3 comments about Crafting Wood Logic Puzzles: 18 Three-dimensional Games for the Hands and Mind.

1. I have made 5 of the 18 puzzles out of this book, but have found 3 mistakes in the book. So you need to be smarter then the author of the book to figure out the mistakes. I enjoyed the book and like the puzzles. The book just needs to be updated and mistakes fixed.



2. This is a really great book. It has plans for a couple of sleds for the table saw and 18 puzzles. It has materials lists, easy to use instructions with solutions to all puzzles and lots of helpful tips. Highly Recommended.



3. This book has proved to provide both interesting and in some cases challenging wood working exercises.
   
   The resulting puzzles are a big hit with friends and family - the hints for presents are mounting.
   
   Its also a great way to use up all those scraps of wood I've been hording but haven't been able to use.

5 comments about Back to Basics: Tactics (ChessCafe Back to Basics Chess).

1. I'm around a 1200-1400 player trying to improve. Most chess books are unfortunately excruciating to read. With the exception of Logical Chess : Move by Move, most books are a chore to sit through. I've had a few other books on tactics, but just working through problem after problem with no explanation gets old fast. "Why is the move that I thought about a bad one?" "Doesn't this move win as well?" "What are the basic patterns of a certain mate or tactic?" These are all questions that most of the books don't answer, but Heisman's book does! There's text and even essays on certain themes and tactics, to make sure that you understand what they are and how to use them. This book includes Double threats vs double attacks, opening traps, checkmates, defensive tactics, how to avoid tactical self destruction, as well as the usual removal of the guard, forks, skewers, pins, discovered checks, and trapped pieces. It's all there with more than adequate explanations ,as well as helpful tips and mini articles scattered throughout. This is definitely easy to read and that makes a huge difference. It doesn't matter if a book has 10 million problems if it bores you to tears going through it because you'll never pick it up. I'll be lloking for some more Heisman books later on. Great work !



2. I am relatively new to chess study, and found most puzzle books just a little too hard to really deal with. I bought the Reinfeld books and just felt lost.
   
   Then I saw a review of this book and decided to give it a go. MAN, has it helped me. Heisman gives a wonderful primer on each type of tactic complete with a section of puzzles just on that tactic. Then he goes into a section of checkmates, and a wonderful (and difficult) section on defensive tactics.
   
   Finally he wraps it up with a long section of puzzles that cover all the various subjects in the book. This is a wonderful book for those who are new to chess tactics and feel a little overwhelmed by the various puzzle books. I know the book is working because while going through this book I would get one of my Reinfeld books and open to a random puzzle and more times than not be able to solve it! Before, I was just staring cluelessly at the Reinfeld puzzles.
   
   This a great book written by someone who takes education very seriously! Highly recommended for those who need work on basic tactical understanding.



3. My rating is just above 1000 and this book has perfectly organized presentation on the common tactical techniques that I need to improve my mid-game. It may be too basic for 1500-rated players, but for me it is the best chess book I have ever read.



4. I was familiar with Dan Heisman's articles on a popular website, but this is the first book of his that I've come across. Like his articles, it is intended for chess players from beginner to average club level. Also like his articles, it is characterized by clear and logical writing, with well chosen content reflecting his vast experience as a chess teacher. One of the things that separate this book from other tactical books is that it covers what Heisman calls the Counting tactic. This refers to positions where a piece is attacked and defended a number of times, and the player must count whether a sequence of captures leads to a net material gain. It also covers the possibility that the defense is inadequate due to defending pieces being more valuable than the capturing pieces. For a lot of the kids I coach, this is one of the main tactical issues they face in every game.



5. As a USCF 1790-rated player, i bought this book for a quick tactics refresher. I read the book, solving all the puzzles in a few days (while noting major errors on examples 2-70 [1...Kh3] and 2-120 [1.Ne4#]) The #1 greatest tactics primer is still the immensely enjoyable book, Winning Chess: How To See Three Moves Ahead. This book by Heisman not as enjoyable, but a bit easier and therefore perhaps an even better starting point than "Winning Chess". Also worthy is Chess Tactics (Batsford Chess Book).
   
   Especially valuable for the improving player are Heisman's early sections on "counting" and piece safety, because proper evaluation of a tactic is impossible without accurately tallying the "body count" of a series of exchanges. (while being mindful of any "zwischenzug", of course!) The only other book that competently covers "counting" ideas is the VASTLY underrated Lasker's Manual of Chess, though Lasker labels the idea something else that escapes me at the moment.
   
   Make no mistake, B2B:T is about how to win material. There were times when i would think twice about snagging a certain pawn because i imagined it would grant the opponent some sort of extra piece activity (counterplay), but on checking the answer i saw that Heisman's comment was only, "wins a pawn." That is probably well enough, as the book's intended audience is usually afraid of phantom threats when they ought to simply win the material, and usually in a game i'd probably end up taking the pawn anyway. There is a short section on checkmates, but it is insufficient in itself. You will NEED The Art of the Checkmate and (secondarily) How to Beat Your Dad at Chess (Gambit Chess) to complete your basic study of checkmates.
   
   This book is full of practical pointers and wisdom, many of which go a long way toward instilling objectivity in a player rather than emotions like hope, fear, greed, overconfidence which invariably spell poor results at *any* level.
   
   This is a solid & worthy 4-star book for its stated audience (under 1500). Higher-rated players can read it with very little time investment (while unfortunately paying the same purchase price), so the book can benefit a wide range of players.

5 comments about Big Book of Blackjack.

1. 
   Ok, so you think you have read all the books on BJ and now you are all that.
   
   Well, think again. If you have not at least peeped out the first six chapters of the Big Book of BlackJack you are not all that. As a fool who has read more than his fair share of blackjack books I figured that this book would be more of the same. Blackjack starting at Thorp and ending in some half assed explanations of advanced techniques. Well, I was way wrong. In the Big Book of Blackjack Thorp doesn't even appear until chapter three. Have you ever wondered where our beloved games origins are really from? I have for one have often wondered about this very question and to my surprise Arnold has done some great research for us and given us many facts and clues to the origins of the game we all love. I am not going to spill the beans so to speak but I feel very educated as to the who and where in days of past our game stems from due to reading the history section of the book.
   
   You learn about vingt-un and also some of the early players of the game from Napoleon to Madame Mustache. Ok, knowing the history of the origins of the game isn't going to make you a master advantage player but it is very interesting to say the least. Like they say you don't know who you are until you look into your past and if you are or hope to be an advantage player this is your past.
   
   Of course none of the modern history of Thorp is discounted or dismissed. The book just shows us that there is more to the story than just Thorp. A lot of positive things were taking place pre-Thorp. The way the book gives this history is awesome for the fact that it sheds great light on the reasons as to why many of the modern greats are greats. It's all tied together in the end on the chapter on the blackjack hall of famers. For example, the modern history lesson of hall of famers shows how Ken Uston may have been a great hype man but that Al Francesco is really the man. Anyone who could be stabbed in the back like that and not be a drama queen is very commendable.
   
   The Big Book goes on to explain the basics, card counting, how to beat side bets, and other advanced techniques. I also enjoyed the chapter on the hall of famers. (too bad James Grosjean didn't make it in the book). What ever your level of play or knowledge this book should be a definite addition to your library.
   
   There are so many books out on BJ that it is mind boggling. I'm not trying to be a shill or anything but I truly recommend this book to players of all levels because it truly has info that you can't find in any other BJ books.



2. As a professional gambler and writer (Casino Gambling for Fun and Profit:Second Edition), I have been aware for many years of the Blackjack expertise of Arnold Snyder. Today, with the constant shuffling machines and 6/5 blackjack play, it is more important than ever to your wallet or purse to play in top form. Arnold Snyder can help you achieve just that in his Big Book of Blackjack.
   
   J. Edward Crowder, Ph.D.



3. I was given this book as a gift and had very little interest in Blackjack, but by the time I finished reading it, I was hooked. This book gives an amazingly interesting and complete history of the game, from its very beginnings. So many things were in this book that I have since not been able to find as complete anywhere. Arnold Snyder seems like the authority on the subject and must have done a good amount of research and/or collecting to compile all this information.
   
   Along with the history, it also shows how to play, different variations, and tons of things I didn't expect at all. I learned to play blackjack from this book and it was a great teacher, though I recommend it more for the history aspects. This book is absolutely invaluable and should be on any blackjack player, fan, or fanatic's bookshelf.



4. I haven't finished this book yet, but I read the first half and decided to look towards the end for something I might find interesting. Arnold's message in the end is truly inspiring provides a perspective that is truly valuable if you plan on being successful BlackJack Player. Reading through the pages, this book goes detail to detail with interesting side-stories of legends in the game. Must buy if you want to learn, "Information is money. More information is more money".



5. Just about the entire book deals with
   the history, casinos, terminology, side
   bets, and the like. Fortunately there
   is some info on basic strategy and an
   unbalanced count, but don't expect this
   book to prepare you to take on the casinos.
   An interesting read for those with a
   passing interest in BJ, or for a brand
   new student of the game.

1 comments about A Spanish Repertoire for Black.

1. I've got a lot of opening books, but none like this.
   
   Marin's Beating the Open Games, and A Spanish Opening Repertoire for black combine the best features of an informant encyclopedia style layout, and English descriptions of the concepts.
   
   Each variation is summarized at the end of every chapter in an Informant Encyclopedia type layout. The notes on the moves are in English and offer far more explanation than someone would get from an Informant Encyclopedia. In addition, the main concepts are shown using games and verbal explanations prior to the Encyclopedic layout at the end of the chapter.
   
   Amazingly, no one else has ever organized an opening book this way. It's always been one or the other. Games with notes, or Informant like dumps with symbols.
   
   Both books are essentially repertoire books for Black, but players on the White side will get some benefit as well. I'm sure a lot of these lines will start showing up in tournaments in the future.
   
   For the main line of the Ruy Lopez (Spanish Opening), Marin offers two systems for Black, The Rubenstein system or the Petrosion system, so don't expect to learn the Marshall attack. Even if you have no desire to play the main-lines that Marin offers, this book has the best analysis available for a lot of sidelines White can throw at you.
   
   I actually switched my repertoire from the Sicilian (1.e4 c5) to 1.e4 e5 temporarily because of Marin's two books. They offered a simple and effective way for me to initially study that line of play without having to refer to a lot of other sources. I wasn't completely happy with using his Rubenstein recommendations however. I'll probably try the Petrosian system next, or perhaps find something that covers the Marshall attack to complement Marin's analysis.
   
   I believe these books are probably effective for anyone rated from 1400 on up to even Grandmaster. The concise Informant like tables that document the lines at the end of each chapter will appeal to stronger players and the early chapter explanations with sample games are good for anyone learning the opening.
   
   
   

5 comments about The Fallen Fortress (Forgotten Realms: The Cleric Quintet, Book 4).

1. This, the fourth book, in Salvatore's "Cleric's Quintet," is probably the worst novel in the five book series. There were a few promising ideas that could have been developed more but alas, no such luck. This book is meant to be the climax of the story, which resolves around the plans of Castle Trinity to conquer part of the Realms.

   Cadderly, the lead character, becomes more and more powerful with each passing page. His development seems to have been arrested and I found him less interesting than in the previous books. In "Canticle" (which I've reviewed), Cadderly was inexperienced and he depended on his friends to help him. He also had several internal struggles that gave him some depth. However, here, Cadderly seems to be able to overcome any obstacle with little trouble.

   The story development leaves something to be desired as well. Salvatore brings back one of the interesting villains from a previous book ("Nightmasks") and then dispatches him without so much as the villain facing off against Cadderly. Other reviewers have mentioned this and I have to find myself agreeing with them. Cadderly's incredible and frequent use of magic becomes something of deus ex machina. There are supposed to be limits on what magic (i.e. power) can accomplish and it seems something of the balance was lost here. It is a pitfall that every fantasy author must always attempt to steer clear off.

   There is one development in this book that hints at what will happen to the Edificant Library (a bastion of priests and good gods) in the following novel. I don't want to say anymore on that note for fear of spoiling the plot.

   Please refer to my review of all the other novels in this series.




2. I will give this book all my 5 stars and highest compliments, I hope any of you who have followed the series enough so far didn't get off course with the horrible reivews people have put in, this book is by far one of the greatest in this series, the series is great the characters are well developed and they do continue to develop unlike what other people have been saying, this book is basically the climax to everything in Castle Trinity and it couldn't have been done better, yes it's hack and slash but it's good hack and slash and the climax was worth the fun reading, you are perhaps expecting a Luke Skywalker thing with Cadderly and Aballister but I will tell you now that the father and son rival thing was done well by salvatore and the ending to this book was great, this book is my second favorite book in my favorite series by Salvatore and I know that if you give the book a chance you will find that there are more exciting things to Salvatore then Dark Elves! I give this book and series 5 stars because it deserves it and I will gladly defend the book in anyway if an argument comes up, read this book my friends and I promise the people who have found this series fun so far that this climax will not disappoint you.



3. Considering that this is my first Cleric Quintet book that I have read (let alone the first experience with R.A. Salvatore's work), I found this little gem entertaining. The Fallen Fortress falls in line with the genre of RPG novels, but Mr. Salvatore's flair for comic relief (a green bearded dwarf named "Pikel") has forced me to put the book down a few times - from laughing.
   
   I was slightly disappointed by the length of the book, only because the literature was so enjoyable, I wanted more! But hey, there's a lot more where that came from. R.A. Salvatore is reknown for his numerous quality works.
   
   4 Stars. I'd probably give it 5 if was a wee bit longer.



4. While I enjoyed the premise, improved villians, and character development during the first 3 novels in this series, I found myself unable finish the 4th, as Cadderly has grown from a talented but sorely inexperienced initiate of Deneir to a virtual demigod.
   
   The attaction of Cadderly to me was the idea of a heroic character who survived as much on wits, intelligence, and able teamwork as overpowering force. And while this often held true through the initial books in this series, Cadderly is a one man wreaking crew here, his otherwise potent companions often serving as little more than conversation pieces and humour devices. Ancient red dragons, interplanar beings, arch magicians, the outcome of any encounter is never in doubt. Honestly, the only apparent way to defeat Cadderly is to gag him. While others may appreciate a seemingly omnipotent hero, I was gradually left without any feeling of suspense, and ultimately a lack of any interest to continue reading.



5. Salvatore brings us the 4th in the Cleric Quintet, delving into the world of Cadderly (the main character, a cleric of Deneir), Danica (a warrior monk, Cadderly's lover), and Ivan and Pikel Bouldershoulder (dwarven brothers, one of whom wishes, impossibly, to become a druid).
   
   Cadderly has at last come to trust in his deity, drawing strength from his faith, and is growing stronger in his clerical powers. Yet he knows, after the attack of the dreaded Night Masks in the prior novel, that the threat posed by the evil Castle Trinity is far from over. He reaches the conclusion that he must attempt to destroy Castle Trinity, unwittingly drawing him ever closer to an inevitable confrontation with the leader of the evil group, who Cadderly does not realize is his father.
   
   My only sore point with the series is Cadderly's rise to power, turning into some near-invincible demi-god. True, he does get into some dangerous battles, yet you never get the impression that he's ever in any danger of being killed, that Deneir will always save him. Still, I did enjoy Salvatore's explanation of priestly magic, and answer the question of how a battle between a cleric and a wizard would go!
   
   On the whole, it was enjoyable, and I recommend the book. Salvatore brings to life engaging characters, details well the fight scenes, and laces the story with enough intrigue to keep you turning the pages at a fair clip.

2 comments about 1000 Best Casino Gambling Secrets (1000 Best).

1. Bought this book on the recommendation of Frank Schoebete (not sure this is the correct spelling of his last name), who is a gambling authority who said in his online newsletter column that this was one of, if not the only such type book he would recommend.



2. for an absolute beginner or for a seasoned gambler, this book is easy to understand and is full of useful tips. the book is written in a numbered order 1 - 1000, with the tips broken down into chapters or sections pertaining to each facet of the gaming industry. I found myself reading this book two times over trying to remember as many tips as I could. A must for any first time casino tripper!

5 comments about Assassin's Creed Limited Edition Bundle: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. It's awesome. The art book have a lot of pictures and they are very good.
   In other hand, I've already finished the game so I haven't read the guide very carefully but I have seen it and looks great



2. Just as promised. Perfect and in time to make a boy very happy at Christmas.



3. To put it short. This limited edition bundle/guide was worth it. Since I am a fan of video game art, and since this product included a detailed strategy guide with it, it was a steal for me.



4. A complete storyline of the game itself, pictures and a full book of photos from each of the developers, strong construction, easy to read!



5. I bought this at Gamestop for $35.00 and it was still worth it. Fans of the game, especially those into art/concept art would surely enjoy it as much as I did. The art book is about 150 pages and filled with wonderfully detailed paintings and computer renderings of Altaïr, the Assassins, Templars and cityfolk as well as the cities of Masyaf, Acre, Jerusalem and Damascus. Commentary of those who worked on the project is in the artbook too, giving light to things not often noticed and explaining the details behind the designs.
   
   The lithograph is glossy and about postcard sized. The art in the book is much better. Enough said. As far as I can tell, the Hidden Blade is NOT on the wrong hand, he is facing the viewer so the orientation is reversed. (Think looking in a mirror)
   
   The game guide spends an entire chapter on combat schematics/ interpreting guard and civilian reactions alone. A paragraph or so biography of all of the main characters is included as well as Maps containing the locations of flags and view points and screenshots showing Templars and ways to deal them. A step-by-step guide to each of the cities and their districts is followed by a walkthrough of the memory blocks, with tips, cautions and alerts to plot details easily missed throughout. X-box 360 Achievements are listed in the back. They also give you a very rippable map of the Holy Land attached to the guide, which I would highly recommend taking out with scissors.
   
   Overall, a 5/5 for extra content, great details and value.

3 comments about Dragons of Eberron (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Eberron Setting).

1. Dragons of Eberron is a nice addition to the campaign setting. In my mind, it should appeal primarily to Eberron DMs (especially those running a higher level game) and anyone eager to devour the settings lore. It contains little in the way of new monsters, feats, items, or prestige classes. While some DMs might take advantage of the numerous maps or statted out dragons, I think the book as a whole would not be very useful for the generic D&D and player.
   
   As the title implies, if you are interested in the dragons of Eberron then the book is for you. It is well written and contains lots of useful insight and information. It covers the outlook and culture of dragons in general, the mysterious draconic continent of Argonessen, and details many dragons found in other parts of the world.
   
   Of course, the pending release of fourth edition D&D may make some gamers understandably hesitant to buy 3.5 edition products. However, if you are planning to run Eberron in 4E I think this book could still be a valuable source of information. Of course, the stat blocks of specific dragons will probably be (more or less) obsolete but much of the book contains detailed lore and descriptions that will be useful reguardless of the rules set.
   
   Overall I give this book a rating of 4 stars. It is well worth getting if you are interested in the subject matter and want to use dragons in your Eberron game; however it is only of limited utility to generic D&D players.



2. If you answered "Yes!" to those questions, then this is for you.
   
   Now, if you're looking for a bunch of high-powered dragon magics tailored to Eberron, then this isn't your book. This book is more reading than number-crunching. This book is great for those wanting to explore the various aspects of Eberron mythology, and this is the definitive source for dragon mythology in Eberron.
   
   If you're worried about buying 3.5 books only to have 4th edition make them obsolete next year, no worries! This book was made with 4th edition in mind, so its rules are made to be easily translated for both editions (it includes the DnDInsider logo which represents this).



3. This book does exactly what it's supposed to; gives interesting information about the dragons that inhabit Eberron, not just the one living in the secluded continent of Argonesson. Inside are a number of NPCs that make good patrons, allies, villains, and epic-level NPCs for each continent. The book is light on the crunch side, so players looking for new character options might want to stick to Dragon Magic (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)or Races of the Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement). For DMs, it's a perfect resource for those wanting to add a little more Dragon to go with their Dungeon.

5 comments about Mathematics for 3D Game Programming and Computer Graphics, Second Edition (Game Development Series).

1. This book is great for anyone interested in computer graphics. Even for people who do not have a lot of math/graphics experience, this book starts you off with the basics of vectors and matrices and has exercises/solutions for each chapter. It saves you the time of looking through your old linear algebra and differential equation math books and contains the must know information you will use as a graphics programmer.



2. 
   As a professional 3D graphics programmer, I can not stress enough the quality of this book. This book covers 3D math fundamentals, algorithms, and it is complete with easy to understand (!) proofs. The math is difficult because there is so many problems to be solved in 3D (and they draw from many different branches of mathematics), but it is written in such a clear way that every topic is made approachable. Unlike esoteric Ph. D papers, you aren't assumed to have any specific knowledge of math idioms or jargon. You simply need a decent grasp of college calculus and trigonometry to make the most of it. There are a few samples too to test your knowledge.
   
   Expect to spend at least a solid year to really make the use of this book. Treat it as you would a two - three semester course in college. During this process, you'll find yourself occasionally wanting to get more practice and referring to a respective book on it.
   
   If you could only own two books for 3D programming, buy this first and buy Ericson's book on collision detection next.
   
   In summary, Eric Lengyel's attention to detail and mastery of 3D math / algorithms really shines and this book is an example of it.



3. the second edition brings a new chapter on the graphics pipeline. Well done, except that it is extremely obscure, for those who already understood the arcanes of the graphics pipeline.
   Chapter 5 on "ray tracing": 6 pages on root finding of quadratic, cubic and quartic polynomials;
   to compare with Chapter 7: "Visibility determination": The spatial partitioning deserves solely 4 pages.
   What's the point on dwelling so much on something that is trivial and botching something that is hard to grasp and of paramount importance ?



4. I have personally used the C4 game engine (which is the commercial game engine developed by the author of this book), and can attest to its high quality. The engine is top notch, and so is this book.
   
   This book is exactly what you'd expect - a description of the math involved in game (and especially graphics) development. It also includes a fair amount of additional content (not necessarily math-related, such as a description of the stencil shadowing algorithm).
   
   The book is well-written, and does a good job of presenting fairly complex subject matter in a straight-forward manner. This is currently my favourite text book.



5. I was disappointed in how little explanations were included in this math book. It seemed more like a dictionary. It was as if someone listed all the math concepts that could be included and then put the list into a hard cover binder.
   I did read some of the other reviews thinking I had missed something. One suggested spending a year on the book. But there is so little there. My college book on linear algebra did a much better job of explaining the material. Theorems were explained, samples worked out and 10 to 20 problems were given at the end of each section. This book as 50 problems for the entire book. This book spends eight pages on quaternions. Studying these pages over an extended period of time would not give the understanding you could get from a book like Kuipers' Quaternions and Rotation Sequences. It took 75 pages but one is able to understand the system and how it relates to game programming.
   With all the colleges now offering game programming degrees, their must be a book written by someone who is use to explaining the material. That person would know the best way to present the material and could anticipate questions and include the answers in his or her explanations.

5 comments about Easy Machine Paper Piecing.

1. First book I got on paper foundation...and will probably be the best one! Easy to follow instructions, and the BEST patterns! Carol really makes it easy to learn and do this type of quilting.



2. I found this to be a great beginner book. I took a class in paper piecing and used this book many times to cement the procedure in my head.
   I highly recommend having this book in your quilting library.



3. If you have wanted to learn to paper piecing, this book will show you how. It's very easy to understand.



4. If you are a first-time paper piecer, as I am, this is not the book for you.
   
   The book is pretty inside. It gives great ideas on how to change colors around, so the same pattern can look vastly different, just with the rearrangement of or choice of different colors.
   
   It's got patterns. That's good.
   
   But for a first-time paper piercer, who is learning HOW to do it, this is not for you.
   
   First, the title tells me that this is about paper piecing, obviously. So I would expect a review of, at the front of the book, what KIND of paper to use. Go ahead. Look through the book. The whole book. It's not there. Not anywhere. If I'm learning about how to do something, I want all of the items needed to do that project clearly and easily listed, at the beginning of the book, with explanations on what kind do I need, what size if appropriate, where am I most likely to find this item, and so on. That's not in here. If you're taking a class and using this book with the class, and the teacher tells you - that's great. If you pick up this book on your own, or try to review it before even getting to said quilting class - you're going to be in some trouble. I got cold feet, though I went on the class and enjoyed it.
   
   Another big problem for me is that the book does not make clear that when you photocopy the patterns, you really need to photocopy more than one set of an image, if you are going to have more than one of those items in your pattern. For example, if you are using one of the heart templates and plan to have 4 hearts in your quilt, and especially if you are learning how to do this for the first time - you need to make more than one copy of that particular pattern, because first time learners are probably going to have to take out stitches, re-stitch, and the paper eventually tears apart, in spite of multiple pieces of Scotch Tape. :) That's all part of learning, of course, but it would help to de-stress if we knew this upfront in the book.
   
   My biggest concern, though, is that as a beginner, I really want clear, step-by-step instructions on how to do paper-piecing. The book doesn't have it. There are some instructions, but then you are left hanging at what feels like the most crucial moment in a block.
   
   For example, in learning how to do one of the house templates, the book gave me instructions at the front of the book - nowhere near the actual house template itself - for only part of the template. I got to the most difficult part, for a beginner at least, in which I was trying to piece together the window and part of the panel of the house and - no directions. Some black and white images, but I'm a beginner. I need COMPLETE, step-by-step instructions. I want to learn how to do this, and not have to have a class, or if I have a class and use this book, then be able to use this book as a reminder of what I learned in class on those evenings a week or two or a month later, when I'm trying to recall what to do.
   
   Here's what I would recommend: all of the information in this book is good. But it needs to be re-grouped in a more logical way. Explain everyting that needs to be used in order to DO paper piecing, first. Explain what kind of paper to use. Tell us what kind of thread to use. Give some examples. Explain more clearly, in the first chapter, about photocopying the templates; that as beginners, we'll probably need to make several. Many quilt class instructors assign this book and just tell students to go over the book, and "be ready" for the class. You can't just "be ready" for a class only by reading this book. It doesn't give enough information. It makes assumption, big assumptions, on your knowledge.
   
   Re-group the remaining information. For instance, start off with the heart template or an easy pattern. Take it step-by-step. Color pictures. Take it from the very beginning and don't assume that we already know. "Here is your fabric. This is the wrong side of your fabric, see? now place the WRONG SIDE of the fabric against the back of the template like this." Make it simple.
   
   Group all of the heart templates together in the chapter about yes, heart templates.
   
   Then go to more complicated blocks, such as the houses. Boy, you do NOT want to be sitting at home a week after your class, trying to figure out mid-way through a wall hanging sampler, how to teach yourself from this book how to do the house template. Not unless you've got a lot of patience, time, and photocopies of that template. And a really good seam ripper. :)
   
   THEN give us examples and pictures in the back section of the book of different wall hangings and quilts.
   
   This is a pretty book, and hidden in it is some good information. I think if it was rearranged a bit, and things made a little more simple, it would be a fantastic book.
   
   If you are an advanced paper piecer with a lot of experience and only want this for the templates, then this is a good book for you.



5. This is the book that introduced me to paper piecing, and I have used it so much, the binding is getting weak.