5 comments about Making Glass Beads.

1. This book explains in details on how to make beads and just the basics of setting up your own torch, etc.



2. This book is good and has lots of info and useful tips. My only problem is that the images of the projects are quite small. I like to see big, clear images so I can follow them easily. But other than that, a really good book which I am glad I purchased.



3. I bought this book without ever having touched a torch in my life and with this book and "The Complete Book of Glass Beadmaking" by Kimberley Adams I've been able to make cute little beads right from the start.
   I recommend buying two different books to learn lampwork beadmaking because I found that the two I bought used slightly different techniques to form beads. I was able to achieve more success with one technique over then other in many cases.



4. Excellent book for beginning "beaders" like me! Step by step instructions and great photos.....you won't be dissapointed



5. I'm interested in learning how to make beads and several lamp workers suggested this book to me before taking the plunge (before buying all of the supplies). I think after reading and re-reading this book I'll be confident enough to give it a try! The book shows how to make simple starter beads and progresses to the more involved, difficult beads. I feel it's a great starter book and may even give the pros some tips to improve their technique. I'd recommend it to anyone who's thinking about giving glass bead making a try!
   
   Photos are beautiful; simple beads are photographed for a newbie's sake, and more challenging beads are shown on every page to show what can eventually be done with practice. Plus the "hot tips" are wonderful!

5 comments about Winning Chess Tactics, revised (Winning Chess - Everyman Chess).

1. It has been said that chess is 99% tactics. So studying tactics is a requirement for getting better at chess.
   
   This is the 2nd book in Yasser Seirawan's "Winning Chess" series. It discusses all of the fundamental tactical tools which should form the foundation of a solid chess player's skill. In addition Seirawan introduces readers to some of the great attacking players in chess history and their games.
   
   Overall, I think the book did a superb job explaining the different tactics and provided ample examples and exercises to drive the points home. The only problem I noticed was either a diagram was wrong (#77) or the analysis appears to be incorrect.
   
   I would highly recommend this book as a first book on tactics.



2. I used to lose almost every game I played. I never took Chess serious until I played a thirteen year old and was thoroughly beaten. I knew I needed help and fast. This book broke tactics down to a level I never got from other chess books. It was not hard to follow and I learned a lot in just the first few chapters.



3. If you are a beginner chess player, with a rating below say 1400, and you are bewildered by the array of chess material ... rest easy. This book and tactics and this entire series of chess titles are absolutely excellent, and the best presented and thought out thematic chess books aimed at lower rated players in a way people can easily digest. Seriwan and Silman have created a deceptively simple formula for articulating complex points, and present the material with succinctness and clarity.
   
   Really this series is the defacto education plan and reference set for the beginner to U1400 player. Sadly i bought many titles before this series was publised .. you can spare yourself wasted time and money.



4. If you want a good book on tactics, this is the one for the Class A player on down. There are two kinds of books on tactics; ones that are a collection of tactical problems categorized by theme and this kind which is instructional and contains just the amount of problems needed to get the point made. This book also has a great exam at the end to rate your skill level at tactics and see how much of the book you have absorbed. Couple this book with Reinfeld's Winning Chess or Combinational Challenge by Hays(for the more advanced player) and you don't need any more on the subject!



5. There are many problems with this book, and it's a shame because the book has many 4- and 5-star reviews that will most likely overshadow this one. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to write a review on this book.
   
   1. The tests in this book have several major problems. Usually there are 4-6 tests for each tactic. The first two questions are usually on par with the examples, or slightly harder. Then the questions drastically get tougher. Like one reviewer pointed out... one question will require a simple 2-move combination, and the next requires you to figure out the 100% perfect move-list for a 10-move checkmate. Sorry, I'm not a grandmaster Yassir! The problem is that the tests don't progressively get tougher. There are usually more tougher tests than easy ones too, which I think only demoralizes the reader when they realize that they can't figure more than 30% of them out.
   
   2. Sometimes the first question is actually one of the toughest! This is rare, and it happens! Great method of instruction! (sarcasm). Another problem is that none of the examples are challenging, but Yassir expects the reader to use the vague general principle taught and exercise it to master-level strength in the tests. It's like the questions were purposefully tougher than the examples, and I don't understand the reason.
   
   3. There are not enough easy tests to cement the pattern of the tactic in the reader's mind. In fact, there is often only 1 test of each pattern for the tactic being demonstrated. As we know, pattern recognition only happens with constant repetition, so the book is more or less useless on this front. Maybe the problems in "Chess Tactics for Students" were simpler, but at least I can recognize those tactics rather quickly at a glance. This book hasn't helped me at all in my games.
   
   4. Sometimes tests at the beginning also use tactics taught in later chapters. For example, there's a clearance sacrifice required to solve a problem in one of the first tests... but clearance sacrifice taught several chapters later.
   
   5. Sometimes the answers to the tests are wrong. On test 23, you are put in check by the opponent's queen and you have to decide how to get out of check. You can block with your queen, block with a pawn or move the king (it's a pin problem... so the goal is to avoid a pin). After looking at the position however, I immediately saw that 'e5' (blocking with the pawn) was the best solution. It does pin the pawn to the King, but if you look at the position, it's not a negative at all.
   
   However, Yassir says moving the King is the best answer... and doesn't even consider blocking with the pawn at all! He just ignored the possibility completely. After giving the position to Fritz and Rybka chess engines, both said 'e5' was the best solution. Moving the King was only second best.
   
   There are several other tests (even those 8-10 move complex ones!) where the lines suggested by Yassir are incorrect, or where other solutions could easily fit the bill as the 'correct' answer. Test 50 is a good example of this. Honestly, myself, Fritz and Yassir only agreed on the first 2 moves. At that point, Yassir was dreaming of this 8-move checkmate that doesn't exist. When asking Fritz and Rybka the answer, it goes on for much longer with completely different moves.
   
   As far as I can tell, this only serves to demoralize the reader like they are doing something wrong. The tests should have been worked out so that very few lines would work. As it stands, your answer is almost always going to be different than Yassir's answer for these long 10-move problems.
   
   6. There are spelling and grammar mistakes throughout the book, even in the revised edition.
   
   7. Explanations are usually very thin. Sometimes the author will say "and with these 4 moves, Black is in real big trouble!"
   
   The problem is that Yassir doesn't explain how he's in trouble (it's usually some kind of tactic that is unrelated to the concept that is being taught). Yassir should have explained everything so that it was understood by new and expert players alike, but he doesn't! This happens quite frequently in the book, where the reader is left to their own devices to see what the author means. It just interrupts with the flow and understanding.
   
   8. The example games at the back of the book are irrelevant. The games with Anderssen are completely pointless. Yes, the games feature tactics, but it's only because the opponent accepted gambits (because it's "the manly thing to do!") and accepted double-rook sacrifices (because "he wants his opponent to prove a point") without considering the compensation that the other player gets or actually formulating plans of his own.
   
   In effect, Anderssen's opponents were idiots... and by modern standards, nobody in their right mind would play the way either player would. In fact, they would get crushed. What is the point of analyzing inferior openings and inferior moves when today's games will never see them? We learn by osmosis. These are not the type of games we should be studying!
   
   9. Also, the examples are master-level games where 90% of the stuff is not explained. Honestly, much of it went over my head. I don't understand the point to learning from master-level games. Why not show some 1200-1500 level games instead? Like show really common tactics we will see on a regular basis... and common errors and how they can be exploited? Why not make this book practical? This approach would have made the game analysis useful.
   
   10. There needs to be more diagrams in the book. Many times Yassir will throw out move lists or entire games with one or two diagrams. Unless you have a chess set with you, you are sitting at a computer, or you can see all the moves in your head... these examples won't be of much benefit to you. They are just hard to follow, and makes it impossible to read on... say... a bus. This is a problem with many chess books, and I don't know why they couldn't add another 40 pages to the book to make it easier to read. I would have gladly paid the extra .50 cents.
   
   11. The book is also plagued with the problem where you have a diagram on one page, and it's explanation on another... causing the reader to flip back and forth. Was it really hard to paginate the examples properly, even if it meant having some white space?
   
   Make no mistake, I did learn things from this book. I think because so many examples did use clearance sacrifices or piece sacrifices that I can see them a little better... perhaps because the "I'm going to lose on the exchange" mentality has been changed. Still, the book is just poor instruction and there has to be better books on tactics out there than this one.

5 comments about Creative Bows Made Easy: Perfect Bows for All Your Crafts and Giftwrap.

1. Ok, anyone who does not know anything about make bows (like me!) has to have this book. It is worth every penny I spent on it. It explains every single thing in great detail. There is no way anyone wouldn't understand it. I love this book!!



2. WE HAVE A GIFTS AND FLOWERS BUSINESS AND WE GOT THIS BOOK AND ITS A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR GIFT WRAPING. IT WAS SHIPPED ON TIME AND IS RATED OF VERY GOOD SERVICE AND A USEFULL ITEM.



3. This book is great!!! Very easy the understand & duplicate bows.



4. A great book, I have learnt a lot from it. I plan to use it with my students at school to enhance their craft projects.



5. ...mmmm What can I say, I am not very happy with it, I certainly have seen better books, lets say if you can keep looking for a creative bow book, keep loking... this is like a last option book... ( for me!)....

5 comments about Prisoner of Trebekistan: A Decade in Jeopardy!.

1. I bought this book to learn more about Jeopardy!, but I ended up enjoying Trebekistan at least as much for the emotional experience as I did for the information imparted about the show. Bob Harris also has a writing style that's funny and engaging. If you enjoy suspense, trivia, humor, or if you just have a pulse, then you'll like this book.



2. Bob Harris writes of his Jeopardy! experience in terms both comic and pensive, relating his often-panicked perceptions of being on the show with a Dave Barry-ish wit, but also ruminating on the workings of human memory and the mind's ability to relate knowledge to experience in unexpected ways. A must-read for Jeopardy! hopefuls.



3. Bob Harris was a struggling writer when, in 1997, he got on Jeopardy and won 5 times, 4 in runaways (games where the leader before Final Jeopardy cannot possibly lose if he makes an intelligent wager). Since then he's been in 3 tournaments--Season 14's Tournament of Champions, 2002's Million Dollar Masters Tournament, and 2005's Ultimate Tournament. All of this is detailed in the book, but fortunately, that's not the only thing in the book--far from it. Actually, you don't even need to have Jeopardy aspirations to be entertained, although he does have a very humorous section with studying tips (because so many people learn in boring ways, and it doesn't have to be that way, as Harris adeptly shows). Intertwined with the Jeopardy stories is what amounts to an autobiography--and yes, even if your first reaction is who cares, it's worth it. Being a Jeopardy fan helps potential readers pick up the book, but it is not necessary to enjoy it.



4. This book is supposed to be about Jeopardy--but it ends up being a TV writer trying to write jokes about his life on the game show. There are long passages that have little to do with the show and more to do with the author's self-deprecation for failing so many times. Sure, it contains some history of the show but most of the information about the show has appeared elsewhere. So to spice it up this former National Lampoon writer uses a dry sense of humor to comment on his life, his mistakes, his not reading Robinson Crusoe, etc. There must be someone who cares (since other reviewers give it high marks) but the writing style is annoying--but I wanted to scream at the author to just get to the point about the show and stop telling us unimportant things like you rarely are home at your apartment or that you wear a thrift-store jacket or that it took you eight years to pay off your college debt! He seems to complain a lot and make us want to believe that his top-flight money champion is just a poor schlub. This guy's life isn't that interesting and he uses the lengthy book (over 330 pages!) to blend his overwrought self-observations with his valid thoughts on playing the show. The book is only for Jeopardy fanatics who are willing to put up lengthy parts about the uninteresting author's life.



5. This book is a lot of fun. Bob let's you in on what it's like to be on Jeopardy and how a past champion goes about stuying for something that it seems impossible to study for.

5 comments about The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. This book is a real time saver for LOTRO players. The maps are very usefull as are the descriptions of player classes, traits, deeds, etc. It gets the beginning player off to a fast start, and is still usefull at level 50.
   
   The game has a well developed PvP, in Monster Play. Any review that says that LOTRO does not have PvP is suspect.



2. It's always useful to have these Prima Guides for complicated games like LOTRO - the only shame is that I didn't get it until just around when the new expansion (Evendim) came out - I wish they would release a free supplement for people who have already bought the book.



3. If this book only had maps, it would be worth the price. The maps are excellent.
   
   However, the book also has information about each class, listing the skills and even diagramming how to use them at beginner and advanced level. And there is a large section on crafting.
   
   You can get an electronic version of this book (basically a passworded e-book) from the publishers website, which was updated. Personally, I prefer to have a paper copy. I can get updated information from many websites.
   
   I have read reviews that criticise this book because it's doesn't contain something they had in another game, and I nearly didn't get the book because of them. But the book is great, so I guess it was just a case of "you can't please some people".



4. This guide has some usefulness but is VERY VERY outdated. Many of the skills and map locations are just wrong or missing. It's an MMO. They change constantly and Turbine has been updating almost monthly. Bound guides just don't work for MMOs. Only option is to subscribe to some online strat guide that keeps up to date or just go to the LOTRO Lorebook.



5. With all the patches/"Book"s/updates/changes that have come out since LOTRO's release, this book is quite outdated in information. Some of the training guide info is off, map areas released after original release like Evendim are not included. Is still a good book for a beginner to get the hang of some of the basics and basic maps.

No comments about Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World Official Strategy Guide.

5 comments about Crochet Inspiration.

1. I initially checked out this book from my local library. Once I was able to really get into it, I was hooked. My favorite feature of this book would probably be the very beautiful, colorful & LARGE pictures for each stitch. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. I also like how all the different stitches are divided into chapters. So if u want to learn some new ways to make a granny square or create a pretty flower just go to that section. My only dislike are the patterns given. None really are my thing, but all the various designs given should inspire you. Which, I guess was the authors point!



2. Designer Sasha Kagan creates a fine crochet reference book with CROCHET INSPIRATION, a gathering of designs organizing some 200 of her swatch creations into four categories for eleven new projects. Some basic familiarity with crochet instruction abbreviations will lend to a quick understanding of the different crochet techniques presented here, while color close-up photos allow for easy assessment of project complexity and achievement. It's an excellent book for any crocheter who would move to the next level - and for collections catering to them.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



3. This is a book you need in your collection. It's one you'll reach for when you want to work with a new stitch, pattern or motif. The pictures are very clear and the choices of yarn are inspiring.



4. What a great book. I already have so many ideas that I have started a long to do list. I definitely have my moneys worth.



5. This book is really helpful. A lot of patterns, I'm very happy for diagrams, it's more clear and practical for me. And the book is very big, great quality of paper and print, so it would be nice gift for any crocheter.

5 comments about Races of the Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying Supplement).

1. Remember how freakin' cool Lords of Madness was? The aboleth, the illithids, the FLESHWARPER? Even had "Innsmouth look"-style feats, so you could get your Call of Cthulu on with your 7th level druid what with the tentacles and the pseudonatural wild shape and all! MAN, it was COOL! Well, I felt great about finally getting Races of the Dragon, all hoping it would be half as awesome as Libris Mortis or Complete Adventurer and everything.... And... about half-way through this book I felt like I had just found a turd in my green salad.
   
   Everything magical is devoted to the Sword-of-Shanarra ripoff sorceror class, (and not a thing for wizards, HELLO???), the fleshgrafting rules contradict the rules in EVERY other book with Flesh grafting (Fiend Folio, Libris Mortis and Lords of Madness if you're counting), and the new races are just plain STUPID. And I do mean STUPID: "Hey, look at me, I'm a 'spellscale,' I LOOK like a freackin' purple elf with some painted junk on my face." But you know, for those of you who always wanted to play a kobold, now you get your shot, 'cause hey, they rack up in here, man, let me tell you. Oh yeah, and the art's not worth much, either. Don't even bother with the feats, they reek, too; MAYBE the spellcaster tactical feat that lets you do the really obvious "This time for sure!" spell-casting to hit a critter or overcome SR. It doesn't take a whole lotta brainpower to make the sorceror even dumber, and they did that much right.
   
   One good thing, an EXCELLENT thing, in fact: 7 new Power Word Spells. Of course, there are problems here, too. "Power Word: Pain" is, technically speaking, broken as hell: 1st level wizard spell that does 1d6 + 1d6 / round to one target; up to 4d4 rounds depending on current HP much like all Power Word spells. That's only first level if the damage is nonlethal, buddy; 2nd or 3rd at least.
   
   I'll let people take any of them, though, if they also spend spell slots on "Mighty Wallop" and "Greater Mighty Wallop", though -- I kid you not there are spells with those names in there. If you can cast either of them without laughing, you DESERVE "Power Word: Maladroit", too. I guess these guys wanted to make up for the purple painted elves by using a fancy word for "Clumsy." All in all, the weakest effort I've seen out of WotC so far, even worse than Weapons of Legacy. If you want to spend money on a D&D book, get Lords of Madness or Sandstorm, instead.



2. This is a great supplement on dragonic characters. While not too impressed with the spellscales and reborn dragon like creatures, I really enjoyed the handling of kobolds and their options. All in all, if you are an avid collector like me you will want this book for your collection. If you are not avid, then I would suggest hoarding your money :)



3. The highlight in this work is the nice elaboration of kobold culture. It helps show why the scaly, little munchkins are so interesting.
   
   The rest of the book is fairly lackluster.



4. What can I say, after reviewing this I gained a whole new respect for kobolds! Lots of good information about various dragon races and their psychology. Plus, I loved the new "Dragonborn" race.



5. First off, the Spellscales were a OK idea that went bellyup. The feats and spells almost completely geared towards sorcerers, and the Prestige Classes were uninspired. Slightly pricy, as well. All the book's faults would give it two stars - if I bought the book on these alone.
   
   But I didn't buy this book for the feats or the Prestige Classes. Fourth Edition is coming out, and all the rules in this book will be obsolete. So I bought it for the descriptions and depictions of the races.
   
   Specifically, I bought it for the Kobolds, and through them the book is redeemed. Their culture and psychology is explored and their propensity for evil examined. They aren't just Lawful Evil because they're monsters; they're Lawful Evil because they've decided to fight back against their oppressors - with trap and spear. The Kobold society, history and life are detailed here - who knew they shed? After reading it, I wanted to play as a Kobold. My only complaint with the section on them is that it is far too short - only 18 pages of Kobold delightfulness.
   
   There are a few other highlights as well - the Dragon-Descended are very interesting. In 3.5 a Draconic Kobold both negates a lot of his racial penalties and plays right into them being related to the Dragons. The Dragonborn are more interesting then other reviewers give them for, though they could use a little tweaking flavor-wise. For those who will still be playing 3.5 the Dracolexi and Dragon Devotee Prestige Classes are interesting.
   
   In short, if you don't love Kobolds or Half-Dragons, don't buy this book. You won't enjoy it at all. Buy something else. If you do love Kobolds and Half-Dragons, stop reading this review and BUY IT NOW!
   
   Long live the Dragon!

3 comments about SOULCALIBUR IV Limited Edition Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. I pre-ordered this thing because it was solicited as being "leather bound". I was stoked that Brady was really giving this special edition the business. so Amazon tells me they are out and delayed until September THE DAY it is released. A week later they change the description so it no longer reads that it is bound in leather and then I go to cancel my order and I can't because my merchandise is being "prepared". The book comes with the CD but if I had known that this thing was the exact same book as the normal version otherwise, I would not have purchased it. The book gets low ratings not because it is a bad supplement, it is quite good... but because Amazon or Brady got me to order this thing through false advertising so don't reward them by purchasing it here.



2. When I think of a game guide from BradyGames, I think of the exquisite job they did on The Legend of Zelda:Ocarina of Time or other guides I've purchased from them in the past. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear the folks @ BradyGames hired some Prima writers with the farce they published between these two (NOT LEATHERBOUND, Amazon) covers. With the exception of the nice character shots, this book is worthless. Especially as a moves list.
   
   In someone's lazy attempt to hit the beach early one weekend before this thing went to press, the controls for the X-Box 360 & PS3 aren't even included! They show both controllers in the very front of the book, with a legend that a cursory glance will have you assume is just explaining the differences between Sony's 'geometric' approach vs. Microsoft's traditional A/B button styles.
   
   Well, you'd be wrong. My husband has never played the PS3 console so I was going to let him glance thru' this book while playing the game to help him familiarize himself with the button layout and character combo lists. What I found out was the book just takes BOTH consoles' controllers and then maps a legend all their own over that! For instance, when you look up a character, say Voldo, and want to know how to perform a simple kick, you'd think the writers would list the corresponding 360 and PS3 buttons respectively. Nope. In the moves list kicking is pressing "K"...What the heck is "K" you ask?? yeah, so did I. You'll have to refer to the front of the book again, where the diagram of both controllers is, to see which button they re-named "K". And so on.
   
   It's hard enough to explain what they did, let alone figure out the coding they created to cover both controllers' button functions.
   
   Why they didn't just release two different books is beyond me. I haven't listened to the OST yet, but even if it's crap, it's still better than the travesty that is this BradyGames guide, and other than the nice (but limited) artwork, is the ONLY reason this isn't a 1-star review. I'm shocked at the level of laziness it took to crank this out.



3. I bought this guide for one reason and one reason only; to help me get through the tower of lost souls but there is very little strategy for the specific levels, just some vague pointers. King of the physical realm has beaten me, beaten me like a red headed step child. The guys are way too strong and I have no advice to help me. Sigh I think I would learn my lesson. Never buy fighting game strategy guides. The only real help is a list of the character's moves and you can get that by hitting the start button during the game and going down the menu which tells you the characters moves. On the plus side there is some nice art work and bios on the characters but if I could do it over I would buy the regular guide. Or maybe none at all.

5 comments about Pocket Rider Waite Tarot.

1. This are great begining or regular used deck. I always liked the symbolism of this deck.
   The cards feel nice and are not cheap or flimsy, great for practicing.



2. This is a good deck to start with before your skill level rises to where you want to chose another "more exotic" deck.



3. The cards were too small and the descriptions in the box did not match the info from the website. Overall not bad.



4. At First I was not a fan of the traditional Rider Waite Tarot. As the artwork is simplistic and I typically enjoy more flash and pizzazz. I also did not understand them. Recently, I have (and still am) learning the Tarot online with Cyndy Green and am using the Rider Waite Tarot with my Tarot JournalTarot Journal and Daily Spread JournalsDaily Spread Tarot & Oracle Journal to work all of my learning modals (visual, tactile audile) as I am finally learning the cards. All of these has helped me finally be able to recognize and understand what the cards mean when I see them...without needing a book to read the interpretation from! With the online formal training to understand the Rider Waite in simple words, I really enjoy the simplicity of the original deck and even learning about the meaning of the colors. Once you get the knack of these cards down, they are really easy to interpret and an excellent place to start because of all the universal collective energies behind this deck and similar Rider Waite versions. Definitely an excellent starting point as you will be able to draw off of the thoughts of so many others who have spent time interpreting these cards.



5. A true classic, which any reader should own. Nice job on the color, etc. Definitely worth the money in my opinion.
   
   If you're just starting tarot, this is the deck I would recommend. Most books are based upon it, or at the least, have mention of it and the card meanings.
   
   A good foundation for all tarot readers, old and new.