectacular, book.
   
   [Addendum]
   
   I read this book back around 1996, and I've made more than a handful of Belgian sub-styles so far ... none of them taken directly from this book, but I definitely relied on it for some general guidance when constructing my recipes (in accordance with stylistic parameters), and also in controling my fermentation temperatures.

5 comments about Gargantuan Black Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons Icons).

1. This is a great mini for any collector or actual D&D player! The black dragon is very well done and the painting of the mini is spot on. If you got a Great Wyrm Black Dragon waiting to ambush players, I suggest you get this mini and show them what the dragon's fear aura can really do!



2. This ones models mold lines are probably the most noticeable and most defined. All the D&D minis have bad mold lines but this one has them right on the wings and because of its pose they are shown off.
   
   Overall its still worth a buy if you can get it for a good price, the paint job and detail on it are amazing! The scales and especially the highlights give it a very 3d feel like its come at you.



3. The detail and design of this Icon of Dungeons and Dragons is an amazing addition to any one's collection. Although not as expensive as the Colossal Red Dragon, the Black is still a bit pricey if its only intended use is for use in your game either as a miniature or as an encounter in your table top game. But if you are buying it for gaming AND as a display item, it is undeniably a must have. I own all of the currently available 'Icons' and I am looking forward to more in the series.



4. Simpply put, this is a very nice dragon mini. It is in direct scale with the rest of the D/D minis and adds a nice touch when you use it either for the mini game or your tabletop game. Good quality, coloration and detail, typical of the larger D/D minis. A good buy, even if just for a collection.



5. I bought the dragon for my daughter because she loves them. When she got it she thought it was really cool. Once she got it out of the box, she wouldn't put it down. I have to say that I was really impressed with it as well. We don't play the miniatures game, but we both thought the dragon was fantastic anyway!

5 comments about Star Munchkin.

1. This is a very subjective review.
   
   The game system is pretty much the same as all the other Munchkin games. Get to level 10, get the treasure, stab your buddy etc...
   
   The only reason for the lower than usual review is I'm not enamored with the genre, sort of like Munchkin bites, it's just not my kind of theme. If outer space antics are your style then you will enjoy this game much more than I did.
   
   My son has Every verison of Munchkin (except blender) and this and Munchkin bites are the two I pass up whenever possible.
   
   The game likely deserves another star but I just don't enjoy it enough to give it.



2. Munchkin won best original game in 2001. And Star Muchkin (The game you are looking at) won it in 2002. And Munchkin Fu won in 2003!!! (Do I have to say anything else!???) Out of the 3 I'd say Star Munchkin is my least favorite. I didn't say I didn't like it though. I still LOVE this game just not as much as Munchkin and Fu. But w/ the Star Munchkin expansion it is even better w/ even more laughs. I would recommend all or any of these games to anyone!!!



3. Like the others of the Munchkin Series, Star Munchkin features wacky and lovable art while lampooning roleplaying games and gamers. Obviously the most distinctive feature of the game is its science fiction-oriented comedy. The art and flavor text of the cards take jabs not only at Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Gallactica, Red Dwarf and others, but also at general science fiction themes.
   
   Game play is slightly friendlier than the original Munchkin. The traps and class abilities of the original allow for much more fierce competition, a dynamic that is somewhat muted in Star Munchkin. Despite my love of sci-fi, the mechanic of the game that has made this my favorite is the "-aser weapons." We're familiar with lasers, and phasers, but Star Munchkin has allowed us guns that are razors, spraysers, masers, dasers, and so on. Any weapon ending in "-aser" can be combined with any other weapon ending in "-aser" allowing the bonuses to stack. This is worth several laughs around the table when you are wielding a "maser-daser-shmaser-bobaser-banannafanafofaser-laser."
   
   Star Munchkin is great game play for anyone who enjoys either science fiction or roleplaying. Everyone else may enjoy the fun of the game, but will likely miss the genre specific jokes.



4. Star Munchkin was the first Munchkin game I've played. I would say it's much more forgiving and not as broken in comparison with some of the other Munchkins. It's your standard card game D&D sandbox. Lots of parodying and silliness. Definitely for players that like to collaborate and backstab people. Some strategy involved, but largely luck and ganging up on people.
   
   I think it has a lot of replay value and can be pretty fun. Just like in a MMO, you collect items and fight battles. Not a very unusual game which I would normally rate at three stars, but the high replay value makes me give it an extra star. Note these cards are basically normal playing cards, so they will get worn and damaged like normal playing cards.



5. This game is more fun the more players you have. It is fully compatible with all the other Munchkin games.

5 comments about d20 Past (d20 Campaigns: d20 Modern).

1. I had high hopes for this book. Too bad it didn't live up. Once you see how skinny the book is, you will start to be concerned.
   
   First, what the book does well. It gives a nice general overview on how to translate d20 Modern occupations, skills, and feats to less modern eras. The book also does the best job yet for showing how to have a d20 Pirates/1600's setting, complete with a sample adventure. The various advanced and prestige classes (Explorer, Musketeer, Shaman, and Sorcerer) for that era are also well done.
   
   Sadly, once you are done with the section concerning 17th-century adventuring, the book drops down in value fast. Instead of giving general guidelines for the eras in question, d20 Past force feeds two campaign settings that are only moderately described. (It gives 24 pages for 17th Century, but only 16 for "Shadow Stalkers" (Victorian) and 15 for "Pulp Heroes" (1930's)) Outside of the rifles rules that were presented in the first chapter of the book, there is nothing to recommend getting this book instead of prexisting d20 books like Forbidden Kingdoms from OWC or Masque of the Red Death from S&S. The adventure models are weak for those eras, and the prestige classes are nothing special.
   
   With nothing on how to deal with the Wars of the eras (Napoleon, American revolution, American Civil War, WWI), and the exceptionally-poor-for-WotC artwork in the book, the only reason to pick up this book is if one wants to do 1600's settings using d20 Modern rules. All others should look instead at the books I previously mentioned.



2. If you are looking for new classes, vehicle stats, and Open Gaming content, then this is NOT the book for you. I was hoping to find some good stuff in this title that I could use on a broader scale, but it's pretty much just bland and useless information. The kind of information you can easily find for free online. The only redeeming section in the whole book is the part on gun powder weapons, everything else is pretty much just a miss-mash of bad ideas.
   
   What I was hoping to find were new character classes like: Pirate, Black Smith, Sailer, Merchant, Baron, etc. Instead all the book offered was a prestige class called Explorer and another for a Shaman. There are hardly any good stats for transportation devices or anything on inventions or inventing.
   
   Finally, what little in this book that is usable is not part of the OGL. So, for example, all the stats on gun powder weapons cannot be utilized into another campaign book or resource book to keep rules standardized. This is irritating because the content is unoriginal and part of western civilization's history and should therefore be part of the OGL, not copyright protected.
   
   Perhaps I was expecting too much, but I felt like a lot was missing and most of the information and content presented wasn't useful enough to make the book worth while.



3. I admit I expected a bit more...
   
   Three campaign models are discussed here in some detail - pirates, pulp fiction and...something else - gothic stuff, I think?
   
   The equipment list and monsters are a bit skimpy, tables are reproduced, artwork is nice, but the whole seems to lack a bit. On the good side, it contains descriptions of all sorts of archaic personal firearms (now I can equip my post apocalyptic mutated badgers with gatling guns and pepperbox pistols - but I could have figured that stuff out anyway, I suppose). The Sailing combat rules are solid also.
   
   I guess for the price its a good buy, but not quite what I was expecting.



4. I BOUGHT THIS FOR MY GRANDSON AND HE JUST THINKS THAT THIS IS THE BEST BOOK HE HAS GOTTEN IN A WHILE. HE REALLY IS ENJOYING THIS THE THE ONE D20 FUTURE. HE LOVES THEM BOTH AND GIVE THEM BOTH 5 STARS.



5. Like most of the WotC D20 supplements, this one is well laid out, with good presentation and art. That being said it is even more of a niche book than D20 Future. If you are planning to run a D20 campaign set in the past than it may prove useful. Be forewarned though that its page count seems to be lacking. What is here is pretty good but really its not enough to justify the price. Even the descriptions of the different time settings are far too little.

3 comments about Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Collector's Edition: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. Just like the Collector's Edition of The Twilight Princess Guide, this book is a lesson to all other player's guide manufacturers in lavishness!!! The pages are all lined with gold leaf & as soon as you open the book it just screams 'quality' at you. If you want a guide look no further than this & to add to the quality it's cheap too. Bargain!



2. A very, very thorough walkthrough. It's 300 pages long for a relatively brief game, and it really does leave "no stone unturned." Every rupee location, every collectible, every secret...all revealed.
   
   Downside: can be a little disorganized. (For example, if you want to find out when to do the trading sequence, you'll have to find the right chapter and flip to it.) On the other hand, Nintendo guides always have the bare bones walkthrough first and then a "sidequests" section as an appendix. While I prefer the latter setup, it's no big deal. There's a huge series of checklists in the end of this guide for every ship part, gem, heart container...you name it.



3. Que decir de esta fantastica guia de The Phantom Hourglass, es una compra obligatoria que hay que hacer, y ahora que AMAZON lo pone a este precio!