5 comments about Halloween: The Best of Martha Stewart Living.

1. I bought this book for Halloween decoration ideas and this book didn't fail to disappoint. Unfortunately being an apartment-dweller, this book is geared towards people lucky enough to have a nice, big old house in New England with requisite front porch, etc. The food section provides some great ideas that go beyond candy corn and Dum-Dums, that anyone can try. It was fun just looking through the book. For those that go all out for Halloween, this is something that would be a welcome addition to their holiday deco library.



2. Excellent ideas for Halloween decorating and parties....if you have the time. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time on my hands so I wasn't able to use the book for this past Halloween (2006). Hopefully, I'll have more time next year, or I'll start preparing ahead of time. The ideas are clever and original and I'd like to use them. The book is of great quality, thick paper. The photos and instructions are clear and not at all confusing.



3. I was hoping for sophisticated and stylish ideas for a halloween party. This was more like construction paper grade school crafts. I was very disapointed.



4. I ordered a lot of craft and cookbooks for halloween and this is one of my fave for sure!



5. I found this book at my local library a few years ago. I loved it so much, I kept it until finding it on Amazon. The book has fantastic colorful pictures that get you in the spirit of Halloween no matter what time of year it is. It has fun craft ideas, spooky recipes and costume ideas for all ages.
   
   Most of the crafts in this book are fairly easy for anyone to attempt,however you may find a few that require tools that you might not have unless you an avid Craftster.
   She has a large chapter on Pumpkin carving/decorating that has ideas for children and adults. The book has a great deal of very unique Halloween crafts that are sure to impress and spook your friends and family.
   
   As for the recipes,they aren't too difficult. I recommend "The Hot Spiced Concord - Grape Juice"(A new twist on spiced cider) "The Great Pumpkin Cake", "Ancient Eggs" and of course The Lady Finger's and Man toes. These recipes will be a hit at any Halloween gathering.
   
   I haven't tired out any of the makeup/costume ideas yet,however they look fantastic and not very difficult. She has included the best Mummy makeup I have ever seen, and only requires everyday kitchen ingredients.
   Even Martha appears as a few frightful characters with complete how to instructions (I had no idea she was the model in a few of the photos!)
   
   You don't have to be a fan of Martha Stewart to enjoy this book. Its filled with tons of ideas for all ages. I seriously recommend this book to anyone that enjoys DIY holiday decorating and of course the Halloween food is ...to die for! This book is worth every cent, It has been my go to Halloween craft book since 2004 and I have no intention of finding another (unless it's an update)
   
   Happy Haunting!

5 comments about The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Book in the World, Book 3 (Greatest Dot-To-Dot Book in the World).

1. This book is sooo much fun. If you love puzzles you will love this dot to dot book. I couldn't believe I had so much fun from a silly dot to dot book.



2. I hadn't done a dot to dot puzzle since I was a kid but got this book on a whim. I was pretty surprised! Some of the pictures are pretty intricate. On the other hand, a few are a little lame. But most are very cool. I've gone through all the "Greatest Dot-To-Dot book(s) in the World and they're worth it no matter what your age. Good for everyone, either sex. Really enjoyed all of them.



3. I am very pleased with all the dot-to-dot books that I ordered and will continue to use your website for ordering.



4. This is a great product for those who enjoyed doing Dot-to-Dots as a kid, but who want something a little more substantial than the typical offerings. The book has about 50 pages of great Dot-to-Dots, all of which consist of hundreds of dots. You can almost never tell what the picture is until you finish connecting the dots. I also recommend "The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Super Challenge" by the same author as well. That one has a few Dot-to-Dots with over 1000 dots per page!



5. I loved these as a kid now they are done for adults. I got them all and when I was laid up with foot surgery has fun with them. they varried by numbers. number sequences, symbols, letters, not for little kids..a big kid toy.

1 comments about Making Mathematics with Needlework: Ten Papers and Ten Projects.

1. Knowledgeably compiled and deftly co-edited by Sarah-Marie Belcastro (Co-Director, Hamshire College Summer Studies in mathematics and Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Smith College) and Carolyn Yackel (Mathematics Instructor, Mercer University), "Making Mathematics With Needlework: Ten Papers And Ten Projects" is unique in that it combines mathematics papers with fiber arts project instructions. Each chapter showcases a particular project and that project features sections on mathematics and mathematics education along with detailed instructions for completing the needlecraft project. The featured projects include a Quilted Mobius Band (making a mobius quilt); Diphantine Equations (making a bi-directional hat); Sierpinski Variatins (making a Sierpinski shawl); a Two Knit Stiches Tours; Symmetry Patterns in Cross-Stitch; Algebraic Structure (making algebraic socks); Fortunatus's Purse; (K)Not Cables and Braids (making a pillow of Braid Equivalence); The Graph Theory of Blackwork Embroidery (embroidering a Holbeinian Graph); and making Hyperbolic Pants. Profusely illustrated, the text is fully accessible to non-specialist general readers with an interest in needlecraft, in the mathematics underlying needlecraft, as well as having a very special attraction for math students and fiber art enthusiasts alike.

3 comments about Revenge of Killer Sudoku.

1. If you enjoyed Djape's "Killer Sudoku" you will also love this book. I've tried a couple of puzzles at each level and managed (very slowly in some cases) to complete them all except for level 5 zero killer sudoku. In the zero puzzles there are only a few cages and a lot of empty space - REALLY hard, and great fun.
   In general I think the puzzles (except for the zero puzzles) are slightly easier than in his last book, or maybe I'm just get used to his fiendish ways?



2. Easy to use. Very ggod puzzles. DJAPE has the best killer sudoku books!



3. As a veteran of killer sudoku, I found this volume to be quite engaging. It offers a range of skill levels, but few so simple that they aren't enjoyable at the right moment. And then there are the new challenges: diagonal killer sudokus and blank killer sudokus. Cool stuff.
   
   Rock on Djape!

1 comments about Will Shortz Presents The Little Flip Book of Sudoku (Will Shortz Presents...).

1. I must say, this is the best sudoku book I've had yet, and I've had all kinds. It's like a writing paper tablet, and you tear the pages out after you've done the puzzle. They are all printed on one side with the solutions on the back. So easy after the tiring hold the book open experiences! Highly recommended along with his Little Black Book of Sudoku, spiral bound. Great paper, too! Works well with gel pens. Please get these books, you won't be disappointed!

5 comments about Design Your Own Coat of Arms: An Introduction to Heraldry.

1. This book provides a very elementary introduction to Heraldry. The basic layout of a Coat of Arms is discussed, including a very brief history, along with the rules of placement and description for the major elements. The author also includes some discussion of the prevailing Heraldry of countries around the world, including medieval countries. The appendixes include elements for the user to trace or imitate when creating their own Coat of Arms. Lastly there is some contact information for organizations involved with Heraldry.
   
   The book lacks depth. It provides nothing resembling an exhaustive list of elements; only a few basic forms and styles are covered. Further there is nil discussion concerning the meaning of the elements presented. The most a reader can learn is that crowns and lions rampant are symbols of Royalty, and some of that we have to infer. The work feels directed to early middle school children and should probably be marked as Young Reader.



2. In this book there is more historical information, and descriptions. Great for older children that can draw well.



3. Great book for beginner Heralds!!!



4. Perfect resource guide for my unit on the Middle Ages. Very quick shipment and in perfect condition. Great job!



5. a very good book, as it explains heradlry terms, and makes it simple to create your own device.
   
   pity amazon so hard to deal with if not in america

2 comments about Mensa Challenge Your Brain Math & Logic Puzzles (Mensa).

1. If you love puzzles, this book is a **must have**! This is hands down the best puzzle book I have ever worked. There is a wide variety of puzzles and they are all unique, not your standard logic problems. Prepare to be challenged, these puzzles are definitely for the puzzle solver at heart! What a great mental workout!



2. A great book for those of you who are preparing for a puzzle competition and are looking for an exercise book (as I was when I bought this one). Despite it is only 96 pages, it has a great variety of puzzles, mostly contest types.
   
   There are around 10 to 20 puzzles of each type, and these are:
   
   - Alternate corners
   - Battleships (classic, crowded, hexagonal, minesweeper, numerical, ocean view, semicircular)
   - Corral
   - Deja Vu
   - Dominoes (domino hunt)
   - Eminent domain
   - End View (like ABCD)
   - Fences (including big field fences and pentomino fences)
   - Hex Loops
   - Lighthouses
   - Minesweeper
   - Number place
   - Nurikabe
   - Oxtails
   - Clouds
   - Skyscrapers (only the 'number of buildings' type)
   - Snaky tiles
   - Spiral galaxies
   - Spokes
   - Square Roots
   - Tents
   
   The level of difficulty is pretty good, at least for the puzzles I tried.
   The only drawback is that most of the puzzles are too small, especially the Fences. I've seen books where the puzzles on the answer pages are bigger than these ones. It's not like they are so small that makes it impossible to work them out, but still pretty small. What I'm doing on other books and will on that one too is to scan the puzzles, cut the white spaces and print them back again on larger sheets. This way you are not ruining your book when drawing and erasing and you can print (and solve) certain pages as many times as you like.
   
   Highly recommended.

5 comments about Crosspix: Pixillated Puzzle Madness.

1. There are too many mistakes in this book. Many of the puzzles are cut-off, missing numbers or have errors in them.



2. Hi there, folks. I'm the author of this book and I'm quite embarrassed by the number of errors that were allowed to be printed. You can go to my website and download entire pages that are corrected:
   
   http://www.davidriedydesign.com/crosspix.html
   
   I hope you still enjoy the book, despite the errors.
   
   ...Dave



3. I enjoyed the puzzles I was able to do, but found MULTIPLE puzzles with errors in the numbering, making them impossible to do. yes you can just look in solutions to get the correct combination, but then you know what hte picture is supposed to look like and have spoiled the fun of doing the puzzle in the first place. There is at least one puzzle that is missing half of the grid due to a bad edit on the page. with so many options out there I really have to say I do not recommend it. There are other options out there that are great for beginners and at least you can trust that the clues given to you are the correct ones.



4. As if the typos aren't bad enough, there are several puzzles that don't have unique solutions. For example, in just the first 20 puzzles, one fourth (05, 09, 13, 15 and 19) have areas with more than one solution. You have a 50/50 chance of guessing what the author had in mind.
   
   Still, as someone else said, I'm addicted enough that it's otherwise entertaining. Still, until there is a second edition with the problems corrected, I'd probably not recommend buying it at this price.



5. This type of puzzle is one of my favorite things to do but this particular book was poorly edited! There were many errors in the number prompts - some appeared to have been simply cut off in the printing process. I would never try another puzzle book by this author/company. If they cannot insure that the puzzles are properly presented, it is not worth doing the puzzles.

5 comments about Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. If you are a cruel DM (at times) then this is the book for you. Nothing like a trap door to Hell to get your adventuring party set-up for a TPK. In all seriousness, this is a great source for Devils in any DM's line-up, I am glad I picked it up.



2. This book is a very good addition to any D&D campaign that plans on traveling to the Outer Planes, or fights extraplanar threats on a regular basis. The maps of the nine layers, and the detailed write-ups of the unique leaders of each of the layers add to it's usefulness. The extra devils are also useful to allow for rotating of devilish threats.



3. This book gave great inside views into hell. It gave the facts on how hell lives, sleeps and breaths, along with the ArchDevils to go with it. If your planning on running a adventure in hell for a duration of time i suggest this book.



4. Well, I have to congratulate Wizards for adding another great book to the list of accessories. Our group runs several high level to epic level campaigns and this is a must for anyone who wants to involve the Blood War and the politics and intrigue of hell to your campaign. The new stats for the all the major players are here along with prominent followers and factions for each lord. There are many new feats and skills specific to just these planes as well as a few new presige classes that you can use for PC's and NPC's. The other great things is the plethora of roleplaying ideas for each of the nine hells, including cities, landmarks and many maps to really help you flush out your campaign. Things like this and other information make it a must for your collection so that when your party meets Mephistopheles, its an experience that they will never forget!



5. This book is all about Devils and the Plane where they reside. I mean all about them. In my mind there are three really fantastic masterminds in Dungeons and Dragons: Dragons, Mindflayers and Devils.
   
   If you're looking for content you can use all the time, then this isn't the best book for you. Go look at the compendiums or the Complete books. If you want villains and powers to tie together an entire campaign from level 1 into epic, than this is for you.
   
   Included inside is a very nice tale of the creation of hell and the devils that can be easily adapted for your home brew world. Then theres feats, spells, prestige classes, descriptions of the layers and lots of new devils.
   
   Again I must stress that the prestige classes, feats and spells are really geared towards either serving devils or fighting them. This book is a commitment to a devil themed campaign. It does so beautifully.
   
   With the help of this book, my main villain just became a pawn in planar politics. My PCs have lots of options, on how to progress forward. I've got lots of ideas and environments for epic feeling quests before we get to the main devils. I highly reccomend it.

5 comments about Lost Empires of Faerûn (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Supplement).

1. I always loved the 3.5 (3.0) Forgotten Realms accessories, but I must say that this book is perhaps the best in the series.
   
   This books gives you a +10 competence bonus to your Ancient History(Faerun) skill, as it offers you in-depth knowledge on almost all of the great empires of the past. You can learn all, about the great elven empires, about the history of the Sword Coast, about the phaerimm manace, etc.
   
   Also, you will find some great feats, prestige classes and spells in the book. Some of them are not really for players, but for the DM (and to the NPCs). Players will also find it interesting, if for nothing else, then to add some flavour to the game.
   
   I found it also great that young DMs get some help in a separate chapter to create adventures based on the "ancient theme". Of course, even old DMs, like myself can learn a lot from it.



2. I greatly looked forward to this book and was not disappointed. The Forgotten Realms is extremely rich in history that has been developed over the long years of its publication and this is truly a comprehensive source of that. The authors have touched on just about every area I can think of and they have done it well.
   
   The book is divided into several sections, each dealing with a different geographic or cultural area. For instance, one section deals with the crown wars (wars between elves almost exclusively) and the elven nations involved (which covers a large area of Faerun) while another area covers the North and includes detail on several elven realms that had little part in the crown wars. They have timelines for each section of the book.
   
   To be clear though, these histories are given not as a tool to play during those times, but as reference points to incorporate the locales of these ancient empires into the current timeline and an existing campaign. They bring the histories up to the current timeline and give you a good idea of what is going on in the ruins of these empires and the doings of the decedents of these empires.
   
   On top of all of this rich history and information is a great deal of good crunchiness. There are several prestige classes, all of which seem well balanced and a great section on new spells and magic items. They even have specifics on mythal creation which is just plain cool to me. Going back to the integration of the past to the present, there is a section about Hellgate Keep and there they specify magic items of goodly races know to have been lost by fallen heroes there (items from the PGtF and this book).
   
   All in all, a great tool for ANY dungeon master running ANY Realms Campaign for its information on ruins (dungeon - hint, hint) and its balance of historical information and crunchy bits. By far one of the most useful Realms products for any edition.



3. Very well detailed and has a great amount of information that can be used in adventures. I would give it 4.5 if I could because of the usual lack of REAL MAPS that Wizards of the Coast seems to neglect. Great book though and a must have for DM's and Players in the forgotten realms.



4. If you're interested in the history of Faerun, this is a excellent book. It goes into great detail and has a lot of extras, like relics and historical weapons. Great art and a good read.



5. I found this title the best supplement ever written. That says a lot, since this series has been around since 1987. At last, in one volume, the history of this magical world is laid bare. I have speculated and wondered in the past why the world is like it is. This volume has given up most of those secret! I stand in awe of most of them. This is the flower of Realms lore. Most are not intended for most gamers. I read the novels and continue my illustrations outside this "gamers" world.
   
   I can only say that the Forgotten Realms have come alive at last with a rich and frightening history in its past. Long live Netheril!