5 comments about STAR OCEAN(tm) Till the End of Time(tm) Official Strategy Guide.

1. This RPG was great fun if you enjoy picking your players and experimenting with weapons and magic. It starts in the future and travels into the past, ending back in the future. It has extra dungeons after you solve the game which really enhances play time. The only thing I didn't care for is in a battle you could only select one character at a time and the other two characters fight by computer selection which was not always a good thing. Other than that, if you love RPGs with a fun story this is a great game.



2. If you are looking for a good strategy guide for this game then this is the one for you. And when I got it it was in great condition. I suggest it to anyone who is in love with the Star Ocean series.



3. I bought this guide and was very disappointed. I normally just read user made walkthroughs but thought it would b e useful to have a book with maps. My main complaint is that the book just gives the bosses main information and not any strategies to defeating them. Save your money and don't buy this.



4. EXCELENT BOOK , very good quality paper and printing , and the guide is very clear , and handy



5. This book is a must for every person who buys this game. It helps with synthesis, creating items a lot and cut down the amount of hours it take to figure out how to product certain items and what each inventor wants. The con with this part is that it didn't clearly rate the amount of money taken to product this item as some items take a narrow range like the philosopher's stone which cost range appear uncommonly and with just one cent out of that range you get worthless products. I had to check a website review for the philosopher stone synthesis and both the book and the website were wrong! I went with Peppita, Misty Lear, and Mackwell that took the talent level to 93, much closer to 100 and got it instantly. Another negative is that it doesn't help with max out weapons, etc telling what synthesis material work the best like going with only orichalcum for Fayt's strongest sword or add certain numbers of other types like Brownie Stone or other types that work the best. The guide didn't tell where the high fol monsters to fight for the money as this game require lots of fols to do things like get inventors, buy items, create items, specify items, and synthesis. The last negative to this guide is the PA - it make it harder to read and I easily missed some - mainly long term ones as there were lots of uncertainity when playing for the first time. Otherwise this book have lots of positive results that can be easily explained by the other reviews here.

No comments about Handmade Paper Pierced Cards (Simple and Stunning).

5 comments about How to Dominate $1 and $2 No Limit Hold 'Em.

1. Part 1
   
   This is a good book. It is long. There are alot of interesting "old Vegas" gambling stories that are entertaining...whether they are true or not...I don't know. Good basic holdem points/principles are here in the first part of this book...such as emphasizing position. Still, if you are experienced or a good player...then the first part of the book will probably seem tedious. The author repeats himself often. I'm only on page 140...but it is helping me think about my game {a review} and how I want to approach NLH $1 and $2...tight/aggressive play is the approach the author seems to recommend...but it is more than that...such as his recommendation to play certain hands if you've been card dead for a long time...'to stay active.'
   
   Like Largay in his $1 and $2 book...the author...IMHO...thinks its important to not waste your chips {obvious maybe}...and covers situations like this you want to avoid.
   
   I have to admitt...it is hard not to LOL...at the word DOMINATOR...could you imagine wearing a t-shirt with that in the front?...but the approach seems very sound to me.
   
   You may be taken aback how often the author mentions it might be better to go home if the game isn't suitable for the style of play he recommends...but I think its sound...and probably smart too. And I appreciate the honesty.
   
   I've read some of the comments the author has made on a popular {tough} online poker forum...and I've liked the way he's handled himself and how he defended his recommended style of play.
   
   Part 2...1/17/08 aside: I interviewed the author recently!
   
   I finished the book last night.It is a very, very good poker book.
   
   This book will teach you how to develop a strong poker game. It is not a simple, how to play A-B-C tight/aggressive book...although tight/aggressive play is the foundation. Instead, a player learns how important...how to adjust...to changing table conditions {image, stack size, tight/loose table}. The author writes over and over...Poker is not a card game...but a people game played with cards.
   
   Not groundbreaking...but important nonetheless.
   
   The first half of the book teaches you how to PLAY AND WIN with the {relative} stength of your cards...for example: there are gems {insights} like {taking turns betting/taking pots}..which means you may start to ask yourself...is winning the pot worth the risk of losing it? I think this is a very useful approach to cash game play. It may seem overly cautious/defensive {folding to possible set over sets}...especially to the +EV crowd...but I think its worth considering if your bankroll is at stake.
   
   Angel Largay makes a similiar type point in his cash game book.
   
   The second half of the book focuses on HOW TO WIN WITHOUT the cards. Frankly, you learn how to exploit bad and weak players.
   
   This half concentrates on reading players for tells, making bluffs {plays} and catching bluffs. The information on tells will probably not be new to anybody who's read or heard of Mike Caro...but its still good.
   
   The bluffing section is outstanding. Some of the bluffs you may be familiar with already {Button bluff/steals}...but others like a delayed bluff...you may not be. Or if you used it...you may have done it without properly understanding the play.
   
   The author emphasizes that a good portion of your cash game winnings will be determined by how skillfully you make and catch bluffs.
   
   One possible flaw in the book...the author writes constantly about putting an opponent on a hand..rather than a "range" of hands...but his hand analysis seems to incorporate hand ranges nonetheless...and ignore the typos {Tom Hellmuth}...they aren't a problem.
   
   Like the Harrington series...How to Dominate...has become a reference book for me.
   
   good luck @ the tables,
   
   
   standtall



2. Really enjoyed the book. Think it will make a huge difference in my playing.How to Dominate $1 and $2 No Limit Hold 'Em



3. I wrote and sent the following [slightly edited] email message to Sam O'Connor. Since it is a "book review" of sorts, I thought I would post it here as well.
   
   Dear Mr. O'Connor:
   
   First, I want to thank you for a lifetime of wisdom and experience that you put into your "How to Dominate" book. I enjoyed the "people stories" you included just as much as the [written] instruction.
   
   This is very subjective on my part, but I'm convinced that your book will be widely recognized as a classic - right up there in the Top Five of all time great poker books. Accordingly, I want to thank you for the time and effort you spent putting it all on paper. Not only is your book full of wisdom, but it is well written. (If your girlfriend helped to proofread and edit your book, she deserves a nice candlelight dinner topped off with a big fat diamond ring.)
   
   I cannot begin to express to you how enlightening your book has been. I am actually reading (and rereading) the pages multiple times. Unlike a lot of poker books I have read, (i.e. the Sklansky books and even Super System), your book is the kind where I read a "lesson" and then go off and actually think about what I've just read. Fortunately, for me, you didn't fill your book full of confusing math and probability equations. I know the "scientifc" type poker players can crunch probabilities in their heads like a computer crunching numbers, but, (as you point out), those kind of players are [often] weak in the people reading department; so I agree that you don't have to be a mathematical genius to be a winning poker player. Your book's strongest point is in emphasizing just how important the "people aspect" of poker really is. Other books hint at this, (especially Mike Caro's books), but you really drive the point home.
   
   I hate admitting this, but some of your points are not immediately obvious - or "obvious" to me. A few times I've found myself scratching my head, unsure as to exactly the point you're trying to get across. (It kind of bemuses me when you casually make a comment like, "Now, if you don't understand this, then you're not a real poker player!" My problem is that in a few of those cases, I've had to reread what you wrote leading up to such a statement before the light (finally!) switches on. Anyway, once I really understand all the concepts, I know I'm going to be an infinitely better poker player, so I want to thank you (again) for writing such an excellent book.
   
   -------------------------------
   
   Addendum for this review here on Amazon.com:
   
   Dear poker playing book buyers:
   
   It's fine with me if you buy Mr. O'Connor's book, but I ask that you NEVER read it! On my next trip to Tunica, I don't want to sit down at a table full of folks that have read this book! :-)))
   
   Alan C. Lawhon
   Huntsville, Alabama



4. I find the machismo in the text mismatched with the extremely tight tight style the author is advocating. His opponents aren't going to feel dominated; they're going to forget he's there. Regardless, the metaphor is stretched. Poker is not war or a struggle in a pack society.
   
   It's been my experience that 1/2 players typically pay off too much, so basing our strategy on forcing incorrect folds is an uphill battle. The author suggests we avoid loose games, but frankly I think they're the most common and the most profitable. There are some games that we should walk away from, but we should aspire to have some flexibility in strategy. That is, we should adapt our strategy to exploit our opponents' vulnerabilities.
   
   There's not nearly as much content as the page count would imply due to a liberal use of copy-and-paste. Ever fourth page there's a new chapter with the same introductory quotation. The preflop hand ranking chart appears several times in its entirety.
   
   I do not recommend this book. Stick with Pot-Limit & No-Limit Poker.



5. The author suggests a "dominator" style at the table: very tight (especially from early positions), very aggressive (betting at least the size of the pot, often more; never calling, never drawing - it deteriorates your image), and using this image to steal/bluff a few additional pots. Granted. Some of the anecdotes from the good old days in Las Vegas are also worth reading.
   
   Aside from that, this is the worst poker book I've ever read (well, almsot read, I couldn't survive past p.230).
   
   First of all, the style and writing is horrendous, full of machismo and typos. The starting hand rank table is copied-pasted about 50 times in the book; the reader is reminded about 75 times (at each new chapter) to start reading the first chapter first, etc. The chapter "Big Blinds and Big Slick" even appears twice in the book, with a few words changed here and there. I don't expect good poker players to be great writers, but one must meet minimum standards.
   
   In addition, some recommended plays are just plain wrong. Let's take three examples from the book...
   
   1. Playing big slick (ace-king), unimproved to the river. The other player makes a weak bet at the river. The author suggests to call if you think he bluffs (ok), or even better, if you are certain it's a bluff, to raise the size of the pot, "because this is the power play". Well, let's say certain=80%, which is a lot. In 80% of the cases, the player folds and you gain nothing; in 20% of the case, he didn't bluff, calls your ace-high hand, and you loose a bigger pot. What is the value proposition here?
   
   2. You hold AA, the flop is AJT rainbow. The other player bets, and the author recommends to fold, "because he must have KQ". I'm sympathetic with the idea of not falling in love with one's hand, even if it appears great, but still... In a $1/$2 game, this raise could mean many things. What about AK, AQ, AJ, AT, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, JT? Between the value bets, the semi-bluffs, the pure bluffs, the bad draws, and the like, you could be against anything. And even if it were KQ (worst case scenario, though not most likely), we have 7 outs at the turn and 10 outs at the river to redraw to the nuts, so it would not be a great situation, but not desperate either. Folding? Really?
   
   3. Last example. The author plays AJ against what will later happen to be AQ. He plays horribly, and finally re-raise all-in at the river, believing he has the best hand. The player with AQ folds, and the author wins the pot. "This is the power of domination" is the conclusion of the author. Really? What about a donkey play turning out to be lucky?
   
   All in all, this was a waste of time and money. Actually, the only poker book I didn't manage to finish.
   
   If you want to learn, read Harrington; to improve, read Malmuth, Slansky, Miller, Cloutier; to entertain yourself, read Ciaffone, Gordon, even Cooke; to expand your horizon, read Caro... But save your money and skip this one. This is just bad advice badly written.

4 comments about The Kids' Book of Sudoku 1!.

1. If your family, like mine, has noticed a discernable lack of breakfast table conversation since the sudoku craze hit the United States, and your kids seem a little bit put off by the fact that Mom and Dad both have their noses buried in a sudoku, why not quiet them down by shoving this lovely little book under their noses?
   
   In all seriousness, though, this is a great sudoku book for kids or beginners. The puzzles start at VERY easy and move to what an adult's easy-intermediate level would be. Remember that math skills are not necessary for sudoku-it's a logic puzzle which just happens to use numbers (they're used entirely symbolically) so if your kid hates math, they still may very well enjoy this book.
   
   Again, this is not JUST for kids, people who've never tried sudoku before may enjoy this book as it starts off at a super-basic level.



2. My 4 yr old is hooked on Sudoku. He has both the 1 and 2 books. #1 was from Grandma and he told her 2 months after she gave him the book that he didn't have any fun until she got him the book. It has helped him with his fine motor skills (writing his numbers) and keeps him just as entertained as computer games or television.



3. My first grade niece really enjoyed the puzzles in Levels 1 & 2 by herself, and enjoyed doing those in levels 3,4 & 5 with some adult help. Level 6 puzzles completely took over the holidays among the adults, and pretty much made getting anything else done impossible.



4. This is a great book on Sudoku for kids. The book includes 151 puzzles. All the puzzles are 9x9. The solutions are at the end of the book. The puzzles are categorized in six levels starting at Level One (Brain Tricklers) to Level Six (Major Meltdown).
   
   The first 17 pages of the book are dedicated to strategy with tips, rules, and hints. One drawback is that this book does not include simple 4x4 puzzles like the two books "Kindergarten Sudoku" and "Kids' Sudoku for Dummies".

5 comments about Bid Better Play Better: How to Think at the Bridge Table.

1. This is a new, updated edition of one of the greatest bridge books of all time. Teaches you how to think like a bridge player. Much of the material is aimed toward advanced beginners and intermediates, but even new players will benefit from her clear approach and practical advice.



2. This book explains bridge in a simple manner and the information that my partner and I (she lives in Dallas and we play on Bridge Base Online) have utilized from this book has improved our game, and our understanding of it. It is in sync with the bridge lessons I have taken from my genious and excellent educator bridge teacher Bob Hinkle in Tucson Arizona.



3. Thank goodness Dorothy Hayden wrote this classic BEFORE " for Dummies" became the obvious title for any non-text book one might read to learn ANYTHING. Yet, that is really what this book is about. Reading (and practicing what you learn by reading) will indeed develop "card sense" where once there was very little (or none). After you have the basics of our amazing game in hand, this book can help you take another step toward mastery.
   
   If you're up on modern bidding methods, you'll feel a temptation to skip the "old" material on bidding. Don't do it. Unless you're expert enough to design a complete bidding system from earth, air, fire, and water; the presentation of the fundamentals herein will help you improve both your understanding of Standard American (or 2/1) biddng methods AND your grasp of the foundation of your own bidding methods (even if you bid differently). That foundation will help you intelligently incorporate (or reject) new methods as your personal biddng methods and style mature.



4. I was looking for a book without a lot of blather. This is it. It's straight forward and simple. I can sit down and read a particular section and get the idea quickly. No cute stories or long-range examples covering 50 years. I'm happy.



5. Dorothy Hayden Truscott's BID BETTER, PLAY BETTER has been in print for over twenty years, and no surprise. This is a generous and well-explained guide to correct evaluation of the hand, with an emphasis on "reading" what your partner and opponents are holding; Ms. Truscott excels in making us read the context of the bidding process. And this book offers sound strategies for the playing of the hand as well.
   
   This is not my very favorite book for rank beginners (in my opinion BRIDGE FOR DUMMIES by Eddie Kantar is actually quite good and more comprehensive), but it is really meant for developing players -- advanced beginners and intermediates. Those who would forego Ms. Truscott's no-nonsense prose style might instead consider S.J. Simon's WHY YOU LOSE AT BRIDGE. Like BID BETTER, PLAY BETTER, it deals with how not to form bad bridge habits or how to chuck them a-borning, but its take on bridge-playing is more social and Simon's prose style is appropriately quite droll.

5 comments about Neverwinter Nights(tm) 2 Official Strategy Guide (Forgotten Realms) (Forgotten Realms).

1. while it maintain the main story there was so much this strategy guide left out.



2. Do you remember when games were an actual an art-form and were sold with respect to the paying customers? Innovative games that came in beautiful detailed cardboard boxes. Included were a number of artwork items (paper or cloth maps, pewter figurines) and thick, detailed guide booklets. Nowadays, all we get is a cheap plastic case. Usually broken.
   
   Well, now the faceless accountants that run the gaming business decided to take the next shameless step: they are trying to sell the Game Guide as a Strategy Guide! Yes, this is the case here: a weak walkthrough (one can find much more detailed and helpful ones on the internet) and then whatever should have been included in a classic Game Guide: general maps, weapons list (without unique items), and incomplete lists of NPCs & enemies (bestiary).
   Check your good old BALDUR's GATE: the above were all included in the Game guide!
   
   My advice: Don't even think about it!



3. It was very informative on the new structure of NWN2 over what we are used to from the original NWN but as most guides go it could use more detail on actual gameplay (walk-through) and not spend so much of the book on character creation & game stats.



4. I have only just gotten to the city Neverwinter, but have already noticed a number of things that don't sync up in the game and the guide. The most likely reason is patches have changed certain things. All in all a good guide, but not the best I have ever had. The maps are just so so, often not containing all the information that you might need, as well as some maps not being included at all. Also the orientation of the maps is often much different than the starting point in game, which calls for alot of book turning. There also doesn't seem to be a list of crafting recipes in the book, only a list of items that you can make.
   
   You most likely will need another source of information (online guide, etc) if you are like me and want to find and locate all the items and quests located in this game.
   
   Good luck!!!



5. Invariably, when you play this game, you're not going to have a clue as to where to go or what to do next. To this extent, getting this guide is a major Godsend. This gives you maps for what to do, where to go and how to get your alignment to the one you're aiming for. So if you plan to spend several hours trying to figure out the next big move in Neverwinter Nights 2, this is the guide that puts it all together for you.

3 comments about Grand Master Ultimate Sudoku.

1. This is simply another great collection of sudoku puzzles. This one will make a great holiday gift as it was very recently released and it's likely that your favorite puzzler will not yet own it.
   
   Of special interest are the super-sudoku puzzles in this book, they're definitely not for a coffee break: you'd better have a good block of time available to work them out!



2. I bought this as a gift, so cannot give a fair review as it is going to someone else.



3. This book is a great mind challenge. You will lose track of time working on these puzzles.

5 comments about How to Play a Bridge Hand: 12 Easy Chapters to Winning Bridge by America's Premier Teacher.

1. "How to Play a Bridge Hand" is the definitive primer on declarer play. No, it does not teach advanced play technique like backwash squeezes or smother plays. What it does is provide a novice to intermediate player an overview of every aspect of dummy play. The discussions attempt to identify every common card play situation, and the quizzes reinforce this material. If it seems dry at times, that's only because Root apparently wanted to pack as much teaching into as little space as possible - and he succeeds admirably.
   
   This is a must-read book for anyone wanting to begin to improve their dummy play.



2. The book covers a great deal of material, but it was a bit disappointing regarding the explanation of certain plays. It is certain very thorough as for examples, it offers a very wide view of possible holdings and explains very well why a cartain play works in that circumstance, but doesn't explain which guidelines to follow to decide when to adopt such a play. The material covered is though very much, and anyone that thinks he/she could derive the rule from the example, would find the book very plesurable. On the other hand, if you wanted a really good book by Bill Root, try Commonsense Bidding and Modern Bridge Conventions. I haven't read his book on defence, but that looks promising as well



3. Root's book is concise and effective, there is no superfluous flowery statements in this book and everything presented here is what you need to winning bridge.
   A polished book, you will like it, but be sure you have some very basic bridge knowledges before reading it!



4. To get anything out of this book you need to have a litle practical experience first. A pure Novice will not get as much out of the book.
   With several months experience, you will appreciate this book a lot more. Its slow going, but thats necessary because this is a technical subject. After reading it, you will forget quite a lot of it. Try reading it again a year later. Then it will sink in much better.
   
   
   For thiose who gave this book a bad review becaus eit was too advanced for them - the problem is with you, not the book. You are not yet at the level to use this book effectively. To read this book as a novice/weak player will not help so much. You need the experience to give you a frame of reference.
   
   After reading this book you can advance to the harder books like teh Card Play Made Easy series and Mollos Card Play Technique.



5. This book was recommended by my bridge teacher. It has great hands to practice with clearly stated answers.

3 comments about Sudoku Variants (Sudoku).

1. I love this book. Got tired for the 9x9 boxes long ago. There's enough variety to make sure you never get bored. Most of these puzzles are not for the beginner so make sure you can handle the advanced 9x9's before working these.



2. This book has a number of different variations on Sudoku. One type, Sum Sudoku, requires a little math. The remainder are purely logic puzzles, same as standard Sudoku. I found the 'irregular Sudoku' particularly challenging the 1st time I tried it (which was not in this book). The book gives various difficulty levels so you can work up your skills at each type of variation. I'm glad I picked it up, & plan to get it as a gift for another Sudoku fan.



3. This is the best Sudoku book ever. It has a great variety of puzzles so you can see what kind you like. It never gets boring!

5 comments about Fantasy Football The Next Level: How to Build a Championship Team Every Season.

1. This book is a fantastic guide on how to play fantasy football and actually win! Author David Dorey is co-founder and co-owner of www.thehuddle.com. He has been following Fantasy Football for 20 years and is very knowledgeable about it.
   
   In this book you will learn how to:
   
   * Do mock drafts
   * Build a winning team
   * Make a cheat sheet of players to use for your draft
   * Research your players
   * Base your picks on this year, not last year, by calculating a player's value
   
   This is the ultimate book for any Fantasy Football fan. I read it at the perfect time because after reading it I drafted my team for this season. I had notes about each player and was aware of which players were injured, what players were having contract disputes, and which players had a new head coach or coaching staff that could affect a player's playing time.
   
   While fellow drafters laughed at my choices of players, I am very satisfied with my team as none of my players are injured or sitting on the sidelines, they're all starters. After passing on Clinton Portis, injured, Larry Johnson, holding out on a contract, I instead chose running back Thomas Jones who is healthy and will be starting.
   
   This book is very informative, the information is easy to use and understand, and the graphs and charts were very helpful. I credit this book with making the draft a success for me this year and will suggest it to all my friends.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: Fantasy football fans who want to win, better read this book.



2. I have played fantasy football since 1989, and this book taught me things I didn't know, reminded me of things I once knew but had forgot, and sharpened my focus heading into my redraft leagues' 2007 drafts. Buy it.



3. I have followed David Dorey at The Huddle for many years now. His insight and advice have always impressed me as down to earth and on the money, yet his words were never preachy. He always seems to explain concepts as if he were your friend beside you at the draft, not the jerk Champion who knows everything and tells you so. It is with this same refreshing style that Dorey presents all of the best of his many years of wisdom.
   
   This book really could be titled the 'Best of David Dorey'. And that is precisely why you should pick up a copy, because it is the best from one of the best in the business. He explains how to draft for a team not just individual stars. Perhaps more important is his analysis of what to look for when creating your own projections and rankings. But personally I think his LAG analysis is the most effective way to really see what effect your leagues individual scoring system has on your draft.
   
   One last point that must be mentioned. Not only does 'Fantasy Football: The Next level' give tons of great advice, but it also explains why these concepts are valid and................illustrates this with the numbers to prove it. This is truly a great book and one you need to own if you want to win at Fantasy Football consistently.



4. very well written. YOu will have to make excel files for your players so be prepared.



5. David Dorey is man. If you are serious about Fantasy Football then you need to read this book. It does'nt matter if you are new to Fantasy Football or are a seasoned vet. This book is a good read.