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.

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 Eddie Kantar Teaches Modern Bridge Defense.

1. Kantar today is more noted as a bridge instructor than a bridge player. But one must remember that he is both and his latest book demonstrated both the instructional and practical sides. It is (as usual) clear, concise and ro the point. I like Kantar's prose, his ease of explanation and the way he sets just the right tone. Of course, he discusses the bid, the opponent and, most important, keeping track of the play while counting the cards (the one thing that separates the professional from the amateur). Good book with tons of examples.



2. This is a great book on defense, because Kantar covers almost every intermediate situation comprehensively and give you black and white rules for every situation. He doesn't in this book consider varied leading/signalling conventions but just gives one way to play, but that's fine as he explains his method clearly and shows why he recommends everything he does. I'd recommend it to every player.



3. Kantar is exceptionally readable, with a sense of humor which makes a difficult subject enjoyable. He goes through much material, but quite thoroughly and clearly. It's a book that needs to be studied - not merely read - but a good student will gain enormously from Kantar's work.



4. The book focuses on leads, signals (Attitude, Count, Suit Preference), and how to card (what card to play in 2nd or 3rd spot), rather than general defensive principles.
   
   The content is excellent, well presented (humorous!!), and best of all, has lots of quizzes. None of this skimming a section and figuring you know it, the quiz will let you find out for certain.
   
   2 warnings:
   
   1) make sure your partner is using the same techniques, otherwise you may get worse results. Its not that the ideas in the book are radical, they are mainstream. But if pard doesn't understand your signal, they may do something weird and you will be worse off.
   
   2) The book is a bit technical (5 situations where this is a suit preference signal. If Dummy wins with a Q then signal count, otherwise ... If you can see the X in dummy then pard will know to do this, else that, etc.
   You will need to reread it several times, and probably make notes.
   
   VALUABLE STUFF, but ONLY as part of a partnership that understands each other.



5. I found this to be the best book to improve bridge for an intermediate player. I've read it four times and learned from each chapter each time. Since one plays defense on half the hands, it provides the best time investment to improve one's bridge play. It is also an entertianing read. I have recommended it to the bridge players I mentor.

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.

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Bridge, 2nd Edition (The Complete Idiot's Guide).

1. This is the most interesting and informative bridge book I have ever read!



2. I bought this book after playing bridge for about a month. I had taught myself mostly by using Bridge for Dummies. BFD is a great book and is more entry level. The Complete Idiot's Guide (CIG) is a great book on its own as well. For instance, BFD will talk about bidding game, but doesn't give point ranges for bidding game. CIG shows that clearly.
   
   This book has great information about bidding, playing the hand and also more advanced techniques. You often see things on someone's bidding card like Splinter bids, or Drury. This books gives you these conventions as well as many more. It has a great explanation of cue bids and transfers.
   
   What makes this book stand out is the humor involved and the bridgebits. It tells you much of the history, and little bits of trivia behind the topic at hand. Learning bridge can be dry (and this is coming from an accountant) and this book makes it much more interesting.



3. The foundation of all bidding must be sound and conservative hand valuation for beginners. The Am. Contract Bridge League,ACBL, has established such standards but this book does not follow them fully and thus players schooled from this book will not be fully compatible with others, who have learnt the ACBL way.
   
   The most glaring deviation is about distributional values. Todays students should be told that shortness is no asset until a trump suit fit of eight or more cards combined has been found. Counting points for voids, singletons and doubletons as opener is premature and is a bad idea
   when they are located in major suits because the prime goal of bidding is to find an eight card fit in a major suit. Since modern biddding rules out opening bids on four card majors one must start with a minor suit bid thereby raising the hope with partner that one has at least three or possibly four cards in one or both majors. Thus being short in one or both majors is a handicap and should not be counted as a point based asset when opening the bidding. In short: counting points for shortness before a fit has been established can be "a tragedy waiting to happen" according to bridge champion Eddie Kantar.
   
   Counting points for shortness in majors will lead to overvaluation of marginal hands and likely poor final bids as illustrated on p.58 with the grossly overvalued hand #4. As a teacher I warn students against such foolishness. Only length has potential value for opening suit bids.
   
   There are various other deviations from ACBL standards in the book, not
   proper to list here. The experts who reviewed this book before publication did not pay full attention to details.
   
   There is a lot of good material far beyond novice level in the book so look at all the other reviews before deciding to buy.



4. After a couple year layoff, I was recently presented with a chance to play Bridge, a game I enjoy a lot. I own and have read a few Bridge books over the years, but in an effort to refresh my memory, I decided to go with a basic book: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Bridge by H. Anthony Medley.
   
   The Guide has almost the same format as any general Bridge book. It starts with the fundamentals: the organization of the deck, suit rankings, the basics of taking a trick and what a trump card is. It then goes into basic bidding: opening of one of a suit, one No Trump, strong twos and preempts
   
   The bidding section continues with responses and rebids and the ever popular Stayman and Blackwood conventions. There are discussions of slam bidding, defensive bidding and the different doubles. After this, like other Bridge books, we are given the general techniques for the play of the hand, whether it is in No Trump or a suit. What to lead, when to finesse, when to duck: it's all described. A final section deals with advanced bidding, in particular cue bids and other conventional bids: Jacoby Transfer, Roman Blackwood, etc.
   
   Medley proposes at the beginning of the book that what he has to offer, compared to other Bridge books, is that he is a writer who plays Bridge, not a Bridge player who is trying to write. This doesn't really hold up: Medley's writing is not much better (or worse) than the other big name Bridge writers (Goren, Sheinwold, etc.). As a result, this book doesn't offer anything really special to the owner of other Bridge books - as long as the other books are up-to-date on the latest bidding styles (for example, older books suggest opening One No Trump with 16-18 points, while Medley follows the more recent convention of 15-17, with other differences for higher point counts). If you are buying your first Bridge book, however, this is a decent pick: Medley does write clearly and with the lay reader in mind.



5. It is proving very helpful in refining my understanding of the bidding and making contract in the bridge game. I am fairly new to the game.

5 comments about Rag Rug Handbook.

1. Paula and Janet did well with this book. I am a novice rug weaver and found the directions to be easy to follow and the results pleasing. Definitely buy this book if you're looking for something on weaving rag rugs!



2. This book is an ABSOLUTE MUST for a rag rug weaver. It is the best book I've found yet that describes not only the art of weaving rag rugs but also tries to give an historical account of looms that were made. I used this book as a reference when I bought an used loom. Since the labeling was missing on the loom, the previous owner could not identify what kind of loom she was selling. I was able to not only identify the loom, but I knew from this book that the type of loom I bought was appropriate for rag rug weaving. If you want to learn rag rug weaving, this is the book to get!



3. This book was great for us as beginner weavers. A loom was given to us - all in pieces. By remembering his grandmother's loom and with the pictures in this book, my husband assembled the loom and is now weaving his second rug. This book has lots of information and pictures and is an excellent guide for us "beginner weavers".



4. A great source of information. Thank you for the speedy service.



5. I love this book because it's hard to remember all the steps to weaving when it takes so long to accomplish any project, and this book has all the stuff I need. It's a resource for my "library" for frequent reference.

5 comments about Mathematical Puzzles: A Connoisseur's Collection.

1. this book is interesting and challenging, even to people who have studied math at the college level. the problems are short, and take about an hour to solve, at least they did for me. it was a great read and i highly recommend this as a gift for the math lover in your life.



2. I have seen the word connoisseur used to describe collections before, but when I sat down to write this review I realized that I did not know the precise usage of the term. Therefore, I pulled out my Webster's dictionary and looked it up. It was "a person who has expert knowledge and keen discrimination in some field, esp. the fine arts or in matters of taste." In terms of keen discrimination, the term applies to the puzzles in this book. They are some of the best puzzles ever published, although those who follow the field will have seen many before, although perhaps in an altered form.
   However, expert knowledge is not required to understand and solve the puzzles. The level of mathematical knowledge is that of detailed knowledge of basic algebraic and reasoning techniques. Like the very best puzzles, solving them requires a bit of "sideways" thinking. In other words, the most obvious approach to a puzzle will most likely lead to bafflement, but if you look at it just the right way, the solution is obvious. Furthermore, once the inspiration arrives, you know that you indeed have the solution.
   In all honesty, I struggled with many of these puzzles. Sometimes, I was just being stupid, and other times I doubt if the solution would have ever managed to form in my thoughts. Fortunately, solutions to nearly all of the problems are included. The final chapter contains unsolved puzzles, which seems like a bit of a misnomer, and in a real sense it is. These are really unsolved problems, their topic is just one that fits inside what is generally considered the puzzle genre.
   I loved this book, even when I was so frustrated I wanted to chop it with my very sharp axe. These puzzles will stretch you to the breaking point, which is of course a prerequisite for being among the best ever created.
   
   Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.



3. An interesting aspect of this puzzle book is that the sections on the solutions are longer than those describing the problems! More than most puzzle books, you will find solutions described in great detail. The solutions in fact are the best part of the book!
   
   Many of these puzzles are unbelievably difficult. In fact the last chapter contains a list of "unsolved puzzles", which is an amusing idea. Mathematicians will spend hours poring over these puzzles. This is distinctly different from any puzzle book I have ever bought! It is more for the mathematically inclined.



4. This book mainly requires that you be at ease with mathematics and mathematical terms on the level of a high school student. The solutions don't involve long calculations and calculus books. They are brain teasers that often require out-of-the-box thought and creativity. They are excellent for computer science students studying the theory of algorithms, because often the same thought process that goes into solving the more difficult problems in that field are applicable to the puzzles in this book. The puzzles can be very difficult, and several were without solution for a very long time. There is also a group of Unsolved Puzzles at the end of the book.



5. Enjoyed the book a lot. I sometimes found the questions a bit hard to understand but that I guess that is done intentionally.

No comments about The Contest Problem: Book VIII (MAA Problem Book Series).