5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess, Third Edition.

1. Primers on chess are notoriously poor, since many mediocre players (e.g., Pandolfini) consider themselves qualified to write them, and some cynics (e.g., Schiller) churn out primer after primer on the assumption their victims lack the skill to realize how bad they are. There are, however, exceptions: primers by strong players which respect the reader, such Capablanca's and Purdy's. "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess" is such a book. The writer (a stronger player than Schiller or Pandolfini can ever hope to be) does not repeat others, but gives thought to what beginners REALLY need to know--and it shows.
   
   He deals respectfully with the history of chess, giving important facts without (false) "fun" anecdotes about the "insanity" of champion X. Even his "why play chess at all?" section is fresh, without any waffle about the "beauty of the immortal game of chess": chess is a fair game where opponents on all levels are easy to find, and it is never boring. THAT is what beginners need to know. The same care is seen in the choice and presentation of the technical material. For example, Wolff deals with space and weak squares, crucial to those who want to become decent chess players, but which most primers simply ignore.
   
   It is no insult to Capablanca's or Purdy's classic primers to say that, finally, a better book for beginners had arrived. Like those primers, it is a book by a very strong player who gave much thought to what beginners really need to know. But it also brings the reader up-to-date on issues (computer chess especially, but also more recent chess history) that the earlier books, of course, couldn't deal with.
   
   Highly recommended.



2. 
   Concisely written that slowly guides players who want to gain a better understanding of how to strategically play (or better yet, at least have a chance vs. more knowledgeable players). Well layed out. One can ease through the text as the information is presented at a liesurely yet practical pace. Refreshing and not overbearing.



3. I learned a lot in this and there were a lot of diagrams for visual learners.



4. 
   
   I bought this book couple of weeks ago and I am done with this book!! It is very interesting book; it is like a mini encyclopedia. This book is big, but for someone who knows basics about chess need not to read the first 120 pages. I finished the first 120 pages in less than 2 hr. This book well explains the principle, strategy and tactics of the game. Worth reading it, it will never make you an idiot as some of the reviewer's told here.



5. Brilliant book. Don't let the title fool you. This is one of the most well-written books about chess I have come across, and the drills are great. It's probably the best beginner book you could read; most beginner books just tell you how all the pieces move and leave it at that. This book actually goes through the various tactics like forks, skewers, uncovered attacks, etc., in a manner that is understandable and fun. Then it moves onto positional considerations. I improved my game by several hundred points by using the techniques I learned in this book, and it made me want to go out and read more books about chess to further develop my skills. HIGHLY recommended!!!!!

5 comments about Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. There are some good tips and advice in the pages of this guide for legendary which I beat, but I was disappointed that they did not show the location of the skulls. It is fun to read through the guide to find some interesting advice. Its worth buying for this price. Enjoy



2. This is very helpful for game play.I would greatly encourage the xbox live gamer to get it because it tells the respawn times for the weapons on each multiplayer map.



3. I am not a "gamer" This was a purchase for my grandson at christmas. I am able to relate to his delight. Further, I feel that as intense as this game is the guide book was a good thing to include with the X-box and Halo game.Jamie says it is "way cool" with real great tips and tricks. I bet that you did not think that it was possible to get a big old bear hug from a 13 year old boy in front of his friends.



4. i just bought this iteam.i love halo...i also just orderd halo3 ...i was wondering what is the content of the guid...help would be great



5. This book is not recommended to those who want to play Halo 3 without any know how on how to play but it is a very very good book to those that are struggling on Legendary difficulty or that you might just want to know some ways to do the levels as quickly as possible. Note: Sometimes some pages might fall off though.

No comments about Far Cry 2: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

No comments about Life: Picture Puzzle Holidays! (Life (Life Books)).

5 comments about Mindfreak: Secret Revelations.

1. I like Criss Angel and appreciate his skill with magic, but found the book to be very short, and low on any substance. It focuses on his own belief in himself. I hope a proper biography or autobiography gets written at a later date



2. This book is amazing! It gives you the history of Criss. It tells you the experiances he went through during his life, and his rise to fame. It also teaches you lots of tricks that you can do at home. I reccommend this book to everybody!!!!



3. I purchased this book from the MINDFREAK store in Luxor, Las Vegas. Less of a mindFREAK than a mindNUMB... This was one of the very worst books I have ever read, and I wasn't expecting much (he is, after all, a magician and not a writer).
   
   The book was rambling and contained very little meaningful discussion. Instead, Angel spends page after page (after page...) lauding himself and his self-reported "laser-like" focus on his goals, his amazing imagination, and his laughable "signature poses". The "biography" portion of the book is thankfully short, with the balance of the book consisting of 40 "Mindfreaks" -- Magic 101-level tricks complete with photos of an "intense" looking Criss (who mostly just looks silly).
   
   I actually felt LESS smart after reading this book. The real magic is how Angel makes your money disappear without providing you anything worthwhile in exchange.
   
   Avoid this book.



4. One of the best magician in the world. In this book, takes us on a personal tour of his surreal world, a special place where he seamlessly blends illusion and reality. Prepare yourself for a stunning look into his mind, life, and philosophy.



5. Two things I really loved about this book are that you get to read about Chris' life and learn about how he became the magician that he is. He's a very special person and he shares a lot of himself in this book. Second is that the back of the book is filled with magic tricks that ANYONE can learn. I say that because I've never tried learning magic before and had a blast with these tricks. I got a huge kick out of showing the tricks to people and seeing them freak out trying to figure out how I did them. Way cool!

5 comments about The Dark Elf Trilogy, Collector's Edition (Homeland, Exile, Sojourn).

1. Loved this trilogy enough to share it with a friend or two as a gift.



2. The Dritz stories are my favorite among R. A. Salvatore books. I never get tired of reading them.



3. These are by far the best fantasy books Iv ever read.....Read all 3 of them straight through, read through breaks, and lunch at work. Stayed up to the wee hours of the night, I just could NOT put them down. You will NOT be disappointed in these grab yourself a copy NOW!
   Drizzt fan for life!



4. I've been an avid follower of Robert Salvatore's work since I was 10 or so years old. I am now 18. Though I am limited to just reading a few authors of the Forgotten Realms world (just started reading Ed Greenwood's books), I see Salvatore's books as my favorites ever. It was because of R.A. Salvatore's "The Crystal Shard" that I made the decision of wanting to become a writer, so I am indebted to this talented man.
   
   Anyway, I own most of his books from Echoes of the Fourth Magic to the installments of Corona and to the Collector's Editions of Drizzt's adventures thus far. And for the listing of my favorites I'd have to say this Collector's Edition as a whole is my 4th favorite.
   
   When I first got into the worlds of reading and the world of Faerun, I picked up the Icewind Dale Trilogy and was blown away. I still think that The Crystal Shard is THE best work of R.A. Salvatore. Knowing that there was going to be an origin story for Drizzt Do'urdon I saved up my allowance(I was young, maybe like 13?) for many weeks, and then I preordered each book as it came.
   
   Let me review each book on its own then I'll give the master review.
   
   Book #1: Homeland
   For me this was a very important read, and Salvatore did not let me down on this one. I felt the character of Zaknafein was the strongest in the whole book, and though Drizzt's journey from boyhood to the nearly-invincible fight we know him as is very interesting and kept me turning pages, I felt that other drow were quite flat. Matron Mother annoyed the s**t out of me for she's just the evil drow stereotype. (Which occurs a lot in these books because thats all Drizzt interacts with in this one. I felt that Salvatore could've made the characters more dimensional like Jarlaxle or the Faceless One.)
   Action sequences thrilled me and I was on the edge of my bed when I read the last couple chapters.
   The cons with Homeland was that, yeah, I felt that the drow could have more tweaking and be more interesting, but no matter; Salvatore accomplishes this with Legacy of the Drow books.
   
   Book #2: Exile
   Exile is my favorite out of this trilogy because Salvatore does much better with the characterization as fresh faces come into the fold, and old ones actually find a voice thats interesting. I especially love the journey that we take with Drizzt as he discovers more about himself and finds morals and values. The action in this is much more realistic and Drizzt is seen to be vulnerable which makes for a fun read.
   
   Book *3: Sojourn
   Okay, okay, before you fan boys say that this is the best Drizzt trilogy let me tell you what I was hoping for in this trilogy after reading the MUCH better Icewind Dale trilogy. For I was disappointed.
   As I read the books of the latter trilogy I wondered what went through Drizzt's mind as he came to the surface and how he came to meet Bruenor. This book does not live up to my expectations, though it is still entertaining in its own right. It's good but not great like Exile or heck Halfling's Gem.
   After reading this specific book a while ago, I felt Salvatore was quite rushed with this one. The story itself is what I expected, but the interaction between characters was bland at times. Catti-brie wasn't boring as a younger version of her dwarf-raised self, but she wasn't grand. Only Bruenor and the bounty hunter Drizzt faces are the grand new faces. Don't get me wrong action is still good (not as good as Exile though, or Homeland) but the execution of this important cornerstone of Drizzt's life seemed so rushed that I was thinking, "What? That's it?"
   I felt Salvatore could've done more to flesh out the characters that we've come to know and love.
   
   
   THE MASTER REVIEW
   
   As a reader of R.A. Salvatore, I'd say this is a must-have collector's edition.
   As a reader of fantasy, Drizzt's story is one of the best out there.
   But as a fan who has followed R.A. salvatore as a writer. This is NOT his best work for Forgotten Realms. Of course this is a must-have to enjoy the story of Drizzt & CO., But to get more into the characters I'd suggest Icewind Dale trilogy as it is much more interesting and I felt all ranges of emotions while reading that.
   
   Otherwise this book is fun, worth the money, and has you cheering for Drizzt the whole time, but for me I'd recommend it with a bitter taste in my mouth because of the disappointment Sojourn left me. Only to those who wish to know the origin of the beloved Drizzt Do'urdon.
   
   
   Elsewise start with Icewind Dale trilogy to see the reason why fantasy-fans love Drizzt Do'urdon.



5. Some of the (relatively few) negative reviews of this series on Amazon feel that its premise--a dark elf who just happens to have human values leaves his bad, bad world behind--is too contrived. However, I don't think an attentive reading of the first book supports that view. It's oversimplifying too much and ignores important details.
   
   First, Drizzt was NOT the first one to question the values of the drow; he was the first to LEAVE drow society because of his refusal to compromise with it. Zaknafein felt nothing but contempt for Menzoberranzan (see his monologue after the battle with House DeVir), and he channeled his contempt for drow society into a love of killing those who reveled in it. Yet Zak ultimately still contributed to the system he hated, while Drizzt chose to leave a world he couldn't fix behind and face the unknown rather than be part of something he considered evil. Pretty heroic, I think. We all could learn something from Drizzt.
   
   Second, while many drow are definitely evil, it isn't true that all of them are or that they are evil innately. Zak clearly cared for Drizzt's welfare--for one obvious reason, but especially because he sees in Drizzt the same disrespect for drow rules as he has. Vierna, Drizzt's older sister who first raises him, has moments of sympathy and even admiration for Drizzt. Of course, her cultural conditioning kicks in and she feels guilty for such tenderness--whipping the boy for inspiring such feelings in her. Yet clearly some drow other than Drizzt were at odds with or at least ambivalent about dark elf society, and that makes Menzoberranzan a more complex place than some readers have assumed it to be.
   
   Yes, Drizzt's values do happen to coincide with our own. But think like an author for a second: if Drizzt didn't have "human" values, would readers be able to relate to him at all? Could we cheer for Drizzt if he showed any hint of the traitorous and sneaky nature of his kindred? For Drizzt to be a hero to us humans reading the book, we have to be able to admire his actions. Sure, there may be some people out there who admire cunning, ruthless people who cut down their enemies with intrigue; but the huge following that Drizzt has seems to suggest that most of us would prefer such conniving people to be cut down with two sharp scimitars.
   
   Here's to 20 years of Drizzt Do'Urden. Thank you, Bob Salvatore.

5 comments about Mental Floss Presents Condensed Knowledge: A Deliciously Irreverent Guide to Feeling Smart Again.

1. Just as it promises, this is a fine book to get condensed knowledge on just about anything. It also stimulates you to research further on the subjects that intrigue you. Hmmm, I might have to pass this on to my teenage son and see if it stimulates his curiousity beyond video games...



2. simply a delight to read. it's great to cram all of these random facts in when you have nothing else to do. even would make a great book for the loo.



3. There seems to be a trend over the last 10 years of books that try to make academic subjects more enjoyable and interesting--series such as the Idiot's and Dummies books, for example--which are often well done despite their light-hearted approach. This book seems to follow in their footsteps. Sure, it sometimes glosses over the subject matter, and doesn't go into a lot of technical detail, but if you consider that after reading one of the chapters in this book on, say, general science, history, or literature, the average person will probably know more than they remember from that college course of many years ago, these books do perform a useful service.
   
   Of course, the pundits can always claim that they're just dumbing down their subject, but on the other hand, what better way to get the current semi-literate generation raised on MTV and video games to actually read something worthwhile for a change?
   
   At this point I might fall into that category myself. :-) I was one of the "grinds," who studied sedulously and diligently while the other students were goofing off or partying, but what with the ravages of age and memory, much of that learning had been forgotten. When I read the chapter on art history, for example, I learned some new things, and many things that I had forgotten came back. Funny how powerful the principle of multiple association is, and memory psychologists have of course studied this in detail. But for me reading this book not only gave me some new insights but brought back so much that I had forgotten. So for me it was truly a little trip down "memory lane."
   
   You'll find all the usual academic subjects here, as well as juicy tidbits and trivia such as "rock stars that died at 27." Sometimes the choice of a topic just seems to come from left field, such as in "The Ceremony of the Bambara People," in the Theater chapter, but it's all fun and you still learn a lot. (Oddly enough, my father, who was an amateur collecter of Africa art, had a Bambara antelope sculpture in his collection).
   
   The book is well written and is just chock full of fun information, trivia, and facts. It's a fun, enjoyable, and even seductive little romp through many fields of learning, and gets points for performing a useful educational service. If people in this country just knew what was in this book they'd be a lot better off than they are now.



4. Great book, which I suspected before I bought it. I was thrilled to find a topic I already had done quite a bit of research on and had also bored my family and friends to tears with... "Rock Stars who Died at 27" (might not be right on title, but you get my drift). I was so thrilled to see that I wasn't the only one expounding on it! Other than that, so much information, so interesting... well done.



5. If you like cocktail party nuggets of knowledge, then you'll enjoy this compendium. Each chapter contains an array of quirky topics, and each has a few paragraphs on the subject, which might be about odd subjects such as religions with supernatural females, or how certain emperors met their fate. It is the light hearted kind of tome you can pick up and put down repeatedly, and each time find something new.

5 comments about The Poker Tournament Formula.

1. Being a avid poker player since 2003 I have experimented with differant types of tourney styles and recently put poker tournament formula to the test,against a variety of other styles including,gus hansen,dan harrington,a generic consertative aggressive approach,and my own hybrid style say to speak.
   I was not biased in any style as I have all the books on each player.I played 10 $5 multi table tourneys using each style on ultimate bet.I kept up with each win and loss on microsoft excel.Here are the results:
   All styles were in the negative except 3 styles which were positive they are Gus hansen positive $30.00 Dan Harrington positive $122.00 and poker tournament formula positve $243.00
   I know this is only a 10 tourney test and really about 100 games should be played out to get a more accurate account,but those were the short term results.To be honest with you my fellow poker players I started out as a Dan Harrington Disciple,but it always felt like something was missing no sizzle to the steak so to speak.Poker tournament formula definetely fills in that gap.Also I generally feel more comfortable playing the PTF system than harringtons due also to the fact that it is actually more simply to follow and laid out for you practically in the book as with harringtons you have to piece it all together.Only more test will tell but this style is definetely looking good for the small fast tournaments.



2. I call this book an 'underground' poker classic because it is deeply underappreciated in the poker world. I write a monthly column for one of the largest poker magazine, and in my opinion, it is the single best book for explaining winning tournament strategy...AGGRESSION. The reason aggression is the winning strategy is that a hold'em players greatest weapon at any time is Folding Equity. Meaning your ability to control your raises, and the probability your opponent will lay down their hand. The main problem I see is that the aggressive style does not fit everyone's personality, but if you want a crash course on tournament aggression, this is the book for you.



3. this author teaches some very interesting concepts that defy most the other advice you'll run across. My game has vastly improved due to his stratagies. Big Stuff... and a must read for all NL Holdem Tournament players, new or experienced!!!



4. Often people buy a poker book and feel that they must play in that style. My views are a little different. Read this book to understand your opponent as well. You may choose to not play in this style but understand that there will be people who will. Understand the ideas behind the book and you will be better prepared against someone who plays this style. I have used this style in low buy tmts and if you notice the style of your opponents you can amass alot of chips. Like Snyder says, I used to find myself quickly getting short stacked. I would wait for a premium hand and when I got one my chip stack wouldn't be large enough to scare anyone away and subsequently lose my stack to a much larger one (who could afford to play an inferior hand and suck out). But with a larger stack (from getting more chips in positional plays) players were less likely to play against me and therefore making my stack larger. It also allowed me to withstand a bad beat. One bad beat doesn't knock you out. This is a poker book that makes you think about your game and the game of poker in general and that is always a good thing. If you like reading about poker I highly recomend this book.



5. Ive bought and read many different poker stratagy guides, but this is the first one to pay off.. I was entering one $25.00 tourny a week, and never placing. After reading this, the first tourny i got 24th out of 223. Unfortunatly they only paid the top 20. Next i got 13th out of 67. Again just short as they paid top 9.
   
   The third tourny hit. Not only did i cash, i actually won. I took home $600 for first place after a final table split. Then 2 tournys later, 3rd for another $200. Dont even think, just get this book. His stratagies for Chip, Placement and Card play are invaluable.

5 comments about Halls of the Giant Kings: DU1 - Dungeon Tiles (D&D Accessory).

1. If you love D&D and 4E, spend your spare $10 on this rather than on the Dungeons & Dragons Character Record Sheets: Roleplaying Game Character Sheets, 4th Edition. You'll find these tiles much more useful and a much better value. And unlike the latter, this one actually underexaggerates its page count (says "1", but there are 6 two-sided tile sheets with over 40 tiles, large and small). Although "Halls of the Giant Kings" begins a new Dungeon Tiles product line, you won't find it much different than the previous "DT" line of tiles. Just a new new style cover, but the tiles have the same weight and texture as previous releases.
   
   Although, as the title indicates, the illustrations of many of the tiles suggest scenarios for halls of, um, giant kings, a good number of them are very generic stone floors, objects, rubble, glyphs and so on. This makes DU1 suitable for most simple dungeon crawls, something missing from many recent DT releases now that DT1 is long out of print. In short: great value for the money.



2. While there are a few large-sized pieces in this set, the title is a bit misleading. This tile set is more of an introductory set of tiles that can be used to create some really nice looking dungeons and is completely compatible will all the other tile sets that have been released.
   
   Since the first set of basic tiles was released about two years ago (and is now out of print) these new tiles are the ones to buy if you want to get started. The tiles in this set are just as durable as the ones you'll find in any of the other sets that have been released. Buying two sets of these is probably the way to go if you want to get maximum use out of them... the tiles have images on both sides (for example, on one 20 x 20 foot piece of tile there's a large table but if you flip it over, it can be used for making generic dungeon floor as well). This is a very fun and useful item for any edition of the dungeons and dragons game. Get them before they go out of print.



3. I expected something more then just a bunch of empty plates
   Out of a total of 12 "façades" only 5 are original and I am being lenient! The rest are just reprints. Out of these 5 façades only 10 tiles are actually giant related. I am not exaggerating.
   
   Obviously I am disappointed, especially as this was supposed to be a début of 4th ed. RPG and DDM 2.0.
   
   So my advice: If you have any number of dungeon related tile sets don't bother unless you collect them. If you don't own any other tile sets and you want dungeon tiles go ahead. If you are looking for giant scaled themes all you will find is 2 tables, 3 throwns, 1 cauldron, 1 chest, 1 hearth and a couple of doors.
   
   Thumbs down on WOTC originality.



4. Nice tiles!
   but i would like to have more dungeons designed for the recent 4E adventures, Keep on the Shadowfell and kobold Hall.



5. I've purchased a few of the DT products for my home game. Having them handy has greatly increased our play experience since it doesn't take long to put the maps together, and I don't need to worry about drawing all the terrain features.

5 comments about Jewelry Making & Beading For Dummies.

1. This book is full of information as the Dummies series always is. I always trust that I'll get a good product when I order a Dummies book. A+



2. Not good! I was hoping for ideas for beginners. I'm not to creative and thought it might have some examples or ideas. Totally dissapointed.



3. I have 4 or 5 beading books and this is my favorite. It really answers the questions you might have if you are a beginner beader unlike many of the other books that claim they are for beginners. Great Book!



4. Excellent product - exactly what it said it was. No delay in shipping - very prompt.



5. I highly recommend this book for beginning-intermediate beaders. The text is both entertaining and informative, with instructions that are easy to read and follow. The book includes several helpful resources, and covers the basics of stringing and bead weaving, including the basic off-loom stitches. A worthwhile investment for beaders.