No comments about The New York Times Crosswords For A Lazy Day: 130 Fun, Easy Puzzles (New York Times Crossword Puzzles).

5 comments about Diane Warner's Big Book of Parties: Creative Party Planning for Every Occasion.

1. This book offered many tips on many different themes in parties. Although, it seems that Diane is more oriented with weddings, she tends to have quite a few chapters on weddings in this book. She does, however, have good ideas for barbeques, post-prom parties and random special events.

   I've had a few parties this past year, and I've used her organizers (checklists, etc.). I found them quite helpful. They were very simple. They helped me have everything right in front of me while working on other aspects of the party.




2. Great book filled with cost effective ideas for throwing a great party! Pleanty of variety in the book to suit everyone's taste and budget!



3. This is the most creative, realistic, inspiring party planning book I have seen! It covers all sorts of parties from Baby showers to retirement banquets and everything in between.
   
   Part 1 of the book covers party planning basics - the where, when, how and why as well as brief chapters on children's and adult party games.
   
   Part 2 covers the holidays - practically every holiday you would want to celebrate. New Years, Christmas, and Halloween are of course included, but so are Chinese New Year, May Day, Mother's Day, Cinco de Mayo, Labor Day, and Kwanzaa.
   
   Part 3 includes life event parties like baby showers, engagement parties, family reunions, housewarming, wedding, and farewell.
   
   Parts 4, 5 & 6 cover birthday parties; children's teens, and adults.
   
   Parts 7, 8 and 9 are may favorite! These are the chapters that pull this book apart from all other party planning books - creative and well-thought-out plans for those of us who love to bring our friends together not just when we have to, but because we WANT to. These are parties just for the sake of fun - food themed parties like wine-tasting and progressive dinners; creative parties like scavenger hunts and mystery nights.
   
   Part 10 covers business functions and Ms. Warner actually makes them sound not horrible.
   
   Part 11 includes menus and recipes.
   
   Part 12 is the organizational chapter with check lists and budgets.
   
   If you love to entertain or if you have to throw a party and have no idea where to begin this book is for you.



4. The author actually recommends a birthday party at McDonald's. Then she assumes we all have silk flowers at home to decorate for a party. The book is outdated and boring. There are absolutely no pictures in the book. I would only recommend this book if you have no experience in party planning and are looking for a drab, run of the mill party that looks as though you stopped at the store Party City to decorate!



5. ...you've got to be joking. I suppose if you had zero creativity and have never thrown a party before and have no idea where to start, then this would be the book for you. Many of the ideas are just ridiculous and seem to have been thrown in just to fill up space. I found myself laughing out loud many times at the mere thought of actually throwing a party with the suggested theme and elements. There are plenty of other good entertaining books out there with "grown up" ideas. Sorry Diane, but this one is a stinker!

5 comments about Giant Rider-Waite Tarot Deck: Complete 78-Card Deck.

1. this item was received in a timely fashion and the condition was perfect. Very pleased with transaction. Will shop again in the future. Thank you.



2. I love these. Rider-Waite is the name for tarot and these cards are easy to shuffle and easy to view.



3. If you're going to buy a tarot, this is the one to get--it's my favorite anyway.
   
   The Rider Waite Tarot is the most popular deck out there. Why? because it uses traditional symbols that are easiest to learn.
   
   And if you like a larger version of the normal Rider Waite, where you don't need to use a magnifying glass to see the details, then this is the one to get.



4. Currently I am taking an intense training in Tarot. The two decks we are using are the Rider-Waite deck and the Golden Dawn deck. I highly recommend both decks, especially if used together. The Rider-Waite deck is about how the states represented by the cards work (first level training); the Golden Dawn deck is about how those states are refined (second level training). Using the Rider-Waite deck to learn about the cards and their associated states is the first step; then learning about the Golden Dawn deck and comparing those to the Rider-Waite deck is especially helpful.



5. Why am I continually surprised that people who write reviews don't know how to write reviews? You'd think I'd be used to it by now, *sigh*
   
   From 1998 to 2007 not one stinking review here gives the actual size of the cards! which is what makes this particular deck so special.
   
   So, here it is-- SIZE OF CARDS:
   
   3 3/4 INCHES WIDE by 6 1/2 INCHES TALL, or,
   
   approximately 9 1/2 CENTIMETERS WIDE by 16 1/2 CENTIMETERS TALL.
   
   The Outer Box the cards come in is: 4 INCHES WIDE by 7 INCHES TALL, or 10 CENTIMETERS WIDE by 17 1/2 CENTIMETERS TALL.
   
   See? it wasn't so hard to give this vital information after all.
   
   As for the reviewer who stated, "very basic, typical 'cookie cutter tarot'", all I can say is:
   
   HUH? You must be joking.
   
   The Rider-Waite, now called the Rider-Waite-Smith, or RWS for short, in respect for artist Pamela Coleman Smith, (Rider was the Publisher; Waite was Arthur Edward Waite the Designer of the deck; and Pamela, the artist, who brought Waite's vision to life), is not a typical cookie-cutter tarot. It is, rather, 'THE MOLD' for all the other cookie-cutter tarots out there.
   
   First published in 1909, the vast, VAST majority of tarot on the market today is a clone of the Rider-Waite-Smith. This, of course, does not include all the Marseilles- or Thoth-type decks out there.
   
   Yes, there are more beautifully-artistic RWS-clones. But in all my Collecting, I have yet to find even one other that incorporates all the symbology in the RWS. Indeed, many, MANY tarot artists don't even read tarot; they've just taken the theme and applied their artistry. Their artwork is stunning, no doubt, but they miss so much of the symbology in the RWS, assuming that it's just 'prettiness' or 'artistic license' on the part of Pamela Coleman Smith. And nothing could be further from the truth. There is not one single element in the RWS that does not have a symbological meaning; from the number of flowers on a character's tunic to whether or not a belt is knotted or just wrapped around.
   
   No, the RWS is not a 'cookie-cutter' tarot. It is 'THE COOKIE' itself. Hence, why everyone copies it, and fails miserably in their execution.
   
   This GIANT-sized RWS is a perfect start for beginning students of tarot as all the symbological details are easily seen. It is also perfect, as others have said, for meditation and for teaching purposes.
   
   There are many tarot-readers now who call themselves 'intuitive readers'. They pull cards from any deck and say what they see, or what happens to pop into their head. This is all well and good, I guess. But for the serious student who desires to understand 'WHY' they see what they see or what pops into their head, you cannot get any better than the RWS. It's all there, nothing is missing. One can wade into deep water with the RWS and, years later, will find themselves going deeper still.

2 comments about Pumpkin Painting.

1. This would be the book to take along before boarding the S.S. Minnow. You might also want to take along some acrylic paints, brushes, and a few other items which are clearly listed beside each project. This book would cure boredom over and over again as it contains many different easy-to-duplicate designs for not only pumpkins, but gourds, melons (and possibly coconuts). This book can be helpful for adults as well as children (and even possibly the natives). After all what else would there be to do on that desert isle after the sun goes down?!



2. We use this book every year to paint about 30-40 pumpkins for table center pieces where I work. We have found, after searching for books on pumpkin painting, that this is our favorite one and we call it "our pumpkin bible". Then, the night of the children's halloween party, we let the kids take them home. All the patterns are easy (even for those who are not artistically talented). We highly recommend it!

5 comments about Game Design: Theory and Practice (2nd Edition) (Wordware Game Developer's Library).

1. Being an avid gamer, and dreaming of working in the video game industry, I pretty much knew everyhing there was in this book. However, if you're not like me, then I think you will find this book useful.
   The book goes from the beginning stages of video game design up to the completion of a video game. It gives really good information about what makes a game good and not tired and done before.
   The interviews of the game designers are kinda helpful; it really depends on if you already know the designers work and are familiar with it.
   This is a non-technical book though, so it won't tell you how to code a game or make models. It basically tells you all of the intangibles you can't learn in a class or really anywhere.
   
   It's worth the read.



2. I got this book to help in a class since it was a course requirement. It has alot of good info and intangibles about game design that is very helpful to anybody that would want to know.



3. I am currently using this as my Game Design textbook. As a student, it provides not only mere theory, but valuable interviews with upstanding designers. It is clear, and a joy to read.



4. The editorial review is kinda deceiving, so I'll just write what's missing on it: The book tries to balance between theory, practical examples and interviews.
   
   Which may be great to some, but not that great to others.
   
   The book is basicaly structured in this way:
   30-50 pages of Theory
   5-15 pages of a practical example (something about the theory on an actual game)
   15-40 pages of Interview (with some famous game designer... which might be good if the reader knows their games, and might be bad if the reader doesn't, since not much of it is exactly "game designer" content).
   
   That structure is repeated through over and over the book's 677 pages.
   But don't get me wrong, the content is still very good. Cover lots of stuff from developing the game concept, to more technical stuff like AI, Multi-playing, Level design and playtesting.
   
   So, a good book that covers lots of stuff on game design without going too deep in specific stuff.



5. That's really great book for every game designer or someone who wants to be one, but also a good one for all other people working on game, so that they can understand design work. Just don't expect programming or animation or other topics from it, it's about "game design" not "game software design" or "game graphics design" or others. It's also very important that author actually IS game designer of commercial games, and included example of design document of one of his released games (The Suffering) - some really good material there, that one is really worth it!

5 comments about Handicapping 101: Finding the Right Horses and Making the Right Bets.

1. This is a must-have book on horseracing handicapping. Don't be fooled by its title into thinking this book is only for beginnners - in fact it should become a handicapping classic. Over the last eight years, I have read many horseracing handicapping books - some good, some bad, but this is my clear favorite. Well-written, easy to understand, and it explains very well the four main handicapping factors - condition/form, class, overall speed, and pace. And, it provides guidelines on how these four factors are applied at the various class levels. The first time I applied the author's guidelines to a maiden claiming race I hit a 28-1 winner. From my experience, I am firmly convinced that successful horseracing handicapping long-term can not be achieved by a computer program or a mathematical method/system. But, you can achieve a positive ROI long-term by applying the handicapping guidelines set forth in this book and making value bets, not just betting on the likely winner in every race. Buy this book - it will pay for itself many times over - it sure has for me.



2. I used to be a recreational player. I would go Santa Anita once a year and spend anywhere from 20.00 to 100.00 dollars. I never won, except for an occasional place bet. I never understood the game to be honest with you, but it was purely enjoyable entertainment. I saw Brad Free's book advertised in the program, and ended up buying the book. I bought the book with the intentions of learning the bare basics of handicapping and to know how to read the charts in the paper.
   
   Well I got a lot more than that! As I was reading the book I wanted to try some of the things I learned and would go to the track often. Brad Free covers every aspect of handicapping. This is a book that is in your library and that you refer to often.
   
   The chapter "The Wagering Menu" was very enjoyable. I used his method on the Superfecta at Hollywood Park, and won 796.30. It was a great feeling. However I thought his Pick-4 techniques were confusing.
   
   I would have liked it better if there was an index. I hate thumbing through the book to find something in particular. Also a glossary would have been helpful, because sometimes I didn't have a clue what he was talking about with all the jargon, slang, and lingo that are used by horseplayers.



3. Handicapping 101. Is the best book for understanding what to look for in handicapping.



4. As an entry-level/novice handicapper wanting to learn everything I can, a friend of mine suggested Handicapping 101 as the opening read. He couldn't have been more on target.
   
   In reality, the title almost doesn't do the text justice, for it's far more than the "101"-level information you'd expect. While the four main areas of handicapping may be the starting points, they are explained in fine detail without sounding as if you are listening to a lecture or reading a thesis. Free mixes in just enough from his personal handicapping experiences (both successful and not) to add flavor to the text and to bring the information presented to life.
   
   This book alone will not make you into a professional horseplayer, and you shouldn't read it with that intent. But if you are like me and trying to learn, with an eye toward taking handicapping very seriously down the road - this is a must-read. What this book will do is:
   
   A) Enlighten you as to what you have been doing wrong when you were at the track "for fun." (read: not leaving with any money and calling the money you lost the "cost of entertainment)
   
   B) Give you enough information in an enjoyable text that will be much more knowledge than many others bring to the track on race day (as in, all those folks who in category A.)
   
   Absolutely worth it.



5. Brad Free's Handicapping 101 was the first book I read when I started to become involved in horse racing. This is a perfect guide for beginners and is probably the best book to get started with. Advanced players also could gain from scrubbing up on the basics, but for the most part, the advanced player will already be familiar with a majority of the ideas/topics in this book.

2 comments about Vampire: The Requiem Dice Set.

1. I have this set of dice and I'm very pleased with them. The dice themselves feel good in your hand, with a pleasing weight and texture that I've noticed myself and also had friends I was gaming with who used them comment on.
   
   That said, the bag that comes with the dice is nice to have, but not of particularly impressive quality if you're a stickler for that kind of thing.
   
   Play with these dice in the New World of Darkness setting is very easy, as the numbers that ordinarily mean a success (8, 9, and 0) are highlighted to make it easy to see how you did at a glance.
   
   If you want to use them as regular d10s, or for the old World of Darkness, it IS slightly more difficult to read the numbers 1-7 because they're in black on black-and-red dice (8, 9, and 0 are in silver). It's really not difficult enough to matter, but worth mentioning. I doubt I'd have even thought of it as difficult, except for the contrast with the ease of reading the silver "success" numbers.



2. This is a bag of 10 sided dice for use with Vampire: the Requiem. If you are new to the Storyteller system, you probably need a lot more d10s than you already have lying around. The color is marbled red and black, with black for successes (8-10). The successes are easy to read, but failure numbers (1-7) kind of blend in; the color of the dice themselves is quite attractive. The bag is red felt with the Vampire logo (fanged skull) painted on. If you, like me, have an unreasonable need to roll dice for characters that is pertinent to their species (mortals/vampire/werewolf/mage) then these will do nicely.

4 comments about Pun and Games: Jokes, Riddles, Daffynitions, Tairy Fales, Rhymes, and More Word Play for Kids.

1. In this highly entertaining book, punmaster Richard Lederer reveals the tricks of the punster's trade while challenging readers to create original wordplay of their own. In sixteen chapters, with titles such as "Calling on the Homophone," "Puns That Babylon," and "Tairy Fales," the author explains how to use homophones, homographs, and spoonerisms for comical effect while exploring knock-knock jokes, Tom Swifties, and other types of jokes and riddles based on the deft manipulation of sound and meaning. The author presents a clear and simple explanation of each form, provides numerous examples, and then invites readers to create original jokes, rhymes, and puzzles of their own. Language-lovers of all ages will appreciate the wealth of wit and humor presented on these pages.



2. My third-grade daughter couldn't put this book down! Absolutely loved the "Pun Fun" section and the "'Let's play a Game' said Tom Swiftly" section. The booked is marked up and dog-eared.



3. The flexibility of the English language lends itself to lots of fun stuff as veteran teacher, writer and lecturer Richard Lederer knows so well. Kids love funny jokes and play on words--why not introduce them to the fun side of English.

   The "Tairy Fales" shows how Spoonerisms or reversing sounds on pairs of words can yield some madcap results. (And don't forget, Butterfly was once Flutterby, but we just couldn't get it straight.) Riddles are great for long car rides--rhymes will tempt even the most lackluster reader to stretch their abilities. This is a must for homeschoolers and reading to the kids in the evening--fun, too.




4. To me, puns are the stars of the wordplay world, and Pun and Games is Sirius fun. Legendary verbologist Lederer has packed this 100-page upper and lowercase suitcase with tons of puns. Illustrations by Dave Morice dance with (and throughout) this logophile's dream, and the pun never ends. No irritable vowel syndrome here.
   - Michael Kline, author/illustrator of WordPlay Cafe

5 comments about Spectre of the Black Rose (Ravenloft Terror of Lord Soth, Vol. 2).

1. Spectre of the Black Rose is the follow up book to Knight of the Black Rose. Lowder returns in a dubious paring with Voronica Whitney-Robinson. I am uncertain what makes this book so bad. The story has such promise and yet falls so short of the mark that it is almost sickening.
   This complete tragedy of a novel might have been good if the authors would have focused on Soth. The reader comes away from the book feeling like nothing was accomplished. The best character in the novel barely works. The Bloody Cobbler who is victimized by a stupid name but has the best lines in the entire novel, struggles to save this book from being a total waste of paper. He fails. In short, the best part of this novel is the beautiful binding and cover art. This is definitely one book that you cannot judge by the cover.



2. Warning if u like Lord Soth as darklord, you will be VERY SAD at the end of this novel.

   The HIstory is a bit "hard" to get, sometimes u will need to re-read some parts to understand what is happing. Lord Soth in this novel is one of the important characters, since mainly the Sithicus domain is descripted. But, once u got the taste of reading the book.... you will feel being one traveling throught sithicus, overseeing all the events.

   It is a must read for every fan from the Ravenloft Campaign setting, since it helps a lot to understand the Ravenloft Gazetter IV.




3. Great book! Not quit as good as Knight of the Black Rose but very close. Once again great story told well with great characters!



4. Excellent book. Lord Soth is one of my favorite characters in the Dragonlance universe. This book adds to the Lord Soth legacy and aspects of his personality and character. Additionally, it was interesting to read about Krynn's most infamous character in a setting outside of Krynn.



5. This book is the sequel to Knight of the Black Rose. Once again Lowder does a masterful job of telling the story of Lord Soth and what makes him tick. Past book about Lord Soth focus on him being a supreme villian and the history of his 'transformation' into a Death Knight. Yet, in this book, Lowder does a very good job of getting inside Soth's head and letting the reaer know what he is thinking.
   
   Unlike the first Ravenloft book about Soth this one has a little more intrique in it. There is a mystery in this book that Soth is continually faced with, just who is the White Rose? Fans of the Dragonlance Chronicles will understand this subplot the more they read about it.
   
   Lowder again proves that he can create interesting characters and stories behind those characters with seemingly very little effort. The Bloody Cobbler being one of the most interesting Ravenloft characters I have ever read about. I wish he would have gotten his own book, but alas we don't always get what we want.
   
   If you are a fan of the Dragonlance books I highly suggest you pick up this book and give it a shot, I don't think you will be disappointed.

No comments about ACCURATE MODEL AIRCRAFT DETAILING (Expert Model Craft).