3 comments about Mental Floss: Genius Instruction Manual (Mental Floss Presents).

1. The GENIUS INSTRUCTION MANUAL is the latest book from those fun and crazy people at Mental Floss, the magazine and publishing organization that tries to make trivia and learning cool (well, they are as close to cool as a trivia organization can get). Following the pattern from other Mental Floss books, e.g. COCKTAIL PARTY CHEATS, GENIUS INSTRUCTION MANUAL is full of little informational tidbits to make you at least appear to be a genius after reading the book. The book starts off with some of the hobbies that famous geniuses of the past have had as well some pastimes that famous geniuses have had that led to their ultimate demise. There's a section about time travel, modernism vs. postmodernism, the basics of rocket science, famous artists, string theory, relativity, famous artists, and some great savants of history. There are also sections on how to dress like a right-brained genius and how to dress like a left-brained genius. About every twenty pages or so, there's a page that tells you how far you are to becoming a genius, e.g. "Congratulations! You are now 60% of the way toward full-fledged Genius." I found the GENIUS INSTRUCTION MANUAL to be a very educational, entertaining, and rewarding book. I learned some things I didn't know before. For instance, I never knew that Beethoven probably suffered from lead poisoning. A great gift for any person who likes learning and who has a sense of humor (smart people with no funny-bone wouldn't get this book), e.g. a gag gift for college students.



2. This book is a quick read but lots of fun. It has interesting trivia, short overviews on a lot of topics. It continues to demonstrate why "Mental Floss" is such a fun magazine with off the wall, smart humor.



3. For anyone who is addicted to Jeopardy or likes to show off their vast knowledge of all things this is the perfect guide to help you achieve a higher level of "geniushood". It gives interesting and enlightening tidbits on a vast array of topis (rocket science to Shakespeare). This book really win take your genius to infinity and beyond. If you are smart you will purchase immediately, if your not then this isn't the book for you anyway...

No comments about Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

3 comments about Anauroch: The Empire of Shade (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Forgotten Realms Setting).

1. This was a fun adventure to run and it will be compatable into fourth edition.



2. This book reveals to the PCs secrets which have puzzled Faerun for centuries (or for a few years at least), such as, "who is the Teraseer? what changes have the Shadovar wrought in Anauroch? where are the Nether Scrolls which the Elves stole in the days of Netheril?" etc.
   
   Unfortunately, the book is VERY badly organized. Following the recent WotC fashion, encounters are placed at the BACK of the book, not in the section in which the PCs encounter something interesting. That wouldn't be quite so bad, EXCEPT THAT THERE IS NO INDEX AND NO WAY TO FIND ALL REFERENCES TO THE SUBJECT WHICH MOST INTERESTS YOU. For example, the Teraseer, the mysterious wizard-prophet who helped guide Netheril's rise and then predicted its fall, is repeatedly mentioned (and the PCs get to meet him), but the only way to find ALL the references to him and the lore about him is to read the whole book and write your own index, because Wizards of the Coast was too damned cheap to spend twenty or thirty bucks to pay someone to use Microsoft Word for an hour or so to create an index.
   
   There are also many forced encounters which REQUIRE the PCs to take something, or do something, and unless they do, the story comes to a screeching halt. Nor are there any options presented for dealing with those inevitable situations ih which the players think for themselves. For example, a trip to Candlekeep is an essential part of the adventure, but the PCs do not get ALL of the information which they can UNLESS they deliver one specific book (hopefully acquired during the adventure!) to Candlekeep. No provision is made for the possibility that the PCs might offer some other book of equal rarity and desirability instead of the one the authors force upon them. The PCs in my campaign recovered a stolen copy of the (real) "Demonomicon" and gave it to Candlekeep, yet "Anauroch: the Empire of Shade" gives no indication of what might happen at Candlekeep if they present something extraordinary like that instead of the book the authors intend.
   
   Revealing all of the famous seers, prophets, and sages who crop up as NPCs in this book would be a major spoiler, so I refrain from doing so. I will say, though, that the encounter with the phaerrim (!) gives the PCs an opportunity to lay their hands on a spell so ridiculously "broken" that if a level-appropriate wizard got hold of it and gathered a few dozen 1st level Adepts or any other type of arcane spell casters, it would be possible for them to kill a Chosen of Mystra! But the authors make the absurd assumption that the PCs won't use it themselves to gang up on a powerful NPC and just blow the bejeezus out of him. As if!
   
   SPOILER WARNING!
   
   The copy of the Nether Scrolls stolen more than a thousand years ago at the behest of the Elves is discovered, and the PCs must acquire and then ... SPOILER UPCOMING! ... destroy them. Who are the authors kidding? Most of the experienced players I know would rather see the Shadovar grow in power and terrorize the world than give up the opportunity to keep and read the Nether Scrolls!
   
   There is some good Realmslore in this book, but the book is very poorly organized, the encounters are forced, and few provisions are made for PCs deviating from the plotted course. Worst of all, there is no index to allow a DM to read ALL the references to a particular person, place or thing at one time -- to use the lore in another adventure, for example, as I myself tried to do and could not without bringing my game session to a complete halt, or to help the DM deal with PCs who decide that they want to concentrate on one aspect of the adventure rather than let themselves be dragged around by their noses. Bringing a desirable book to Candlekeep, for example, allows the donor to spend a tenday there, but the authors do not provide enough information on Candlekeep to allow for good roleplaying there; they give just enough information to allow the PCs to go rushing off to the other side of Faerun to complete the next part of the adventure, whether the players want to do so or not.
   
   I give this book three stars. *** Had it been better organized, allowed for more options, and contained an index, it would of been a five-star book, but it doesn't, so it's not.
   



3. This book brings a wonderful presentation through the new encounter format that gives all the information about an encounter in one or two pages so you don't need to turn any page during important combats or sequences.
   
   The adventure is IMHO better than the Forgotten Realms average, and you'll need several weeks to play all the trilogy, so take fun!

No comments about The New York Times Crosswords for a Relaxing Weekend: Easy, Breezy 200-Puzzle Omnibus (New York Times Acrostic Crossword Puzzles).

3 comments about Your Best Poker Friend: Increase Your Mental Edge and Maximize Your Profits.

1. If you liked either of the author's previous poker books, The Psychology of Poker and/or Your Worst Poker Enemy, this book is a neccessary continuation of the lesson. YBPF is not a strategy book, and will disappoint those expecting one. This book lays out strategies for improving your game that are very practical. Of course, most of you won't actually get around to doing any of the things Schoonemaker recommends, just like you already gave up on your New Year's resolutions. That is why I don't mind giving an honest review and saying that if you take this stuff seriously you will improve.
   
   Also, there are some interesting updates to some of Schoonemaker's ideas from YWPE, especially regarding his hard-line stance that no one should ever quit their day job to play poker, and how on-line play is changing poker.



2. Reverse implied odds? Give me a break. Even Andy Black would be confused by this book. Give me Super System I/II any time.



3. Dr. Schoonmaker in my opinion is the most honest teacher of poker & life that I have ever crossed paths with. His writing, and observation of human behavior and the poker table/player is right on the money! I highly recommend this book for any semi professional, or someone who is considering becoming a professional poker player, or casual players of poker that want an edge on the home poker game. Limit, or no limit it works with both.

No comments about Draconomicon I: Chromatic Dragons (D&D Rules Expansion).

5 comments about A World Champion's Guide to Chess: Step-by-step instructions for winning chess the Polgar way (Chess).

1. I bought this book for my 6 and 8 yr. old children who had just started playing chess and had a basic understanding of the way the chess pieces moved . The book breaks down various facets of the game in small and easily understood lessons. My kids really love this book, and it has greatly helped improve their playing. I have also learned many things from this book. I had always been a casual chess player who could think through different situations as they unfolded in the game, but after reading this book, I now have a more structured and intentional approach to playing and can visualize patterns much better. I think this book is great for anyone who would like to improve their playing above the basic level.



2. As is expected of a Polgar, this book is very well written and easy to understand. The instructions for each section are clear enough for a novice to understand, and yet the exercises are challenging for even intermediate players. I have personally noticed an improvement in my game.
   
   While it can be read quickly, I recommend contemplating each exercise and understanding what the lesson was before moving on to the next section...you will reach the end all too soon anyway.
   
   But then you can go on to "Chess Tactics for Champions".



3. One of the best book in the market for Chess Beginner-Intermediate level. Very well written for any level reader to understand and with exercises very well documented and explained, this is a must-have for B-I level players; when I say beginner I am talking about someone that knows to play Chess.



4. Yes, the book does spend about 50 pages covering chess fundamentals, but moves directly into "puzzles" designed to build pattern recognition skills, the sort of skills Susan Polgar began learning at age four...
   
   While I'm not at all as gifted as Ms. Polgar and won't ever be able to remember 20,000 patterns, I am confident that I can make progress with her method, and enjoy the game in the process.
   
   A good value.



5. This is another book on my way to chess mastery. Maybe not, but the book did improve my skills. The best part of the book was the positions to solve. After each tactic is given, there were numerous tests to complete. This sharpened the skills in being able to see the move on the board. The book is good for an beginner to an intermediate player. It is a book that would be worthy studying again in the future. I liked this book so much that I brought the second book in the series by Polgar.

4 comments about From London to Elista: The Inside Story of the World Chess Championship Matches That Vladimir Kramnik Won Against Garry Kasparov, Peter Leko and Vesilin Topalov.

1. First I want to clarify and say that this book deserves its good reputation, and its high selling volume since it first came out is justified. One can enjoy penetrating into thinking process of the skilled chess professionals who had been interviewed from the Kramnik camp, as well as read excripts from the other GMs cited from different sources.
   Sheer amount of psychology involved into pre-game preparation is puzzling, and drive one to continuously read it. Concreatly, I was more interested into reading details of pre-game preparation process and post-mortem reactions, than of analysis of the games played. Fortunatelly, analysis material of the games is significantly lighter that that of the "San Luis 2005" book, but still it wouldnt mind if some more textual explanation had been added into it, especially at late opening phase mortals nowdays are hard to grasp.
   From historical perspective this is the book to have on your chess shelf to cover world championship matches starting from 2000 and leading to final unification match in 2006.
   Recommended.



2. If you are a typical chess amateur like me who loves to read chess books more for the anecdotes, and sort of wishes that the games and analysis would somehow automatically permeate through to my consciousness, then you will love this book.
   
   The stories and accounts are fascinating, Ilya Luvitov in particular asks some very sharp and direct questions and this brings out the best of Bareev. And snippets in between from thoughts of Kramnik and Lautier and the occassional quip from an Kasparov interview keep making the book more colorful.
   
   The games are full of diagrams and there is both sufficient text commentary that you dont need to setup a board and also there is enough analysis to keep one busy if one did get the pieces out !
   
   A book not to be missed, unique amongst all chess books in the way it captures the very heart of the human element of competitive endeavour.



3. After I have seen this book I must say that it is a "must" that anyone should have. It is shameful that somebody that wants to become the undisputed world champion, tries to win it by means that do not belong to the sport. To accuse someone and to have no proof at all of anything, it is only show of seomone who is not capable of getting anything via normal ways.
   Definitely Kramnik won "EVERY SINGLE POINT" on the chess board. I have seen the San Luis 2005 book, and I would say, that yes it might have some points in which Topalov could have worked on his own before computers were well developed. But, to try to win a WCC match by no sportive means. That's something else!. NO EXCUSE for that!!!
   I really like the book!



4. From London to Elista: The Inside Story of the World Chess Championship Matches That Vladimir Kramnik Won Against Garry Kasparov, Peter Leko and Vesilin Topalov I found the book to read easily and the material with analysis is very strong.

5 comments about Microsoft® XNA Game Studio 2.0: Learn Programming Now!.

1. Ok so the book dosen't come with a CD, big deal you can download everything online. The main point is the content within the book. I found the book very helpful. It gives you definitions to common terms, makes easy to understand comparisons from real world things. All in all a good book for begginers.



2. After going to numerous retail (Borders, Barnes and Nobles) and their onlince counterparts + Amazon, I've come to the conclusion that someone at Microsoft dropped the ball. Each time I ask them to key in the ISB for the book titled "XNA Game Studio Express and Visual C# express edition", expecting to find a book with a CD. And each time I locate it on the shelf there is a similar book called "Microsoft® XNA® Game Studio 2.0: Learn Programming Now", with the same ISBN, same Author, similar cover, but without the CD. What gives? Is this the same book, but with a changed name shortly before release (i.e. Revenge of the Jedi)? If so, where is the CD. If someone from MS Press reads this I hope they will clarify this.



3. I got this book at Barnes & Noble, so it was the 'newer version' without the CD or the promise thereof. It wasn't a problem at all for me, as everything is very easy to access online...and I'd prefer to buy the book at a cheaper cost and download the software than pay extra for a CD.
   
   The content, at least the part that I've read is very informative for a newbie programmer like me. I'm only on Chapter 3, but if you're already experienced in C#, this book might not be for you. Everything is clearly explained, and the length of the book is perfect - long enough to be thorough, but not so long to be intimidating. Highly recommended.



4. *NEWSFLASH*
   
   Forget about the not downloadable code... It can be found a very silly games dot com. If you want to learn more about XNA. Buy this book...
   
   *END NEWSFLASH*
   
   First of all let me say that I think that this book is very well written. It explains things quite easy and I think beginners are going to enjoy this book quite a lot. Even medior programmers can learn stuff from this book. And I think everyone gets a pretty good insight on how XNA works. Having said that, there is one complaint and preventing this book from getting more than 3 stars.
   
   The book tells you to look at examples quite often. And as I am one that likes to see code examples I find it very annoying that the CD is not available. But as some of the previous reviewers mentioned everything is downloadable so I went out for a search.
   
   So I thoughed I get it of the Microsoft press site. But as it turns out the CD is not downloadable atm. So well, lets try searching via Google. Nothing to be found. Perhaps I am looking in all the wrong places, but I you write a book and refer to code examles quite a lot I think they should be easily available. This is not the case atm. So herefore 3 stars and no more.
   
   Talk about a BIG shame.
   
   So in conclusion. When you think of buying this book make sure you have the code examples. Than this book is going bring you lots of joy. If you cannot find them, my advise would be. Leave this book be till you do.



5. This book is really simple. If you are just starting out, you may want to start here -- although I might would suggest starting with a straight C# book (or online tutorials).
   
   The book has 2.0 in the title, but I couldn't find anything new to 2.0 discussed in the pages.

5 comments about Wizard Deluxe Edition Card Game.

1. Four years ago I was introduced to the game of Wizard by an ex-boyfriend and his family. That relationship didn't last, but my facination with the card game remains. It is a great game because of its flexible number of players, fast-paced and above all, entertaining. It is an easy game to teach new players because it is based on several popular card games including hearts, spades, and whist. Nearly everyone who I have played the game with enjoys it and rushes out to purchase their own deck.



2. I got this game for Christmas, and love it! I am 18 and play it with my dad and grandparents. I like it, because I finally have a chance to beat my dad and grandpa, and my grandparents like it because it is more challenging and spontaneous than Bridge. It's small enough to play at home, on vacation and in airports during layovers! This game is highly reccomended!



3. Great game. We played this game for hours. The learning curve is not too bad and the scoring is a little difficult but everyone really enjoyed this game. Our family's ages are 6 to 82. Highly entertaining and I really recommend this card game.



4. We were hooked the very first time we played and, subsequently, so has everyone to whom we have introduced it. It's difficult to explain in this review, but the directions that come with the cards are very clear. As with all card games, luck plays a part, but in Wizard you soon become aware of the strategies as well. Bidding and making your bid is the primary premise of the game. Our ten year old grandson grasped the concept about half way through the first time we played with him. He was hooked!



5. My friend introduced me to Wizard a year ago. Since then I bought a set and play it with all my family and friends. They went out and bought their own sets. My wife is a card hater and she insists on playing it at family get-togethers. It is a great and easy game.