4 comments about The ABCs of Bridge.

1. I've always thought William Root's books were very good, so I was glad to see his new offering. I'll be using in a small class for beginning players. It is so important to get new players off on the right foot, and it is far too easy to scare them away with too many gadgets or an unreadable book. The system the book teaches is a fairly standard modern system, although my opinion is that limit raises in majors should now be viewed as standard (the book mentions limit raises, but advises people to begin with forcing raises). That's a pretty small and debatable issue in an otherwise excellent book.



2. This is a good introduction to bridge, which covers enough bidding and card play (i.e. declarer and defensive play) that you can at least get to the table and understand the basics of all facets of bridge. Needless to say, as an introduction to a complex game, it won't make you an expert, but that's not its goal. My only objection to this book is that a feature of its bidding system is outdated (it treats raises to the three level as game-forcing instead of limit-raises).
   
   For an introduction without outdatedness, there is Eddie Kantar's "Bridge for Dummies". The disadvantages to Kantar's book are that it's a bit longwinded, and that it does not contain quizzes to help reinforce understanding.



3. very useful for beginners and all players could benefit from reading it again



4. Good book that covers the basics but I would encourage rank beginner bridge players like me to take a lesson with a good teacher who will make the game ccome alive. The book made much more sense to me after I had one lesson from a dynamic teacher (Gail Greenberg) who explained the game's goals in terms that I could understand--bridge is like a war where you and your partner are allies and where communications are limited.

5 comments about Fanciful Paper Flowers: Creative Techniques for Crafting an Enchanted Garden.

1. Sandra has produced yet another masterfully illustrated and creative book. Her ideas seem to pour endlessly from her heart and soul onto the pages of her books. Sandra's creations are fun, well-explained and the finished pieces are adorable. I cannot wait to see what she will create next.



2. I once read that "fantasy is imagination unrestricted by reality." Sandra Evertson has got that theory down.
   
   Her book, Fanciful Paper Flowers, is the perfect follow-up to the previous book, Fanciful Paper Projects. Each page is filled with some of the most creative projects I have ever seen. Into a crafter's world of what can frequently entail rather monotonous and uninspiring projects, Evertson breathes new life. Not unlike the projects in her previous books, the paper flower projects in this book really open the imagination and remind us of the true artistry of crafting. I highly recommend picking up a copy. You won't regret it!



3. I love vintage paper and if you do - you will love this book. Great ideas and fun projects to do yourself or with friends.



4. A very well-written book, with many new and fresh ideas. I enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who wants to add something to their collage and art. You can never have too many flowers!



5. I love this book. There are many wonderful, beautiful creations illustrated. They are all easy to make and include detailed instructions.

4 comments about Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying - Realms of Sorcery.

1. This is a very good book...in fact how anyone could run a Warhammer FRP campaign without it is a very good question I have to say,but despite it's exhaustive covering of sorcery and how it is seen in the Old World it has one very large glaring fault...
   
   The book repeats itself...alot...it will change the wording,but there is only so many times that one can read that people in the Old World view sorcery as evil in so many different words before it has become redundant.
   
   I truly feel that much of the room within the book could have been devoted to more spells,more information on how the various factions within the Old World view elves and other magic-users that moved about them,and far more information upon the individual colleges.
   
   Beyond this the book is quite good...the layout is good and like all other Warhmmer FRP books that have come about so far it's a treat to read it.



2. The new RoS by Black Library I would rate a 3.5 (okay round to 4) stars. It provides some nice information on magic in the empire and the general feeling of common folk. I enjoyed the information of a college apprentice and how they progress to a Magister. Loved the new careers provide to the Hedge Mage (witch/warlock) making that a viable option. Also Happy that the spell list were expanded a bit. Was happy to see new rules on Creating Potions and Familiars.
   
   Was sort of happy with information on creating ritual magic and the dwarf runesmiths (including the careers).
   
   I was very disappointed in the lack of rituals and even more disappointed in the complete lack of lesser spells. As of now the only official lesser magic spells are those found in the core rulebook.
   
   I was hoping for some information on High Magic (since they had runesmiths), and the possibility of creating magic items and a longer magic items list. After all, there are two wizard careers (Master and Lord) that require the PC to obtain magic items. You'd think that if they don't do much magic items they would put in how one can go about making them (aside from the weapon/armor of runesmith).
   
   Instead of this informaiton, there is an adventure printed at the end of the book. I was a bit angry at this as the adventure took up very needed space on magic rules.
   
   Overall, I do recommend this book and if you plan to do any magic in V2 is a must have along the core rulebook.



3. Well here is Green Ronin's source book for magic in the Warhammer world. It definitely adds to the material covered in the basic WFRP players guide but I was a bit disappointed. I have often felt that WFRP v. 1 needed some good "role-play" spells. Small spells that can make a Wizard far more useful but not devastating, like the old D&D cantrips. They're not here. Magic has, of course, become unpredictable because of the "winds of magic", so spells have become more powerful. (Like Warhammer wizards needed more powerful spells.) GM's beware; you may be snapping pencils trying to match your player group with adversaries. If your wizard makes his roles he may decimate your monsters quickly, and if he doesn't your group may be spending a lot of fate points. Still, there is some good background and a nice diversity of spells. A good addition to this vastly improved roleplay system. WFRP v.2 is far superior to ANY of the editions of D&D. Play it and you'll love it.



4. Needed for the sheer number of spells added. Spells, Runesmith careers, expanded Chaos Manifestation tables, Arcane marks, familiars give the book a 3.
   
   Cons:
   
   - Font is too large. C'mon.. The font and spacing of material reminds me of a padded research paper by a junior in high school. Actual page count is WAY lower (less than 200 pages), if you put this in context.
   
   - too much fluff. I like fluff as much as the next guy, but it gets a little "thick" at times. It's not that bad, but some of it seems contrived at times.
   
   - the adventure included. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just saying it doesn't belong here. It's taking up space that could have been used for more content. Put 30 page adventures (yes it's that long) in a new book akin to The Restless Dead. Please.

5 comments about The Illustrated History of Magic.

1. This is one of my favorite magic books. I have to go back and look at it from time to time. Great stories- great pictures. -Diamond Jim Tyler



2. After seeing this book on several times at my local magic shop, I finally bought it here. The list price is (...), but I paid less (...) here and it was new in plastic wrap too. It is an absolutely fabulous book with very detailed illustrations and numerous color picture. Worth much more than they ask for! It's an invaluable reference also for magic lovers!



3. This book is full of all kinds of magical history and theory. Whether you are a practicing magician, a magic hobbiest or just enjoy reading an interesting historical story... this book is a "Must Read".



4. This is not a book on "How to do Magic" but on the History of Magic and the expert conjurers and Illusionist of all times. It's extremely well written with detail accounts of parlor and stage magic stories. If you are a serious Magician, this is a most for your private collection. As a close-up Magician, I have learned many strateties, and this Book served me and inspired me to continue with my craft.
   By, Rasputin



5. When i first started reading this interesting magic book,i thought it would be about the magic tricks performed .It's really a biographical book about the magicians,whose magicial craftsmanship made them world famous.The book is packed with magicial history.The halls and theatres where they were staged,for the captivated and spellbound audiences.Seventeen chapters for the famous conjurers of yesterday and today.Five chapters for the development of our modern magic, based on the art from the ancient sorcerer-priests.There are many pages dedicated to diagrams,colorful artwork,photos,and illustrations.The book was written by the late magician Milbourne Christopher and collaborated upon by his wife ,Maurine Christopher.If you are enthralled by the feats,of the famous magicians of today and those from yesteryear,this book elucidates the lives of these fascinating mystifiers.Awesome book on stage magic history.

5 comments about The New Birdhouse Book: Inspiration and Instruction for Building 50 Birdhouses.

1. The New Birdhouse Book: Inspiration And Instruction For Building 50 Birdhouses by Leslie Garisto is far more than just another woodworking "how-to guide" for a weekend project. Rather it is a full blown celebration showcasing a vast variety of crafted avian housing, ranging from common box houses to pillared feeders, as well as expansive and complex creations designed especially to attract specific birds. Color photography, detailed diagrams, step-by-step instructions, and more, make The New Birdhouse Book a must-have for woodworkers of all skill and experience levels who seek to apply their talents to the betterment of our feathered friends.



2. Good designs, easy to follow plans. This book piqued my interest in dovecotes, and now I'm off in another direction.



3. I WAS VERY DISSAPPOINTED WITH THIS BOOK. IN THE SECTION WHERE THEY HAVE THE INSTUCTIONS FOR BIRD HOUSES TO BUILD THEY DON'T HAVE A PICTURE OF IT. EVEN THE DRAWING IS NOT OF THE FINISHED BIRD HOUSE BUT A DRAWING WITH ALL THE PIECES UNATTACHED. I GUESS YOU HAVE TO BUILD THE THING TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. BIG HELP!



4. This book was quite useful. However, I also purchased "Build Your Own Birdhouses and Feeders: From Simple, Natural Designs to Spectacular, Customized Houses and Feeders" at the same time. I was very disappointed to find that the plans were almost all EXACTLY THE SAME.



5. How do you put out a book like this with no pictures of the finished projects? Ridiculous! I wish I could give it ZERO stars!

5 comments about Combinatorial Lottery Systems (Wheels) with Guaranteed Wins.

1. I don't know if I understand the whole thing, but I am keeping my fingers crossed!



2. Save your money. You have a better chace of winning by saving your money. This book is so hard to follow. It not worth you time.



3. It took me a while to understand Iliya's system, but I finally got the hang of it but have not had the opportunity to try it out as of yet because I will have to go to Georgia or Tennessee Line to play the Lottery since Alabama doesn't have a lottery here yet with all these HYPOCRIT Preachers and ignorant people saying that the lottery would cause crime, without the lottery there are at least 2 murders at night and 2 at early a.m. hurs practically every day



4. This book offers real, mathematical ways to ensure winning the lottery - provided you choose the right numbers. This books provides a great way to eliminate random guess lottery playing that rarely results in a win. Although there is obviously still a lot of luck involved in playing the lottery, this helps to eliminate some of the guess-work. This book is more detailed than the information you can find online, but if you want a sneak preview of wheeling systems, check out some online lottery websites like [...], which provide overviews of lottery strategies like the wheeling system.



5. This is a great beginners book and the wheels supplied seem to make sense. Easy to follow. No success yet but getting close. [...]

5 comments about Quick-Strip Paper Piecing: For Blocks, Borders and Quilts.

1. Even if you've never tried paper piecing before, you'll want to have this book. It takes paper piecing to a whole new level, and simplifies the process. For experienced piecers, you'll be amazed at how much faster you can make stunning blocks with Peggy's revolutionary method.

   The book is exceptionally well-illustrated. Step-by-step photos walk you through the technique and explain it so clearly that it's the next best thing to taking a workshop with Peggy herself.

   You are sure to find more than one quilt you'll want to make from the project section, and the gallery of quilts will inspire you with plenty of ideas. Even though they look complex, the projects are still easy to make, even for beginners.

   Definitely a book every quilter should have!




2. I've been quilting for several years and had been discouraged when I tried paper foundation piecing because my brain just doesn't work that way. This book changed all that. The stars are astonishing and they're very easy to do. I've bought many quilting books and this is, without a doubt, the very best. I hope she writes another soon!



3. I am new to quilting but I have been sewing for years. I have been drawn to Paper Piecing since the beginning. Peggy Martin makes it easy. I have several books about paper piecing, but this lady knows her stuff and cuts right through the confusion. I also hope she writes more books; she difinitly has a repeat customer in me.



4. Great book, easy to understand. My compass came out great!
   Barb M



5. I have always wanted to paper piece, but it seemed daunting. I bought this book and it helped immenseley. The instructions were easy to understand and follow. The strip piecing speeds up the process. The only downfall is that you do waste more fabric than with other processes. However, I combined this method with regular paper piecing (I also bought the book "Show Me How To Paper Piece) and it worked beautifully. Together these books made it easy for a beginner paper piecer and I successfully created a queen size quilt for my brother!

5 comments about Elfshadow (Forgotten Realms: Songs and Swords, Book 1).

1. Elaine Cunningham has to be one of my favorite writters of all time. Ever sence I picked up this series I can not put the books down. They are good reads and incorprates many respects, in my mind, a better name for Forgotten Relms.

   Very pleased,
   Bon




2. Definitely two of my all time favorites, Elfshadow and Elfsong, bring to life the story of Arilyn Moonblade, a half-elf Harper, and her adventures in the World of Faerun, as she tries to cope with her dual heritage and seeks to unlock the mysteries of her magical moonblade sword.
   The books are so incredibly well written that the reader feels that they have been transported to the Forgotten Realms universe and are actually present among the characters, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel, sensing what they sense. Elaine Cunnigham has truly outdone herself and has presented us with a masterpiece of literature the likes of which we have seen only in JRR Tolkien's work, RA Salvatore's The Dark Elf and Icewind Dale trilogies and in authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends trilogies.
   She has done a FANTASTIC job of both acquiring vast knowledge relevant to Faerun as well as presenting this material relating to the customs, the religion and the history of Toril, efficiently and successfully! Her solid grasp of factual detail makes her very capable of providing the necessary background needed to carry out the difficult task of writing Forgotten Realms novels, which is something often missing from the work of many Fantasy authors. Consequently, from the moment you pick up the books you have trouble putting them down and if that is not a clear sign of a fantastic writer/author who can come up with a great plot, I don't know what is!
   Elves, spies, assassins, honor, bravery, magic, and swordfights are all about. Elfshadow and Elfsong make up for a great trilogy along with Silver Shadows and are a "must read" together with Evermeet, especially for all those who have a soft spot for everything Elven! In short, it's what Fantasy reading SHOULD be! One should seriously start thinking about turning these books into movies...



3. I remember reading this story when it was first published in the early 1990s. It reads like a fantasy-mystery. A "magical who-done-it?" with some vivid details painting the fantasy city of Waterdeep, beautifully to life. The streets and spires come to life like never before. I believe she and Ed Greenwood have a secret portal that lets them see what the Realms is really like. I doubt if I ever forget these Realms!
   
   My most favorite character introduced here is Elaith Craulnober, an elven bad-guy who I would love to see more of in future tales. He is the opposite of Drizzt in many ways. Cold, calculating and conspiring against the likeable heroes through out the story. Elven magic runs thick within these pages. Ms. Cunningham is one of the most promising authors this company has to offer!



4. This is a really good fantasy / mystery story, written by one of the best fantasy writers today. This book like all of Elaine Cunningham's books are pleasant to read, with interesting plots, very likable characters, and an emotional payoff in the end.
   
   Main Characters;
   Arilyn Moonblade, half-elf agent, extremely engaging.
   Danilo Thann, fun and charming, a very `real' character.
   Elaith Craulnober is great, a well written bad guy, but likable just the same.
   
   OVERALL SCORE: (A)
   READABILITY: (A), PLOT: (B+), CHARATERS: (A), DIALOGUE: (B), SETTING: (A), ACTION/COMBAT: (B-), MONSTERS/ANTAGONISTS: (A), ROMANCE: (B), SEX: (Light), AGE LEVEL: (PG- 8 and up)



5. After reading so many of the positive reviews and having read some of Elaine's other books, I was anticipating a good read. I was more than a little disappointed.
   The book starts out great with a stunning assassination and then Arilyn as a child who is placed under the guiding wing of Kymil, master swordsman. After Chapter 1, the story begins to fail. Arilyn becomes a detached character with whom I could feel no attachment. I didn't understand her reasonings behind some of her actions (for instance, the jaunt into the marsh). Then, I felt she too easily relied on Elaith (I don't care if they are the same race of Elves, I would have been suspicious especially if I were a loner elf!). However, as the story grew and the identity of the Harper assassin was unveiled, I did begin to grow attached to Arilyn, though not as much as I thought I would have in the beginning.
   While Arilyn was a little disappointing as a character, Danilo was superb (though, towards the beginning, a little too cliched for my liking). He was convincing as an undercover agent, and I could really feel for him. His motivations made sense on the most part (although one conclusion he makes about Elaith I feel is contrived).
   Other than Arilyn's character, there were a few other problems. Females in the book seemed either to be too much like Arilyn or buxom, brainless barmaids. Males (at least most of them) came in two flavors as well: greedy, fat, disgusting, sex-obsessed thieves (pretty much any villain in the book) or tough, men (i.e. Kymil and Elaith). The magic was unimpressive. And I got so sick and tired of hearing about unguents I thought I would scream.
   In the end, I was not upset at the book (towards the middle, I was regretting having ever started it). It ended well, and the characters had grown in ways I had though appropriate. I guess I should not have been expecting something as deep as Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. This is a fun, easy read, nothing more. Keep this in mind if you plan on picking this one up.

1 comments about The Strange Cases of Rudolph Pearson: Horripilating Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos (Call of Cthulhu Fiction).

1. The Strange Cases of Rudolph Pearson by William Jones is a trade paperback published by Chaosium. List price is $14.95; currently is not available directly from Amazon. Cover art is by Steven Gilberts, who gave us the covers of Frontier Cthulhu (my favorite of his works) and Arkham Tales (which I also liked better than this). A vile multi-tentacled thing with weirdly segmented legs is trying to pass through some portal. Mr. Gilberts seems to be the house artist for Chaosium these days. Page count is 240 but the actual text doesn't start until page 15, and there are scattered blank pages between sections. For the price, for publishers in this genre, I think this is a reasonably generous book. Production values are high and editing was tight; I didn't notice any typographical errors. Several of the stories have been published before (as noted in the useful acknowledgements, but only in obscure periodicals. I actually previously read Feasters of the Dark when it saw the light of print in Dreaming in R'lyeh (a magazine that tanked rapidly thereafter, lamented only because they welshed on my subscription money). The author William Jones is well known due to his tireless efforts on behalf of Elder Signs Press (one of my favorite publishing concerns!) and horror fiction in general.
   
   Rudolph Pearson is a Doctor of Medieval Studies at Columbia University in New York. The stories in this book are his journals as presented by his great grandson many years later. In many ways this book is similar to The Tales of Inspector Legrasse by CJ Henderson. Although these stories were written across a span of years and could be read separately, in aggregate they read like interconnected chapters of a novel. In fact, here I disagree with the author. I think they must be read sequentially and would be far less enjoyable if taken out of context. In particular, Mr. Jones has slightly amended some of them so that they have less redundancy and fit together more seamlessly. Rather than list the individual story titles, I think it better to consider the individual works as a whole. Dr. Pearson is summoned at first by Detective Matthew Leahy to help translate some strange words written in blood at the scene of a gruesome murder. This leads to a confrontation of strange creatures in the sewers of New York. One thing I really liked was that Mr. Jones did not elbow the reader in the side and harp on Lovecraftian context or entities; clearly these were ghouls and it did not need to be explicitly stated. I like a good ghoulish story (NB: Throne of Bones by McNaughton cannot be recommended highly enough, and we all regret that Charnel Feast will forever remain a concept and not a book); Mr. Jones' explanation of the ghouls' origin is as good as I have read. After that adventure, one of Dr. Pearson's colleagues, Effram Harris, creates a device that pierces the veil of reality. The outcome is pretty predictable but well executed. What follows is a creature that is clearly a Hound of Tindalos is attracted to Harris' temporal manipulations, causing mayhem throughout the city. The details of manipulation of the occult and the purposes of chants, sigils and gestures is more completely described in this book than in any except perhaps Where Goeth Nyarlathotep; again Mr. Jones has given a lot of thought to his subject matter and developed it carefully. It is up to Dr. Pearson to somehow stop this Hound. Along the way we meet his annoying colleague, Jordan Gabriel, an accomplished archeologist and brash go getter trying to break through in the man's world of the 1920s. At first our hero doesn't care for her, but anyone can see where this is eventually going. Now that Dr. Pearson is more in tune with the occult (for a very good reason that becomes clearer later) he is gradually drawn into the machinations of Gregor Van Eych, a wealthy New Yorker. Over several stories we learn about a gathering of mysterious forces, a darker underlying purpose and a cult of demon possessed souls that is striving to bring Xinlurgash, the ever consuming, into our world. Only Dr. Pearson gradually becomes aware of the truth of what is happening and he must harness all of his nascent sorcerous skills to save humanity, and his sanity. If or how this happens I leave to your reading pleasure. The book comes full circle to finish with a nice ghoulish denouement.
   
   I found The Strange Cases of Rudolph Pearson to be an undemanding, thoroughly entertaining read; I finished it off into 2 or 3 breezy nights. I guess the fact that I didn't want to set it aside, that I kept wanting to know what happened next, is my strongest recommendation. Plotting was tight and moved along breathlessly. The main character developed and changed over the course of the book, although the supporting players were basically only loosely sketched out. Dialogue had some snap and sparkle. Lovecraftian elements were central to the book, but as I indicated before, Mr. Jones prefers understatement in this regard. If I have to point out one miscue, it would be that Dr. Pearson noted humanity was "the soul of the cosmos." In most Lovecraftian fiction humanity is a barely noticeable snack on Cthulhu's smorgasbord.
   
   So here we have a reasonably priced book by a highly regarded author full of tightly written stories in engaging prose. All Lovecraftians have to have it; go ahead and order a copy.

No comments about CBT Technical Readout: 3075 (Battletech).