5 comments about I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence.

1. Can you believe this book???? Practical, funny, creative, liberated, boy it just racks up positive adjectives, doesn't it? But be forewarned, it's also revoltingly gross here and there and above all this is comedy, not a foray too far into Martha Stewart territory. But then again, if you needed me to tell you that you probably don't know who Amy Sedaris is. I had fun reading Amy Sedaris' assault on vulnerable Eisenhower-era values, actually learned a thing or two, and, who knows, might try a few of her recipes next time I'm feeling antidisestablishmentalitarian. And, oh yeah, her, ahem, charming wit is amusing too. (Marbles in the medicine cabinet?! What to do with organic lemons? Where the heck does she get that stuff?) I'm a fan of books that walk the thin line between parody and information, offensive and endearing, and gods help us, the irreverent I Like You does that extremely well.



2. enjoyable but would have liked it to be a little more off than if was.



3. I love this book. She is a genius. Writing & photos are funy, and I want to try the recipes! BUT, it isn't for everyone. I was reading the 1 star reviews, and was sorry to see how people weren't getting it. It is a Kitschy, Rated R, humorous book on hospitality. If you don't like swear words, "ladies parts", and 70's photos, don't buy it. If you love all those things, get it! You won't be dissappointed. PS: I now own a planter in the shape of a log with a squirrel sitting on it. It reminded me of this book so forcefully, I HAD to buy it! We should all be more like amy ;-)



4. This is a general warning before reading the review: This book is VERY odd, so if you don't like oddball humor, go find another book.
   
   The book's flap shows you how funny it is, as she gets angry with you for not purchasing the book. And there it begins.
   The layout is very old-fashioned. The chapters are spread out with many photos and crudely drawn images. Usually these images make you chuckle. The whole book is in full-color, so no guessing as to what color such-and-such is.
   
   The content is hit-and-miss, but generally a hit. It'll make you chuckle, and you'll definately think "what was she on?" during some chapters, and that's the point. But that's not all; you also get a giant reference manual to easy-to-make recipes! Rachael Ray, move out of the way! This book also shows you how to entertain and be a guest, as these are also part of the hospitality boat. You'll eithe laugh or end up scratching your heads at the comedy.
   
   ------------over-all grade-------
   
   Writing: B+ - It's funny, but it drags on for much longer than necessary.
   Layout: C+ - It's very old fashioned, which is a big turn-off. Full of yellow and greens.
   Overall: B - It's a generally fun guide to entertaining, but beware if you don't find it funny or you'll be returning to Borders right quick.



5. First, I bought this as an audiobook to get me thru a cross-country drive.
   This is not a good choice for audio format - maybe you need the klitchy recipes and photos to make it as cutesy as it is billed to be. Still, I thought the content was not funny at all, just condescending, childish hostess advice most everyone has heard already. Marbles in your med chest? Oldest trick in the book, but as someone who really has entertained company (and actually cares about their comfort, also known as "hospitality") more helpful is to place items guests might be embarrased to ask for in your med chest - like aspirin, Tums, tampons, etc. Yeah, I get that it is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek but it never quite gets there. Overall, this book - audio or not - sucked. I made it to disc 3 and gave up. Save your money!

2 comments about Mad Libs- Who Moved My Cubicle (Mad Libs).

1. I love Mad Libs and these are so funny. He never did these as a kid but I sure did and after reading through some of them before giving it to him, I couldn't stop laughing!



2. I purchased this for a co-worker's birthday and we are still playing versions of it in the breakroom at lunch. A great distraction that brings humor to the workweek!

5 comments about Cryptograms to Keep You Sharp.

1. This is the perfect book for cryptogram lovers. You can use none or up to 3 hints for each puzzle. Spiral bound makes it easy to use also.



2. This book is what I was looking for. Too many cryptograms book have 'too small type font' and are impossible to do. This one is good :)



3. I am an huge cryptogram fan. This book is great. The only nitpick I have is that the answers are printed one after the other, so you might wind up seeing the next quote if you go to check your answer. I love the spiral binding, and the fact that it is printed on thick white paper. I'm usually frustrated with cryptogram books because the paper is cheap and tears when you inevitably have to erase.



4. I am really enjoying the cryptograms in "Cryptograms to Keep You Sharp". I love the meaningful quotes, and the font size is perfect! The good quality paper and sprial binding are a big plus as well.
   
   Also, the hints are arranged in the beginning of the book, so you don't have to worry about having a wandering eye, and seeing the full solution when you only wanted a hint.
   
   Overall, I would highly recommend this book to both the cryptogram "pro" & "novice" alike - it's a great one!



5. This is a nice collection of cryptograms, mostly "quote-type". It has a few nice features: it is spiral-bound and has "hints" to help if you get stuck. Some of the letter substitutions, hints and styles become a bit too familiar (and easy). But this book is great to relax and enjoy a moderate challenge.

2 comments about Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds.

1. In Half-Real, Jesper Juul presents us a not only a new definition for games (computer-based or not), but also an original perspective on videogames and how they operate. Going beyond the 'Ludology x Narratology' discussion, Juul balances the 'Rules' and 'Fiction' elements of video games, emphasizing how they relate to each other.
   
   The book is very insightful, containing information that will be valuable to game designers, academics, gamers and new media enthusiasts. Although you could find some of the its content on Juul's previous articles available on the internet, they are much more complete polished in Haf-Real.



2. Very good book on the theory of videogames. Accessible, innovative, thoughtful, and centered on concrete (and popular) examples. He also includes lots of screenshots, which is good.
   
   Juul takes what might be called a "grassroots" approach to game studies, not bringing heavy disciplinary baggage to colonize the area, but instead trying to build a formal theory of games from the ground up. He takes his lead primarily from game and culture theorists like Huizinga, Caillois, Crawford and Sutton-Smith rather than from literary theory or media studies. But he really charts his own course and stakes out his own ground in many ways.
   
   He has a strong interest in game rules, which has led some to criticize him for being overly formalistic, but I find this a refreshing and interesting contrast to the more standard "new media" approach to video games.

5 comments about One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey ',The Kid', Ungar, The World's Greatest Poker Player.

1. One of if not the best poker related book I have ever read (I have read more than I care to mention lol). If you are a Stuey fan you won't find a more accurate entertaining account of his tragic yet triumphant life.



2. This book was a lot of fun to read and very interesting. Once I started reading it I could not put it down. If you have been reading a lot of poker books you will enjoy this book. This book is an easy read compared to the poker strategies books. It is full of people in the poker world that were involved with Stu in one way or another. People like Mike Saxton and Doyle Brunson that tried to stop Stu Unger from his destructive path. This is a very interesting and sad story. Buy this book and read it. I think you like it.



3. It wouldn't end well. I knew that when I purchased this book. How could a man succeed so well in poker -- a game that requires heart, stamina, incredible focus, uncanny ability to read people, discipline and intense mathematical analysis -- and fail so badly at life? Nolan Dalla captures Unger so well that I felt as if I was another of Unger's friends, watching his life unravel. Dalla skillfully peels away Unger's layers, until beneath all the bravado, genius, and generosity we see not a man, but a little boy; probably a traumatized boy desperately trying to outrun his demons. When he could no longer outrun them by chasing escalating gambling highs, he escapes into drug addiction. Knowing how the book would end, I couldn't help but root for Unger. But Dalla does not stop with Unger, we experience the frustrations, disappointments and horror of Unger's friends and family, whom Dalla thoroughly interviewed. Like any child, Unger is singularly insensitive to the needs of those around him. As exhaustive and painful as this book was proving to be, I couldn't put it down. That's a great credit to Dalla.



4. Well, the book starts quite entertaining but after a while you get bored a bit by reading the same story again and again. Stuey made big money at poker / Rummy and then lost in on sports betting /horse races immediately after.
   
   But, well, that was his life after all.
   
   Definitely an interesting read and also a warning about how gambling and drugs can destroy a man, even a brilliant one ..



5. I could not put this book down. It tells everything as honestly as possible without glamorizing his life.
   Some lines of great poker advice, too.

5 comments about Official Nintendo Pokemon Diamond Version & Pearl Version Player's Guide.

1. It covers up to battles with Elite 4 and Champion. There is a lot more to explore and catch after that. One could say that the game becomes more interesting after beating the champion. Get a lot more information from online guides. Search for "pokemon diamond faq" using google.
   
   For the part it covers, the guide is reasonably well organized and helpful.



2. Just a word of advice for those seeking to get a Complete 428+8 Pokedex out of this guide: you won't find it here. After reading the reviews on both the Nintendo and Prima 'game guides, I thought I would share something with you. I went and bought the actual Prima Pokedex, which is a FULL and COMPLETE pokedex, giving every Pokemon you can possibly think of, from Charmander to Mew to Lugia to Cresslia. And, what's more, it even gives you an 'after game' guide for when you finally beat the Elite Four.
   
   It even has list, from the battle moves Pokemon can learn, to what types of moves you should use on certain Pokemon. So, just to warn you before you spend your money on this thinking you are getting a Pokedex, check Amazon for the 'Prima Official Pokedex' (it should have a small box in the upper right corner of the picture that says Vol. 2) and get that: don't waste your money on this one if you don't want the complete walk-through, and to be left high and dry after you 'beat' the game.



3. This book was received in just a few days and in very good shape. We are very satisfied.



4. I bought this for my son who absolutely loves it. Helpful walk through is very informative and the section dealing with the Pokemon themselves is quite fun. If you're stuck in Diamond or Pearl this guide will be a big help. Most, but not all of your questions will be answered in this guide.



5. Well my review might not be fair, he received this and the game same day, so the book did not get read right away! Book turned out to be important, a good reference guide. I would buy again, just so I do not have to hear him whine, instead I can tell him to read the book.

5 comments about Steve Jackson Games Munchkin 2 Unnatural Axe.

1. This non book expansion card set for the non-book game of Munchkin adds 112 new cards. More wierdness and tounge-in-cheek humor for old D&D players and young alike.

   I still don't know why these are listed as books but it still doesn't matter, buy them. Remember this is an expansion deck, you should own Munchkin before buying this game. (Yes game NOT BOOK)

   But you CAN read the cards.....




2. Munchkin 2 makes the original Munckin card game even better. This item arrives in disposable packaging, and is meant to be slipped into the box you got along with your original Munchkin game. The cards from the two decks are fungible, so once you have put them together you will never find the need to seperate them.

   I purchased this game along with Star Munchkin about eight months ago. The latter game was fun, but the addition of all these extra cards to the Munchkin deck made Munchkin my group's game of choice. If you are considering either buying Star Munchkin *or* the expansion sets to Munchkin (Munchkin 3 Clerical Errors was recently released as of this writing), then I would suggest that you buy the two expansions. If you want to add an "Oriental Adventures" flavor to your card gaming, Munchkin Fu, another new release should do the trick. It can be added with the other Munchkin cards or played seperately.

   You will enjoy the Munchkin card game if you are able to get a group of players together that will harbor no ill feelings towards backstabbing and general treachery. I find that four works best, three being too few because two have a tendancy to gang up on one, and five being still quite fun, but taking a little longer between plays to progress.




3. If you have the original Munchkin this is a must buy! If you don't have the original Munchkin go buy it and then come back and pick this up too! I command it! Haha :P



4. Munchkin, like all good comedy, makes it look easy. The game seems to be a haphazard collection of puns and silly in-jokes for gamers. But there's something else there. It plays well, has fairly balanced rules and manages to keep the competitiveness in the game even through all the laughter, right up to the last card.
   
   This expansion walks the same tightrope, but it does work. The humor is as good as the cover implies, and if you have a group of gamers that enjoy a good laugh, you NEED to grab Munchkin and the first two expansions at least.



5. The add on for this game is great! More awesome character's to love! My family loves munchkin and with the add on of Munchkin 2, the game doesn't get boring or repetitive. A must have for all munchkin lovers.

2 comments about Storming A Castle: National Geographic Maze Adventures.

1. I purchased this for my grandson for Christmas, he is 7 and has Autism, and he fell in love with it. My daughter also thought it would be fun for her also. This is a big hit. Great gift idea for the grandchildren or your children.



2. I bought up a bunch of different puzzle books to do after recovering from foot surgery. I wanted to keep my brain active and not just by reading. I went for things that are different and interesting.
   
   This book is so much fun getting thru the castle. The artwork is very intricate. The quality is very high and as you would expect from National Geographic it is educational and fun at the same time.
   
   It is fun and makes you think as you learn history of the middle ages. The answers are given in the back so be carefull not to peek and ruin the fun.
   
   Great for anyone 5-95

5 comments about Crocheting School: A Complete Course.

1. This is a wonderful book. The photos are very clear, and the colors of yarn used are beautiful. Information on varied techniques is included, such as three ways to make a corner in filet, how to make a multi-level flower. The book is a pleasure to use.



2. this book is a great reference, had originally gotten the book from the library. well had to own it... its so easy to follow the instructions and the pictures are really good too.



3. I saw this book at my library and just to had to have one for myself!! It is my favorite reference book!! It doesn't miss much!



4. If you think you have seen it all as a crocheter, then buy this book! Because there are so many amazing things contained in a book that doesn't appear to be that big (138 pages). I just received it in the mail (thanks to fast and free supersaver mail!), and so I have not tried any of the techniques out. But I have not been so happy with a new book in a long time. I was trembling with excitement, looking over so many things I have never seen before! There are variations on basic stitches that were completely new to me, such as the rib stitch version of slip stitch (p 13), (Yes, I know this shouldn't be such a big deal but I just haven't ever seen that before, and I thought I had seen and done everything as a crocheter), variation of square in double crochet (p 20), Afghan Tweed Stitch (p 29) (This is a tunisian stitch that I have never seen before. It looks pretty cool), etc etc. I also thought it was extremely cool that they covered hairpin lace (4 pages of info, with variations and joining techniques), flower looms (2 pages of info, with joining techniques), and broomstick lace (2 pages worth). To top it all off, the book devotes many pages to showing different techniques for embellishing with crochet (embroidering on crochet, crocheted trims, crocheted edgings, crocheted insertions, crocheting with beads, etc.)
   
   This book is a veritable crochet explosion of technique and inspiration. I highly recommend this to 2 types of crocheters: ambitious and creative beginners and those crocheters who are more advanced in skill and think they have seen it all. If you know someone who crochets, this would make a wonderful gift.
   
   Mrs. K. Kerr



5. This is the best basic book one can buy. The companion knitting book also falls into the same category of BEST BUY!

No comments about Scrumptious Toppers for Tots and Toddlers: 30 Hats and Caps from Debby Ware.