4 comments about The Weekend Crafter: Gourd Crafts 20 Great Projects to Dye, Paint, Cut, Carve, Bead and Woodburn in a Weekend.

1. Gourd Crafts, 20 Great Projects to Dye, Paint, Carve, Bead and Woodburn in a Weekend, is a gotta have book for all gourd crafters. I have all of Ginger's other books, and am just as excited, upon receiving this book, as I was with her others. Ginger always puts out all new information in each of her new books. I have been gourd crafting for 13 years, and yet her books are completely filled with new information, myself and others, can't wait to try. Making flowerpots, tea cups, napkins rings and bracelets are just a few of her new ideas that I plan to try. This book also includes new beautiful gourd work by other artists and crafters, not seen before. If you love working on gourds, get this new book. I will look at it, and learn from it for years to come, as I have with her other books.



2. This book is every bit as good as her other book: "The Complete Book of Gourd Craft". It has different projects to inspire creativity, and it has fantastic photographs and detailed instructions. The only thing lacking (from both books) is the supply sources which are listed in the table of contents, but don't appear in the books anywhere I can find. Even without that part, the book is excellent.



3. All I had to do was fan through the photos and I was hooked! The detailed instructions were great, but the photos make you see gourds in a whole new light! It has definitly re-awakened a creative need!



4. GREAT book and a MUSt for a newbie to gourd art! Excellent! Buy it!

5 comments about Yarns to Dye For: Creating Self-Patterning Yarns for Knitting.

1. I never would've imagined myself as a dyer until I read this book. Taylor's instructions are simple and detailed - you can't go wrong following her lead. For those who don't want to dye but only want to knit, Taylor's patterns are excellent. Not only are the instructions simple and down-to-earth, but the patterns fit, so even a novice knitter can experience success. In addition to these fine qualities, the book is beautifully designed. I highly recommend it!



2. I ordered this book for my daughter and I know she enjoyed this book and she has already dyed her wool of our sheep and she is knitting now and it looks lovely.Thanks for this good book



3. I got this book for the 'secret to self-patterning yarns'. Okay, this really could have been done in a much smaller book, foccusing on just the dyeing technique.
   
   the author threw in a bunch of patterns with a recipe method that will allow you to replicate their results somewhat, but I don't want to replicate their results, I want my own. For getting folks started on dyeing, this book will be just as good as any other dyeing book, but would not be my first recommendation.
   
   The patterns are also a little disappointing.



4. I checked this book out of our local Library, hoping to learn a few things... I liked it so much, I didn't want to take it back to the library, so I had to buy it!
   Once you have a little knowledge in dying, you will be able to create your own colorways with just some fairly inexpensive materials, a little time, experimentation and space. My biggest problem was finding a place to wind my 40 foot skeins.
   If you are a novice dyer, you may want to start with something a little more simple, but it won't take you long to step up to this. There are some patterns included and she also give "recipes" for the colorways shown in the book... INCLUDING the now famous on Yahoo Sock Knitters... The self patterning watermelon yarn!



5. I have been wanted to dye yarn with a pattern for some time now, and finally found a book that really helped me do so. while my first attempt came out to be striped and not patterned, my second worked well. with each successive try i know i will get better. The patterns in the book are less helpful that the detail of the techniques to use, so you can really create whatever pattern you like if you read the instructions and think a bit outside the given patterns. wonderful book.

5 comments about Winning Lotto / Lottery For Everyday Players, 3rd Edition.

1. Professor Jones writes an easy to follow book that can increase your odds of winning. His positional analysis and sum total strategies are excellent tools, and tha fact that he has a degree in statistics give him more clout.



2. Before buying this book ask yourself this, did the reviewers above actually win the lottery after buying the book and why isn't every PHd in Mathematics and statistics doing the same thing. Please buy a book on basic statistics before buying this book. there are no secrets no clustering just randomness. You will lose 50 cents on average for every dollar spent.
   Save you money instead of buying what is a piece of garbage.



3. This is just sad. It's ok that the state governments have a lottery to essentially tax the poor people who have no understanding of basic statistics (or they do and they have an incredible amount of faith in their luck). I don't care how you play the lottery, odds are ALWAYS on the house. This is why poor people stay poor, instead of proper financial management (ie. 401k, mutual funds ect...), they hope for their luck in winning it big. Besides, many people have described winning the lottery the worst thing that ever happened to them in their lives. Even if one wins the lottery, the fact that they played the lottery in hopes of making money shows they have poor personal-finance management and generally people who win the lottery in the long run end up in substantial debt. Just research some people that have one the lottery and read what they have to say.
   
   If you're even considering on buying this book, please read a personal finance book (one that is popular and an easy read is "Rich Dad Poor Dad"). Millionaires and Billionaires are smart financial managers, they didn't get there money from winning in the lottery. Anyone with a can become a millionaire with proper investing (and time).



4. I bought this book a year ago, and *I have won the lottery every week* for the last year! This book *works*!!! I recommend buying at least a dozen copies.



5. This book does not help you win the lottery. While there are strategies that can help improve your odds of winning, this book does not do a good job explaining them. In fact, you can get better tips and strategies on lottery information website, for FREE. This book was a huge waste of money. Save your money and check out lottery information websites like [...]. At least if you aren't happy with the information provided, you didn't waste any money!

3 comments about Beating Unusual Chess Openings: Dealing With the English, Reti, King's Indian Attack and Other Annoying Systems (Everyman Chess).

1. I think that book is very good, especially lines with 1.c4 c5 and black answer on 1.b3. It is the light to go forward through dark english woods.



2. As most people should be aware Richard Palliser writes excellent chess books and this book is no exception. He covers all possible Black defences to all non-e4 and non-d4 openings. Three openings are covered in particular detail, as you might expect the English, Reti and Kings Indian Attack. In general, as Palliser states he concentrates on fairly solid lines for Black e.g. Symmetrical English. In most lines he does also include a secondary option to try and get White away from the types of positions he would be familar with. Pallisers coverage is to the usual high standard. For example, as he is aware that many English players use Kosten's excellent "Dynamic English" book, the lines Kosten recommends are examined in great detail. Similarly for the recent book on the Reti by Davies. Also, part of the problem for Black with the English/Reti openings are the many transpositional possibilities that arise. Palliser does a great job dealing with this. With the Reti he gives coverage for the three major black replies 1...c5, 1...d5 and 1...Nf6 carefully noting transpositions between the three and the symmetrical English. There is a lot of detailed analysis in this book but I still think Palliser has enough explaination of the typical plans and ideas in each line.
   Under the "annoying" systems Birds, Nimzo-Larsen, Sokolsky, Grob, 1g3 and 1Nc3 are all given substantial coverage with both a solid line and a more tricky variation. Each chapter is excellent, giving you a detailed understanding of the opening. The 1Nc3 chapter is particularly interesting considering how new this system is. Again, any recent books on these openings have been checked by Palliser. In conclusion I would recommend this book to club/tournment players (with rating 1600 - 2000) to fill an important gap in your Black repertoire.



3. I have come to admire Richard Palliser's writing incredibly. I was first introduced to his writing when I picked up his book Tango! A Complete Defence to 1.d4 and was blown away the clarity of his explanations while simultameously giving fresh original analyses. And this is what this book does! The reason white plays The Bird, Grob, Nimzo-Larsen, or English is to take black off his familiar territory and take him into a game in which he has a better understanding of the positions. Well the lines against the system actually do that to white! They are completely original and unsuspecting and perfectly sound and playable to secure that win you need in the last round of a tournament. All in all, a good study of this book and it is you that is going to be giving the problems to white. An excellent book to complete one's repertoire. Very clearly analyzed and the explanations are brilliant. I would also SERIOUSLY consider Tango! A Complete Defence to 1.d4 as I have been crushing 1.d4 players because of it- seriously no joke. I've always found 1.d4 incredibly annoying to play against and I've tried every defence known to man. That is until I found Tango! Now hardly anyone plays 1.d4 against me now as the no the fate that awaits them from previous tournaments. I look foward from more writing of Richard Palliser.

4 comments about Coaching Volleyball: Building a Winning Team.

1. If you buy ONE book on how to coach volleyball, make it this one. Carl McGown is the "guru" of volleyball and if you read this book, implement what it says, your team will be better RIGHT NOW!

   A book which goes beyond the x and o's to provide the coach with the correct skills and attitudes necessary to compete at a high level.




2. McGowan is a master teacher. When you implement his ideas and theories you can't help but become an awesome coach and your athletes will improve their physical and mental skills at an incredible rate.



3. As the subtitle "Building a Winning Team" implies, the book touches on the various aspects required to building a team. The authors do an admirable job of providing a wealth of information across a broad spectrum of topics. If you're interested in a general guide with the basics this is the book for you.



4. I played high school volleyball for one of these authors, so I grew up playing all of the drills and games in this book. I am now a college coach myself & I STILL use this book as a reference guide when I go to plan out a practice. Your athletes will love the different games included in the book that put a different spin on the regular game of volleyball.

2 comments about Digital Photography for Dummies, Quick Reference.

1. Poorly written, little useful information on Digital Photography.
   The photos inside the book are very poorly printed Black and White photos. My old copy machine would do a better job.
   
   Pathetic effort at Digital Photography, the author should stay with computer books.
   
   Be warned, don't waste your money !



2. I've read the author's "Digital Photography All In One Desk Reference for Dummies" and "Mastering Digital SLR Photography" and feel fortunate that he is one of the few photographers writing these books among the glut of computer book writers taking a stab at it. So, I purchased this book as an introductory guide for my wife, expecting to find the same clear, accurate coverage of digital photography. I was not disappointed.
   
   All the basics are here, general enough to cover any brand of digital camera, but specific enough to be of use. Because it really is a "quick reference" it will not be the only digital photo book you need. However, it has good information for the beginner and can be used as a reference to answer quick questions. More advanced photographers should avoid this book, because it really is just an intro.

No comments about Hidden Treasures: 3-D Stereograms.

5 comments about Marvel Universe RPG Guide HC.

1. This is the first RPG I've come across that uses a system with no dice! Which means it makes for easy online adaptation and puts the game more in the hands of the players. It's got tons of good information, statistics and biographies for all of the biggest names in Marvel, a built-in starter mission, and a flexible creation system allowing you to create your very own super heroes and villains.

   There are really only a few problems I have with this book. First off, it's a really small book. While it is a lot cheaper then all the other RPG rule books out there, it seems like they could have included a lot more without having to raise the price. Also, the system has a very slow skill development proccess. It will take your character a very long time before they will be able to use their skills as well as the characters from the comic books can. Aside of that though, it's a lot of fun and a much better system then all the dice-based ones rolling around.




2. At first, I was hesitant to buy this book coz i under-estimated its size, plus it got no dice roll stuff. But to my surprise, it got all that i was expecting for a well designed and well balanced game of Superheores/Supervillains.
   
   Though this book doesn't contain the complete lists of all the superheores that every marvel comic fan is expecting, but hey, the rules are all here. No more tons of cross referencing to several books. Just one, simple, straight to the point rules. I think this is the way how RPG should be.
   
   The stone system is cleverly designed! Just like in real life. The more you exert effort, the more you will succeed, but you will most likely tire yourself out. Resting is a solution, but can you do it if you are badly outnumbered by the bad guys? This is the thrill and the challenge! It's a matter of how wisely you use the energy that you have.
   
   The character progression takes a bit long coz you need to record the actions/stunts/experiences that your character had gone through. But it's just like telling a story by keeping a record of it. And it's no nonsense coz the experience speaks for itself, unlike the other RPG. The action that you record will determine your action difficulty to perform. The more experience you are in an action, the less difficulty you will encounter in doing it again.
   
   This is a major improvement to the Marvel saga system. The powers that were vague in the previous rules were made clear in this book. Like the Mastery of Elements, it gives a well defined limitation on up to how wide the scope of ones power can reach. Having a Mastery of magic as an action doesn't mean you have a god-like power to do almost anything you want, but simply what you can only do in a balanced manner. Overall, it's a nice game. Greatly recomended.



3. MURPG has its strengths, foremost among them ease of play. However, there is very little differentiation between characters of approximate strength and/or ability (as already mentioned).
   
   MURPG does have one significant strength that its developers may have overlooked. Because it focuses on recource allocation, it is excellent for online play (no fudging of die rolls). In the online groups in which I participate, the focus is more on the cinematic nature of the game, rather than the mechanics itself. Its simplicity allows the players a great deal of freedom, and allows for a load of fun.
   
   I recommend this system for novice roleplayers, or players wishing for a quick & easy system of not-so-serious roleplaying.



4. This is a great game for frist time players but if you are use to having dice to roll can be hard.



5. The book is thinner than I expected/hoped (guess I should have checked the page count) and has only seven pages of source material for the massive marvel world. There is absolutely no support from Marvel and only two sourcebooks ever published, so that's huge in my opinion. Most of the book is dedicated to the system. You can however find descriptions of 40 heroes and villains from the marvel universe which is nice but brief.
   
   Also, the system is too narrowly focused for me because the range of abilities goes from 1 to 10 leaving very little room for the awesome range of ability that should exist in the marvel universe.
   
   That it is more free form and somewhat simpler than many RPGs may appeal to some people and the game is presented as though you are writing your own comic which has a nice sense of style.

5 comments about E-Learning Games: Interactive Strategies for Digital Delivery (Neteffect Series).

1. I have been creating interactive media including e-learning for over 12 years, been a Professor of interactive media and e-learning design for over 8 years, and am currently seeking a PhD in E-Learning. This book is not worth the money. The information in it is only representational of the typical online instruction with message board usage. There are no interactive gaming examples or information for creating e-learning games. The title is extremely misleading.
   
   The same information at a cheaper price with an easier read and better examples can be found in "Engaging the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction" by Conrad and Donaldson.



2. This is an excellent book and very helpful if you are designing online learning without lots of bells and whistles. I liked that it was based on theory and had lots of creative ideas for making e learning both fun and educational. It's not a gamer book, so maybe the title is a bit misleading, but if you are looking to bring some of the interactivity you might experience in the classroom to the web, this is a useful resource.



3. I am a new online teacher and found this book to be a good resource. I like the template and the way it is divided into openners, closers, review exercises, and even peer learning. I have used several of the ideas in the book and they have worked well. I just wish there were more examples, but the content is well researched.



4. There are many interesting ideas within this book that will help those teaching online courses that include forums. It's not another technology book, but looks at ways to get people communicating online. I like the design template and found it helpful.



5. I couldn't even read it! This book came to me off of the photocopy machine.. with half the pages missing and the rest were very poor quality.
   
   Very disappointing for a $50 book. It will be returned.

No comments about Fun with Hand Shadows (Dover Game and Puzzle Activity Books).