5 comments about Steel and Stone (Dragonlance: The Meetings Sextet, Vol. 5).

1. This is definitely better than Oath and Measure, so if you're reading the Meetings Sextet in order then at least things improve. The meeting between Tanis and Kitiara is VERY lacking in drama--they simply fall into each others arms in a mixture of battle and unexpected lust. This should have been handled much more carefully.

   The non-Chronicles characters are extremely enjoyable in the sense that they add a depth to the novel and allow it to be an original story. However, the plot itself isn't very complex--a bad guy wants power, yawn. Also, there are almost too many other characters--I felt like the dynamic between the two mages could have been its own novel, but Ellen was "forced" to write about Tanis and Kit instead. As a result, neither relationship is developed appropriately.

   Still, a decent read with good characters in a great realm.




2. I have to admit that this book did have its high moments. But it was overall lacking the drama and intrigue that should have gone along with Tanis and Kit's first meeting. I didnt like the way that Kit acted throughout the story. There was a little action here and there, but the story was not as good as it could have been. It really made me not like Kit. I mean i know she is a fighter, and she doesnt care about anything cut her sword. But the way she acts in this story is totally degrading to her character, read it if you must, but this book could be easily skipped.



3. ... NOW TO THIS BOOK. I am not really sure on timeframes since I am reading in chronological order so that doesn't bother me like it did the previous reviewers. They seemed disappointed in this book for that fact. I was not. The meeting between Tanis and Kitiara is quick and unbelievable, which is too bad. The addition of Caven (Another of Kit's men) is a great addition to this book when he teams up with Tanis. The story is fine, the characters are pretty good. I enjoyed this book. The only complaint is the end is not that action packed as one would hope and it's over rather quick and boring. But this book is better than I expected.



4. Tanis should have known better than to have gotten involved with Kitiara Uth Matar, but he did, and this book tells the tale of how all this gets worked out. And of course there is another man involved with Kitiara. And there's fighting. And some backstabbing. And a strange trip to Icereach. This book was okay. Not the best in the Meetings Sextet. Read it if you like the characters involved. A little of the plot becomes important later on in the Dragonlance Series. It might be interesting to know the background details from this book.



5. Good book, plain and simple. Not the best but still good. If your a Dragonlance fan you'll enjoy the read.

2 comments about Jak 3 : Piggyback's The Official Guide.

1. this guide is awesome i bought it 3 weeks ago it tell you exact info on every mission were to find all 600 precurser orbs and were the orbs on the mini missions orbs are the drawings are awesome!!!!!! they even show how jak would look like in jak 2 with his new powers this guide is so good there is no more words for it but awesome get this game guide now!! it helpful too



2. In this day and age, a guide as detailed as this is fairly hard to come by. Guides, recently have been lacking in the areas where they need the most strength. They need walkthroughs and basics with detailed screenshots and maps. Every now and then you really do get that decent strategy guide (like say... the BradyGAMES Kingdom Hearts Guide), but often you don't (like the Tales of Symphonia guide--see my review).
   
   Thank goodness that across seas there is Piggyback Interactive. They don't release too many guides in America, but when they do you're glad to have 'em! Nothing but the best information straight from the pros, with crystal-clear high rez screenshots and some of the most alarmingly detailed maps you could find! For their Jak 3 guide, they've more than outdone themselves.
   
   The guide opens up with a little talk about characters (and you'll see little blurbs pop up with Daxter "commenting" on these characters and whatnot), giving you some background information on them.
   
   We then break into the near 30 page game basics section. There has never been a strategy guide that has been so useful and helpful in getting you acquainted with the game. From telling you the basic controls to getting you able to use the vast set of weapons in Jak 2. There are also advanced tips for advanced gamers, and that's one of the things that Piggyback is useful for. The expert AND the beginner will get a use out of this guide!
   
   After the gamebasics you'll jump into the 100 page walkthrough! That's right, 100 pages of in-depth strategy, high rez screenshots and detailed maps. These maps aren't just handrawn maps either. They come STRAIGHT from the developers so you KNOW they're detailed! Beautifully rendered for your convenience and clearly marked with notes that will show you what to do. Think of how Nintendo Power writes their guides with the A B C. This guide is 1 2 3, and it works in divine ways. This makes the guide more organized several times over! No more reading the entire walkthrough just to find out what to do. And what's better? They actually tell you which screenshot you should look at! For example: If you can't understand what's in the text they'll have in nice little parenthasis (See Fig. 1). Now look at screenshot 1 and you'll know exactly what they're talking about! Never has a guide been so clear and concise.
   
   The strategies detailed are not just from developers, but also from experts. If you've seen any other piggyback guide (which for most of you will have been Halo 2, unless you import) you know they love to play through an area hundreds of times until they find the best route possible! It is no different here, and they're willing to share those secrets with you! And if you think that's boss, check out those boss strategies. More than just two paragraphs, they take up the entire page and leave no stone unturned.
   
   Following the walkthrough is an enemies list that will tell you all you need to know about them including how fast they are, how big and how many hit points they've got! Plus, insane secret beat down tactics!
   
   Speaking of secrets... this guide is chalk full of them. With over 25 pages worth of secrets, what have you to lose? Want to find all the Precursor Orbs? You'll do it with this guide. How about all those nifty bonus challenges? Revealed! How about the precursor alphabet? It's in here too! Not one secret left out, and not stone left unturned!
   
   Following all those secrets is the making of Jak 3. And not just the making of Jak 3, but the making of the entire Jak series starting with its cold roots back in the early days with "Jak and Daxter". You'll get so much info out of the developers themselves. Incredible!
   
   And lastly is the index. Yes, there is an index, and trust me, you'll WANT this thing! How many times are you tired of searching through the guides enemy list or you can't remember where to find that secret? Well, instead of fishing through those sections skimming every page... why not just head to the index? If every strategy guide had an index, page flipping would be less of a hazard (and the paper cut ratio might go down, even!).
   
   And if those maps are confusing, there is a fold-out legend so that you no longer will have to constantly flip to a legend. Just fold it out and set your guide down and you're all set to go!
   
   So when is a strategy guide actually worth the outrageous price tag? When you actually get everything from it. Friends, this isn't just a strategy guide, it's an ENCYCLOPEDIA! Is this worth shelling out the money for? YES! Totally worth it!
   
   So strap yourself into Jak 3 and use this as your navigation tool. No stone left unturned, no secret left out. Everything you need for Jak 3 is right here!

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Gambling Like a Pro, 4th Edition (The Complete Idiot's Guide).

1. This is the best book on gambling I have read. It is written in simple and easy to understand language. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more on gambling.



2. I've read a lot of the newer, and easy to read Gambling books in the past two years, and being that this is a second edition, I can tell that a lot of other gambling authors have read this one too! This is the real deal, folks, and the simplest, clearest and most enjoyable gambling book for novices and even regular players to learn from. I read it and started winning more. Don't bother with the others. They're just cheaper - and you get what you pay for!



3. I am a neighborhood gambler only, but some of the guys I play have been playing for years. I'm not exactly an expert yet, but thanks to this book I am not embarassing myself anymore (not with cards anyway). I used to rely on getting the other players drunk, but now I only need to get them partially drunk to win.



4. I laugh at title of book. I do not think I am "Complete Idiot" but I don't think that is author's mean. They mean that even idiots is able to be great, successeful gambler with information from the book. I agree with that because I was so-so gambler before and now I win better.
   The book is very funny and clever. All the author are expert in gambling different gambles- poker, blackjack so on. So I learn from masters.
   Still I don't gamble too much. It can be dangerous to my money. But when I want fun time, can gamble a little and win a little too. Try it!



5. This was a little bit dissapointing, I thought the title suggested that I was an idiot for purchasing and in hindsight, I think I was !

2 comments about Puzzles in Wood: Simple Patterns for Creating 45 Classics.

1. Heads up woodworkers! If you are good at reading technical drawings and need very little in the way of explainations, this is the book for you. If you are either a beginner (alluded to by the word "Simple" in the title) or need detailed instructions, stay away from this one.
   I'm a mid-level woodworker and like to make puzzles and games for kids in my shop. I got this book realizing that it wasn't going to be easy just by looking at the project on the cover. Boy was I surprised! There are a few introductory pages at the front and the rest of the book is filled with technical drawings of how to build the puzzles. No detailed instructions or step by step instructions, just drawings and diagrams.
   I might delve into it to try to get a pattern or two but this little bitty book (almost more of a pamphlet really) is very intimidating.



2. This is a great little book if you are looking for ideas. Warning!! you will need to produce your own shop drawings. But if you like puzzles that is part of the fun.

2 comments about Omaha High-Low: Play to Win With The Odds: Play to win with the odds.

1. Mr. Boston has clearly spent a lot of time and effort generating the massive tables that comprise most of this book, and for a serious player that's worth the cost. What he actually says in terms of advice, however, is sketchy and sparse. He generally goes by the conservative wait-for-good-hands philosophy.
   
   Mostly, he has exhaustively run all possible hands thru many simulations and ranked them. This is interesting enough, but I have some quibbles with his classifications. Take a hand like AK32. He calls it suited if the ace is suited, double-suited if the King and Ace are both suited, and unsuited otherwise. I presume he calls it just "suited" if all four are the same suit, but he doesn't say. Also, I claim it adds small but significant value to the hand if the King only is suited, but he doesn't seem to think so.
   
   If he separated all the possibilities the book would be impossibly large... but the many possibilities are what attract us (the players) to the game, nicht wahr?



2. Bill Boston has done the Omaha/8 player a great favor by systematically and exhaustively tabulating the results of playing each possible starting hand.
   
   Another reviewer downgraded his rating because Boston's discussion could be more complete. My take is just the opposite - the extensive tables in this small volume are most valuable when the user studies them to arrive at his own understanding of what works and what doesn't in Omaha/8. For example, Boston shows that any hand with a 7, 8, or 9 is a loser over time. His tables also show that all hands with X as the second low card are also losers over time. I'll leave it to the serious player to study the tables Boston provides to determine the rank of X.
   
   And there's more, but you'll have to dig into this treasure trove of research data to find it.
   
   Could I pan the book because of how the data was collected? Sure. The author made certain assumptions about the types of opponents and my opponents play somewhat differently. He didn't consider suitedness in some situations where I'd like to know more (i.e. AdKd4h2h).
   
   If you are looking for a source that gives you an exhaustive list of conclusions this book is probably not for you. But if you're looking for the raw research results that you can study to draw your own conclusions without doing the tedious work required to generate it I highly recommend this one.

3 comments about More Original Sudoku.

1. This IS the perfect sized Sudoku book to have with you on the airplane or in the doctor's waiting room to help pass the time.



2. Love these books!! This is my third in the series. Nice size to take with you and graduates from simple to hard puzzles. Thick pages and dark print pages make it easy to see and complete.



3. This is the third Original Sudoku book that I have purchased and enjoyed.
   These puzzles are far superior to many found in magazines and newspapers. Unlike the computer generated puzzles which can be frustrating to solve at times, these puzzles are hand generated and no matter the degree of difficulty can be solved through rules and logic. Each Original Sudoku has excellent rules and instructions in front of the book. Beginners will enjoy starting off easy and working their way through medium hard and very hard puzzles. Expert Sudoku fans will enjoy all of the levels of difficulty. A great first time book for new puzzle fans!

5 comments about ARCADE FEVER The Fan's Guide to The Golden Age of Video Games.

1. PROS: Enjoyed cabinet photos and art. Hit most major arcade games of the era. Contained interesting side notes on some games. Interviews were okay but more interesting subject matter could have been included. Some game memorabilia shown from the time was nice.
   
   CONS: Lacked enough interesting content to be worth it for me. Did not understand the author's potty-mouth descriptions and lame jokes in the book. - a major negative. Too much irrelevant filler text that could have been used for more info on the games. Did not include notable people who you would expect to be mentioned. Book was printed in China.
   
   FINAL CALL: Worth flipping thru twice or for a much-too-shallow overview. Those wanting to remember the era and arcade freaks should look elsewhere.



2. This book falls into the trap that many such books do which is basically that it's written from an extremely biased "I remember this sweet game..." breathless style.
   
   Don't get me wrong, I too am a fan of arcade games and I'm sure it'd be difficult for me to keep from interjecting my personal anecdotes into the narrative, but I was hoping that this book would contain a little more in depth information regarding the machines. As it is this book has some decent (but not great) pictures and some anecdotal memories of the arcade era of the early 80s.
   
   If like me you can't resist any book on this subject, then by all means pick it up and support the author. However if you are looking for the definitive encyclopedic retelling of arcade history this book is not it.



3. This book is more a photo album of memories for the author, than it is a true historical look at the games of the arcade era.
   
   "Arcade Fever" provides a nice visual layout with plenty of colorful photos and MAME screen shots, but the author's historical recounting of each arcade game remains tainted with his personal biases, jokes, and at times, factual errors.
   
   For some, the book may capture the flavor of the early 1980s thanks to the excited ramblings of the author...but most readers can do that for themselves. Tip: when it comes to Encyclopedic-style books, careful research and factual information are critical components. Pretty pictures are a bonus.



4. This is an excellent picture book showing all the classic arcade games and giving you some neat and interesting side notes about each game.
   
   LOTS and LOTS of pictures...its mostly a picture book with captions...and this is what I wanted...
   
   DEFFINATELY a must if you are an ARCADE FAN.



5. I didn't realize how many memories of old video games I had! I bought this book for my husband's birthday as more of a "filler" present than a serious gift. It turned out to be his favorite! He's not a huge reader but he reads some of this book every day. He's read a lot of it out loud to me & it seems good. There are some great pictures in it, too! He's totally serious about his 80's video games & this book gives him lots of little facts he didn't know before & stirs up a million good memories. It's written in a more casual way that's easy & pleasant to follow.

4 comments about The Great Houdini (Step-Into-Reading, Step 4).

1. While reading this book aloud to a six-year-old, who had picked it out, I learned a lot about this man, Houdini, who has become a legend. In a classic biography format, this book takes us through Houdini's childhood as a son of poor immigrants who admires acrobats in the cirus and makes up his own act. As a young man, he gets work as a locksmith and learns how to pick any lock... a talent that would come in very handy! Throughout his adulthood, Houdini worked incredibly hard to make a name for himself; sadly, his hard-earned fame indirectly led to his untimely death. Houdini's story is one of perseverence rather than glamour and stardom. The book has a serious tone for a childrens' book; even the illustrations are somber, but it is interesting and well worth a read.



2. I think Harry Houdini is one of the best books I have ever read. I think it is good because it's about a true story and they write it in a very good way.



3. The Great Houdini, by Monica Kulling is about a little kid who goes to a dime circus. His family is very poor and barely has enough money to get him a ticket. While he's there he goes to watch a magician, and he is amazed. After the show the magician shows him how he did it. He decides he wants to be a master of illusion. He starts practicing what the magician shows him, he decides he will leave home and become a performer. He goes all around the world, he has bad times and he has good times. This book was boring at first but got better in the end, it's worth the boring reading. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.



4. My Grandson who in 11 read this book with great ease. Thank You

5 comments about Comprehensive Chess Course Volume II: From Beginner to Tournament Player in 12 Lessons (Comprehensive Chess Course) (Comprehensive Chess Course).

1. I liked it because it has a lot of things to learn from in it. I didnot find it entertaining but the things it covers are good.



2. I am both a history and chess person. And, I learned in school that using both chess and the making of jam has a lot to do with each other in the way Russia was run under communism. The Government supported chess and wanted every kid to learn (this was good!). But because they didn't have enough chess teachers to go around teaching every kid at every school they needed a simple way for teachers to teach the masses. The answer was a slow way to get teachers to read material and go through things step by step. So there was a method for teachers who knew little or nothing about chess.
   Now if you introduced chess to every kid in the United States this way and then had the good teachers work with the ones that show talant then you would produce far more grandmasters than any other country by far. Russians didn't dominate the world by the quality of teaching, but by sheer numbers. Actually this is the communist way (which worked) to defeat Germany in World War Two. They sacrificed about 10 Russian Soldiers for every 1 German Soldier in mass assualts. They could afford the lives and the method to win was not because of superior strategy but because of sheer numbers they could afford to lose. Now look at Germany and look at Russia. Who really won WW2? Germany is rich and now Russia is a disaster because of their entire communist system. It will take them many more years to get out of their mess. Russian Grandmasters have moved from Russia to get away from their poverty.
   This book takes the old outmoded way of teaching chess to the masses and trys to dump it on you, trying to tell you because Russian dominated the chess world this must be good.
   Just ask Fischer, who may not really be a chess teacher, but he put communist Russia to shame.
   The writers of this book were born and raised in communist Russian. Though good players they lack efficient teaching skills. Chess itself doesn't have anything to do with communism. But teaching methods do.



3. I bought the first and second volumes of Lev Alburt's chess course. The first one, I ended up teaching my little brother, and he learned how to play chess up to the intermediate level. Oddly, I had learned most of volume I throughout playing 20 years of chess. At 34, I managed to buy volume II, and it took me a little over a month to complete the volume II. It taught me endgame knowledge I was not incorporating into my play. Something extremely important! It also taught me what I need to know to get to my desired 1800 strength. I now play with great insight into the endgame and know that opening is minor to the class player. I discover tactics work better. GM Alburt also autographed my first copy, as I remember. :) Plainly put, I do not see how anyone anywhere cannot reach at least a 1500 USCF playing strength if they truly live and study Alburt's two volumes of the Comprehensive Chess Course. And, if someone truly mastered all the materials in volumes I and II - incorporating them all into their play (including all the ideas in the 100 annotated games) - there would be no surprise if they reached an 1800 A-Class strength. I have noticed a difference in my chess already by 100 points, and I was rated in the 1400s. Now, my chess has climbed into the 1500s, and continues to grow! It would be in the 1600s if I played all my games at my full strength. Thank you Lev Alburt for such an outstanding set of books! I just recently purchased Tactics for the Tournament player - the third book which takes you beyond A&B class player. 1800 here I come! Bucky Adams



4. My chessclub now uses this to teach new people the game. GM Alburt provides great insight and an easy to follow course. Easily gets a beginner to the 1400-1600 range. Teaching with it is great review for a more skilled player. Plus, there are some things a better player coming up through the American chess system will find useful.



5. Lev Alburt's seven volume course is uniquely effective in taking a diligent student from beginner to about expert level. Volume I is merely an introduction to the game. This volume follows with truly comprehensive coverage from beginner through the various novice stages, say ELO 300-1200. Suitable for age 9+ ...with exception of prodigies!

2 comments about Soul Nomad: The Official Strategy Guide.

1. this is not a review of the game (which is killer! 5 stars!) and it's not a review of the contents of the guide, because i just received it. what this is a review of is the quality of the materials used for the guide. when i opened my package, i was instantly disappointed paying $24.99 (which is the price PRINTED on the back of the guide, so Amazon is FOS with the $29.99 price) what you get is very sub-standard when it comes to guides. it has the look and feel of those old Del Rey sci-fi paperback books.(read on)
   first, let me remind people that the same company, DoubleJump, released the guide for Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. that guide was 400 glossy pages, with a fold-out glossy color poster, a section of artwork/illustrations, and collectable trading cards for $19.99 -- they also did the Phantom Brave guide, which was over 350 glossy pages, artwork pages, and collectable trading cards for $19.99 --
   SO, why did the Soul Nomad guide have less pages? no glossy paper? no trading cards? but it costs $24.99!?!?! the paper used is as bad as the thin, non-gloss paper used for making the PS2 game manuals . (of course some games do come with nice quality manuals, but i'm sure you have enough PS2 games to know what type of cheap-quality paper i am referring to) and this ''Limited Edition'' blurb on the cover is what's to justify the higher cost for such a sub-standard quality in materials? pah-leez...
   anyway, DoubleJump should take notice that we don't want anymore cheap-as-dirt 'quality' guides unless the price matches the quality. this guide is worth $9.99 (and even that might be stretching it!) -- it's not worth $19.99, not $24.99 and certainly not the $29.99 Amazon expects you to pay for it! you want your customers to feel they are getting their hard-earned money's worth... NOT making them feel ripped off! (and that goes for both DoubleJump and Amazon)



2. To be honest, I clumsily purchased this guidebook. When I went to cancel my order the next day the book had already been shipped. I'm glad I decided not to continue further with my cancellation.
   
   Doublejump is a fine publisher and spares little details. Upon receiving my item two days later, browsing through the pages, my expectations of a quality product had been met. I can't stress enough that Doublejump shames other publishers(eg Bradygames) with their detailed and in-depth knowledge of game mechanics, battle by battle walkthrough, and accurate charts of various game aspects. The few errors I discovered I considered moot as they did not affect my enjoyment. During your playthrough, you will ascertain that these errors are mere oversights. An interview of the developer and their artwork concludes the guidebook which may delight those who crave the most minute detail of such a great game or Nippon Ichi games. All in all, for the money I paid, this turned out to be a damn fine purchase.