3 comments about The New York Times Sunday Crossword Puzzles, Volume 25 (NY Times).

1. Interesting and challenging, with good themes, the 50 contemporary puzzles are what one hopes to find Sunday mornings. There are 50 old puzzles in the beginning of the book in chronological order from the l940's through the eighties, and the language and style in the earliest ones is unfamiliar and daunting. By working them from the latest back, I was able to learn a little as I went, and enjoyed them more. Overall, a good head rub.



2. Not really a review as such -- just a comment. Laughing hysterically over offer of "used" crossword book...hopefully they were done in pencil and come with a large eraser!!



3. I bought a BUNCH of these large print New York Times Crossword books for my Mom including this one. She was ardent about solving them and felt they helped her in maintaining her mental powers. I would have to agree on that. The large print really IS large and seemed too big to me at first but they were easier for her to savor and work on at her own pace. They also have puzzles you can subscribe to and receive through the mail. I was surprized and delighted during a visit to see that she and a friend worked on them together. They're a terrific resource for an aging parent and well worth the price for the stimulation !!
   P.S. Closer inspection of the seller's listings don't mention the books being written in so no eraser is necessary.

5 comments about Power of Faerun (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement).

1. It's unfortunate that I can only give this book one review, as I really feel like it's two different books; a solid one written by Mr. Boyd and a terrible one written by Mr. Greenwood. Those familiar with Mr. Greenwood's writing style will easily be able to pick out his contributions to this work. His prose jumps from one subject to another and back again repeatedly without ever seeming to get to the point; the end result is pages and pages of unreadable material that should be condensed to a much more useful handful of paragraphs.
   Lambasting Mr. Greenwood's style is anathema to most Realms fans, but I find that his work has become less and less creative over time; he rarely has anything new to say. I'm getting very tired of hidden caches of magical artifacts under every tree, ghosts of uber-powerful mages hiding in the walls of every inn, overly-buxom heroines who are very comfortable with their nakedness and who are unusually attracted to out of shape older men (wishful thinking, Ed?), and the plethora of other Realms cliches that Mr. Greenwood can't seem to let go.
   This book touches upon some roleplaying subjects (ruling a kingdom, running a mercantile empire, etc.) that could prove to be a lot of fun in some campaigns, but this book rarely made me feel like I needed it in order to explore these ideas. I did find the mercantile section and the frontier section better than the others, although as another poster alluded to, I wish that there were more Realms-specific plot hooks in the book. The courtly rule section was butchered particularly badly by Mr. Greenwood, which was unfortunate as that was the one that I was most looking forward to.
   All in all, I would say that Heroes of Battle does a much better job with the military stuff attempted in this book (this book references that work quite a bit, in fact), and Dungeon Master's Guide II gives a good presentation of how to deal with PCs getting involved in organizations (again, that book is referenced a lot in this one). This book feels like something that Ed really, really wanted to do, and the editors at Wizards finally just let him do it despite the fact that it's really a rehash of a lot of prior material that doesn't need to be presented separately in a Realms format. Most of it I could have come up with myself; I usually roll my eyes when people make that statement concerning RPG books, because usually I can at least get a lot of good plot hooks out of them, but in this case I really thought most of the book was worthless.



2. Very short review time. This book has NO CRUNCH. no prestige classes, no feats, no new spells. It does, however, have a lot of interesting information and tips on how to conduct an epic-level game in the land of Faerun.
   Not to say that the book isn't fascinating, but its about 8 light years away from what I've come to expect from Forgotten Realms supplements. Know what you're buying, and if you think this sort of thing might interest you then give it a whirl. I can't give it more than faint praise overall though.



3. Power of Faerun
   Written by Ed Greenwood and Eric L. Boyd
   Published by Wizards of the Coast
   www.wizards.com/forgottenrealms
   160 full color pages
   Hardback
   ISBN 10: 0-7869-3910-9
   $29.95
   
   Power of Faerun is devoted to bringing the game outside the dungeon and to the courts, churches and wilderness by focusing on areas of character growth that while involving power, often involve power of a sort not traditionally associated with Dungeons and Dragons characters.
   
   Ed Greenwood and Eric L. Boyd are two of the best scribes of Forgotten Realms material and while the game mechanics fall flat more often than not, thankfully the majority of the book is in the form of non-game mechanics with background details.
   
   Interior artists include Lucio Parrillo, who also handles the cover, as well as fan favorite William O'Connon along with others like Eric Deschamps, Francis Tsai and others. Kyle Hunter handles the cartography this time around and provides maps that are generally easy to read and easy to use.
   
   The graphic design, like most of the Forgotten Realms books, is top notch. The yellowed parchment pages still look great even years latter. Use of sidebars with darker yellow easily catch the eyes. Chapter titles are at the top of the page centered while on the bottom are page numbers. Layout is standard two-column format and makes good use of white space despite the page within a page design of the book.
   
   In terms of coverage, the book provides little bites on numerous areas. It starts off with wielding power in the courts and moves to the battlefield. From the battlefield to the churches. From the churches to the market. From the market to the wild frontier. From the frontier to patrolling the roads.
   
   Each section provides use of the Leadership feat as well as how to `play' that type of game. For example, when looking at Keep the Faith, information on what religious leaders do, as well as methods of daily worship, are provided. One nice resource is the listing of Faith Specific Prestige Classes in one spot.
   
   Notes on moving up the different ranks are included. Looking at the frontier section for example, provides information on being a vassal state or a fiefdom, how to hold a territory and how to fight off the various threats ranging from bandits and brigands to diseases and monsters.
   
   Each section has it's own maps and NPCs to help the GM use the material right away. If you wanted some sample frontier strongholds, you have Wolfwatch Manor and Stormhawk Keep, each mapped out with an overview and numbered with details. Stormhawk for example has fifteen different locations from the Foreyard to the Feasting Hall.
   
   The section on Play the Market provides Dabron Sashenstar, a high powered merchant prince and his unique mount as well as details on his challenge to the Iron Throne's hold on weapons trade in the Heartlands. A place where clever players can start with Dabron as a patron and perhaps move into their own efforts.
   
   
   My favorite part is probably the section on the market. When reading one of Raymond Feist's books, there was a whole section with the characters working the market and effecting change on the setting not through swords, but through trade. It's an area that despite six years of an open game license, has rarely, if ever, been detailed. The only weakness is that the section relies on the user have the Dungeon Master's Guide II as it uses the rules for running a business.
   
   From there it moves on to discussing challenges for high level characters. Some of these are obvious like working for or against deities. Regardless of character level, deities are often able to provide challenges. After deities the older dragons are another great adversary. The most interesting option for high level characters though, are other high level characters.
   
   This involves the most work on the GM's part while providing the most dangerous options. For some GM's, it's almost too easy to customize a villain to counter a player, especially a player whose ultra-specialized in one field. Have a fantastic ability to deal death with a greatsword but a terrible fortitude save? Have awesome abilities with fire magic but no enchantment? Still, the advice on using rivals is a good place to get ideas.
   
   Sometimes though, it's not the strength of an individual enemy, but rather, that enemy's horde that you have to worry about. Wizards of the Coast recently put their money where their mouth was with this idea and their adventure, The Red Hand of Doom, deals with adventurers fighting against humanoids and their masters, the dragons.
   
   In addition to details on different character options, details on the Border Kingdoms are included. The Border kingdoms fill a useful role in being a place that the GM can manipulate for his own use, much in the way a similar named kingdom in the Warhammer setting can be used. A place where characters should be able to make long term changes.
   
   Details are included for numerous parts of the land including Bedron, The Land of Two Princes, Owlhold and the Realm of the Ready Sword. Each section gets it's own brief details but is more or less there to provide the GM a place to put his own marker, much like say the Wilderlands of the old Judges Guild.
   
   The book closes off a bit weak with a section on how to rule. This includes expanded Leadership scores and rules for bringing in, and losing cohorts and followers. It's a solid chapter but could be used for any campaign as opposed to just a Forgotten Realms game. Included with the expanded chart for Epic Leadership, are feats to augment leadership such as, yes, Epic Leadership and Born Leaders, a feat that provides a bonus to your leadership score and a bonus to your Influence modifier.
   
   Power of Faerun is a solid book for any D&D campaign. While the specifics are Forgotten Realms, they can serve as examples for someone running a Greyhawk or Eberron game. The rules and methods of working for the church or fighting in the courts are often overlooked in the game and this book provides background information on ideas of what type of conflicts and rewards await those whose dungeon is a castle or cathedral.



4. not update info on the epic characters ofthe realms
   could have used some more umph like epic spells and the like



5. Ed Greenwood has lost whatever he might have had. The man is responsible for killing my interest in Forgotten Realms RPGs. He has turned magic into somethat that can be bought for a few pennies out of a vending machine. Everyone in the realms seems to have some uber powerful magical item to make free use of. The history of the place has been way over developed and the creatures that are running amok across the countryside, its amazing that there is anyone left alive, but then if someone does die no big deal, just raise them so death does not matter either. Also there are way to many gods, as pointed out in some other book its amazing there is not a god for dinnerware. Also I fully agree with previous article about the man being obsessed with naked women oddly attracted to fat bushy old men, I noticed that in Spellfire and he repeats it in every one he has written, is there one of the Seven Sisters that Elminster hasn't scored with?

2 comments about Sonic and the Secret Rings (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Although Sonic The Hedgehog has been one of the most loved video game characters since his debut back in 1991, there is absolutely yet to be a strateegy guide since Sonic Adventure DX that can display a definitive reflection through the maps and routes. For Sonic's latest adventure on the Wii, this guide doesn't hit the nail on the head. Sonic & The Secret Rings guide from Prima, doesn't display a lot to help you battle your way through each of the courses of the game. It is unfortunate, because the maps aren't as displayed vividly, and it doesn't actually pinpoint certain areas to help you find hidden items, and features to go against some of the bosses in the game. All in all, I really think Sega should've made the strategy guide themselves instead. The secret is I really don't suggest you get this if you get the game.
   
   Price: C-
   
   Convience: D
   
   Maps: C
   
   Overall: C-
   
   1,100th review!!!!



2. If you must know where everything is then this is a guide book for you. Prima does a great job and they even have a website available for updates to their books (do this if you like guidebooks and do MMO games).

5 comments about Scourge of the Howling Horde (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Adventure).

1. This is definately the funnest 1st level advenvture I've ever run as a DM. I'm new to the DM game, and I absoultely can not express how great it was to literally buy the adventure, pick everyone up, and start playing (all within a few hours). The format and monster tables are great, I really look forward to buying more of these adventures that cater to DMs that want to let their player have a great time, without 3 months of preparation for the campaign. 5 stars!



2. I have not been playing D&D for many years as I am rathe rnew at it but I was considered good enough to start DMing by my group. That being said this book was excellent in that it lays everything out very effectively and the adventure started within a few hours. My regular DM with years of experience was impressed with how good I ran the game and I could not have done that without this book making things much more simple for me. If you are brand new to being a DM or to D&D in general this is a great book. If you are a veteran of the game this book probobly will not be that beneficial to your campaign.



3. This like Howweling Horde. Is great for begginers,but it also can be used for those players who have been looking for a launching site for a campaigning group with moderate experince.



4. Scourge of the Howling Hordes marked my second attempt after a long period of time in running the game rather than just being a player for many years. And this is a good module for the beginning DM... whether they have many years of experience or are truely beginning. However, it does suffer from a couple of problems.
   
   1. Getting the party to the caves where the Horde is. As written, the townspeople aren't sure just where the attacks are coming from. Second, unless someone picks up on the trail from the initial ambush that is some distance out of town, it may be hard to get the party to go back to that point and investigate to get a lead on to the location. Possibly there should be a ranger or other woodsman connection in town that can give some guesses as to the location. Or a recent attack in the village that can serve as an in town jumping off point for finding the trail.
   
   2. The layout and tactics of the goblins are fairly well designed and laid out. The entrance to the complex might need further description as I had to come up with something that also made for some interesting plans as the party had to attempt to approach unseen as long as possible across a semi-open stretch of lightly forested land next to a cliff.
   
   3. The final encounter was a severe let-down. Its a wonder that the goblins ever accepted Noax as someone to be feared... even for them. There were several more difficult encounters through out the complex (either as written or through the use of tactics that caused the fight to become more difficult). The party had as much trouble with Noax as kicking a puppy. They almost felt sorry for how much of a push-over Noax was... This was in part because the module stresses warning the party what they are about to encounter in several ways and having them fully prepared to face Noax. Also, Noax chose his lair very poorly... which only made the party all the stronger against him. I feel that a modification in the lair and less warning would have made the encounter with Noax more of the climax it was supposed to be. Also, some way that Noax might have been able to better able to join in or in some way be a presence in other sections of the module would have been nice... some way to build him up to be something more important or dangerous. When running it, I did have Noax make a retalitory strike on the village after the party withdrew to heal and prepare for the next assault on the complex. However, even then, the best he was able to do was drop alchemist's fire on a house as his own abilities were too weak to really cause any real effect... though the party trying to figure out what happened in the absence of any tracks was somewhat interesting.
   
   So, while a good module and having a lot of nice points, it also misses some others. But then that is where the DM has to step in and make changes or come up with something.



5. First, just to be clear: if you have ever run D&D campaigns in the past, do not get this adventure. Contrary to the marketing, it is purely for first time DMs.
   
   And while I'm contradicting the marketing... this adventure has nothing to do with The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde. Do not buy Scourge of the Howling Horde if you're looking for an introduction to The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde. I fell for this, and was extremely annoyed.
   
   For experienced gamers, this adventure has little to offer. Aside from the simplistic concepts that even a novice DM could have created, there are significant gaps in logic that really ruin this for me. The final encounter is a great example, as was previously commented on. Another example is the hobgoblins wielding long swords and wearing studded leather armor, while in a chest (but only if they have the key to) are a magical long sword and magical studded leather armor.
   
   They may be hobgoblins, but they are not that stupid.
   
   There are additional issues, I am avoiding any spoilers in the players might take advantage of.

5 comments about Chrono Cross Official Strategy Guide.

1. Normally on my RPG games I like to play them through without the help of guides, but Chrono Cross is so non-linear and has such a wide base of characters there is no real way you could find many of the cool stuff in the game without this guide.

   Simply put, it's well laid out, as bright and colourful as the game itself, details where all the items are located, and gives advice on how to beat the more difficult bosses.

   Yes, you can complete the game without this, but you would most certainly miss out on a lot of awesome subquests, groovy characters, and very helpful items, you woulnd't want to do that now, would you?




2. ok this book is great help. It tells you how to get each charater and illstrates each one also. It's worth getting.



3. First of all, the game's layout is just beautiful. Lots of artwork, screenshots to help you out, and full-colour maps.

   The walkthrough is rather good, (even though you keep having to flip to the back for the maps) The boss tips are right on, and all the items you can find are listed as well as enemy info and pictures. Info on New Game+ is also included (though i did notice a few things missing..) Also, all the characters, the specials, and info on how to recruit them is listed flawlessly.

   This game isn't difficult (and a guide isn't needed to beat the game) but if you're a completist, and want to get everything there is to get in Chrono Cross, this guide has everything you need.




4. ~The guide is sufficient as it includes all the basics taht a guide should have. ... The guides also does not includes many important side quest things such as a list of monsters that can be mimicked. The guide also does a poor job of explaining some of the consequances of the choices you make. The maps in the guides are also annoying as they are located in the rear so you'll have to flip back and forth.~~ However this guide gives fairly good illustrations as well as complete list of charachters, their quests, items, elements, boss strategies and such. A def. buy if you really like the game and Def. superior to other bradygames guides (such as FFIX)~



5. You need to play it through at least once on your own. This book really ruined the game for me. I used it the first time through and all I did was look ahead to see what items were around, the bosses, and who I could get on my team. There was no mystery left in the game. By the time I finished I had gotten all the genies, weapons, and characters, so why play again? I think that you should play the game first without out it. Games are fun because you don't know what is going to happen. That is what creates the adventure.

5 comments about Vital Statistics: An Amazing Compendium of Factoids, Minutiae, and Random.

1. this is fun to read and an indispensable guide to minutiae
   loaded with entertaining chatter
   great for fans of trivial pursuits



2. I found Vital Statistics to be very addicting.... kind of like the potato chip ad "it's hard to read just one!" More than just a trivia book, the information is presented with the story behind the story, providing a wealth of interesting information you never knew. That's really why you get hooked. When you get to the end, the author lists his website address, which has even more Vital Statistics to keep you addicted.



3. This is the perfect book for bathroom reading.
   It's filled with tons and tons of interesting trivia.
   It covers tons of topics and is a lot of fun.



4. This book is absolutely brilliant. More than a bunch of random statistics thrown together, this book makes me laugh out loud multiple times per page. If the great content weren't enough, the juxtaposition of various stats is so clever. Case in point, something like "The percent of 70 year old men who say their wives are more beautiful than they were when first married - 74%. Next stat: The percent of 70 year old men who need glasses: 89%.
   Stuff like this is what the book is about - truly an impressive compendium, well delivered.
   I can only imagine what kind of work must have gone into writing such a book. As another reviewer wrote, this is the perfect bathroom book. Buy it - you won't regret it.



5. I have lots of trivia and "useless information" books, but this is my favorite for 2 main reasons--first, it is in alphabetical order by topic, from advertising to World Trade Center (9/11). Secondly, it presents the information in statistical format, so everything is in terms of superlatives or amounts: most, best, biggest, smallest, percentages, number, odds, etc. In addition, the author has researched every imaginable source for the facts on nearly every topic. For example, number of parking spaces in US (Kansas City Star); pairs of jeans owned by average American (Women's Wear Daily); most books written about a president (USA Today), etc. This book is great for lovers of trivia, statistics, and random information, as well as people with short attention spans. Only the footnotes are complete sentences, but You can easily read the 329-page book in one sitting. I highly recommend it.

5 comments about The Poker Face of Wall Street.

1. The book has some interesting stories and ideas but I didn't leave convinced of the connection between "investing" and poker. Maybe I had over inflated expectations, but this books title is a bit off-target.



2. In this unusual study, math geek and poker addict Aaron Brown uses royal flushes as a way to meditate on the oft-overlooked topic of financial risk. Poker and trading share many similarities, he argues, and you can apply similar skills and mindsets profitably to both endeavors. Brown travels from California card rooms to Texas back rooms to Yukon gold mining camps, with numerous stops on Wall Street and in the Ivy League. In lesser hands, such a far-reaching study would have lost focus, but Brown manages to keep making meaty points. Unlike the stereotypical quant, Brown writes clearly and gracefully, making his work rewarding to read. getAbstract recommends his book to investors seeking an edge in a risky world. Your deal.



3. I met Aaron at the U of Chicago, Finance PhD program, many years ago. I can honestly say that he's a saint and one of the smartest people I've met. Admiration aside, his book is interesting and full of insights because it's written from a broad perspective weaving history, games, risk-taking, and finance.
   
   At times, I wondered where Brown was going? But when I stepped back I realized that he is telling a story (of some of his life experiences) and sharing his perspective and insights with the readers, trying to help us understand issues that are difficult to put arms around. Just like in real life, where events meander and occur "randomly", and where we are left with just the experience and a revised perspective (appreciation) of how things are and how they work, Aaron gives the readers such a "painting".
   
   His book is artistic, analytical and full of insights. I highly recommend it. Today I discovered, Aaron (with two co-authors) has a book forthcoming, titled, "A World of Chance: Betting on Religon...." which I can't wait to read. I did some search on the Internet to see what other works he might have produced and I discovered a website eraider dot com, which lists many articles he has written in finance -- you too might enjoy reading his reviews and articles.



4. Wow, I never imagined such a link between poker and investing. Is my portfolio manager really just a gambler at heart? At first, that seems like a pretty scary thought. This book has a lot of great ideas in it, written by one of the masters of risk management and a legend in the field. I liked the book a lot and it really opened my eyes.



5. As a professional in the ETF business I highly recommend this book. Let's face it....Game theory is here to stay and Aaron's book details this very well. If you're planning on entering into the business of investments from Algorithms to Zeta Models....do yourself a favor and read this book... Aaron Brown's "The Poker Face of Wall Street" takes a dry subject matter and makes it fun and enjoyable. I'd like to see Aaron take on the boys from Susquehanna in a lil' five card. Game on-----

No comments about Second Person: Role-Playing and Story in Games and Playable Media.

5 comments about Character Development and Storytelling for Games (Game Development Series).

1. I've known Lee Sheldon for several years. He is one of the most pleasant and knowledgeable people I've met in the game industry, so I was very much looking forward to this book. Suffice it to say that I wasn't disappointed.
   
   Writing for games has a lot in common with writing for other media (e.g., character and theme) and a lot that is unique to itself. Lee does an excellent job of covering both aspects - so much so that I would recommend this book to writers with absolutely no interest in interactive media. (I've read my share of writing books over the years, and this one stands at the top of the heap.)
   
   Of particular interest to me were chapters 3-6 on character and chapter 14 on modular storytelling, the most elegant way I've seen of organizing a linear experience into a non-linear structure. The book also does an excellent job of discussing storytelling in massively multiplayer games and provides extensive background material, much of which is intended to set up and justify Lee's modular storytelling model - rather more background than necessary, actually, since you should be sold on the need for something like modular storytelling long before he gets around to explaining it.
   
   The book's does have a few faults. For example, a couple of the later chapters feel out of place, and the text is dusted with a handful of puzzling and sometimes repeated typos (Eowen? Kalishnakov?) But these are of little consequence and should not detract from your enjoyment.
   
   Highly recommended.



2. I really enjoyed this book, and I think it's definitely worth considering if you're interested in how stories can be told in video games. I've bought plenty of books about video game design and storytelling. (I'm a programmer who's been making video games professionally for about 10 years -- I wish more people would include their personalbackground in their book reviews...) Some books on game design are written by people who obviously have more "static media" backgrounds like books or movies, and don't understand the fundamental problem of making a story in a situation where the audience has freedom to do what they want. Another problem that a lot of people don't understand is that people playing a video game don't necessarily WANT a story, in the sense that they are playing a video game because of the interactivity, and not to watch a 10 minute cutscene to learn some back story. If they wanted to watch a movie they'd pop in a DVD.
   
   I think the author really understands these difficulties. You want to make an emmersive worl, but you need to do it very quickly. So he talks about dialog, and how to convey as much information as possible in as few words as possible. He talks about how to get the player to sympathize with a chaacter, from the situation that characetr is in, to the design of the character art, to the words that the character says. All of the information is very practical, not like some books that leave you with a bunch of high-level nonsense that doesn't work in a real game. I really appreciated that he wasn't one of these "video games are mindless because they don't tell a story" type of guys. Or acting as if video games need to learn how to tell a story in order to "grow up" like movies or TV have. In a straight up action game or fighter, you don't need as much of a story as you do in a more adventure game. Playing a video game is a just a different experience, and the story has a different role, it's NOT the holy grail like some people think. Rather than trying to tell you how to convert video games into novels, he describe ways that you can inject story without taking away from the inetraction. I think he makes a good case that in almost any game, you can introduce just a bit of characetr depth and relationships, without stopping for a ten minute cutscene, and it adds value to the game.
   
   This author's background was originally in TV, but he also has considerable experience in video games. I felt like he has a good background to be writing the book, and was speaking from experience.
   
   The only negative comment about the book is that I found several of the chapters to be very similar. Like you'd be reading a chapter, and you'd think, "Hey, didn't I just read this exact same thing a few chapters ago?" Actually, you didn't, this chapter is covering a very slightly different topic. In other words, I think he could have consolidated a few chapters, which would have saved me some time. I suppose this makes it easier to jump around, since you don't rely on information from previous chapters. But I found it a little repetitive.
   
   All in all, a really good book for anybody interested in video game design or storytelling in general.



3. I am working on forming a game development studio, and our team is in the middle of producing our flagship title, an RPG entitled "Revolution's Dawn." I am the main writer of the script, and I just recently finished reading this book. Where I thought my duties as a writer were finished, I now see new openings to provide dialogue and sidequests to fill in the backstory, plot gaps, and other means of enrichment that I didn't see before. Because of having read this book, my team and I can now take this game and bring it into the realm of what we intended it to be-a vehicle for telling a story.
   
   While the title of the book is "Character Development and Storytelling for Games," the book really focuses more heavily on the latter. I was expecting the former, but by no means am I complaining! I have been able to break through blocks in my own role as a writer for this project.
   
   If you are looking for the "right" way to write your story, you won't find it here. What this book does instead is to open doors, and then let you decide whether to walk through them or not. And even then, you still have to choose for yourself what to do once you've walked through them. If you are looking for new openings in crafting your game _and_ writing your story(and synthesizing them both together), this is the book for you.



4. This book is excellent. Sheldon is witty and insightful and his book is a joy to read. I can't really think of anything negative to say, although I should perhaps mention that this book is pretty focused on RPGs and adventure games, since these are the genres which have traditionally relied most on story. Anyone interested in developing their understanding of storytelling in games should definitely pick this book up.



5. Cons: The book seemed slightly long for what it was, kept reusing the same semi-obscure examples from the writer's experience, and didn't always go in the directions I wanted it to go (for example more detail on world building, settings, or individual story scenes would have been appreciated).
   
   Pros: It didn't matter that it didn't go where I wanted it because it was still very entertaining and unexpectedly beneficial to follow the writer on his path. The book is solid from start to finish and doesn't have a false air of superiority about it; everything is very practical and friendly. Definitely a good read that rewards the effort.

No comments about Brain Building Games: With Words and Numbers.