5 comments about Okami Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)) (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. Brady Games makes horrible strategy guides. They omit things, and make everything confusing. This is the only exception.
   
   The Okami Strategy Guide is succinct, but provides all the information for everything in the game. The guide is almost as beautiful as the game.
   
   It's just a great guide for a great game.



2. I got this for my son and he was very happy with it. He said it helped him out alot in the game, and the product came very qickly..ty



3. This guide helps me out of any jam that the game gets me in
   Love it.



4. I wrote a separate review for the game where I recommended buying this guide as well. Our own copy of the guide has now plenty of dog-ears, the corners are faded, the pages are worn... all because it is so useful. I stopped playing the game early on because I couldnt figure out what all the fuss was about. I mean, the wolf was a goddess, ok and she had special powers and had a mission to fight evil, fine so far. But when I open up the weapons screen I was overwhelmed with the various options it presented. Not being too patient with such complications (Resident Evil 4 Weapons Screen was easy to figure out=) I stopped playing and ordered the guide.
   
   Unfortunately for me, my own elementary school daughter took an interest in the game and pored over the pages of the guide. she reads this anytime she has the chance which is good since she's reading anyway. she managed to finish the game 4 times with the guide's help.
   
   The guide itself is a veritable art collection! Not just the text but the art of the game itself. It is chuck full of information, tips and strategies that in some places the text had to be written in small characters just to fit the data. This is perhaps the only "con" of the guide for me. Still, the amount of information it contains would take a while to figure out if you played it on your own. I believe, we would miss many things in the game without the guide. To give you a perspective, Resident Evil 4 was difficult play but very easy to figure out what to do or where to go, for example. In Okami, you can spend a lot of time roaming around fighting enemies without advancing into the mission, although you will gain treasures defeating enemies.
   
   In Thankfully, everything is illustrated with art straight from the game itself.
   
   Highly recommended!



5. On the whole, this is a great guide. It is beautifully printed, chock full of all kinds of extra tidbits, and it will help you get through the game with all the stray beads and stuff you need to get all of the end of game extras. However, when it comes to the many creatures you will fight, no extra information is really given beyond boss fight strategies. It was useless for me to use the guide when trying to figure out how to deal with tougher regular monsters (like those hideous clay samurai), and I had to turn to the Internet for answers. The guide is also not very well organized. I missed most of the stray beads until the point of no return because many aren't mentioned during the main walkthrough, but only in a quick list at the back of the book. It only vaguely mentions where to find most of the feedable animals (and many are only mentioned in a useless list in the back).
   
   Also, be warned that like many Brady guides, this one is absolutely horrible about spoiling every last moment of the story except for the ending. It describes every scene and every event without warning and the way it is laid out it is almost impossible to avoid missing them.

2 comments about The New York Times Large-Print Crossword Puzzle Omnibus Volume 3 (New York Times Large Print Crossword Puzzle Omnibus).

1. 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 !!



2. Always entertaining, educational, and sometimes frustrating, but that's NOT the fault of the Times!

3 comments about Champions of Valor (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Setting).

1. Champions of Valor is the counterpart of Champions of Ruin, a Forgotten Realms supplement published by Wizards during the summer. Champions of Ruin is not needed to use this book, however.
   
   This book presents the reader with several options for valiant characters in the Forgotten Realms. New spells, feats, substitution levels, organisations are all included to give your character an edge.
   
   However, this book is something more than just "new rules for good characters". This book is only worth something if "you take it seriuosly", in other words, DMs should take care and require a considerable effort of role-playing from characters who use this book. Being valiant is not equal to getting a +2 sacred bonus on your AC, it means that you take part in an organisation, you help the poor, accept missions where you risk your life for free, etc.
   
   This book has much to offer for players, but also for DMs who wish to create a good aligned NPC. I would say it is mostly for experienced DMs and players, beginners should be cautious about incorporating the contents of this book into the game before getting at least some experience with role-playing.
   
   As usual for Forgotten Realms products, it is beautifully illustrated and edited. The cover picture is quite unique, I did not like the picture first, but now I think that it was a good choice to reflect the contents of the book.



2. I wanted to like this book, really. I thought it was supposed to be a Book of Exalted Deeds for the Forgotten Realms, sort of like how Champions of Ruin was a Book of Vile Darkness for the Realms. And surely, surely it'd have something usable for all classes, right?
   
   I was so completely and utterly wrong. I'm so glad this was purchased with a gift certificate.
   
   First, the introduction points out that it's for "valorous" heroes...not necessarily good, as they define "valorous" to mean "fights evil things", which can be stretched to include evil priests fighting other evil priests. Granted, there isn't much of that, but there's more about Neutral characters and organizations than I think appropriate.
   
   Second, while there is a great deal of useful information for paladins, I challenge you to find anything for a good rogue. At all. No feats, no substitution levels, nothing. It's terribly disappointing.
   
   Now, there are a few good things. There is a plethora of substitution levels, which are used to differentiate members of a class in an organization from those who aren't. This is a nice use of them, and it's a real shame that half of these are paladins of one form or another. The fluff's nice, and I hear a lot of people like the information on the various horse breeds in the back.
   
   On the other hand, this continues the use of the fat, bloated, 4-page prestige class format, as well as the fat, bloated, corpulent magic item description format. Because there's nothing more useful than two pages of history for a +3 outsider bane greatsword, and I just so need fully half of the prestige classes in the book devoted to characters with flying mounts.
   
   Bottom line, this has very limited utility and portability. It's great if you're playing a paladin in the Forgotten Realms who wants a flying mount, but if not, try and convince your friend to buy it. Don't waste your money.



3. Awesome book. I like the way it integrates some of the "Races of" races into the Faerun campaign. This was the 4th from the last book I needed to complete my Forgotten Realms campain collection. I ordered Champions of Ruin at the same time as this, so I only need two more books! I also like some of the valorious regional feats in the book.

1 comments about Weaving Country Baskets.

1. It's been years and years since I've made baskets. When I decided that I missed making them, I chose this book to help remind me "how-to" again! It's just what I needed!

5 comments about Sklansky on Poker.

1. I've probably read (and own) most of David Sklansky's poker books. I have never failed to learn something of value (usually a lot of value) from reading and studying one of his books. I recommend this one.



2. The only purpose of buying this is for the razz section. If you have read a number of other Sklansky books, a good portion of the advice given on poker in general you have seen before.
   
   There is extremely little published about razz that is available. This book, by far, is the most complete, even though the basic text is only about 60 pages after you subtract the problems and Q&A section. The discussion is more detailed and specific than what you'll read in the Michael Craig's FTP book interview with Ted Forrest and Huck Seed. It gives instruction on why and when to raise instead of call, as well as whether you should bet or check on each street.
   
   Even so, there are a number of things to would improve this text. More statistics on the chances of making a hand under certain conditions would help re-enforce the unsupported advice. For example, it would be helpful to players to understand that if they start with a three cards 8 or below, there's less than 50% chance of making their hand even when the cards are moderately favorable. The reason you look to muck on third street with three cards 8 or below if a lot of the cards you need are exposed is that this completion rate can drop to under 40% to make your hand. That puts you at a significant disadvantage to players whose cards are live.
   
   Information could be given on how to read hands. Yes, it is easier than in other games, but knowing the % chance of someone showing four cards 7 or below actually having a 7 high hand on sixth street is of value. A number of beginning players are unaware that the third highest card showing tells all of the other players what the best hand they could possibily have.
   
   While razz isn't the most difficult game to play, I believe that a full volume could be written. An good text would encourage more people to try it. With the increasing popularity of HORSE, many more people are looking to improve their razz game and would be delighted to have a more detailed source of information.



3. this is a collection of David Sklansky essays with a section on Razz.
   
   If you play me in Razz or HORSE do not buy this book.



4. The previous reviewer, Venice10, is right on target with a couple of statements. It IS surprising that there aren't some tables in the book which compare razz hands, according to the cards that are dead. Considering how math-based Sklansky's work is, it's strange that there aren't at least a couple of appendices at the end of the book for the more studious players. Still, this book is enough in itself to make you a winning razz player. In H.O.R.S.E. tournaments, this is a big advantage because you can pick up chips during the razz portion of the tournament from the clueless players. I like the Questions and Answers format, because it makes it easy for me to flashcard each concept and study it before bedtime every night. Like Venice10, I would like to see more good information on razz, but I don't think that'll happen since it's the Hold'em books that sell. Maybe it's best this way. One thing is for sure: if you understand the concepts in the book, you will make money at razz. The variance isn't too bad in this game, if you choose low-ante cash games. Today, there are a number of those to choose from online. As for razz tournaments, solid play will get you the money in the end. Sklansky's books will keep you from bleeding off money, unlike those players who don't read up on razz. And that's about 95% of them, I think.



5. With writings on razz few and far between, this book is a must read for anyone who plays HORSE. With the abundance of weak players across the internet and world in razz, you cost yourself money by not buying this book.
   The other ideas on holdem are concise and to the point, usually 3-4 pages a topic are great review especially if youve read theory of poker by david sklansky.

5 comments about Behind the 8-Ball: A Guide for Families of Gamblers.

1. I thought this book is one of the most thorough and helpful books regarding dealing with gambling addiction. It enlightens on how you can protect yourself from the throes of gambling. It provides information that will help you understand and deal with the illness. Excellent book!



2. This book is an excellent resource for family members in a variety of situations. Whether they are just starting to learn about gambling as an addiction and need to know what signs and symptoms to watch for or whether they are well beyond that stage and needing to know what to do with an early or later recovery family member this book provides a clear, easy to read resource that is a good adjuct to counselling, group work or even as a stand alone resource.



3. I'm struggling to get through this book. If you are looking for something positive to get yourself through a difficult time, this book is not for you. It does tell you what to look for and how to protect yourself, but does not instill any hope for a future for the compulsive gambler, whether you are staying with them or not. Again, if you are looking for hope, this book isn't it. All it does is leave you depressed.



4. This book is an excellent resource for an ever-growing problem in our society. It very effectively explores the origins, family responses, treatment, and prognosis for this form of addiction. It will help the spouse and family of an addicted gambler begin to understand and to get a grip on an addiction that has destoyed many families in recent times. It will give an understanding you may not find outside of a support group.



5. I am Clinical Psychologist who treats gambling addiction. This book is an important tool for spouses of gamblers who are starting to come to terms with the problem. As one prior reviewer noted, it does not provide false hope for families who are being destroyed by this difficult addiction. What it does to is help a spouse wake up to the reality that if the gambler does not stop their lives will be ruined as well as that of the gambler. Pathological gambling is a very treatable issue and most people that I have worked with get better, but it certainly is not a perfect line from wanting to get better to never gambling again. This book will help prepare the spouse (it is more for a spouse than a parent or sibling) for the worse-case out come. Strongly recommended.... Eric Geffner, Ph.D.
   www.stopgamblingnow.com

5 comments about Myst III: Exile: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.

1. Don't even waste your time getting this hint guide. The online/unofficial guides much more accurate and are always being updated



2. Won't you pleeease help me-....this book will get
   you going again!
   I was stuck in the game and so frustrated.
   Bought this... on Amazon and am enjoying the
   journey again.



3. My kids and I had to rely once or twice on cheats. The puzzles are not so hard - but there are some problems with not doing things in the "right" order in Exile. Online free sites provided the answers. The walkthroughs, like the one in this book, are empty and utterly spoil the game. Don't buy this book.



4. This book SAVED ME!!!! i am a BIG myst etc. fan. I think the puzzles in exile are harder than in riven or myst, so i was STUCK IN J'NANIN!!!! luckily, my dad bought this book! so I was saved. it's actually a very interesting book to read, weather you're on exile or not.



5. Came within a week after ordering in perfect condition.

5 comments about Tesuji.

1. The most valuable tesuji in this book are
   connection-making tesuji, and connection-breaking
   tesuji (at the 10kyu level, anyhow). If for some
   reason you have to choose between this book and
   'Life and Death', choose 'Life and Death'. If for
   some reason you have to choose between this book
   and 'In The Beginning', choose 'In the Beginning'.
   
   My thinking is that all of the books in this series
   are good, but that this book should come after
   'Life and Death' in the series as opposed to before
   it.



2. I am a 7kyu KGS/AGA (ranks are roughly the same) and recently bought and read this book. It took me about 6 hours to read/do all the problems but someone around 12kyu would probably take 8 to 10 hours. I believe reading it improved my play by about 1/2 of a stone but would improve a 12kyu by a full stone or possibly 2 stones.
   
   Reading through it at 7kyu, I found the problems good, though possibly on the easy side, and rarely needed to read the hints or explanations. The goal of each problem (such as "black to cut the white stones") is always amongst the 2 to 5 sentences of explanation which makes reading the book slightly annoying in sections I understand well (would be nice if the problem statement was also be below each board image).
   
   If you are in the 8kyu - 13kyu range you should definitely get this book as I believe it is the most efficient time per rank improvement book you can get. If you in the 5kyu - 8kyu range it will still improve your play enough to be worthwhile (though a lot will be solidifying ideas you already semi-know).
   
   Unlike a couple of the other reviews on here, I would not suggest starting this book if you are between 13kyu and 30kyu. I help many new players in my local club, and feel reasonably well qualified when I say the ideal range is 5kyu-13kyu. I often see newer players trying to read books slightly beyond what they can understand, thinking it will help them get better faster - it only ends up giving them more headaches and frustration and makes the time spent reading to rank improvement ratio very bad! Even if a 17kyu can struggle and eventually understand the problems he/she will probably not be able to implement it in a game.



3. This is one of the most important books that I read when I was learning go. After I read it, my strength instantly jumped by several stones.
   
   This book is all about local tactics. Tesuji are certain clever tricks for accomplishing various tactical goals. This book introduces the basic tesuji which are the foundation for becoming stronger at go. After reading this book, you will be armed with a slew of handy weapons for vanquishing your opponents, and the game will be much more fun than it was before.
   
   The book is well written and well organized. Each chapter is devoted to a particular tactical goal (e.g. cutting groups apart) and introduces several tesuji for accomplshing that goal. There are many good examples, and exercises with solutions, to help you master the techniques.
   
   If you're stronger than about 10 kyu, then you probably know most or all of this material (which is a testament to how essential it is), although if you're not too much stronger than 10 kyu then it might still be useful to read the book for review, do the problems for practice, and make sure there are no gaps in your knowledge. If you're weaker than around 15 kyu, then you are probably not yet ready for this book, but you should look forward to the time when you will be.



4. There are many aspects of the game of WeiQi/Go/Baduk and studying any of them will improve your game. Studying tesuji will deepen your tactical appreciation of the game and allow you to see many traps (to set and avoid). Studying Go strategy is akin to generalship, and stuying tesuji is like learning karate. The other aspects worth learning are some opening theory (or appreciation - the least understood part of the game), some joseki - local opening variations, life and death, and some endgame (the easiest part of the game). Of all the go books I have bought over the years, this one is one of the few I would not part with because it is helpful to re-read. Each section gives good examples and has problems allowing you to practice reading (visualizing the flow). Not for beginners.



5. After reading the reviews for this book, I was struck by the rating ranges that were being given. A word to the wise: what the specific ranges offered fail to mention is that given the way the book is organized, when you begin to look at a problem you already know: 1) the goal that is to be accomplished (frequently obvious but sometimes not), 2) that a tesuji can be found which will accomplish this goal, and 3) the particular type of tesuji to look for. My friends, that's a lot of hints, and accounts for the problems being fairly doable by those, say, in the 15-10 kyu range. Remove the problems from this context and they suddenly become quite a bit harder, as you might imagine. If you like, check out a few of the book's problems that have been put on [...] and you'll notice that they tend to cluster around the 5-3 kyu level. Don't be fooled - this is a substantial collection of problems that will probably be of use to anyone below 2 kyu.

3 comments about Shadows of the Last War (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Eberron Adventure).

1. While I have not yet run Shadows of the Last war with my PCs, I have looked over the adventure and found much of it to my likeing. The story line is continued relatively smoothly from the previous modual (Forgotten Forge), and a new group of foes for the adventurers are introduced, making for an exiting and well developed adventure. The adventure's primary merrit is, however, the sense of Eberon it imparts. With its technology like magics and cinamatic battle scenes, Shadows gives a DM wishing to learn a bit more about Eberon before writting his(or her) own adventures just the sort of model and set of possible adventure hooks one needs. In adition to this, I found the adventure easily modifiable, enabling me to edit out parts I did not particularly like and replace them with some of my own, with minimum difficulties. My one gripe concerning Shadows is the fact that the principle villians are not those implicated at the end of the Forgotten forge. While this is merely a matter of opinion, and I know that I said that the adition of the new enemies is an overal good touch, if I where a player, I would likely be somewhat dumfounded to discover that the oposition I faced in the last adventure is present only in the start of the modual (albeit in an exelently talored encounter). Over all, the Shadows is a great adventure for an Eberon campagn, and I recomend it to DMs in search of inspiration, bearing in mind that much of it may need to be tweeked in order to make it run best with your party.



2. If your new to Eberron as i was trust me theres no better way to meet this great new world than with this adventure!!!
   Your supose to go from 1st to like 4th level but we got to 5th so the next carry on adventure might be a little bit easy for us but in saying that there was only 3-4 of us playing most of the time.
   A few fights were probley a bit frigen harder than they have should have been but what do you exspect when you walk down the main road into a busted ass town thats the bad guys main base and start a fight!!!!!
   3rd level and had a CR8! But over all i had a great time roleplaying in this world and am looking forward to next week when we start the next Adventure!!!!



3. Definately a different kind of D&D Avdenture.
   
   Eberron is a breath of fresh air to the typical "Midevial Europe" D&D and give technology and such a twist.
   
   The adventure here was really good, up until the last part, part 5 where the charecters seemed to get railroaded a bit.
   
   But all-in-all a great adventure!

5 comments about World Trivia.

1. Q: Of the word's tallest waterfalls, five out of ten are in which country?
   Q: In which major city are goldfish tanks found in the front lobby of almost every office?
   
   These are the types of fun questions Michael Smith asks in his book World Trivia. This is not just a book about politics and geography, but also contains facts about culture and that makes it even more entertaining than knowing how many people live in a specific country. In one country, when the space is divided up the resulting space per person is rather surprising.
   
   Michael Smith's questions and answers are entertaining page after page and this gives insight into global culture. He loves to travel and has been to over 70 countries where he immerses himself in the culture of each country.
   
   Only the other day I was sitting in a Chinese restaurant telling my husband that a Chinese fortune cookie was invented in America. Right there on page 238 I see it is in fact true and was invented in Los Angeles.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review



2. This is a fun and informative book but there just isn't enough content to warrant its price. There is only one question on an entire page and the following page is the answer!! You are paying for lots of blank space on the pages with this book.



3. I loved the book. However, some of the pictures on the question page give a clue to the answer itself.



4. I was very dissapointed with this book. It is not worth the money if you really are looking to learn some world trivia. It would not even make a good reference book. To be honest I am not sure why Amazon even sells it, the content is very weak. Save your money buy something else, or go to the library. I can not even imagine what the publishers were thinking when they decided to publish this book, truly a dissapointment.



5. I purchased this book for an online group I moderate. The only gripes I've received from participants is that they are geographically inept and the questions make them feel dumb. However, they love the learning ability and we always get a kick out of the factoids and elaborations some answers are given. An example question:
   
   Q: which country's national sport is a competitive game between men on horses trying to drag a headless calf's carcass around an arena?
   
   While this might sound foreign to you, once you know the answer, you'd naturally like to know more about this strange sport. Not only does the book provide the answer, but it elaborates on how the sport is played; typical injuries; the variations to the sport; and the prizes given out to winners.
   
   Each question is on the odd-numbered pages; you turn the page to the next page for the answer. When its a geographical question, there is usually a map provided for context. There are also other drawings throughout the text.
   
   This is the perfect book for a trivia buff. That would be me, and I have thoroughly enjoyed learning trivia that is actually educational and useful.
   
   Answer to the question: Afghanistan.