4 comments about Ship Modeling from Scratch: Tips and Techniques for Building Without Kits.

1. I purchased this book several years past. This Amazon.com reviewer is an avid ship modeler. I use this book nearly constantly. I give this book five stars.
   
   Now, this book was written in 1993. So, there are no web sites for reference nor is there a more recent write up. If a person is interested in making a scratch built ship they should surf onto the steelnavy.com web site. Steel Navy is known as one of the best web references for ship building. Museum quality ships from the world have pictures on that page. If you want American warship plans then surf to "Maryland Silver". They have nearly all of the ship plans of the modern Navy. Furthermore, they have plans for most of the pre-1880 (modern Navy) ships. Last, a fair source of ship plans is Ebay. One vendor on Ebay sells quite warships and Great Lakes vessels. If you are making a modern ship and need fittings the web sites to check out are H&R Products, Blue Jacket Ship Models, and The Scale Shipyard. All three web locations have lots of fittings for ships.
   
   Now, back to this book.
   
   This book covers all necessary steps for a ship modeler. The first chapter is on getting correct plans. If your plans are off then what is the point? The second chapter covers making the keel, ribs (frames), and then planking the ship. The rest of the chapters follow in logical progression. The chapters vary from rigging your model if you have a sailing ship to building a superstructure for a modern ship. Note, there are two complete sets of plans in the back of the book. One for a sailing ship and another for a simple cargo steamer. I didn't build either because this modeler makes battleships.
   
   Speaking of battleships, the book gives quite a bit of information on constructing a South Carolina class battleship. The South Carolina class is semi-famous in model circles. The first ship of the class, BB-27, the USS Michigan, has extensive model construction articles written about it in this book. Now, the chapter on Cage Mast Construction is about the only major book that has been published that covers this topic. Cage Masts were found on every battleship made in the USA from about 1910 to 1920. Cage Masts are seen on many of the battleships, like the USS Tennessee, at Pearl Harbor. So, it's very good that a major book tells how to make a cage mast. Note, the chapter on Cage Mast construction will advise a builder to make a jig for the mast. Furthermore, it's advisable that no cage mast be made that is smaller than 1/144th scale.
   
   The book also gives advise on the cutting of wood, plastics, and metal. Furthermore, there is suggestions by the author on what type of wood cutting machines to buy, such as a table saw, and what sort of finishing tool to purchase. The hobby of ship modelling is a lot easier if you have a Demel tool.
   
   The book had lots of little helpful items. It give basic instructions for making a deadeye. Port holes, very necessary for a making a convincing ship, are covered in this book. If you don't want to follow the advise you can get fair portholes from either H & R Products or Blue Jacket.
   
   The only thing that isn't really covered in this book is making a boat radio controlled. You'll have to get another book if you wish to RC your beloved museum quality ship.
   
   I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have. This book should be studies by any body who wishes to make their first scratch built model. Note, there are no large scale commercial models of Great Lakes steamers or Pre-WWII battleships. So, if you want to build a nice model battleship of the USS Florida you'll have to get the plans from Maryland Silver, the fitting from H & R Products, and read this book to learn the knowledge necessary for making that model.
   
   Best wishes, fellow ship builder, on reading this book. You'll enjoy your purchase. I look forward to hearing about your question on steelnavy.com .
   
   This book is worth all five stars.



2. I find the book a good introduction to the concepts, but a bit lite in detail.



3. I am new to scratch boat building and this is a basic book about it. It has many helpful hints that are very usefull. It is a beginners book. Easy to read and understand.
   
   There are a lot of forums on the NET that describe in detail on how to scratch-build, but I was looking for something basic.
   
   An excellent book.



4. Ship Modeling from Scratch: Tips and Techniques for Building Without Kits
   A very good supplemental book for building a model ship from scratch. It has detailed suggestions that aren't found in many other books or articles. Edw. Leaf knows his stuff and covers all major topics in modeling w/o a kit. He does provide "tips and techniques" as the subtitle says, just not quite enough to start scratch building w/o several other sources that go into more depth in important topics/skills.

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!

5 comments about Amazing . . . but False!: Hundreds of "Facts" You Thought Were True, but Aren't.

1. Keep a copy of this book handy in your bathroom...but don't use the pages for toilet paper, they're way too interesting! I found bite-size nuggets of enlightenment on such varied topics as Hitler (actually an artistic sort of guy), Bra Burning (it never happened), and Farting (not fatal even if you burp at the same time--whew!). Underneath the somewhat garish cover is a fascinating collection of well-researched trivia tidbits you could use to share a chuckle, or settle an argument with a friend. I'm planning to give a couple of copies to my most outrageously misinformed friends...and that's a "fact."



2. An intriguing way to delve into "Amazing . . . But False" is to open the handsomely designed and illustrated book at random and make discoveries: Leaves do NOT Change Color in the Fall, Lemmings do NOT Commit Mass Suicide, Richard III was a NOT hunchback, The Statue of Liberty is NOT in New York, You do NOT dream only in black and white.
   
   But fear not, when you learn the truth, you're not likely to feel insulted to patronized. Mr. Diefendorf apologizes in advance in his Author Note for sounding like a know-it-all. He doesn't have to. He presents his information in easy-to-take fashion. And he divides his nuggets into categories, like "Famous Firsts," "History," "People," and so on.
   
   More:
   
   The America's Cup is NOT named for the U.S.A, Cinderella DID NOT wear glass slippers, Winston Churchill DID NOT coined the phrase "blood, sweat, and tears . . . "
   
   The book will serve as a good argument settler, too. I suggest that you leave it lying about, where guests will be certain to find it. Then, after a drink or too tell them that Mama Cass did NOT die from choking on a ham sandwich, and Napoleon wasn't a shrimp, and cats do NOT always land on their feet.
   
   But please don't toss kitty into the air trying to prove this. You'll waste your time and annoy Ms. Puss.
   
   There's a foreword by James Randi, and a unique "Epilogue in Five Dedications." Hmmm . . .
   
   Leo Durocher never said "nice guys finish last," Marie Antoinette never urged people to eat cake, it's perfectly okay to deliberately split an infinitive . . .



3. Having this book in your library is something that you will enjoying showing your friends and family, but don't take it to seriously. While most of the explanations given in the book are true, many of them are so only if you love to nit pick. For instance, the author states that leaves do not change colors in the fall. What? Everyone knows they do, they see them turn from green, to orange or read or yellow. If that is not a color change, then what is it? True, the leaves are green because of the presence of chlorophyll, which disappears when the leaves die, exposing the true color of the leaf cells, nevertheless, a change from green to red is a color change.
   
   There are other points where the author is correct only because of a nit pick. He claims that the Earthquake of 1906 did not destroy San Francisco, the fire the quake started did. But would the fires have occurred if the earthquake not happened? Saying the fires destroyed the city, not the quake is like saying the knife stab did kill the man, the blood loss did.
   
   Of course, there are times when the author contradicts himself. In one section he disproves there is no "Dark side of the moon", then a few sections later uses the "dark side of the moon" as a physical place in his conclusion.
   
   He even delves into the area of religion when he defends why the myth of the Great Flood and Noah's Ark should be in the Bible. Simply because there was an actual ancient flood does not mean it is the source or should be considered the source of the Great Flood mentioned in the Bible. He fails to make that distinction. Nor does he mention any of the non flood theories for the Biblical myth
   
   For the most part, most of his explanations are correct, but there are more than a few which are only correct to when applying the most anal interpretation of the supposed myth. Yet, it is a reference book most intelligent people will find interesting and somewhat enlightening.



4. From the Author's Note all the way through to the last word on page 236, the author's conversational (and charmingly cheeky) commentary on these "hundreds of 'facts' you thought were true, but aren't" is a pleasure to read. Adding this book, Gideon-style, to the bedside tables of hotels around the world, would save thousands of weary travelers from the boredom of channel surfing, enabling them to read something that is not only fun and interesting but educational. Great gift for teens or adults with an appetite for trivia and learning the unexpected.



5. Interesting and worth reading but anyone with 21st century sense already knows most of these. Seems as though the author's could have just cited snopes for all of the information. The photos in the book are lousy. However, there is still enough info in the book to make it worth reading.

5 comments about How To Play Card Combinations (Devyn Press Bridge Library).

1. On first reading Mike Lawrence's book on card combinations, I was disappointed. In fact, the book only deals with how to play seven particular suit combinations (one chapter on each). The obvious disappointment is that, even after having fully mastered the book, one will ostensibly only have mastered seven suit combinations!

   Yet, on further consideration, any disappointment was mitigated by two realisations:
   1) At least one will have mastered seven suit combinations; that is, be able to play them perfectly in any of a number of situations - no trumps contracts, suit contracts, contracts where entries to dummy are at issue etc.
   2) One expects that the logical discussion employed to analyse these particular hands can be gradually applied to other suit combinations.

   The title "humbling concept" applies here, as Mr. Lawrence's book makes it clear how difficult a task it is to become a master of bridge. Let us say there are 200 suit combinations which actually are of interest. Then one would need to read almost 30 books of this size (227 pages) to master the topic thoroughly.

   In conclusion, I suspect that if it were possible to discuss all (or even most) suit combinations thoroughly in one book, Mr. Lawrence might have written such a book. Instead, one should respect his decision to concentrate on seven suit combinations, and we can perhaps hope for other books to follow.




2. The title of this book misleads. One gets the idea that this book will attempt to show players the best a priori plays of the dozens (hundreds?) of key card combinations in bridge. Instead, we receive an in-depth analysis of 7 specific situations. Admittedly, most of these combinations will arise frequently, and Lawrence analyzes them effectively and thoroughly in various contexts. However, I was hoping to see a method to analyze generic combinations at the table quickly, one that would have use in more than only a few specific situations.
   
   Great analysis by Lawrence, a la "Play Bridge with Mike Lawrence", but not what I was looking for in a book with this title.



3. This is *NOT* a book on how to play a single suit in isolation.
   Its a book on how to play a bunch of common combinations, based on what you know about the entire hand.
   Its filled with gathering clues and applying Logic to figure out whether to lead to the K or J in KJx in dummy.
   
   For a book ONLY about suit combinations, try Klingers Card Play Made Easy.
   
   
   I think the reviewer who only rated the book a 3 is way off the mark. Its a great book, and he is basing his lower rating on the fact that the book was on a somewhat different topic than he expected.
   Thats like me saying Kit Woolseys "MatchPoints" isn't so good becaus eit covers things other than MP, like hand evaluation, etc.
   
   This is a great book. Sout of like the sequel to "How to Read Your Opponents Cards"



4. Start with Mike Lawrences "How to Read Your Opponents Cards". Get comfortable with the concepts he presents. Then try this. The book presents a set of chapters each featuring a common combination, such as KJx.
   
   The reader will need to place cards based on the defenders bidding (or lack of it), and whats been played (and wahts not been played).
   
   The book really is about deduction and counting, not how to play a suit to maximize the number of tricks. Don't let that stop you from buying and reading it, its well worth the time and money.



5. All about placing unseen cards, and what Terence Reese called 2nd degree assumptions. If you liked How to Read your opponenets cards, you will like this. More of the same, just a step more advanced.

2 comments about Glass And Print (Glass Handbooks).

1. Nicely written with good depth, this survey of printing techniques with and on glass is an interesting read. I kinda wish the author had been able to go into the actual techniques a bit more, but this book is still a wonderful resource.



2. not quite what i expected. this is geared more toward commercial installations than a hobbyist.

1 comments about WineSmarts, Vol. 1.

1. I bought this game as a gift for friends who are interested in starting a small wine business. They loved this game and said it was more informative than some books they have read about wine. An excellent game to learn about wine and have fun at the same time!

5 comments about Castlevania?: Curse of Darkness(tm) Official Strategy Guide (Bradygames).

1. Wow I love the devil forging in this game. Since you start out as Hector, a former devil forgemaster for dracula, you create all of your weapons and armor from materials that your enemies drop. They do also drop certain items eventually but you have to be about level 70 for that to start happening. Supposively you can steal from all of your enemies but I have never succeeded in doing so. As you play you get 6 different types of Innocent Devils a.k.a I.D. Types. First you get a fairy type which is good for healing, opening chests and certain passages, and making you invincible depending on how you evolve it. It also has 2 modes, auto and command. Battle types have 3 modes auto which lets it attack as it wishes, command lets you tell it what skill to use, it gets more as you level it up, and guard mode which allows it to defend itself and you so long as you stand behind it and in the highlighted circle are but certain creatures still can get you. The Iyaeti is a must so you can get into a certain area. Bird types help you reach areas that you can't jump to with their glide ability. Some can get the long glide ability if you evolve it properly which is needed to get to the tower of evermore I believe, it's in the distance when you reach the top of the tower of eternity. Very difficult I recommend you do some leveling up before you go there. Devil type is useful to get under small spaces. Don't ask me why it merges with you to make a glowing circle thing but at least your invincible. Although to fully evolve him you need a certain weapon I haven't found it yet but it tells you what the name is in Cordova Town. Mage types use a lot of magic spells which is great in order to reach other areas as well. Thank god they brought back the warp gates. The memorial tickets don't work in this game fyi for what reason I don't know. The pumpkin type is totally optional and the only thing he does is give stat bonuses. Other than that he is practically useless. Other than the pumpkin type being useless and that one pointless area in the game that explains what a savepoint is etc. this game rules. oh also all along the game they have relatively modern items in some of the oddest of places. It gives the game a bit of humor to it but I seriously wonder which person working on this game came up with such a goofy idea. It's kinda funny finding a chair out in the middle of nowhere, BUT COME ON PEOPLE I CAN THINK OF FUNNIER THINGS TO PUT IN A VIDEO GAME IF YOU WANT TO GIVE A GAME A HUMOR ASPECT.



2. Wonderfully done, Perfect Monsters that still give me problems ever time I play the game



3. I have purchased this guide because i love the CASTLEVANIA series. But i hoped more for a guide like this. For me, this guide is incomplete. It don't show us the exact time to steal from enemies.That was the main reason for my average evaluation. However, CASTLEVANIA games, are so good!



4. It came on time with no delays or hassels. Was very happy with my order.



5. Lord, I hope these authors were fired.
   
   When I purchased Brady Games' official "Castlevania: Curse of Darkness" strategy guide a couple of years back, I mistakenly thought I was buying a guide. To help me...strategize. I didn't realize I'd be getting an abridged art collection with big sections missing.
   
   I'll be the first to admit this was probably my fault. I didn't take the time to read through the whole thing before setting money down on the counter, and it had words like "guide," "strategy" and "official" right there on the cover. Positive experiences with similar-looking pamphlets in the past must have lulled me into a false sense of security.
   
   So, yeah, it served me right. But maybe I can keep it from happening to you.
   
   No joke: This guide devotes more time to reproducing non-player character profiles straight from the game's instruction manual than it does to boss-fighting tips. The Innocent Devil evolution charts are ridiculously primitive-looking and tricky to navigate, and the type is so small that you may need seeing-eye insects to read it for you. (You are familiar with seeing-eye insects, don't you? I understand they're a fad in Japan.)
   
   Here's the biggie: There's no stealing guide. None. At all. You'll get the occasional blurry screenshot of a purple bulls-eye in some of the one-page boss fight sections. But as for advice on when to block, when to jump and when to mash the circle button? I'm sorry, you must be thinking of GameFAQs.
   
   You people who've played this game, you know what a crushing failure this is. Ten straight minutes of trying to find a boss's opening, then another thirty trying to pull off the actual grab, is enough to make you want to headbutt Mr. Rogers' corpse. And if I hadn't seen someone steal from Death on YouTube, I'd have sworn it couldn't be done.
   
   I suspect they cheated somehow. They went back in time and worked some Game Shark wizardry before the codes had come out yet, and that's how they were able to print what monsters give you which items. It's the only reason I can think of why they wouldn't tell you how to do it all yourself.
   
   It would've been a much better deal if Brady had stapled together some cocktail napkins and sold them for $2.50. They could've rendered the official Konami artwork with crayons and sparkle glitter, and the strategy section would just say "avoid taking damage." After you beat the game, you could go out to Tony Roma's for ribs and use the napkins to clean up, which is way more useful than anything the $12 version does.
   
   This guide gets two stars from me simply because it points out some breakable walls on the area maps. Also, as bad as it is, it didn't infect me with smallpox.
   
   You, of course, may not be so lucky.

3 comments about Generous Jumble.

1. My parents are glad they came across Jumbles, which are word-unscrambling puzzles. They were dissatisfied with crosswords becaue these often reference cultural icons or authors outside their scope of interest. Jumbles involve less retained knowledge than they do very basic problem-solving skills. They are a bit like Sudoku in that way, and in our experience, have appealed to people across various levels of education. The cartoons included are pretty funny groaner puns with a mid-century sensibility. They beat today's buffet of cynical and unfunny comic fare hands down.



2. The big letters & squares in the book are perfect for my older parents. I gave it to them at Christmas. They both need glasses to help them see. It also will be a good pastime for them since they like doing the daily Jumbo puzzle in the paper.



3. Received this book-it's OK, not as much fun as the smaller(180) jumble books. Answers to jumbles seem kind of weird and don't make much sense. After I solve some of the puzzles(I'm just in the beginner's section), I'm scratching my head to understand some of the answers. It's OK, however, don't think I will purchase another book of this size.

1 comments about Super Paper Mario: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. Since Nintendo came out with the Wii last year, there have been a lot of good games for it like The Legend Of Zelda Twilight Princess. However, when it comes to maps and strategy guides, you can often find it as a hit or a miss for Third-Party companies like Prima with those guides. Especially with Nintendo's latest Mario adventure Super Paper Mario. Although the guide is sometimes handy, it just doesn't detail enough information from the maps, which at times makes it very frustraing to play on the Wii. I honestly suggest you get the Player's Guide Nintendo made instead. It might be a few bucks more, but it is much more worth getting, especially if you want to master Bowser and crew.
   
   Price: C
   
   Maps: D+
   
   Convience: C-
   
   Overall: C-

5 comments about God of War II Limited Edition Strategy Guide (Bradygames Strategy Guides) (Bradygames Strategy Guides).

1. The book is a great help to the gamer and the images are just breath taking. The concept art book is also great.



2. This book is great,also I bought the book for the previous game,however the book has become unglue.I am still happy with it.



3. It is great. The graphics go way beyond the first God of War. The Book gives you complete information & insight into the game. The walkthrough is awsome compared to other walkthrough's that I have seen. I would remand this Guide to any gamer that is looking for strategy not cheating!



4. Strategy Guide arrived in excellent condition and quality. Strategy Guide arrived in a very timely fashion.



5. The Strategy Guide, which includes a very stylish art cover only available in this edition, may be useful to finish the game, but the real trinket of this limited edition is the exclusive Art Book.
   
   I hope -at least when God of War III is released- that there will be a big hardcover 'Art of'-Book for the ingenious trilogy. Actually each installment of the series would be worthy of a hardcover Art Book.
   
   I can only recommend this edition!