5 comments about 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know.

1. This instruction book on Bridge Conventions is written simply enough for everyone to learn. It is divided into three sections, so, as you progress in your learning, you advance from one section to the next. Fun learning with this book.



2. This is a book that describes twenty five modern Bridge conventions that every current Bridge player should know and use.
   
   Each convention is described and explained clearly. One of the best features of the book is that at the end of each description of the convention is a sheet of example bridge hands that illustrate the convention. The reader can make his own answer to the questions, then check to see if he really understood the explanation. It is a good way to learn.
   
   I think this is a very good book for every bridge player to learn and use the modern conventions.



3. Easy reading, with good explanations of why you should use that convention. Great examples at the end of each chapter. As a beginner I highly recommend this book.



4. If you are looking for a bridge book that covers the most common conventions out there in the "bridge world"...this is the book for you. This book covers all the essentials to learn and understand the most popular bridge conventions. It does it in an easy to understand and precise manner. You will feel confident after reading and studying. The one feature missing.....doesn't give you the opportunity to practice much on each convention. You will have to play to learn that. But this book is worth the price to increase your playing power.



5. I know of no book that conveys the most popular bridge-playing conventions as painlessly as Barbara Seagram and Marc Smith's remarkable TWENTY-FIVE BRIDGE CONVENTIONS YOU SHOULD KNOW. They are all there, patiently explained, with examples drawn from appropriate circumstances and topical quizzes following immediately.
   
   Generally, the book starts with the basic conventions like Takeout Doubles and Blackwood and progresses to the more esoteric ones like Reverse Drury and Roman Key Card. We might argue about the exact order these conventions appear; Ms. Seagram is BIG on the Jacoby Transfer and its big brother, the Texas Transfer. Should people really learn those before they learn about Cue-bid Raises and Balancing? But that is a small wrinkle in such an excellent presentation; if you and your partner prefer to skip a lesson or two and come back later, this book will serve well anyway. Deserves a place on every good bridge-player's shelf.

5 comments about Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition.

1. My name is Doug Parsons, and I'm an official adjudicator for Guinness World Records, so I felt the need to address some of the comments listed on this page.
   
   The Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008 was compiled by industry insiders who are experts in their field. All records and facts have been carefully researched and have been found to be up to Guinness World Records' rigorous standards. While any book of this scope is bound to contain a few grammatical or spelling oversights, all of the facts, statistics, and information within the book are certified to be true at the time of printing. [...]
   
   As Guinness World Records is the global arbiter for official record keeping, and I am an adjudicator within the organization, I felt the need to address some of the concerns. Please be assured that Guinness World Records takes any comment, positive or negative, about our products seriously, and use them to ensure that future books will be filled with even more records and facts that our readers will enjoy.



2. My son loves this book, if you are a Guinness Book fan, then you'll love this one.



3. Guinness World Records Gamers Edition marks Guinness's first romp into the gaming culture. The gaming culture is bigger than it's ever been before. For the casual gamer, this book is like a starter kit to getting you into the gaming scene. There's a lot of good information scattered throughout the book. However, for gaming aficionados, there's not a lot of stuff here that you probably don't know. Just the same, it's not a bad book.
   
   By the looks of the Guinness World Records, you'd probably think right out that this was a book for the younger gamers. The page layout and design is similar to those World Almanac for Kids books that became popular among the youth. While this may bother a few other gamers, it does show that the book is very inviting.
   
   It begins with a lengthy introduction chapter. This will show some of the highlights of 2007, including talking about some of the heavy hitting games like Halo 3, Super Mario Galaxy and Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. Again, though, if you're big on the gaming scene and you keep up with the news, this is nothing new to you. Even a lot of what they mention is stuff that has been hammered into most gamers head time and time again.
   
   After the introduction, there is a history of gaming. This showcases everything from the Magnavox Odyssey all the way up to the current generation involving the XBOX360, Playstation 3 and Wii. Afterwards, it goes into talking about some of the more mainstream consoles on an individual basis starting with the Nintendo 64 and Gamcube and ending with PC gaming. This section may have better had the consoles been talked about in the chronological order they were released. It is, after all, a history section. At least for all the hardware it gives you all the specs and a few factoids and some trivia concerning each console. These sections are also accompanied by crystal clear screenshots. At the end of the hardware history section there is a list of the top 5 bestselling games on each console. After all this is over with, we finally get into some of the records and trivia on some of the biggest selling gaming franchises in some of the industries most popular genres.
   
   In the Record Breaking Games section is where the book can quickly become redundant for long time gamers, but a treat for newcomers to the gaming scene. It talks of some of the most popular games in the industry such as Halo, The Legend of Zelda, Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario Bros and Sonic as well as several other franchises that have made a huge impact in the gaming industry. Each section presents a few factoids to the series. Telling you things like whether or not it was the fastest selling in the series, the number of copies the bestselling in the series, etc. Perhaps the most interesting is when it shows you speed record completions for certain games. And despite all that, it isn't quite enough for some of these franchises. They only get two pages a piece. However, there are some interesting facts presented for many of them. This portion of the book spans through out several genres. From the Action/Adventure to the Puzzle genre.
   
   As this section progresses there are also interviews, timelines and historical dates noted. It's also is decorated to the brim with pictures and screen shots.
   
   After all this information, you get to see them count down the 100 best arcade games and then you see charts of high scores. The book ends with an index that'll help you find anything you need.
   
   The biggest problem with the guide is, as I said earlier, that a lot of this information is not new to the experienced gamer. Much of the sales records and trivia has become common knowledge amongst most gamers. However, for many, I'm sure there's still a lot of information that's new to them.
   
   You couldn't possibly expect the book to cover everything. There are many books with more comprehensive history and more trivia. But for what you get with this, it's detailed. It's not the Ultimate Gamer's Manual, but it serves as a great introduction and start for anyone curious to the video gaming culture.



4. The GWR-GE 2008 is the company's first effort to bring together a book for computer gamers, showing gaming records and facts. As such, it's a good dip of the toes into the big wide world of gaming.
   
   The book itself is well presented. Not just a list of facts, it pleases the eye with easy-to-read double page spreads, boxes for additional information and plenty of graphics. One issue with the graphics - while they're mostly linked to the text, the references are not always easy to find and the order of the links is not clear.
   
   The book itself is fairly platform-agnostic. It's split into game categories, and after providing an overview of the category history details some of the games in each category. This is where it starts falling down, with some notable gaps. Under action-adventure we read about Colossal Caves but no mention is made of Zork. And where is the Kings Quest series? Under role-playing games the Ultima series is mentioned, but not Wizardry!
   
   The section on simulation games does at least mention Flight Simulator - but neglects the fact that combat flight simulators are an enormous market. And what about space combat? Nothing on Wing Commander, no X-Wing or anything else in this category.
   
   In racing games, the Need for Speed series is mentioned briefly but really deserves more space. Hands up if you've played chess against your computer? Well sorry, but it doesn't rate a mention in the puzzle and maze section - no Chessmaster, no Kasparov or any other champion-branded games.
   
   On the weird side, there's a section dedicated to "music games". Huh? These have been around for five minutes guys - surely there are better uses of this space.
   
   So, in summary: a nicely presented overview of gaming and gaming records, but hopefully the next edition will be more thorough.



5. There are a couple of misprints/errors here and there, but overall this is a must-have for any gamer. The amount of content is unbelievable for the price you pay. Whether you only played Super Mario as a kid, or spend hours a day on WoW, you'll love how much this book has to offer...

5 comments about Double or Nothing: How Two Friends Risked It All to Buy One of Las Vegas' Legendary Casinos.

1. Make no mistake about it. Double or Nothing is more than another book about Las Vegas. Yes, Sin City plays a dominate backscreen, but this is a story about people; specifically, two friends who become partners, who after beginning one of the first Internet Travel Sites, which is sold eventually to Expedia, and the proceeds go to the biggest gamble of all: the purchase of the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas.
   
   What will surprise you the most is the honesty of Tom and Tim and genuine love and respect they have for each other. The ups and downs and the wheeling and dealing it took to not only make the purchase, but to turn Downtown Las Vegas back to its heyday is extremely well-written and you'll find you can't put the book down.
   
   It's an easy read that's fun, educational, interesting, and most of all, cathartic. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves Las Vegas.



2. Double or Nothing is Tom Breitling's side of an incredible story of how he and longtime friend, Tim Poster, created an internet travel business from scratch and sold it in just a few years for a $100 million profit. Even more incredibly, they used much of that money to help finance their purchase of the Golden Nugget casino and made another $100 million only one year later when they, in turn, sold that business to a Texas restaurant king who badly wanted into the gambling business.
   
   Breitling's account is one in which he describes himself as the conservative one in his friendship and business partnership with Tim Poster, an old school friend of his who carried an image as an extreme risk taker even in high school. Ever the gambler, it was Poster who invited Breitling to join him in the fledgling travel business that ultimately financed the pair's entry into the Las Vegas casino scene as young owners of the legendary Golden Nugget casino. Breitling's role in both businesses was usually to be the one to "put on the brakes" in order to slow down some of Poster's more rash and overambitious ideas. The partners were well-matched, and the combination of their individual personalities and deep respect for each other created a highly successful business team.
   
   Breitling tells his story in a conversational style that makes for easy reading but he focuses so much on his relationship with Tim Poster, and how much they have meant to each other over the years, that the more interesting aspects of the story are disregarded. Readers expecting to find behind-the-scenes details on the operations of a major Las Vegas gambling casino will be disappointed to find little of that in the book. There is considerable detail on the sale of the casino, including bits of gossip about the new owner and his family, but not much is revealed about the nature of the gambling industry itself.
   
   One of the book's most interesting characters is the unnamed "Mr. Royalty," a big time gambler who went on a roll lasting almost a year and who caused Breitling and Poser great anxiety as they watched him take their new casino for some $8 million, finally forcing them to lower their betting limits in self-protection. Readers like me who realize that the gambling industry is based on one gigantic scam perpetrated on a gullible public will likely find themselves rooting for Mr. Royalty in what becomes his very personal competition with the Golden Nugget owners. The book begins and ends with a description of that epic battle.
   
   Double or Nothing is an interesting book, especially if read as a business book, but the story is not as impressive as I imagined it would be. Breitling and Poser are brash risk takers for sure but the book exposes enough of their childishness to leave the impression that they are also two of the luckiest businessmen on the planet.



3. Tom and Tim made millions not once but twice in different ventures and they are still under 40! This book talks about the risks and rewards they have experienced in their business partnership and the challenges they have overcome. I can't wait to read about their next venture because I'm sure they have not slowed down after the Nugget!



4. "Double or Nothing" should be mandatory reading for any entrepreneur. This book is a captivating quick read and has the perfect mix of lessons and laughter.



5. A testimony to friendship in an exciting journey. Fast, furious, electric.
   As the reading progresses one feels as part of the adventure. A very easy and fun reading. What a treat!
   Can't wait for the next one.
   Marne

5 comments about Small Stakes Hold 'em: Winning Big With Expert Play.

1. I'm a long time player and started playing online a little while ago. So to get the feeling for online Poker I thought I'd start with small stake tables until I know my way out and then play my usual higher stakes games.
   
   After a short while I realized that small stakes table are just horrible to play and that I need to adapt my game to the new situation. I went out and buy the book of Sklansky about how to play small stakes... after reading the book carefully and trying to follow most of his strategies I must say that I'd better have lost my money at a table than for the book. My new table experiences would have been more valuable.
   
   What Sklansky suggests is actually to play loose against loose players! I've been playing for many years now and my tracks show that I'm pretty tight, solid and aggresive but since this strategy doesn't seem to work very well at small stakes online tables, I thought being open minded and reading about new ways would pay out. I know now that playing my usual way doesn't pay out as much as I'm used to at tables like that, but I also know that the way they explain how to play doesn't pay out at all but makes you even loose more money...



2. Two + Two consistently publishes outstanding poker books, and Small Stakes Hold Em is no exception, so long as one understands the basic premise. This book is not a general guide to hold em, it doesn't cover tournaments or beating top level players - it is specifically written to help the experienced player target the beating of weak, often passive, usually loose players at the smaller tables, and nothing else. Although the authors make this point several times, it bears reminding and keeping in mind. You will not beat good players using the starting hand, pre or postflop play, or betting guidelines presented in this book.
   
   That said, you are looking at a pretty typical Sklansky book. Sklansky does not insult the intelligence of the reader; he assumes the reader is already a decent to good player, familiar with Hold Em play and general strategy, and is not entering his first live game, but wishes to maximize his profits at that game instead. His advice is detailed, well explained, and when counter-intuitive, backed up by some persuasive reasoning. There are charts and tables, all kinds of hand breakdowns - most likely these are best NOT memorized but used more as a way of organizing your approach to the game situation. Rigid play will lead to losses, even at games well stocked with fish. And there are lots and lots of such games available, both online and live.
   
   Not all small-stakes games will fit the profile as here defined - the reader/player will need to use his own judgement about passive/aggressive and loose/tight every time he plays - but when the circumstances are right, Sklansky's book is all about calibrating your game to extract the maximum advantage. And as such it has value and belongs on a poker players bookshelf.



3. Simply put, this book really works (a big reason that this is the first book that I've ever reviewed). It's a quintessential example of a product that will pay for itself many times over.
   
   If you've ever played low-limit hold'em, you know that the typical opposition at this level is making mistakes all of the time, such as calling a raise with King-Seven, chasing a gut-shot straight draw in a limped four-way pot, calling on the river with any pair, and so on. But how can you best exploit these mistakes? This book explains this and much more.
   
   As many other reviews and the authors themselves have noted, this is not a beginner's book. You really should have a solid background in limit hold'em before trying to tackle this book. But if you already are a decent player, this book is a must if you find yourself in a juicy loose game that's so typical at the lower limits. Even if you play at tables where play is generally tighter, this book will still help on those occasions where a few live ones sit down and suddenly most flops become multiway.
   
   It has been mentioned that the typical $3/6 or $4/8 game online has tightened up considerably since this book has been written, and I have to agree with that notion. However, live games are still very loose and fishy, even at the higher limits, and this book is perfect for skilled players who want to maximize their profits in these games.
   
   A word of warning. This is a difficult book, and it is also easy to misinterpret the advice within. My suggestion is to read the book, play a lot, and frequently re-read until these ideas sink in. This method has been extremely helpful and profitable for me.



4. this book is great. it really does a great job of teaching simple and advanced concepts in an entertaining way. I was actually laughing out loud thru some parts of the book.
   
   after reading it thru twice my game has drastically improved.



5. Mistakenly I took this to be a no limit book about small stakes tables. This book only discusses limit hold 'em strategy. As a result I started playing limit hold 'em and use the strategies with success. Unfortunately, I really want to be good a no-limit (as TJ calls it, "the Cadillac of poker"). I think having read this book will help my NL game, but only by abstraction.
   
   Make no mistake, this book is for the limit player. I think any limit player will find this book a must read.

5 comments about Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay: Dark Heresy.

1. A review here states that that the publisher, Black Industries, is being shut down. This is true, but they have just announced that all BI product lines have been licensed to board game maker Fantasy Flight Games.
   
   So if you decided to pass on this earlier because of the impending doom of the product line, you may want to give it a second look. Dark Heresy won't be disappearing along side Black Industries.



2. I will keep this a bit short and sweet - but for the cost of this Hardcover book you are getting WAY more than your monies worth. The quality of the game, material, printing, literally everything about this game is fantastic.
   
   If you are a WH40k fan and you are into RPGs as well - this is the game for you. Black Industries has cancelled the game - but FFG (Fantasy Flight Games) is picking it up and they have very high production standards. I am looking forward to playing this long term.
   
   I was very impressed with every aspect of this product.



3. Everything about Dark Heresy is very well done. The d100 mechanics used for skill checks/combat is very well written and quite functional. The character generation includes some very nice features such as history generation. Most of all, the career path system for advancement is well conceived and well executed. The book has been a joy to read and will be a permanent addition to the short list of RPGs that I play regularly.



4. Polecam Ten produkt . Jest dobrze wydany. A szybka wysyka i precyzyjna dostawa z Amazon dopenia reszy.



5. This product is simply a must-have for those of us who love the dark and gritty science fiction of the wartorn 41st Millennium and enjoy roleplaying games. A massive book crammed full of beautiful and inspiring illustrations, a helpful look at the universe and setting of Warhammer 40 000 and the galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man. The Calixis Sector provides a rich and bountiful setting to play in.
   The rules, similar in design to those of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay but with a few notable differences, are easy to learn to use but overall very functional.
   All in all a purchase I heartily recommend to anyone else who likes Warhammer 40 000 and RPG's.

5 comments about The Poker Mindset: Essential Attitudes for Poker Success.

1. The authors claim in the Introduction that this is the 2nd most important poker book you'll read - with the 1st being a book on the fundamentals of sound poker play - and I totally agree.
   
   Poker Mindset does a great job of explaining why we think the way we do when we play, and often, why this is wrong. For example:
   - it's better to be the "receiver" of bad beats rather than the "giver",
   - downswings are a myth,
   - upswings and rushes are myths,
   - berating poor play (or weak players) can only hurt you,
   - tilt is not a line that is crossed, but a spectrum of poor plays waiting to be made,
   - focusing on the $$ is not better than focusing on making the correct plays,
   - etc.
   
   Mindset is well-written and well-paced with helpful Action Points and chapter summaries to drive the lessons home.
   
   I've read it and re-read it within the past 8 months and can definitely say that it's helped me maintain my composure in some pretty bad situations (times where I'm sure I would have exhibited very poor table behavior without this information at my mind's forefront).



2. I have read many poker books and magazines and played thousands of hours at the game. After all that, this book has been the single most important component in my approach to the game. It was nothing short of revolutionary to my perepective. It is on a similar vein to Zen and the Art of Poker, but it was, at least for me, a much better book. I heartily recommend it to anyone who plays poker.



3. It says reasonable things but it says them TOOOO MANY times during the book. It could be a 50 pages books. If you understand the importance of the bankroll and can avoid tilt, save the money!



4. Perfect book. It explains why not to be angry about bad beats.
   Helps you to control and to recognize your (various types of) tilts.
   It saves me money. I tilted too much and now i have a better
   control over it. Keeps hammering on that a winning pokerplayer
   must look for the long term. And thats what its all about.
   Helped me to focus on targets. NOT to set targets about how much you must
   win in a certain time. This is what i usually did.
   Now i set targets for example: I will read 1 pokerbook every 2 month, i will post 10 hands a week in a forum. All of this to improve my game...
   Guess what??? It works!
   Its a must read for every poker player



5. Learning the game is not the only thing you need to know to be a successful poker player. This book goes through the philosphical and psychologic aspects of the game. This gives you the information to get your emotions and attitudes in the corrct place to always go for that positive expectation.
   Solid information and a good read. Pick it up if you are getting serious about the game.

5 comments about Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. I have owned every version of the Smash Bros. Series from the N64 days. This is by far the absolute best version of the game, don't hesitate to buy it. BUT this guide is full of fluff and no substance, it does not even list out all 554 trophies that can be obtained. Prima usually makes excellent guides, the one for Melee (GameCube) was invaluable. There is some valuable things in the guide so here is my break down:
   
   PROS:
   
   Each Playable Character moves explained
   - This is the only redeeming thing to this guide
   - Gives power rankings and other useful info for each character
   Basic Strategies for the beginner is passable
   
   CONS:
   
   This guide is a CON!
   - Search for this game online to find better guides!!!
   - SSB Melee guide is thicker and more useful for this game
   All unlockable items are listed on 2 pages, too little info!
   - Does not tell you ALL of the ways to unlock items
   - Does not list out all possible trophies that can be got
   The Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary section is a mess
   - Where are the MAPS?!?
   
   As you can see I was not happy with this guide, it is watered down and lacks a lot of information that any fan would want. I have found the information I want on internet sites, there are several out there for the beginner to the seasoned expert.



2. This book provides exceptional reviews of individual stages and characters, plus guidance through the entire game. However, they gave my favorite character a 6 out of 10. I really disagree with this because I looked up other characters and the ones I've previously defeated had a higher rating than my character. This is ridiculous because it clearly demonstrates that, in a master's hands, a character can defeat anyone.
   
   Advice: my character is Zelda. The ability to control fireballs from a distance and teleport when the need arises has brought me many victories over other players. Try her out and see if you do well.



3. this book is awesome it shows you strategies for the events, stages, and the home run contest AND target test. There is a full subspace emissary section and it tells you about the character (about there attacks, there tiers, if they are good in a 1vs1 or free for all match and it tells you strategies when you are fighting against them. I would recemend it to anyone with the game. :)



4. What can I say, my son loves it and plays it very often. His time has to be limited on this game or that is all he would do. Worth it's weight in gold.



5. Nothing long winded, Prima guides are great and so is this one. If you want to get the most out of your gameplay you can't go wrong with Prima. By the way, Super Smash Bros Brawl is so freakin' fun.

5 comments about Final Fantasy XII Signature Series Guide.

1. I really needed the book in some kind of ways. I like to fill up all my duties and complete everythin to 100% in the game so i dont just play to finish but to have a good review at the end. I needed the book and it did helped me. Sometimes it just didnt make any difference but hey they wont write what u have to do step by step! its still a stategy game. Very fast delivery



2. I bought the guide to go with my other guides (collect them with every FF). This is one of the guides that are so incredibly horrible that I wish I hadn't looked at a single page. Final Fantasy XII has an amazing story. Too bad you can read the whole thing on page one.
   
   Every time you look up a boss strategy, the next page has the description of what happens afterward in big, bold text.
   
   If you want to experience the game, don't buy this, or if you do, save it for the second run through the game.



3. I've been playing final fantasty games for a long time and I was getting a little worried - because each release was getting worse and worse after FF7.
   
   FF12 is freakin' beatiful. Great battle play, great graphics, and great acting. You can play this over and over again and not get tired of it.



4. This book clearly and accurately guides the player through the games main storyline and through the many aspects of the this fun game. From tips on setting up gambits, side quests, hidden espers, bestiary, navigating the license board to full detailed maps of every area, this book has it all.



5. I'm adding a positive review here as a special educator for parents whose children play video games. Buying game guides for your kids is a good way for them to spend time reading and analyzing information. Buying guides is also a way for you to see what your children are playing. This game and the guide have some very educationally advanced concepts that you can take advantage of, if your child happens to want to play this game.
   
   Final Fantasy XII has a nomenclature that is based on many cultures around the world, and many languages. You will find culture and words that are Japanese, Irish, German, Sanskrit, Arabic and English. These can be found in names of characters, the espers (big monsters that help the game characters attack), maps and locations in the game, magic attacks, even weapons. All of these have names and descriptions that are based in many cultures around the world. Explore these with your child!
   
   Have your child describe to you what is happening in the game and explore the guide to get more depth. When your child revisits a location in the game, have them go around and talk to the people in that location. What are the people saying? For example, as the empire begins to amass for the war against Dalmasca, what are different townspeople saying? What are their interests?
   
   Doing the reading of the speech in the game and interpreting it by speaking aloud to you are ways to improve language use, expressive language skills. Reading improves receptive language. This guide has a lot of world history in it that can lead to many kinds of discussions, without you needing to actually play the game.
   
   There is nothing offensive in this game, and everything to be gained by reading the guide and discussing the languages and cultural historical details the game developers have written in.
   
   One good activity to explore with the help of the guide is the Bestiary, which is a list of the monsters in the game. The list actually contains pages of stories and myths. So, as your child captures various monsters, they will get a page about that monster, but also more pages that contain unrelated mythical stories. These stories are worth collecting and reading. You won't find these in the guide, just the list of the monsters. You have to catch the monsters to get the pages of stories. One of the best stories is the one you get by defeating the Garif hunter in the Greensnake area of the Ozmone Plain.
   
   On top of this, your child will likely play the game longer and get more time in, making the game purchase a good money buy. Eventually you can resell the game along with the guide, which adds value to a game resale.
   
   Everything to recommend! I have a child with a speech and language disorder and games with their guides have really improved his ability to process language. He is an honor student now, and good play like this has added to his reading.

5 comments about Pokemon Diamond & Pearl: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. This guide is very complete, however, the way they organize it is quite confusing. It is not really a walkthrough. Each area has a walkthrough but then at the end they add all these things to do after you have beat various other gyms or visited other areas. I find myself flipping back and forth more than I would normally except in a walkthrough. Luckily I have a lot of Post-it tabs to help me through it.



2. I compared this guide side-by-side with the one from Official Nintendo Pokemon Diamond Version & Pearl Version Player's Guide and the Nintendo one was much better in almost every respect. My main gripe is with the Pokedex, which has very little information. For me, this is what I really want it for, and so it makes a big difference. It should be noted that in both guides are for the leading up and including the Elite Four battle. After that, you need to get one of the National Pokedexs. Note: for the National Pokedex, go with the Prima one, the Nintendo Power does not have the locations where you find the Pokemon.



3. The only benefit of using this guide is that it's portable. It is vague and the page order doesn't exactly follow story order. The guide doesn't give any pokedex info, which IMO is the most important part of the game. Instead it focuses on general aspects of the storyline, contests, battling, and other parts of the game that are explained IN THE GAME.
   
   There is no reason to buy this book, instead, buy the second volume/pokedex of the guide. If you get stuck in these games, instead of wasting your money on this vague and confusing guide, go to Google and search for "Pokemon Diamond Walkthrough"



4. The good thing about this guide is that it tells you what to do. It also has tons of stuff in the back of the book like contests and where to find all items, HMs and TMs. I would never have beat the game without this guide. The bad things are that the pokemon trainers and their pokemon are not listed and the order of events are way too confusing. Many are out of order and some events should be listed toward the end of the book, such as "Unfinished Business". Overall: OK



5. Ok, I bought this guide and while it does tell you where to go and how to do things it is kind of hard to understand because you go back and forth between the towns in some parts of the game. It makes it really confusing use it when they are all put in sequence of town when you arent really doing anything in that town until later and then later it doesnt show up you have to look back and figure out where you need to go from there.
   
   The other main reason I bought this book was because it said that it had a full pokedex. I loved the good old days when a pokedex ment you knew the pokemons evolution levels and what level they would gain a new move. It would tell you what TMs that pokemon could learn and all that. This guide is not for you if that is what you are looking for! It basically just showes the pokemon and what page # to find them on. And that doesnt help either because it doesnt really tell you much about them on those pages either.
   
   So in my opinion this guide is somewhat usable but very confusing and doesnt give the right information. I would try nintendo power guides instead.

5 comments about Dragonlance Chronicles Trilogy Gift Set.

1. The product content is of corse fabulous and the vender was great. The product arived in perfect condition and ahead of schedule.
   Thanks a bunch,
   Dolores



2. I read the Chronicles years ago when they first came out onto bookshelves, desperate for something new to read. I quickly fell in love with this series. I've seen numerous people tear the characters apart. I won't defend them here, because everyone is entitled to their own opinions. The stories, whether written by Weiss & Hickman, or other writers of this series are well done. When I moved from Fl to Ga, I gave most of my fantasy book collection away to my nephews. They both loved this series as well. I'm buying them again to let my daughter read them. I'm glad the gift sets like this are available, as you can get the triplets at one time. They keep her occupied for a while. And while some readers may have been delighted by Kitiara killing Sturm, I was more interested by Lord Soth, a rather minor character in this series, and Raistlin who actually shows some redeeming qualities later on in other volumes. this series is good for beginners into the realm of fantasy and dragon. I found it more entertaining than Dragonriders of Pern, and to me, the characters much more vibrant. I highly recommend this series to parents with kids of the ages 12 and up who are interested in this genre. It is well worth the expense to keep them reading and entertained.



3. AS MENTIONED ABOVE NEXT TO LORD OF THE RINGS, ELRIC AND CONAN THIS IS FANTASY AT IT'S BEST!!! Speaking of which this should be made into a movie as soon as possible. However only with one condition that the director be one as passionate as Peter Jackson was about Lord of the Rings or Sam keith with Spiderman. The director must know and want to adhere to the essence of the book, if this is done then this will be as magnificent as the Lord of the Rings movie. THey must use a lot of special effects, no expense spared but by all means be intelligent and wise in how to get the finest effects on the screen, you will always be compared to Lord of the Rings so give them a run for the money. The cast must be well chosen, they can be little or unknown actors but must be excellent actors none the less, the costumes and the photography, the architecture all counts, nothing must be overlooked and the producers and director or directors must work closely and seamlessly together with one another and most especially with the writers. I recommend Weta workshop the same that did the special effects on Lord of the rings, Richard Taylor and his fine crew. There can be a total of 9 or even 12 films if all is successcessful, yes the soulforge trilogy, and the dragons of a summer flame trilogy as well as dragons gate can all follow suite, yet in order not to loose the audience, a strict adherence to this format must be followed and all future directors would have to consult with the first successful directors and collaborate with them and learn, enhance the techniques and methods to build on the blockbuster effect and all of these have this immense potential. The original Dragonlance trilogy is my favorite, but the Raistlin is an awesome character and can have his own movie, Storm brightblade, Tanis half-elven, the elves, this is a truly fun and incredible saga and with care, attention and love the movie can be it's equal.
   Therefore I challenge you great and inspired Producers, Directors, Screen writers (who will work tightly with the Authors, unless the directors will assume this role as Peter Jackson did), and all you magnificent Actors, Photographers, set designers, sound effects technicians and all the every last part of you to come forth and bring this saga to life and then one Last thing Make the ELRIC MOVIE WITH THE SAME EXCELLENCE. I SALUTE YOU!!!



4. Well some say that Lord of The Rings is the best Fantasy series ever written.
   
   Well I am sorry, but Dragon lance is the TRUE lord of the rings.
   
   this books (that I read back then in the 80's ) are true fantasy novels.
   simply great, the characters, the complexity of the plot, is something that should turn into a movie as soon as possible.
   
   it is sad to see today that people are so in love with Harry potter, I suggest to those kids to read the series who started it all.



5. This series is very similar to Lord of the Rings, however it has many things that are not found in Lord of the Rings. The descriptions of places and people are detailed in the effect of what we would notice in real life. There are some good and unique points in the story line but the characterizing is too similar to Lord of the Rings to suite my taste. But if you have read Lord of the Rings, you will see some similarities that may make this series not quite as interesting as others that are more unique. But I think this series is worth the read.