3 comments about SCRABBLE Wordbook.

1. Word lists based on 4th ed OSPD; good price, comprehensive, indexed nicely, easy to follow and some really interesting lists (ie mnemonics for the top 100 7-letter bingo stems, words with 70% vowels, short words that take suprise "s" endings, etc). Baron has gone beyond just listing "the two's", "q without u's", "jqxz's" and "word-hooks", lists (although, these lists are included); and created a really great resource for Scrabble enthusiasts. Only complaint is that word lists are printed in VERY small font, so those of us with small print issues should invest in a magnifying glass.



2. The original holy grail for hardcore Scrabble players has been updated to match the latest North American Scrabble dictionary. Whether you're a solid living-room player looking to enter the world of Scrabble clubs, or already a hardcore Scrabble junkie looking for the ultimate edge, this book has what you need to succeed.
   
   This not only contains every acceptable word of eight and fewer letters, in two lists (one alphabetical, the other in "alphagram", e.g. aaaghlmpr, order), but also key starter lists and tools to help you learn the most important words as efficiently as possible. Highly recommended!



3. This book is very well organized and easy to follow. The lists are in order of importance/usefulness and the introductions to each section are informative and entertaining. The only thing it's missing is a list of front and back hooks for the three letter words.
   
   I've been studying it vigorously for a month or so and have seen a great improvement in my game.
   
   A must for all Scrabble lovers, especially those aspiring to tournament play!

5 comments about Bridge Basics 1: An Introduction (The Official Better Bridge Series).

1. Mike Lawrence is quite simply the best bridge teacher-author ever. All of his books are of consistently high quality, including his 'Look over my shoulder while I play' books such as "Dynamic Defense", "Play Bridge with Mike Lawrence" and "Play a Swiss Team of Four with Mike Lawrence." These books are not only wonderfully instructive and well written, they are FUNNY. The vignettes at the table are described with such wry detail that the reader feels pangs of loss when these books end. Unfortunately, this book, which contains no bridge, and concentrates on describing humorous table vignettes, is NOT FUNNY. Disappointing, but I felt much better after only a few pages of "Card Combinations."



2. I have studied with all four of Audrey Grant's previous series: the Club, Diamond, Heart and Spade books and I think, for basic information, Bridge Basics 1 is the best. It is not only easy to read but easy to understand. With her charts and practice lessons, one can learn a lot about bridge without ever taking a class.



3. We have several books on beginning bridge, but this is the best one. It is easy to read and has excellent applications. By the time you read this book, and work through applications, you should be ready to play. I



4. As a bridge teacher, I use this book exclusively for my new students. Not only does it teach the basics, but involves the player in the play of the hand right from the start. If you want to learn the best card game in the world, reading this book is the right start.



5. I am a brand new bridge player and I found this book very easy to follow and understand. There are numerous examples and illustrations. Quiz answers are explained very clearly. I would highly recommend it for the beginner

5 comments about D&D Miniatures Game Starter (D&D Miniatures Product).

1. After many different expansions, the D&D miniatures comes to a new edition. There is necessity for this? I think so, after 13 expansion booster packs, two actualizations, the game was in necessity of a new edition. Now, the combats run much more smoothly, with more balanced creatures, new ways of forming your warbands (rules like Factions adds more of D&D lore to the game), and the compatibility with the new D&D 4º Edition. The minis have all great looks, and do their job, being it D&D minis or Roleplaying. The site of wizards have the actualized rules to download, and they are updating the old expansions (although, I wish they could do it with haste).
   A great way of enter in the world of D&D Minis!



2. A great gift, playability for kids and adults. The advanced rules can let adults throw in some tactics. The basic rules work great for kids (mine and 6 and 8) and provide a great excuse for some basic math practice. Well quality package, definitely recommended.



3. I've bought these miniatures to play Dungeons and Dragons RPG. It just not good for playing the RPG, but the miniature game is very interesting. It's like combine a chess game with a Magic: the Gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh trading card games. It has a good strategy.
   
   The miniatures are cool, well painted and full of details.
   I really recomend for fans of wargames and RPG games



4. This starter set includes five FIXED and EXCLUSIVE figures and stats cards for the newest version of the D&D minis game (this means that each starter set contains the same five figures, and that this starter set is the only place you can get these five figures). You get three good guys (Human Sellsword, Elf Warlock, Dwarf Battlemaster) and two bad guys (Yuan-Ti Swiftscale and Young Green Dragon). The starter set also contains a book with the latest quick start and advanced rules (which have changed quite a bit in this edition of the game -- but are still easy to follow), a double sided map (one side contains two smaller maps for 100 point games, and the other side contains one larger map for 200 point games), and pretty much everything else you'll need to play right out of the box (a D20, damage counters, area effect templates, etc.).
   
   The game is easy to understand and quit fun. There are a variety of interesting character types, special abilities, commander effects, and magic spells just to hit a few of the highlights. The game is also very flexible. For example, there are three alignments (good, neutral, and evil) four different factions (borderlands, civilization, underdark, and the wild), and enough different figures that you can put together virtually any army you can imagine (you can play this game right out of the box, but you'll probably want at least a few boosters for greater flexibility/variety -- at the time this review was written, there were two booster/expansion sets available for the newest rules, and they seem to release two to three new expansion sets each year).
   
   A couple of other things are also worth noting. First, thought there are some similarities between the Star Wars minis rules and the previous D&D minis rules, there are also several important differences to keep the game different and interesting. Second, if you have an older version of the D&D minis rules (such as those released in the Harbinger or Aberrations starters, in the Miniatures Handbook, or in the War Drums starter), you'll find that they've changed the rules quite a bit (I've played all three versions of the game, and while I think the game has improved with each iteration of the rules overall, I have to admit that from time to time I still find that I like some of the older rules better than some of the newer rules). Third, and on a related note, they changed the rules so much that previous figures and stats cards are no longer compatible with the game (and, while I found this to be both disappointing and biggest drawback of the game, I've read that the Wizards of the Coast web page will be providing electronic stats cards for older figures that are compatible with this version of the game to help rectify the problem).
   
   In sum (and at a minimum), I think this is a very good and inexpensive way for new players to try the game for the first time, and for experienced players to give the new rules a try. Of course, if you don't like minis games, this is not the game for you. But if you do like minis games (especially the Star Wars minis game or the previous D&D minis games), I think you'll find this one worth a try.



5. Awesome product. Detailed figures, with a dragon, and includes a map. Great buy!

5 comments about Super Mario Galaxy: Prima Official Game Guide.

1. This has to be one of the most disorganized, hardest-to-follow guides I have ever read. The maps of galaxies are small and pointless. Explanations are sometimes great, but more often very hard to understand. If you're looking for the hidden stars, the guide has them listed but not in any kind of way that you can easily find the right page.



2. After reading some of the reviews on here I feel much better knowing that I am not alone when I say this guide is out of order. I hate to say this because I am one who has owned many guides and never had to complain about it being all over the place and this seems to be the very first one where I must say it's disorganized. Take for an example...After you beat The Good Egg Galaxy and you flip the next page states about the comet which will appear..ok when exactly and how many stars do you need so that can take place?! That really got me angry because it's suppose tell you when this event takes place I only came to find out when I had went to other planets and had a certain amount of stars that then the comet appear but that happend many stars later!! The guide did not tell me that at all! Then after they tell you about the comet they say Luigi appears in good egg galaxy but that ONLY happens after you go to another galaxy to another planet!! Then way post it in the good egg galaxy part when that event is not going to take place at that moment!!! As far as the maps it's really great and the pictures are great too also the author gives some educational tips but thats all. I payed 20.00 for a book thats unorganized. It bothers me because for such an award winning game you think they would make sure the guides do justice. I was doing really good with out the guide really but I knew if I didn't get it and I got stuck I would be kicking myself so I gave in. Sorry but this guide only gets one star. It may be beautiful but in the end the organization and words are way more important then that.



3. Don't waste your money on this POS. If you need a walk through go to YouTube.
   
   This book is impossible to to learn from. The photos and text are far too small to read. The book does not follow any logical order.
   
   Please save your money. I could never find anything I was looking for.



4. It works great. What else can I say? The only thing missing are cheat codes :)



5. My son who is a 7 year old loves this game. Could not put it down. This game is fun for all ages though.

5 comments about Spell Compendium (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. This book was the 6th D&D book I purchased for our group. As I did not have access to the vast majority of various other books, from which these spells are taken, the book was a 'bargain' for me. It is also a shrewd purchase for gamers who are less interested in the flavor of some Wizards books and just want the game info. There is no page index for the book but the back of the book lists the new spells by class & level. Virtually the entirety of the book is the spells listed in detail alphabetically so the lack of pin-point page citation is not a big deal.
   
   The only complaint I have with the product is minor. They renamed some spells (primarily took out the 'Bigby', 'Mordenkein' etc). As an original matter having simpler spell names is probably a good idea, but to change them in a spell supplement is just a hassle for those gamers who want to go to a specific location for a spell. This change is only asking for compatibility trouble and confusion. The spell name changes are listed in the book.



2. Few of Wizards of the Coast (WotC)'s books are worth the cover price (over-inflated due to glossy full-color pages - even on almost entirely B&W books (such as this one)) and this is no exception. However, what this book has going for it is a ton of new magic spells.
   
   There are all sorts of spells for the D&D game in this book and most work flawlessly into almost any and every style of play without any concern or specific review by the GM at all. There's little to cause a game to become unbalanced in this book (a nice change from some of the books WotC was putting out at the time this came out).
   
   The only significant drawback to this book is that it lacks the spells of the Player's Handbook and Campaign Setting rulebooks. It would have been nice if the book included all the spells from such books (at least the "SRD" (System Reference Document) spell materials) so that the "compendium" book would have been more complete and allowed for new ideas and avenues of magical ability into any D&D game a little more easily. The lack of some of these means this is another book you'll want to carry around (instead of replacing one, two, or more books you will have to carry around) with you.



3. The Spell Compendium contains a wealth of new spells and spell ideas for any of your spellcasting characters. Some of these do edge towards the overpowered, while some go the opposite way, but regardless, they offer some special variety and uniqueness for your spellcaster to take advantage of. Many of them have appeared in one form or another in numerous modules or other sources. Now they are collected for easy reference. Some are certainly great utility spells that have been missing since 2nd edition. I even found one that was very similar to a spell I once created from scratch for a campaign I was in that I felt my character needed as part of a divinatory/investigative tool (Object Read).
   
   Also, the collected listing of Domains, their powers and spells is a welcome addition. So if you are looking for some potentially signature spell or style that will set your spellcaster apart from the usual, or want to throw something totally unexpected at your party of adventurers, this book may have it.



4. I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons since 1st edition and have always wanted one book that encompasses all the spells there are out there all though it dosen't have spells from the PHB it has all the rest ranging from Draconomicon to Vile Darkness and everything in between anyone who plays any type of character in D&D would do well to buy this book and even if you don't play a player it's good for making a memerable reacurring villian that your players will always love to see what he pulls out his spell book next



5. Spell Compendium is a solid resource for spellcasters of any class. Its major downfall, however, is that it does not include core (Player Handbook) spells. That said, it's fairly easy to navigate and contains a plethora of new, useful, and interesting spells from a variety of other "splat" books. A bit pricey, but worth it for serious spellcasters with the understanding that core spells aren't included.

No comments about Star Wars: Scum and Villainy: A Star Wars Roleplaying Game Supplement (Star Wars Roleplaying Game).

4 comments about FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. Once again, Final Fantasy goes tactical. Tactics A2, Grimoire of the Rift is by far one of the biggest Strategy RPGs you can find on a handheld system. With nearly 400 missions you may find yourself wanting some help to get through it all, as well as some of the game's more complex offerings. The strategy guide will more than likely help you out in more than a few situations. Much of the guide is pretty detailed. If you're stuck, this is the guide to get.
   
   It waste no time jumping into most of the basics of the game. While Grimoire of the Rift seems fairly straight forward, this is definitely useful to those still feeling little confused about the games mechanics.
   
   Perhaps one of the more rewarding things about the guide is the breakdown of each race and every single job in the game. Showcasing how each race grows with certain jobs and detailing all the job abilities. It'll also tell you how to unlock each job. It'll also show you the growth and a few tactics to using the job. There's actually a lot of information here that can be very beneficial to what you need to survive.
   
   Finally, the game gives you a brief overview of combat. For experienced Tactical Strategy RPG players, this isn't something you'll need. If this is your first time playing a Final Fantasy Tactics game, however, some of this information is probably much more important than it appears. What all players may want to take a look at, however, is all the information pertaining to the laws. here is where they have a list of each law, what it means, and a note or two on how to overcome the law.
   
   After all this basic stuff, the guide finally jumps into the main missions. When it comes to the tactical front, there isn't always a lot you can say in most missions. While the maps are good, showing you where your units are placed and where your enemies will be, as well as pointing out treasure and traps the overall strategies are fairly basic. It's hard to penalize the guide for this, however, given that there are so many ways to go about any battle. Rather than telling how to go about the battle, it's more focused on helping you get set up and pointing out the important aspects. They'll suggest certain units to deploy, but for the most part, they let the player go about the way he or she feels is best. Much of what's helpful in the guide is not found within the walkthrough. It's found in much of its other content.
   
   It'll also cover all the side missions. It'll help you set up dispatches if need be. Not every optional mission has a map, but there's really no need for there to be a map for every mission. After all, you'll visit some areas a ton of times. There's also a lot of information on the auctions if need be.
   
   One of the most helpful aspects of this guide, however, is the Clan Trials. This will tell you everything you need to know about them. The strategies here are fairly in depth and it'll tell you the info you need to know for each difficulty concerning it.
   
   After all this information, the guide goes into the monsters data. At first it will show just about all the loot monsters can drop. After that, however, it goes into a huge bestiary. The bestiary is very exhaustive. Especially considering many guides to a Tactical RPG don't have them. But you will learn just about everything about your enemy. Including how far they can move and each and every ability they're capable of using.
   
   Finally, there's a lot of data on the weapons, armor, etc. Each piece of equipment also tells you what you'll need to create it in the bazaar.
   
   There's a lot of information crammed in this guide. And it'll actually tell you how to get all of it. Including unlocking all the hidden characters and job classes. It also manages to be a very well organized guide, and has a good presentation.
   
   If you're looking for an immensely detailed database on Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, then look no further than this guide. It's incredibly detailed and user friendly. There are fewer resources for Final Fantasy Tactics A2 as good as this one.



2. I only collect, I don't actually use these manuals. If I get into trouble I go to ign.com.



3. This guide is awesome. It contains anything you could posibly need to know about beating the game and all the sidequests along the way.



4. I'm very happy with the book.
   There were several times where I am looking for something specific and having difficulty finding which page it is described.
   Unfortunately that's just a feature of a piece of paper not having a "ctrl+f" feature.
   
   Until all paper is a computer with a search box, this manual is a great reference.

5 comments about FINAL FANTASY Tactics: The War of the Lions Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. I recently purchased FFT: the war of the lions for my PSP, and decided to get the guide to have the set.
   
   The guide has everything you need to get going, and keeps it up to the end, even helping you out on the new Ad Hoc additions to the game. I'd like to point out that i do own the original PS1 version, and it's guide, also, and there is no doubt the SE and Bradygames have decided to keep up the top notch work for this title and guide.
   
   The ONLY glaring difference is the PS1 guide had a star method of suggesting the best job abilities. The PSP guide only suggest what works best for each job. Not a big difference, imho, because after playing a while, you should be able to discern which abilities help the most.
   
   All in all, an enjoyable guide to have if you need a nudge in the right direction.



2. I played this game quite a while ago, and when it came out again on PSP, I decided to grab this strategy guide for the second time around. With in-depth how-to and covering all the side quests and jobs, I clocked in 70+ hours of game play, as compared to my original 40 hours when I played without the game. This guide gives out no spoilers, but shows you how to get the most out of FFT. This really helped me get all side characters & showed how to get my characters up to speed with "job placement". Bradygames never lets me down, and in this instance it really improved the game. I'm passing this on to my other gamer friends and would recommend these strategy guides to any Final Fantasy fan.



3. Well it covers everything you need in the game, and not just the basic walkthrough of each mission. It gives some really good tips on jobs and skills, some combinations I haven't used before that are really good.
   Also it covers all the secret missions and how to beat them and also how to get all the secret characters, and it's no big secret Balthier from FF XII is one of the guys you get.
   
   The book gives an in depth chart on all the missions, all the maps, all the items/weapons/armour you can get. And also guide for the Deep Dungeon (one for the hardcore with time to spare) to tackle.
   
   Aside from it being a great guide... you will be happy to know the artwork is great too. Not like some guidebooks that are so fnctional I may as well read it from gamefaqs.com... this one is lovely. As you can see from the cover, you get a few bits of eye candy. And on a small note, the pages aren't fragile thin as they are plastic coated/filmed.



4. I bought this to help me get into the game. Mostly I have used the character building section to whet my appetite. I haven't used it for "reading ahead" to see what the next story battle is, but I have gone back to see what I could have done better. Early on, before I got the book, I was getting frustrated but learning some of what the authors believe to be good skillsets has been very useful. Sure, you can find the information on the Internet, but stats are so much easier to see in a table format.
   
   Recommended if this is one of your first SRPGs.



5. The strategy guide came very quickly and in the conditioned stated. Thank you very much for the excellent service.

5 comments about 500 Earrings: New Directions in Contemporary Jewelry (500 Series).

1. I was extreamly impressed with not only the content, but the quality of the photos. It is hard to find jewelry books that display true art and inspire. Most of them are just cheesy "artsy-crafty". I would definatly by this book again and any of the same collection.



2. As a beginning bench jeweler this series of books have given me product information besides the obvious design ideas. e.g. ultraviolet cement - not something I had been exposed to in class yet, but a marvelous material for pave work.
   500 Necklaces: Contemporary Interpretations of a Timeless Form (Lark Jewelry Book)1000 Rings: Inspiring Adornments for the Hand (Lark Jewelry Book)500 Bracelets: An Inspiring Collection of Extraordinary Designs (Lark Jewelry Book)



3. The photos were beautiful, but I wish I had paid attention to the word in the title: Contemporary. I had hoped there would have been some good silver or gold artsy types of earrings for inspiration. I found most of these to be geared toward a very limited market.



4. I love this series from Lark! It provides me with lots of inspiration and it is a wonderful tool to learn new artists and their work. I have almost the whole series!



5. this book is very nice und useful for earring designers with its lots of pictures and detailed instruction of working with earrings.

5 comments about World of Warcraft Strategy Collection 2008.

1. Ok this review is for the product description given instead of the product itself. Im confused here because according to the product description the product contains the Burning Crusade strategy guides. Then when you scroll down and read some of the reviews they talk about about an atlas given as well as strategy guides for the original WOW game itself also mentioning that there is no info on the Buring Crusade expansion. So Amamzon which one is it? I wouldnt buy this product until Amazon does a serious overhaul of the product description that is listed on this site.



2. When it says buy this book with the wow burning crusade book...don't. It comes with the set, another thing this does not come with is the atlas and the page number total listed is wrong, meaning only two books. Sadly I thought it included the atlas. Well, I give it 5 stars for information for the game, but 3 stars for description of the set.



3. Yes all the information that are in these books are online. Yes... places, names, items, quest do change in the game of World of Warcraft, which are easily changeable on Thotbot and other online WOW help sites, but cannot change in print until a new edition comes out. But these guides are very helpful. In the middle of an instance battle, or for boss battles, these guides become invaluable. Everything is at your fingers. These books contain guides, helpful hints, boss victories, hundreds and hundreds of charts of just about every item, easy, hard or almost impossible to get. If you are a WOW player, then these guides will help you immensely.



4. great addition to WOW, as it allows you to further investigate areas before actually going there, and allows you to formulate an appropriate strategy.



5. I'm a portuguese pc games collector and a HUGE RPG's fan...Right now i'm having a hard time to "find" some time to play games (work issues...) but the passion never fades...I've played a lot of WOW and Oblivion and therefore having this wonderfully designed strategy collection made sense at the time...and still does...