5 comments about Maze: Solve the World's Most Challenging Puzzle.

1. This book is truly one of the most amazing creations I've ever held in my two hands. The dialogues, the pictures, the clues, riddles, symbolism, historical references...it's all fantastic. I've been working on this for over three years now with my best friend and several others, and although we solved it over a year ago, we still keep going back to this book. Everytime you open it up, there's something new to discover. And the more research we do, the more incredible it becomes. It truly lives up to its' title as the World's Most Challenging Puzzle. We're still trying to dicipher clues in some of the rooms, although we have theories about nearly all of them, and some hard facts on quite a few.
   
   If you want to discuss anything about the Maze, please feel free to e-mail me...we're always interested in new opinions



2. The format of this book is interesting: each numbered page is a room. The reader's goal is interesting: find the path from the first room to the 45th room and back. The text follows a person (the narrator) guiding a small group of visitors around the maze-building. The drawings are all pen & ink (no color). The task & setup are fun, but ...
   
   Here are my issues: (1) The narrator is a bit nasty -- nothing unsuitable for young children, but certainly not pleasant. (2) You absolutely MUST solve at least one riddle to find a path from room 1 to room 45. (3) There is no way to know whether you have found the correct answer to a riddle -- or for that matter, the shortest path.
   
   My daughter & I have enjoyed reading this book together. It was intersting & fun. You'll enjoy it more if you aren't expecting a 5-star book.



3. A puzzle not for the faint-of-heart -- there is NO solution available to brute force and you are not expected to solve it in an evening. It's an exciting, detailed trip through a fiendish den of riddles and allusions with an untrustworthy guide, and I've used it as a great conversation piece with smart people. (Somewhere I have whole notebooks filled with sketched maps and riddle notes, the combined efforts of my theatre group ...) Highly recommended for those who love difficult, DIFFICULT puzzles.



4. This is a must in any library, whether you like mazes or not. Beautifully done.



5. The concept of this book/puzzle is simple: each page is a separate room. Left-hand pages include brief descriptions of the rooms, while right-hand pages feature detailed illustrations of the rooms. The two major puzzles of the book are: 1. to get to the "center" of the maze (room 45), and find the shortest route back to page 1, and 2. to solve the riddle feature in the center of the maze.
   
   The illustrations are fun to look at and, to my eye, resemble the work of Chris Van Allsburg ("Jumanji", "Polar Express", "Zathura", "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick").
   
   I recommend this book for lovers of riddles and puzzles or anyone who enjoyed "MYST" or the old Infocom games, like "Zork".

5 comments about Brain Teasers.

1. I have been going through job recruiting for the past 3 months and I only wish this book had come out earlier. Not only has it helped me sharpen my skills but it contains a lot of the identical questions that I am being asked.



2. hi! i just wanted to let everyone out there whos interviewing for any investment banks or other jobs that this book will definitly help you out. the author worked in the best investment banks on wall street and gives you common interview questions that will have you very prepared. also, the book is really interesting, and just really fun to read through.



3. I've alredy been thru the typical i-banking and consulting interview rush and I only wish I had this book back then. Not only will it introduce you to the type of questions you may be asked, it will also get you to start thinking in a smarter way. I highly recommend this book.



4. The puzzles and brain teasers presented in this book have been enormously helpful for my recent interviews! i was astonished when top banks asked me the EXACT same puzzles that were illustrated in this book! i HIGHLY recommend this book to ANYBODY who is interviewing at any banks, it will help you tremendously!



5. Excellent book, especially for those who are preparing for a case interview, I would recommend it for everyone. Easy reading and superb explanation!

3 comments about God of War II Signature Series Guide (Bradygames Signature Series) (Bradygames Signature Series).

1. My son loved the book. It arrived in a very timely manner and has been very helpful for his video game.



2. This Book is Great for me and my son we are having a great time with the hint to use when we both get stuck



3. This is a great strategy guide to have if you do not log in as many hours playing like you would like to and tend to get lost where you are at once you start to play again. The maps and the written walk through is absolutely needed for a fan of this series.

2 comments about Mensa Absolutely Nasty Sudoku Level 2 (Mensa).

1. I like this series quite a bit, however, I'm only giving this one 4 stars because as far as I can tell, the puzzles are not any harder than those in the first level. For my next purchase, I'm skipping level 3 and going right to level 4. Hopefully those will be harder. See my review of level 1 for why I like the series.



2. These books are so nice! The puzzles are nice and big, and the paper is high quality, which definitely makes it easier. I concur with the previous reviewer, though. Volume 2 is not noticeably harder than Volume 1. However, Volumes 3 & 4 will wear you out! They did me (you might know all the crazy techniques I have yet to learn). The books are really well made and a pleasure to work. I enjoy them immensely, and I hope you do as well!!! :)

5 comments about The Club Series: Introduction to Bridge - Bidding.

1. Audrey Grant's books - like Introduction to Bridge are exceptional. They are best used in a bridge class/training session where an instructor can lead and help the student through the the basics of bridge learning. The value of Audrey Grant's books are that they present a system of bridge which has revolutionized modern bridge.



2. I've been considering returning to contract bridge after a 10 year hiatus and wanted to brush up on my bidding. I was looking for an intermediate/advanced overview of American Standard. This is a basic textbook obviously designed to be used in a classroom with a teacher. You will get basic bidding techniques and some recommendations on play. You won't get any conventions past Blackwood, Gerber or Stayman. Transfers, Unusual Notrump and the like aren't covered. If you're a beginner, this is a good starting point, though it would be best to use it with an instructor. If you're an intermediate or advanced player. Look elsewhere.



3. This is a great book for those interested in learning about Bridge. We are using it along with an instructor and it is great. Highly recommend it.



4. It makes sense. No cryptic assumptions by the author. Discussion of every possibility, how to react, AND WHY. One of the best "tutorials" i have read in my life.
   I started to learn bridge with one friend teaching a group of three. Made no sense. I bought this book, got pulled into the chapters, and at our next practice, i was leading half the session and teaching everyone.



5. If you are new to bridge I highly recommend purchasing all four of Audrey Grant books in the ACBL Series... CLUB, DIAMOND, HEART AND SPADE. She is unquestionably the best bridge teacher for a novice. In layman's terms she is able to explain and unravel the mysteries of bridge. If you begin with the club book and progress through the series as they increase in difficulty... club, diamond, heart and spade you will be able to teach yourself how to become proficient in bridge painlessly. Her books are written in lesson formats... and they are used by many people who instruct bridge classes i.e. adult ed. Buy one... I'm sure you'll add the other three to your library. I also highly recommend her "Bridge at A Glance" pocket guide which is a quick synopsis of bidding and the appropriate respones thereof. I bought many bridge books before I stumbled upon Audrey Grant and wish I had found her books first! Good luck!

5 comments about Wizards Presents: Classes and Races (Dungeons & Dragons).

1. I loved reading this book. I've been pretty indifferent about 4E since I heard it was coming (which is virtually as long as I've been playing D&D). This book got me completely excited about it.
   
   That said, there is little, if anything, in this book that a little web-surfing couldn't tell you. Everything is presented as "we have this idea, but it may or may not be the first thing we give you and may or may not be exactly as we're telling you, now." When 4E is released, this book will be obsolete; we'll have all of the real information.
   
   I am no web bloodhound. I am not about to go scrounging for information all around the net, so this was a great source of gossip-y info for me. $20 does feel a bit expensive, but I expect it at this point. Some reviewers feel like the contributing authors are talking down to the audience, but I never felt that at all. They are players who have their own issues with 3.5 and they are members of the community, who have heard the complaints of their fellows; and we should all know that the complainers have louder voices than the praisers.
   
   This book is a conceptual preview, not an early release of rules. I enjoyed it thoroughly, but will have little value, come June '08.



2. A total waste of time. Avoid this like the plague.
   
   This same kind of information, when the game evolved from 2nd to 3rd edition was included in the monthly paper issues of The Dragon magazine (which WOC has killed off) and those articles were much more in-depth as to rules and design philosophy.
   
   Perhaps, most of all, during the switch from 2nd to 3rd, the designers did not talk down to (ie. "no fun" in reference to the old rules) nor insult (see: the 4th edition intro video which features the guy with the fake french accent) their customer base.
   
   After the fiasco WOC has made of the intro of 4th edition, I would hope that they would be reaching out to their customers a little more, rather than trying to feed them what, in essence, one can get online for free from various boards and blogs.
   
   Very disappointed.



3. Wizards Presents: Worlds and Monsters (D&D Supplement)
   
   Much has been said about the quality of this product. It is light on pay data, it is a filler product to keep the line going while the products are retooled, and so on. And some of this is correct.
   
   The reality though this is an excellent product for what it is designed to do: provide space for the designers to voice some of their designer notes in an open way to a very vocal and nervous community who has, lets face it, bolted en masse before from missteps in this production line.
   
   People looking for lots of inside information with numbers and tables will be disappointed. These products are designers notes, not mini rule books. For me, who is forever tinkering with rules and trying variants, they are invaluable. For the average mook, they might not be as useful.
   
   I highly recommend this product for anyone who likes to look under the hood of creative products.



4. No one should buy this book. It is nothing more than an advertisement for the upcoming 4th edition D&D. You might as well pay to watch commercials on TV.



5. This preview of the new D&D 4th edition realy peak your intrest in the new gamesystem for D&D and the new classes presented in it.
   I would though recomend that you buy the core rulebooks instead. Now that they are been released, there is no need to purchase this preview book.

5 comments about Theatre Games for Young Performers: Improvisations and Exercises for Developing Acting Skills (Contemporary Drama).

1. I found this book very easy to follow and the ideas are great for both regular classroom teaching and one off drama workshops. The excersises are even split into catagories depending on their topic and energy/noise level.



2. After nearly fifteen years of being away from the classroom, I was a bit nervous about teaching drama again. In searching for a resource that would get me back in the swing of things, I debated between this book and the classic Viola Spolin books. I finally decided on this one, and I couldn't be happier! The lessons in this book are easy to follow, easy to prepare (there's not much to preparation at all!), and, best of all, fun for the kids in class! The lessons are also easily adaptable to different circumstances, such as short class periods, environmental concerns (like needing a quieter activity), or needing a quick activity to warm the kids up. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in integrating drama into a classroom, or as a stand-alone resource in a full-fledged drama curriculum.



3. This book is not based on sound acting principles. It directs teachers to ask students to play emotions rather than objectives, thus breaking one of the cardinal rules of acting. Once I saw this, I refused to read on and immediately returned the book. It literally made me physically ill to read this book.



4. I love this book. I use something from it at least once a week in my classroom. It's wonderful for teaching the basics. Pantomime, expression, scene building, creative thinking... As other reviews state, it doesn't get into playing objectives, but you can cover that in other lessons and activities. That's simply not the scope of this book and that's fine by me. The activities are especially good for sixth graders. Seventh and Eighth, you'll have to play it by ear depending on your group. Most of mine are "too cool" for some of the activities, but a lot of the games are pretty adaptable for that age group if you get creative.



5. Maria Novelly's book was one of the first I purchased as a new drama teacher, and I'm very grateful to have had such an excellent resource so early on. Most of the the theater game compendiums I've read before or since have been hit-or-miss; I'd get use out of some suggested activities, but the others lacked depth or educational merit. Not so with Novelly's book--I've used every activity outlined in her book, and I continue to use them with great results. Children love these exercises--especially "Walking Through," "Imaginative Journeys," and pretty much everything in the Improv chapter--and importantly, they learn a lot about what it means to be a performer through their engagement with them. Highly recommended!

5 comments about GURPS Basic Set: Characters, Fourth Edition.

1. The idea behind GURPS is that it provides a set of core rules that can be adapted to any setting (thus the "universal" part of General Universal Role-Playing). It does a good job of this, although it is better suited to a somewhat more realistic feeling than heroic wackiness. A human isn't going to take too many sword hits and shrug them off.
   
   The strong point of GURPS is character generation. Players are allotted a number of points to build their characters, and may buy characteristics, skills and "Advantages" (things like the ability to use magic, being wealthy, or any of hundreds of other things), and may get additional points by taking "Disadvantages."
   
   This new 4th edition is in by far most ways an improvement over 3rd edition. They closed a lot of loopholes and fixed a number of less-than-optimal things. I like the changes to combat especially.
   
   There are a couple of things I would have done differently.
   
   1) They took the skills out of psionics (and every other supernatural system, for that matter), making it purely advantage based, but they left magic as skill based. They really should have made each magic spell into an advantage too, because now it's not as well balanced with the rest of the system as it could be. Couple this with the fact that you can now take IQ at 10 points a level if you don't take the associated Will and Perception, and you can easily have a Wizard character with an IQ of 17 or so in a 100 point campaign, who can buy spells at a very high skill level with 1 point.
   
   2) They should have dumped the "earn character points through study" system. Yes, it's easy to just ignore it, but if you get stuck with a GM who goes by the book you may very well find yourself wasting a lot of time with tedious accounting issues.
   
   4th edition institutes a good set of rules that allows the GM to create powers and abilities by modifying Advantages with an extensive set of Enhancements and Limitations. This is really nice for the workaholic GM, but the GM who lacks huge amounts of free time is going to be hoping for supplements with a lot of sample powers worked out for him or her.



2. 
   The "Gurps 4th Edition" just fixed all "Gurps 3rd Edition" weakness. The two books are so great. The color and hardcover look and feel are some big diference between the books and the the old versions.
   
   The bad comercial thing: are two books, and you need to have both if you want to be a Game Master.
   
   The "Characters Guide" have lots of resources to make a rich character and the "Campaigns Guide" have a good Game Master stuff.
   
   If you want to have some good RPG System, well, you need to buy "Gurps 4th Edition", but you need some time and practice, cause the game system is so rich, then the rules number is high.



3. An awesome upgrade to GURPS 3rd Edition. Full colored and illustrated book, some new rules added and some old rules banished, creating a better balanced and understandable system.
   Five stars again to SJG.



4. I have played GURPS since it first came out and I was shocked and horrified by this version. I can't believe people are raving about it. The new version barely addresses the problems of the previous one, is poorly laid out and hard to read, and many changes were made to parts of the game where there were no problems to address. There's none of the humor of Steve Jackson's original work. The book reads like a technical manual. Thank you, but I'll stick with the old version or switch to a different system.



5. Been a long time GURPS fan and I think the 4th edition is absolutely great.

5 comments about Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction Signature Series Guide (Brady Games Signature Series Guide).

1. I was not sure if I would like this game. I read a review on IGN and took a chance. What a hoot!! I am not good at video games, so this game is a challenge BUT I am having a ball with it...
   
   Have a great Holiday!
   Smacka



2. This book helps find the few pieces I couldn't find. It was pretty easy to navigate and gave all the info I needed.



3. It is nice that you can depend on at least one good fun game on PS3,and this game has all the fun that the first in the series had, but updated nicely for the new console.



4. This is a well-edited, beautiful book; a real treat to look at. It's not really a must for playing through the game, but if you're one of those obsessed with 100% completion, don't think it twice. Besides, it will look great on your bookshelf.
   
   A real collector's item.



5. I got this (Ratchet & Clank Future) guide and game for my 15 yr old grandson, who loves the game and has found this guide to be of great help in locating quest areas and hidden items. The guide maps and instructions are very well done and is a good value for the price. I highly recommend this guide for those who desire to locate all of the hidden treasures and unlock additional items in the game.

5 comments about The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Prima's Official Strategy Guide).

1. I just got Zelda-the Wind Waker for Christmas and it's a great game! Though this isn't the game, I'd think the book would be good too. You start out as Link to run to your grandma's house. You get dressed in the green uniform and you save a girl from a bird. The bird kidnapps your sister and then your story begins.I'll try to find the game to tell more about it.....



2. what can I say, it has everything I need to know and more. Its Good.



3. First, let me state that this review should be considered only by those who play games for FUN.. This means, NOT those who play first person shooters online for 16 hours at a time, but those who play video games as a hobby, not a lifestyle; i.e. a few hours a week. Second, don't even consider this book if you're looking for help on the Ocarina of Time, because it won't help. Someone stated previously that it looks like a review out of a video game magazine, and their absolutely right. I've used an Ocarina book I got right here from Amazon for that game, and it was perfect..
   
   On to the review: The game is GREAT, and the book certainly compliments that. I know the first thing potential buyers are looking for is PROBLEMS, so instead of pretending there aren't any, I'll hit those first.
   
   The main problem here (as previously mentioned) is the organization of the book, and it all comes down to your playing style.. If you want to play the game yourself and only have the book as a reference for when you get stuck or for finding little extras, than it's perfect. However, if you want to have everything spelled out for you and not play the game at all without first consulting the book, than this probably isn't the right one for you.. It walks you through the quests for the first 3/4 of the book, and has little footnotes at the bottom of each page, referring you to the side-quests which are detailed towards the end of the book..
   
   If you've played the game, then you know that it's a HUGE ocean, broken up into 49 different squares, with 49 different islands, and once you've passed a few preliminary tasks, the entire world is open to you to explore on your own.. In my experience with the game, this book worked PERFECTLY, because the best part was sailing around the map and stumbling upon new islands and landmarks on your own, without someone or something telling you where to go.. The book complimented this, because it has an entire section showing what you can do on each island, and how far into the game you need to be in order to accomplish each task. This is separate from the walkthrough, which details the actual quests, and not the hidden items and extra goodies available on each island. Again, the organization of the book may be a problem for some, but it will be perfect for others..
   
   Otherwise, the problems are VERY minimal.. There are a few instances where the book will tell you something is worth 100 rupees (dollars) when in fact it's worth 200, or vice versa, but these are few and far between.. I'm 4/5 of the way through the game and I could count those mistakes on less than one hand..
   
   The pictures are clear and crisp, and plenty large enough to see if you have the ability of sight, and the walkthrough itself is well written, inclusive, and comprehensive. It's gotten me through all of those spots where your just scratching your head wondering what to do next, but at the same time the game is simple enough that you should be able to get through the majority of it without help.. Besides, exploring the vast world they created is the best part of the game!



4. The best ever,Prima's done it again...
   Prima made winners of all us gamers with this guide.



5. This guide was great it was helpfull in all the dungeaons and MOST of the ftriforce(More on this later). It helped me from Dragon roost to all the mini games. The one thing i found to my displeasure was that they messed up on the triforce pieces. When it shows you were to find them, it is messed up and i had to work for like a half an hour to match them. Also it is missing one ALL together. Again this one the best strategy guide i have used but I would not be so quick to buy it if you are nt great with the maps.