5 comments about The Art Of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.

1. Having read a ton of H.P. Lovecraft and played 'Call of Cthulhu' ,the role-playing game, it was nice to see some of these horrors ghastly images put on paper. A great book to scare all these little mutants into bed for years to come.



2. When I first saw this on the bookshelf, I saw the title and thought the book would be a comprehensive collection of art inspired by the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. Since the publisher is Fantasy Flight Games, it comes as no surprise that there is ample art from the Call of Cthulhu collectible card game published by the selfsame company. The art is quite fine, but there is disappointment upon realizing that the art is almost exclusively from the card game, with a few images from game books of the makers of the Call of Cthulhu roleplaying game, Chaosium. Other reviews have pointed out that since these games have created their own settings and characters and situations, many of the art pieces featured in the book actually have little to do with Lovecraft outside of being set in the 1920's, and it's true. The irony is that some mythos-specific art from the games were not included. Furthermore, since many of the illustrations were created to appear in an area smaller than a playing card, the reproductions can only be blown up to a certain size before the illusion is lost. That being said, there are a lot of paintings to look at since they can fit several to a page, and many are quite nice.



3. Considering the increasing public awareness of HP Lovecraft and his infamous Mythos, I fully expected an 'art' book having a much wider variety of Cthulhu Mythos creatures represented as I had found in the Barlow's Guide to the Cthulhu Mythos (I think I may be a bit off on the title but I also think this book is out of print).
   In any case, a suprising number of the prints offered are of normal humans, presumably characters in a Mythos role playing game (I'm basing this assumption on the credits given to each picture). The painting/drawings of the Mythos creatures range from the nicely done to the uninspired with the later being the most frequent. I really can't see myself recommending this book unless you happen across it in a 1/2 off bin.



4. This is a clear and succinct collection of well-organized and presented art. Make no mistake. The printing quality and obvious layout work that has been demonstrated by this book is almost flawless; and well worthy of the tribute it is.
   
   However, even in the knowledge that much of this art comes from a TCG, and in the face of obvious streamlining as far as direction and theme are concerned; some fans of the mythos, such as I, could easily find themselves alienated in the almost 'cartoony' quality of the art itself.
   
   I will, however, give this four stars; as it clearly pulls across a great degree of scope; covering many more aspects of the Cthulhu mythos than i thought possible or likely. The sheer variety is impressive in it's own right.
   
   A committed and beautifully presented artifact - even if not as dark, disturbing and violent as it could have been.



5. When I think of Lovecraft, the first thing I think of is of course his nightmarish creatures. Unfortunately, while there are some great paintings of them in this book (including the amazing cover art!), I was very disappointed to find that most of this book was in fact uninteresting paintings of flappers and gangsters and such. -- In other words human secondary characters created for the Call of Cthulhu CCG.
   
   I was expecting much more in the way of monsters and cults, etc., but the vast majority of the paintings have little to do with this.
   
   Still, the ones that I did like were so good (my fave was the painting of Shub Niggurath) that the book still earns a passing 3-star rating from me.
   
   If buying this book, be prepared to get only a very minimal creature fix, along with a large dose of the irrelevant.

5 comments about Chess Exam And Training Guide: Rate Yourself And Learn How To Improve.

1. I hesitated for months before buying this book. You shouldn't.
   
   You should know that this is not a training manual or a tactics book. Its goal is to identify where your game is weak. If you are not already a Grandmaster, then it's certain that some areas of your game are weak. But which, and how weak are they? If club players, amateurs, even experts can focus their training on their weak spots, they will improve much more rapidly than if they get better in some area where they are already strong.
   
   This book does a fantastic job of analyzing your game. Here is my experience. I don't get to play much in tournaments; my rating is in the high 1600's but my last major tournament I had a performance rating of 1820, and in club play that's about how I am doing. What should I work on to go farther?
   
   I have done the first 40 problems in this book and scored them. Each has been given to a lot of players with a wide variety of ratings. By averaging how I performed on each of the problems, the author has assigned me an overall rating and a "rating" for how strong or weak I am in each of a dozen aspects of chess.
   
   First, the overall estimate of my playing strength is right around 1800 -- consistent with my US Open performance and club play. But the breakdown -- wow! I rate a pathetic 1000 on pure calculating ability, and not much better on sacrifices. By contrast, the book rates me at 2400 on standard positions (like how to win a Bishop ending with only one pawn), reflecting the work I've done on such positions, and grasp of strategy and defense are both almost as high.
   
   Interestingly, it rates my openings as the strongest phase of the game and endings as the weakest. Until the last US Open I thought the reverse was true, but in that tournament I consistently got strong middlegame positions against players rated up to 2100, only to collapse in the ending. The book accurately captures this relative weakness.
   
   So my new training strategy is clear, and I bet it will work. For the next several months, I will be focusing on complex endings and doing intense practice in calculating them out to completion. That should address both of my weakest areas in one shot.
   
   As part of my profession I have extensive training in developing tests to measure aspects of mental functioning. I am very impressed with this book, and would consider it a remarkable achievement for a psychology graduate student's dissertation.



2. This book examines your strengths and weaknesses through 100 different puzzles with varying stages of the game, motifs, and difficultys. Unlike most puzzle books, it is not just focused on tactics, but instead, on everything you need.
   
   Some of the other reviews mentioned typos but i have not encountered any noticable errors yet. Anyhow, these miniscue mistakes should not detract from the quality of the book.
   
   Khmelnitsky is a genius; realizing that people want immediate feedback, he puts "interim reports" after every 10 puzzles so you get an idea how you are doing. Each problem has two questions, most often, an evaluation question and a "find the best move" question". A number of different themes (e.g. opening, strategy, counterattack, calculation...) are related to each puzzle and after completing the book it will diagnose your misunderstandings and give you a rating. Unlike such given ratings in places like "solitaire chess" (where it said i was around 2400, fat chance!) it gives you a much more reasonable rating, so far I have gotten a range between 1900-2200.
   
   The book is very interesting and fun to do as well as being a one of a kind training tool. For instance, by just looking at the type of problem and how i did on the percentile charts, I've learned that I have weak tactics but an endgame skill greater than I had ever imagined!
   
   Not only does he diagnose your weaknesses, he gives you advice about how to solve them. If you are trying to improve your chess this is a MUST, I greatly underrestimated its value for quite some time.
   
   This book will improve you significantly more than several sessions with a coach, which could cost 200-400 dollars! Anyone passing this up who wants to improve their chess should get this instantly.
   
   If you are under 1500, you probably just need to work on your tactics; trust me, I've been there. Although dry, tactics puzzles WILL significantly help you much more than learning how to implement a minority attack which you might use in one game only to find that you dropped a pawn in the process to a simple fork. I didn't trust this advice either when i was 1000-1400, and i thought i had tactics down cold. Wrong how I was!
   
   However if you are 1500-2200 then this book is an essential step to becoming a better player!
   
   Highly Recommended!



3. This is not a typical chess book. It's more like a puzzle book. But instead of mate in 5 type of tactics problems, it covers all aspects of the game in 100 questions, opening, middlegame, endings, positional, tactical, planning (I wish there were more). It is so much fun to do the exercises and they are well chosen. It will definitely improve your play and identify your weak areas.
   
   Another great thing about the book that makes it stand out is the answer keys. You have to come up with 2 answers, one is assessment and the second is the correct move. That eliminates the luck factor from the assessment. Also there's no true/false answer, but you get 5 points for the correct, 1 for the incorrect but close, and sometimes you get points deducted for those that are obviously wrong.
   
   You can take this book with you anywhere you go, anywhere you have to wait for a long time and need some pass time. As for the assessment accuracy I will know when I'm done. But that's not a big concern for me. The interim
   that comes after each 10 questions shows me 200 points below what I thought I am, but I am hoping this will increase later.
   
   Strongly recommended.



4. I finished the 100 exercises in a total of 29 hours, what represents spending 17 minutes per exercise. It was a very interesting experience. My ICC rating (standard) is about 1750. The book estimated my rating as 1820. So, very close.
   
   While I was doing the exercises I had the feelling that my game was improving. The positions presented are all very interesting. When you find yourself thinking: "this one is easy", analyse more carefully because there are a lot of "hidden ideas".
   
   But don't think that the job is finished when you complete the tests. This is about 70% of the total job. Now you have to input your results in a table and calculate your score, overall and by 12 categories: opening, middlegame, endgame strategy, strategy, tactics, attack, defense, threat, counterattack, calculation, sacrifice and standard endgame positions.
   
   For each of this 12 categories, the autor gives advices on training and books for reading. In my opinion, this is the differential of this book. After completing the tests, you have an idea of where your game is weaker and what to do to improve.
   
   Now that I have finished the book I will follow his advices and maybe, in 1 or 2 years, I will be back here to say if my game improved or not.
   
   I will not give 5 stars because of following reasons:
   a) the process of inputing the scores into the tables (so that you can see your ratings) is very laborious and operational. You should be very careful to avoid mistakes. The book owners should have free access to a spreadsheet which would substitute this laborious process.
   b) there are only 6 exercises on openings. I don't believe that with such a small number of exercises, one can evaluate properly the level of your opening play.
   c) in the Tactical session the autor refers to "Tactical Motifs" from "Mr. Bloch". Actually the correct reference is "Combinative Motifs" from Mr. Blokh.
   
   Afterall, I recommend this book for those who want to improve but does not know exactly how to do it. At the end, you will have a training plan to follow. No shortcuts. I don't recommend for begginers.



5. I have now made some progress here. The questions are excellent and doing the work is educational. I have not tried the last half of the book yet.

No comments about The Poker Tournament Formula II: Advanced Strategies.

No comments about Bunny Rabbit Birthday Stickers (Dover Little Activity Books).

No comments about Dungeons & Dragons Premium Dice (D&D Accessory).

5 comments about Pants for Real People: Fit and Sew for Any Body (Sewing for Real People series).

1. This is one of the best books I have read on construction details. I have read it front to back and refer to it often when making pants, shorts, even skirts. I really recommend making a muslin first and follow all the recommendation for adjusting the pattern from the muslin. It will change the way you make pants forever!



2. This book is one of a kind for showing real world pant-fitting issues and how to solve them. Palmer-Pletsch has been a trailblazer in writing for the home sewing market since its earliest days. Many, actually, most sewing and fitting books merely collect old info and display it well. Instead, Palmer-Plestch has collected data and new fitting solutions to very difficult derriere problems (and most others) from their years of hands-on experience running a sewing school and present it in excellent photos and illustrations in a thorough manner. My husband was rather surprised by some of the "models", but that is just the point: these are real-world, applied solutions to real people!
   
   In my mind, the only negative to the Palmer-Pletsch method is that they believe in tissue-fitting without doing any previous flat pattern work to get the pattern "into the ball park". This may very well be only an issue for me, personally, as I have always worked that way. Their method is too place the unaltered pattern on the figure and to systematically analyze each wrinkle and alter the pattern until all grainlines are straight, all wrinkles are gone and all major seams hang in the right place.
   
   Another excellent feature of this book is a comprehensive set of design alterations for customizing your pant pattern once it fits you: different waistband, pocket, and hem treatments, darted and pleated styles, etc.
   
   The only other reference book that one might purchase for pant fitting and sewing is the 1989 Singer Sewing Reference Library's "Sewing Pants that Fit". This is also an excellent resource with terrific photo illustrations. It has a very good and comprehensive fitting section, although I would go with the Palmer-Pletsch guide if there is any discrepancy in fitting advice, particularly on fitting the crotch. The Singer book is particularly good for construction and offers photo illustrations on construction, which I found helpful. The Palmer-Pletsch book offers photos for all fitting problems and drawn illustrations for construction. Together, these two books should do it!



3. The book does review several body types, however, most of those are heavier women with many adjustments. About the one and only adjustment I needed to make was not addressed. I probably won't use this book too much



4. This is one of the most helpful books I have in my sewing library. At first I didn't want to spend the money to buy it, so I checked it out in my local public library to review it in depth. I read the entire book twice because it was so interesting. And then I decided to give it a go...to try making a pair of pants for me. The end result was that the pants I made using the techniques taught in this book are now the most comfortable, flattering pants in my closet. After the review, I decided to buy the book because I found myself referring back to passages I had read for guidance. And after I returned the borrowed one to my public library, I missed it terribly because I didn't have it for a reference.
   
   At first I was intimidated by the instructions. I just knew I would tear the paper pattern when I tried it on for a fitting. And I only had myself...no helper to measure and "fit" me. But I am very, very happy with the end result. I have made the first pair of pants in my life that truly fit me. They are without a doubt the most comfortable in my closet. And my husband says they are extremely flattering. My figure is a challenge to any pant's maker. One hip is 1 inch higher than the other; with the aging process I have added weight to my high hips and have a dropped derriere. But with the slacks I made using this book, you don't see these flaws. They actually make me look slimmer.
   
   This book was extremely helpful to me because it explained the rationale behind the fitting problems. I was suddenly able to understand how my various figure problems caused the pants to hang on my body, and ultimately translate into a poorly fitting garment. The solutions became obvious. After awhile, I found myself using the knowledge and solving my own problems even though the book provided a guide to solve any problem in fit. It was educational and empowered me. I feel I am better prepared to fit others for whom I sew...such as a teenage granddaughter who can be very picky.
   
   I am glad I bought the book because I frequently refer to it for the many tips it includes. When I returned the borrowed book from my local library, I found myself checking my mailbox daily for the one I had purchased. I truly missed it and couldn't wait to get my own. I highly recommend this book. And if this is any example of Pati Palmer's other books, I will be buying more!



5. If you have the patience to work at it this book will help you get a great fit in your slacks. It helps if you also purchase a palmer pletch pattern for pants as well. They already have all the markings for adjustments.

2 comments about Make It Memorable: An A-Z Guide to Making Any Event, Gift or Occasion...Dazzling!.

1. Robyn Spizman's newest book certainly lives up to its title! With personal entries that will wow everyone you know, Make It Memorable shows us how to leave our friends and families in awe. From birthday party themes to wedding showers, favors and clever gift wrap, Robyn provides countless examples of how to add that little extra touch to make any event more personal. Lasting memories are created by details--witty catch phrases and attention-grabbing invitations that will have guests still talking about your party at the next big gathering. For readers who want to have it all and find themselves pressed for time, Make It Memorable has solutions for quick and easy details and themes that will dazzle the most discerning party guests. In fact, don't even think about giving a party without this book! Get a copy for yourself, and keep an extra on hand so that when your best friend asks where you get all of your wonderful ideas, you can let her in on your little secret!



2. Grab a copy of this book and keep it handy - this book will surely make a difference in your life! Let me share just one example of how it changed my life. Thanks to Robyn Spizman and her most recent book (she's written several)I have re-discovered the joy in taking the what-I have-come-to-dread annual holiday picture. I have three boys and every year it has been a hassle to get them dressed, combed and smiling for that annual picture. What a hassle - and all just so we could have a picture to send out with our holiday cards - ba humbug! But on page 17, Robyn writes about the growing family who each year poses in an ordinary spot, but makes the photo MEMORABLE because each family member holds something unique and special representing that particular time in his or her life. I absolutely love this idea - one of hundreds in Robyn's book. Never again will I dread the photo session. In fact quite the opposite - I'll be so anxious to see what each of my boys and husband brings with them and from now on I'll focus on the greater purpose of this "memorable" exercise! There's so much more useful and practical information in this book - you'll want to get it right away!

5 comments about The Crafter's Companion: Tips, tales, and patterns from a community of creative minds.

1. This book is for people who enjoy making things. Contributors are from the craft blogging community. The first section is about the crafters and contains an entry from each of them entitled "Why I create", "Inspiration", and "Workspace". The second section contains 17 projects (one from each of them) for you to try. Inspirational and highly recommended.



2. This was not a bad book by any means, just not what I wanted it to be (which is not its fault!). It is a bit inspirational, but the patterns/ideas that each author presented for me to do were not inspirational at all, and in fact most were things that I would NEVER make, and often strange and a bit ugly. Nothing like the pictures of the author's "real" stuff. They all seemed to be holding out. Like "Here are some pictures of beautiful things I make and sell, here is a pattern that is perfect for you because it is plain, uninspirational, and something I won't mind giving to you because I could never sell anything like it!" I felt quite insulted.
   
   Buy this to be inspired, but not as a craft book with real ideas. You will be disappointed.



3. I felt like I had bought a book that my friends had written when I got this in the mail. As an avid reader of a lot of these crafter's blogs I thoroughly enjoyed getting a peak into their process. The instructions for most projects are very detailed and easy to follow and so appealing!



4. I thought that this book would be great by the cover and the reviews that I read. I was more than disappointed. There were really nothing worth making in it. It was mostly profiles of other crafters. They had great pictures of the things that they made, but the projects that they submitted were less than exciting. I keep looking through this book for something to make. As I flip through I'd get excited to see something cute only to find that it is not one of the projects, but and example of the highlighted artist's other work. I would save my money.



5. When I purchased this book I thought it would be helpful in my crafting, but what it is, are stories about a bunch of different crafters and how they became crafters. At the end of each story is a pattern and not that great of patterns at all. This book is not what I thought Crafter's Companion would be.

1 comments about Dangerous Weapons: 1e4e5: Dazzle Your Opponents in the Open Games! (Dangerous Weapons Series).

1. This is a great book that offers excellent and very thorough coverage of many openings or specific variations that otherwise have received insufficient treatment in the literature. I was especially happy to see Flear's chapter on the Bird Defense vs. the Lopez, which updates his previous work in Offbeat Spanish (which had been itself, IMHO, the most up-to-date treatment previously). I think he also wrote the chapter on the ...g6 system for Black in the Open Games (especially versus the Scotch and Four Knights). For that alone, this is a great book and worth having. But there is so much more -- and every line is not only interesting and sound but very thoroughly treated. There is stuff on the "Modern" way of playing the Max Lange Attack as White, the Center Game (where White typically sacs the e-pawn), the Bishop's Gambit (though not as good as The Fascinating King's Gambit -- but it is just an article, of course), and the Four Knights for White versus the Rubinstein (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.O-O!) I have written a much longer review online elsewhere, but that about sums it up. If you play 1.e4 e5 as White or Black, this is a must have! And what else would you expect from Emms and Flear?

5 comments about Zen and the Art of Poker: Timeless Secrets to Transform Your Game.

1. I have been playing poker professionally for a little over a year now and have read all different kinds of poker books. But this was the first one that really took into the importance of your mental state. If you want to read a book that is going to give you statistics and odds this isn't it. If your looking for something that is going to make you think more about your innerself and others at and away from the table this is a must read. By the way- I have never written a review before but I felt that this was a must for the serious or even part time player!



2. This is a great book for the beginner to middle player skill level. It starts off like it may be for advanced players but with its redundant reminders of how to play certain types of hands and what to do in case scenarios it drills it into the player. Making it much easier to retain the information.



3. This is the one book that I can read time and time again, and always learn something new depending on where I'm at in my poker career and my life. It's not a poker instructional book by any means. It's about you and who you are at the poker table -- but really, it's about who you are in your every day existence.
   
   If you like to look inside and make yourself a better person, then this book addresses core issues that can help you excel. Let's face it, life is poker and poker is life. Larry Phillips encapsulates this beautifully. It will help you play better and it will help you live better, if you are willing to do the work and look at yourself honestly.
   
   It's a quick read with much thought provoking insights on just abou every page. It is written very well.



4. This is not the best book to buy if you are just learning how to play poker (try Sklansky or Harrington), but if you are an advanced beginner or intermediate player, this book offers a whole new approach to the game that will radically improve your play. Most beginning players find themselves playing too many hands, and with disastrous results (hitting top pair with a weak kicker, or hitting second pair). This book's advice (Poker Rule #3) is that "If you've been folding a lot, for a long time in the game, and you're starting to think that maybe it's time you got in a played a few hands again... Keep folding." It counsels patience, emotional detachment, and selective confrontation. In a world of big egos, players on tilt, and WPT wannabees, this book will help you find a calmer, more profitable path.



5. Im not a big fan of poker books. They tend to be very dry and difficult to apply the specific theories to the game. This book is simply explains another way to look at the game. It is very easy to apply to the game after reading. It is mostly a book about folding and how to fold well. When youre folding well, youre playing well. Folding well implies betting well. The book states this much more clearly. Overall a great book for any poker player.