5 comments about Chess for Juniors: A Complete Guide for the Beginner (Chess).

1. "Chess for Juniors" is easy to read and understand for anyone who is a third grade reader on up to an adult. It makes learning everything from the basic rules of chess right on up to important strategies (tactics, endgames, openings, traps at all parts of the game).
   
   In addition to containing a nice quantity of material it is organized so you can learn and grow in chess as you progress through the 20 lesson chapters. It has two very nice games toward the back of the book that spends lots of time going over all of the moves. When it teaches openings it tells you the ideas behind the moves. If you are starting out without knowing anything about chess, then it explains about the rules very clearly, without taking up most of the book to do it.
   
   I had another beginning book before getting this one. It was one that was for kids, but when I was done I still felt like I was a beginner. It didn't have enough learning material and was not serious enough (it dwelled on the basic rules for like half the book and took up too much space with fancy pictures). When you finish "Chess for Juniors" you will feel plenty advanced enough to move on to more advanced books.



2. Want to learn chess? If you are an absolute beginner or someone who has mastered the very basic skills then look no further! CHESS FOR JUNIORS will do the job for you. Yes, I am into advertising, but not as a profession for this book (if you know "Mr. Clean", "Hey, Mikie likes it" or "Where's the Beef" I was the person who made this possible on national TV". OK, you have got it! I am an old timer writing about a book with the "Youth Market" in mind. But then why has it been since it publication date of 1991 the #1 best selling chess book? It is GOOD, VERY GOOD!
   
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   WHY:
   
   1. VERY CLEAR (Mr. Clean can see everything)
   2. VERY UNDERSTANDABLE (an 8-year-old or older name Mikie will like it)
   3. LOTS OF MATERIAL (you will not be left saying, "where is the beef!")
   4. WELL ORGANIZED (just like a "box of chocolate" - I was involved in that too!)
   5. BEST SELLER (couldn't be all that bad! - it is ranked as #1)
   
   -->
   
   SOME THINGS I LIKE:
   
   1. If you are using this book to teach someone who doesn't know a thing about chess (maybe you or your kid or your student?) then it starts off assuming no knowledge (everyone was once a beginner)
   2. Once you finish you can go back and find almost every important term or concept in the index (doesn't require a college education to find something - Gommer Pyle would find what he wants!)
   3. Written in a mature manner that an old guy will appreciate, yet the humor that kids will like in the book offers a perfect balance to make this a book for anyone who can read. (must only be beyond the reading level of - see spot run, run spot run)
   
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   HOW:
   
   1. You have ordered here before (go for it you button pusher!)
   2. New, Used, or a Collectible Autographed Copy (like I have - I try and get whatever I can autographed just click on the right button of your choice)
   
   Now I absolutely love this book. My grandkids, parents and I all have a copy and so should you. Next time you are watching TV and see a commercial, or see the author's students "Will Smith" or "Nicolas Cage", then you will be reminded of this particular book!



3. I run two after school chess programs at elementary schools and use "Chess for Juniors" as the text book. At first I was disapointed to see that this book has become difficult to get (if you can get a used copy grab it!). However, I found out is is going through a complete revision and will be a second edition when released later this year (as well as the entire "Chess for Juniors" series of books, including some new ones to be released).
   "Chess for Juniors" is the perfect text book for teachers who are running a class for elementary age students on up (yes, it is suitable for a class for adults) beginning with an introduction to the basic rules and leading into a lot of basic material on strategy found in all aspects of the game.
   What I found that sets "Chess for Juniors" (and the entire series) in a class by itself is the readability (ease of understanding the material) and comprehensiveness of the book.
   Whereas, a 3rd grade reader of average reading skill can understand it, it is not going to insult an adult who wants to learn from it. It is is structured so any teacher conducting a class can easily follow the building lessons (it provides the perfect format for a ready-made class outline!).
   Please hurry with the second edition!!!



4. "Chess for Juniors" is obviously the work of superb teacher whose mind and heart have fully committed themselves to the playing and teaching of chess over a number of years. It's perfectly organized and will turn any prospective or current player who carefully studies and absorbs its twenty lessons into a 1200-1300 player at least. I'm looking forward to diving into Snyder's "unbeatable Lessons" books if they're as valuable as this one.
   
   Since I already knew the basics of chess before I bought this book, I was most interested in the approach Snyder took once he directed his readers on to the next step, since this is where introductory books on chess really show their true colors.
   Snyder covers the pins/forks/skewers tactics as well as anyone, but the best part is the in-depth attention he gives to openings, defenses, and what he calls "Tactical Motifs." What this entails are insightful, detailed looks at the Ruy Lopez (the "Spanish") and Giuoco Piano (the "Italian") openings, and a group of the best-known gambits (From's, King's accepted and declined, Bishop sacrifices, Petroff's Defense). He also looks at those three to four-move checkmates like the Fool's and Scholar's--how they can be sprung on novice/unsuspecting opponents and how they can be avoided so easily if you develop the sound opening principles Snyder sets forth. If you play over and completely absorb all these openings and the basic variations as Snyder sets them down here, you'll develop a strong sense of space and begin to understand the tactical and strategic consequences of the moves you make.
   
   Snyder also gives great explanations of some defensive responses, especially the Sicilian, the King's Indian and the Nimzo-Indian if you're playing black. The depth of Snyder's explanations is perfect, so that you learn what to do and why to do it without getting bogged down in needless details and variations. His lessons on King-Pawn, Queen and Rook endings are also perfectly set out. End games are essential of course but they are a bit dull to have to study. Again, I feel Snyder gives you just what you need to know so that you won't blow an end game with a loss, draw or stalemate when the use of a few core techniques could have made the game yours. Finally, there are a couple of instructive games which look especially at attacks on the weak f7/f2 squares and their outcomes, around which many wins or losses can revolve.
   
   All in all, this is a superb beginner's book, either for youths or adults. I would say that there are other good ones out there too which can be fruitfully studied in conjunction with Snyder--the beginner's books by Yasser Seirawan (Play Winning Chess), John Nunn (Learn Chess), and I. A. Horowitz (Chess for Beginners). I do think it's shameful that many advocates of Snyder's fine work try to undermine these other works by pumping "Chess for Juniors" and pushing down all positive reviews of his competitors by marking these reviews "unhelpful." There seems to be some kind of strategy at work, since they always put Snyder's title in upper case letters, recommending it after they have put down the other work. Sometimes they won't even review the other work, but will just mention Snyder's. It all seems orchestrated. I'm sure an author and lover of chess such as Snyder must be too classy a man to advocate this kind of lowball campaign. Apparently his students are not.



5. I got this book a couple of years ago and now am chess club presendent at my school chess club in 7th grade. I loaned it out so many times it is getting worn out.
   
   When I went to get a copy now I found out it is temporarily not in print because it is going to be made a new edition. I plan to get the new edition for the chess club.
   
   What I liked about this book is that it isn't a silly little kids picture book. It teaches serious material using an easy to understand method by making the language basic enough and organizing it in an order to make it learning friendly. It would be good for anyone who can read as well as an average third grader right on up to adults. The index in the back makes it easy to find things and relook things up like terms, openings and rules.
   
   Everyone in the school chess club likes it and uses it for continued reference even after having read it. I think this is the best first book for kids and adults.

5 comments about Draw 50 Dogs (Draw 50).

1. This wonderful step-by-step drawing book has great illustrations like the Yorkshire terrier(My favourite). Lee J. Ames, author, is very kind as I had e-mailed him many times. Hope you like this book too...



2. I agree with the other reviews,this is a great book in the series. If you have an interest in drawing or know someone who does,you'll find these books to be very useful. My daughter had brought some home from the library & asked for me to buy them.They go step by step with you,in no time you'll have a wonderful picture!



3. I must admit that for me it takes a bit of work to draw realistic and 3 dimensional pictures. But using the 'Draw 50' books are so very, very easy to use! Lee J. Ames's drawing method is simple with the step-by-step instructions which are easy to follow. For kids 9 and older, "Draw 50 Dogs" by Lee J. Ames is great for drawing in your scrapbook, onto your notebooks, on cards, etc.

   As the title says, this book includes instructions to draw 50 dogs; all of the 50 are different breeds and types. For me I love the portraits though I also love to draw dogs running or posing. My favorite pictures to draw are most probably the 'Irish Wolfhound', 'Cairn Terrier', 'German Shepherd Dog', 'Cocker Spaniel', and 'English Setter'. The book has another nice touch which is at the bottom of each drawing, there is some information on that dog including a brief history of the breed, average weight and height of the dog, and coat and color of the dog. Extremely helpful especially if you are thinking of coloring your drawing afterwards or would like to know how big to draw the dog when putting it in a background. My only complaint that there isn't a picture of a papillon to draw which I would like to (the reason? I have a papillon for a pet!).

   Of course all of the "Draw 50" series are great, be sure to check them all out! The books I want are "Draw 50 Athletes", "Draw 50 Cats", "Draw 50 Cars, Trucks, and Motorcycles", and "Draw 50 Famous Faces".




4. This was the ideal book for me! Thanks to this book, I can draw better than I ever imagined possible!
   
   Ames' provides good, clear instructions. Beagles, basenjis, bulldogs and Germans shepherds are fun to draw. Any dog with a curly tail is fun to draw. Readers are also treated to a brief history of each breed on the bottom of each page.
   
   Now, I wish there was a book (or maybe there is and I just don't know about them) of drawing classic cars. How to draw a 1964 Ford Falcon - how cool is that!



5. I bought this book hoping there would be a picture of a weim or a similar breed. I got lucky, there is a weim! It does look incredibly easy to follow, but I know what dog lovers want to know: is MY breed in there? so here's a list:
   
   The book is divided into "groups". The Hound group has Afghan, Basenji (sitting), Basset, Beagle, Black & Tan, Bloodhound (sitting), Borzoi, Dachshund (smooth), Greyhound (running), Irish Wolfhound (running). The Terrier group has Airedale, Bedlington, Bull Terrier, Cairn, Dandie Dinmont, Wire Fox, Kerry Blue, Scottish, Sealyham & a Westie (sitting). The Working group is actually the CKC working & herding combined, and has Malamute, Boxer (running), Rough Collie (running), Doberman (play bow), GSD (head shot), Great Dane, Mastiff, OES, Corgi (Pembroke), St. Bernard (lying down), Samoyed, Sheltie, Standard Schnauzer. The Sporting has Cocker (looks like American, is "sitting pretty"), English Setter (head shot), Golden Retriever, Irish Setter, Pointer, Weim. The Irish, Pointer & Weim are on point. The Non-sporting includes the Toy breeds: Bichon, Boster Terrier, Bulldog, Chow, Dalmatian (sitting), Lhasa Apso, Standard Poodle (continental cut I think), Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Pug, Yorkie. All the breeds which can have cropped or natural ears have cropped ears in these drawings.

5 comments about The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (Third Edition).

1. This dictionary is excellent to read and has definations that the smaller version does not have.



2. Do NOT get this book -- which contains only the THIRD EDITION of the allowable Scrabble words. If you want the FOURTH EDITION, which is current up through its publication in late 2005, use this number to search Amazon's catalog: 0877796343 which will take you to the Fourth Edition, Large Print. For some reason, you can't find it by using words like "Scrabble Large Print" to find that edition -- you have to use the ISBN number.
   
   Using the older edition might be okay if Amazon starts selling it at a discount; it's certainly good enough for friendly family games (in most families!) but won't get you where you need to go if you are playing competitively, and need the most current list of new coinages, acceptable 2-letter words, and q-words.



3. And she doesn't dare part with this to anyone. This is something she truly appreciates. The one thing that surprised her is that since it's in large print, the book is larger than the smaller print pocket version. She keeps it at home for safekeeping and enjoys it very much.



4. A wonderful tool for the scrabble players. Easy to use and handy to have



5. I received the book in a reasonable amount of time. The book was supposed to be used, but the only thing that looked used was a dogeared corner on the last page and cover which I was able to straighten out.

5 comments about Craps For The Clueless: A Beginner's Guide to Playing and Winning (The Clueless Guides).

1. This book doesn't really have much of interest in it. For just a little bit more money you can buy "American Mensa Guide to Casino Gambling" which has a lot of good information.



2. I have always been intimidated by craps because I knew NOTHING about it. I found this book very helpful in describing the odds and protocol. When I used the advice at the table, dealers talked to me as if I were a professional gambler, and by playing conservatively and consistantly, I won money at the table when everyone around me was losing. I love craps!



3. Mr. Patrick's book "Craps for the clueless" has allowed me to win at craps almost everytime I play.

   Yes there has been days when I violated the rules he has layed down and went home a loser but usually under $100 bucks.

   I just got back from Lake Tahoe and took them for $170.00 large. ha

   Just learn the place bets of putting your money on 6 and 8. that is all you need. Of course a 2-way hard 6 is nice when you are winning and remember to give the bar babe at least a $5 dollar chip when she comes by with your drink, you cheap ass.
   Ty




4. John Patrick is dead on. I love this book because it explains a professional gambler's betting strategy and why in terms understood by a beginner. I knew very little about craps except that I liked the energy of the game. The book was great for explaining the types of bets and the pros & cons of each. The style was honest and very enjoyable. Do not expect to make the big hit with the methods in this book. The numerous small hits may not be as exciting but really add up.

   I read the book, downloaded some casino software, and became disciplined with the strategies on my PC. Weeks later I went to Vegas to try my variation of Twenty Two Inside. At the end of the trip my small winnings and ultra-conservative style added up to $350 and I was (very very) lucky enough to take money from all seven casinos I played. I could sense that the macho players were mocking me when I stated 'Take Me Down'. Of course, a couple of rolls later the 7 popped up and they watched the dealer take their money. John was dead on about this too.




5. Not the most elequent writer I've ever read, but if your looking for the basics of Craps and some great strategy that will help you avoid losing and generate reasonable winnings...this is the book!

5 comments about The Giant Book of Sudoku Presented by Will Shortz: 300 Wordless Crossword Puzzles.

1. I agree it's a bit big, but on the other hand you get all the puzzles you'll ever need - maybe even a bit more than you need, but then you can do what we did and rip the puzzles out and split them between family members. I know, it's an awful thing to do to a book, but still... In summary, high quality puzzles, just like we've come to expect.



2. Okay, I'm hooked! This is the latest puzzle book I picked up. I love doing Sudoku puzzles, and this ones pretty decent.



3. Will Shortz, need I say more, what he touches turns to gold, he and Carol Vorderman are greatest.



4. This book will keep me busy for a long time. Just what I was looking for.



5. This is a great book. I'm starting with the easy puzzles and working my way up to the harder ones. I bought one for my dad and he is now addicted as well.

5 comments about The Toy and Game Inventor's Handbook.

1. The Toy and Game Inventor's Handbook gave me instant erudition about the arcane world of marketing and licensing inventions. Thanks to this book I have more poise, confidence and a sense of security when I approach potential licensees.

   Before you buy this book, get a few highlighters because you will want to mark all the gems of knowledge the authors unselfishly share with readers.

   Roz
   Harrisburg, PA




2. The authors take you into the innermost sanctum of the toy industry through colorful, informative interviews that span dozens of subject areas. The toy industry at its rip-roaring, zany, zappy best. All other books I have read about licensing concepts to toy companies pale when compared to this work. This is the book of record.
   
   Joel, Danbury, CT



3. Being a game inventor for over 25 years, I felt like I was reading my biography as I read this book. It is totally honest about the chances of selling a game to a game company (I don't do toys). However, it is also valid as it relates the stories of inventors regarding the satisfaction and passion the we derive from the creative process. It is well written and enjoyable to read.



4. I was very dissappointed in this book. It seemed the author's intent was to discourage any competition in his market. Other books like The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cashing in On Your Inventions and The Inventor's Bible: How to Market and License Your Brilliant Ideas were much much better.



5. This book is dry, slow, and dull. It has some (possibly) useful information here and there, but you'll never get to it without falling asleep first or possibly skipping over it in your haste get to the next chapter. Most of the first few chapters talk about people who are cooler than you. Gee don't you wish you were cool? You can be, too! The rest of the book goes on to list things that you either:
   
   a) already know
   b) could have found on Google
   
   If you don't know how to make toys and games this book will not tell you how. If you are making games and/or already know how, then this book will bore you to tears.
   
   If you can get a used copy for cheap, I'd say go for it. Otherwise it's two thumbs down.

5 comments about Deadman's Poker: A Novel.

1. The problem with some author's today is that they decide (or their publishers encourage them) to write a 2 part-er. Then, they do not let you knw this on the cover (probably so if you read the paperback, you can then buy the hardcover). The problem with these books is that the 2nd part usually spends a lot of time covering the same ground as the first book, and (as reviewers already state for book #2 - Deadman's bluff - you do not even need to read this one to appreciate that work!).
   
   Otherwise this would get 4 stars. Swain's writing is much better, and his plot points no longer carry the huge unbelievable stretches of imagination (like actual mind reading monkeys) that his earlier works do. One good aspect of Swain's books is that the author allows us to enjoy Vegas while at the same time not hiding his personal distain for the gambling mecca.
   
   I recommend this, as long as you know it is #1 of 2 and though side plot points will be solved, the main case will not until you read "bluff."



2. I really like Swain. I really like Valentine. I even kinda like his kid. I'm not too sure about this novel. You see it's not finished. There's some strange, fatal method of winning at poker - maybe like what killed that Russian spy_ but after a lot of novel we do not yet know. Nor does Tony. I sure hope no one climbs up a rope and disappears in the follow up. You see, there is an old con man who makes and wins absurd bets with gamblers in Las Vegas. I suspect the chances of getting away with those bets would be about the same as not experiencing leg breaking ,cause they are on the order of "Betcha I can tell you where you got them shoes." So here we are anticipating a resolution to the surefire poker win and are only half the way there while being entertained with side shows. Maybe Swain needed some cash and had only half the novel done. After all, the carnie makes as much geeking as on the midway. I hope that's it cause now I am waiting for the follow up. Hooked I guess.Decide for yourself. Double or nothing. Watta bet!!!



3. Based on the first third of this book, I would give this 4 stars. The characters were interesting, and I was enjoying myself. Then the story really slowed down, with lots of side stuff. Then I figured out I would need to get the next book Deadman's Bluff to finish the story. So minus 1 star for taking a single 1 book story and splitting into 2 books to extort money. And clearly, it would have been 2 short books so filler was added. Another minus star for boring side stories; the Rufus scammer character is interesting in moderation, but after the fly, horserace, golf, ping pong, cat, x-ray vision, etc. scams, it was tiring. They didn't add anything, other than the mildly entertaining "how he tricked the Greek" variety. But they were too long as side stories, and it was ludicrous that the main character and his tacked-on "love" interest kept saying "there's no way he can do this" over and over again. Look, Rufus is a grifter, he will win not by playing by the rules. No reader was saying "yeah, there is no way" rather it was, "ok, what dumb trick will he use." So the dialog seemed contrived to try to make these side stories more dramatic. Didn't work. And in the end, the way that the tournament cheating was done, you probably will have figured out, and it isn't very "wow" to justify buying and reading 2 books. Even though my review sounds negative, I was impressed with the beginning of this book, and I assume that the rest of this book and the 2nd one were boring because the author (editor/publisher) were trying to stretch this out to sell twice as many books. If you just read this book and not the 2nd you really will be unhappy (1 star happy). However, given the good beginning of this book, I'm going to try Mr. Lucky and give this author 1 more chance. I think he is better than whomever told him to stretch this thin story to two volumes. The author seems to have a great sense of gambling, Atlantic City, and grifters. If these 2 books were 1, and tightened up by dropping a ton of Rufus stuff, this would be 4 stars!



4. The writing is great and the build up to the end is great but there is no payoff. We have to buy the next book to figure out what is going to happen (I think). Frustrating and disappointing.



5. Another in the author's series of novels featuring Tony Valentine, who consults with casinos and law-enforcement about gambling scams and scammers.
   
   In this tale, he and his son Gerry go to Las Vegas to discover how a blind poker player is scamming a poker tournament, which is being televised nationally by an ESPN-like cable sports network.
   
   A few of the regular characters reappear, and there are two great new ones--a female reporter for the network, who Valentine develops a relationship with, and a 72-year-old grifter named Rufus, who among other "wagers" bets a mark that he can beat a horse and jockey in a 100-yard race.
   
   There's a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor, with one chapter concluding with a plea to bring over a flamethrower. Wait for it.
   
   Warning: at the end of the novel Valentine is halfway to the solution, but the sequel, "Deadman's Bluff," has been published. Some may object to this carving-up of a single tale, but really--the side stories are as interesting as the main plot, so I, for one, don't much mind.

3 comments about Simon and Schuster Super Crossword Puzzle Book #13: The Biggest and the Best (Simon and Schuster's Super Crossword Puzzle Books).

1. Like all the books in this series, these are serious puzzles. They make you put on your thinking cap. Great book



2. EXCELLENT I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU CAN TEAR OUT A PAGE WITHOUT TEARING UP THE WHOLE BOOK



3. This series has a great variety of challenging crossword puzzles. Perfect for killing time on a Sunday afternoon, but be prepared to think, they are not just easy puzzles. Nice selection of puzzles, defientely recommend for the price.

No comments about The New York Times Coffee, Tea or Crosswords: 75 Light and Easy Puzzles.

1 comments about The Independent Book of Super Sudoku.

1. The puzzles presented in this book are great! With the addition of 6 letters of the alphabet, the sudoku grid becomes even more challenging! My only gripe with this book is that the puzzle grid is too small. I have had to enlarge each page in order to complete the puzzles. If more of these puzzles are published, please increase the grid size!!!