5 comments about The Big Messy Art Book: But Easy to Clean Up.

1. I have been teaching preschool for many years and I love messy media... this book had some really neat ideas, things I had never tried before. When I got my copy, I couldn't wait to try out some of the ideas right away.



2. THIS BOOK IS A FOR-SURE WINNER. IT ENABLES THE KIDS TO HAVE FUN AND GET DIRTY AT THE SAME TIME. I AM NO LONGER AFRAID FOR MY CHILDREN TO GET DIRTY! IT'S CLEAN UP IS EASY TOO. IT'S AN ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR FUN.



3. This book is my kids' favorite! Everything is either very LARGE and exciting, or SILLY and exciting, or ADVENTUROUS and exciting, or extremely INTERESTING and exciting. Don't buy this if you want your child to sit in a corner with crayons for the rest of her/his life and never look beyond the expected. This is for the kids that will challenge their imaginations and explore art from a new view, building who they will be as adults.



4. I am a special education teacher and I am always looking for new ideas to enhance my sensory awareness program. This book has some awesome ideas and I can't wait to start using them this year.



5. This book has been out in the hands of good teachers/parents/child care folks/kids for awhile now, but I've found that it is new to many kids who are just discovering it. One little guy I worked with recently as a visiting author to his school told me: "I didn't know a tennis ball could be so interesting, did you?" He was referring to painting with tennis balls. Our group tried several approches with painty tennis balls....rolling them around in a wading pool covered with paper, tossing them at a wall of paper outdoors, holding and pressing on paper, bouncing on paper on the floor, and a few other ideas that kids thought up that are NOT in the book, but should have been. Read on: The little guy who told me tennis balls are interesting had thought up a idea where he rolled the ball deliberately through paint and then along the border of large paper. Within the border, he made dot-prints with different colors of paint. When it was dry, he outlined each dot with a black marker. The result was a huge bubbly design painting. I was impressed with his process, and the resulting painting was delightful and all his own! I love when my books give kids a boost to be their own artists and live in their own creativity. What a great day spending time with kid-artists. Someday I'll collect all their unique ideas and write a new book called "Kids Are More Artistic Than I Am!" Keep having fun with kids, from your friend, MaryAnn Please visit my website for free art ideas: www.brightring.com.

5 comments about The New York Times Easy Crossword Puzzles Volume 8: 50 Monday Puzzles from the Pages of The New York Times (New York Times Easy Crossword Puzzles).

1. If you like the Times "Monday" puzzles then this is great. I love it



2. I found this book just what I had ordered and very fun. Thank you



3. Really enjoyable, interesting but not the Sunday Times puzzle!
   
   Fun and interesting.



4. Just recently I become interested in crosswords for the first time, so I picked up this book. The puzzles in it are for the most part very fun and pretty doable, even for a crossword beginner.
   
   My one complaint about this volume is that there are way too many recycled clues in the fifty different puzzles. Perhaps there are just certain basic clues that are common to most puzzles, but I found -- and I am not exaggerating -- no less than 50 clues which were used in multiple puzzles. And I am not talking about just the same answer, but essentially the same clue. After a while this became very annoying. Not a gigantic deal, but it is something that bugged me a little.
   
   Three stars.



5. After really enjoying volume 1 through 4 of this series, I bought volume 7. The puzzles are just as great in this one as in volumes 1 through 4, but the titles of the puzzles are missing! This removes some of the fun, as part of doing a crossword is figuring out how the title relates to the puzzle theme. This is an incredible oversight to me--the book claims it was edited by Will Shortz, but I doubt he even looked at it or surely this would have been caught. You're better off sticking to the volumes that are complete.

2 comments about Rock Band: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. I bought this book mainly for advice (or tricks) about how to play (guitar or drums) and sing better. Very little advice is given about actually playing the instruments and singing and what advice they do give is already contained on the tutorials section of the video game. The advice on setting up to the drums was fair information. Besides that, the Prima guide did not help me to improve my play.
   
   They also suggest starting at medium skill level. Not everyone is a video game junkie or Neil Peart, Frank Zappa or Sting. Starting at medium would put some of my friends off the game for good! (especially drums) Yet the medium skill level is mainly ignored and they talk mostly about hard and expert. It is not an explanation on how to get to Hard or Expert or even what to do once you're there. Prima suggests practice and gives advice at what sections of the particular songs to practice to be able to get through the song. Imagine that... practice! Who would have guessed?
   
   I guess I can re-evaluate the book to see if it is more useful once I am attempting to play at the hard level (right now, I'm challenged on medium). However, I doubt it will be used for little more than a casual reference to the songs. Save your money and do the Rock Band tutorials that come with the game.
   
   I am 0 for 2 with Prima guides. The other was Madden 08. I have a PS3 and I found that many items in the book are not available to me. Also, they switch back and forth from platforms as the PS3 is often ignored.



2. I was happy to see this priced lower than many of the game guides I've bought before, but I was still disappointed in the content.
   
   There is no more instrument-specific information here than in the little pamphlet that comes in the game package.
   
   Things it does not answer but should have: what the blue background means when playing bass (I've since determined it means you've exceeded the 4x multiplier that Lead is limited to, and you're in a "bass groove"), what the difference between "static" and "scrolling" for voice is, exactly how voice difficulty changes (does it get stricter? use speech recognition? etc.)
   
   Instead, it regurgitates the game pamphlet, provides hints straight out of the in-game tutorials, then pads out the majority of the pages with useless song-by-song information. The "history" of the song is basic copyright dates and authors, no trivia or actual history of the songs, followed by someone's opinion of how hard they found it at medium and hard (nothing for easy or expert) where my mileage definitely differed. What appears to be little bits of trivia scattered around the page is straight out of the game load screens.
   
   This really ends up being worthless, which is a shame. The excellent game deserves so much more.

2 comments about Puzzles in Wood: Simple Patterns for Creating 45 Classics.

1. Heads up woodworkers! If you are good at reading technical drawings and need very little in the way of explainations, this is the book for you. If you are either a beginner (alluded to by the word "Simple" in the title) or need detailed instructions, stay away from this one.
   I'm a mid-level woodworker and like to make puzzles and games for kids in my shop. I got this book realizing that it wasn't going to be easy just by looking at the project on the cover. Boy was I surprised! There are a few introductory pages at the front and the rest of the book is filled with technical drawings of how to build the puzzles. No detailed instructions or step by step instructions, just drawings and diagrams.
   I might delve into it to try to get a pattern or two but this little bitty book (almost more of a pamphlet really) is very intimidating.



2. This is a great little book if you are looking for ideas. Warning!! you will need to produce your own shop drawings. But if you like puzzles that is part of the fun.

5 comments about KINGDOM HEARTS Chain of Memories Official Strategy Guide (Signature Series).

1. this book helped a lot I like both the kingdom hearts games and this made it easier to see if i missed anything :-)



2. when i bought the item i opened the box and the book included everything it said. Also it was in perfect condition-no dented corners or riped pages-. when i used the book it it included all the secret items in the game. if you are a kingdom hearts fan i suggest this book to you. perfect product



3. It helped dramatically and I found it to be really well done and very helpful in explaining the different cards and what they truly did....... Also its a good thing to have when deciding on going through the game and what world cards to use....although I was already half way through with the game when I had it.....It was still nice and helped me with my other half decisions....



4. I really do like this guide book the maps are really helpful. As well as the instructions for the boss fights. You will really find this book useful.



5. My cousin received this as a gift, and she says it is very helpful, and she loves it.

5 comments about Player's Guide to Eberron (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying, Eberron Supplement).

1. I picked this book up somewhat reluctantly - my budget for D&D books is pretty tight - but I'm glad I did. The title is misleading - it's an EVERYONE Guide to Eberron, and if you like the setting, this book is a definate must-buy. My only complaint is that it was too short.
   
   Because Wizards of the Coast limited the book to 160 pages [in line with other, similar releases], there just wasn't enough space to cover everything I wished this book had covered. For example, the Five Nations get a 2-page spread, the Demon Wastes get 4 pages, Droaam gets 52 pages, the Eldeen Reaches get 4 [but that also covers Druidic Sects], The Mournland gets 2 pages, Q'Barra gets 2 pages and Valenar gets 6 pages [including a new prestige class] - but Aundair, Breland, Karnath, the Mror Holds, the Shadow Marches, the Talenta Plains, Thrane and Zilargo, DON'T get their own entries - and they should have. Sure, they get a *little* coverage under other entries, but I would have appreciated a more thorough overview. The information on the other continents and the oceans of Eberron is terrific.
   
   But WotC cut out *everything* that can be found in other references, so this book is almost 100% pure new material - which is its blessing and its curse. If the encyclopedia-style layout bothers you, there is an excellent Index in the back of the book [which is too often missing from WotC products] in addition to a detailed Table of Contents. The book is fun to browse through, and it's easy to find a specific piece of information if you need it.
   
   I especially like the way this book ties together supplemental game stuff into Eberron. Use any of "The Complete..." books and you'll find suggestions for where the new core classes and prestige classes will work. Races for the "Races of..." series find out-of-the way homes in Eberron - so if you use those books, they're covered - and if you don't use them, you lose nothing from the game world. The book is worth the cost just for that help.
   
   I would have been willing to pay more for more content, though - especially if it were of the same quailty as what was included. That is the only reason I rated this book at 4 stars instead of 5. Actaully, I think it deserves a 4-and-a-half.



2. This is a 160 page Player's Source Book Not an Art or Picture Book. Wizard's made the decision to limit most of their source books to 160 pages. Frankly I'm getting tired of reading Wizard Web articles about "All the Material" they had to cut and couldn't fit into a source book after it is released when almost a quarter of this source book like most of their recently published books have to much of the book devoted to art, pictures and reprinting already published material.
   
   Is it useful? Yes and it introduces some new material but it also Fails to Make the Grade. Unless you have money to burn in my opinion this source book only rates the status of a single group source gaming reference versus purchasing as a personal reference book.
   
   The first four pages are a cover page, a credits page and two full pages of pictures. Lose the 2 picture pages and combine the credits and the cover page in the future frees up 3 pages for material.
   
   Basically 15% of the source book 24 & 1/4 pages of 160 are devoted to art and pictures. Things like 4 pages of Full Page Art, 6&1/2 pages of Half Page Art, 4 & 3/4 pages of Quarter Page Art, 1&1/3 pages of One Third page Art and 3 & 2/3 pages of 1/6 or less page Art. Quit reprinting old art and the same old maps again and again.
   
   The Player's Guide to Eberron was produced after the Eberron Campaign System but well over 10 pages are devoted to Reprinting established material. Something a single sentence can reference which they already do for monsters and spells like: The Basics of The Sovereign Host or The Dark Six or The Blood of Vol were introuduced and covered in ECS page....



3. I run an Eberron campaign and was really eager for one of my players to get this. I thought it would hold most of the information from the Eberron Campaign Setting book, only with the 'behind the scenes' details and story paths ripped out. I was hoping it would provide the players with a great explaination of the lands, the houses, etc., but it really falls short. The format is really strange, and I find it hard to find what I'm looking for. The information is also not nearly as useful as anything in the campaign setting book, so usually I end up just pulling information from there, rewriting it sometimes to take out details that my players shouldn't know about. Kind of a bummer, as I really liked the idea of this book.



4. Of all the books at my fingertips in a gaming session, this one (besides the core Eberron book, PHB, DMG, MM) gets the most use. I really like the information provided to the players based on their skills. Furthermore, it is easier to track down this information than in the Eberron Campaign Setting book.



5. THis book has basicly two parts, both entirely designed for players. The first one contains some information about how to roleplay your character according to the personality options that an Eberron adventurer is likely to develop. There is pretty cool information and it helps define the PC, so he finds himself more at home. This chapter goes fome page 7 to 13. The rest of the book is part two.
   
   Chapter 2 is an encyclopedia containing most of the most interesting topics in the Eberron Campaign Setting. There is a lot of inspiration for players in there, as every topic is very player oriented, with explanations about how a PC may get involved with different aspects of the world and society. It's prett cool, but for players only. For DMs, I think almost the whole of this information can be found in the Eberron Campaign Setting. (of course, with some mor searching through the book, since the ECS is not alphabetically ordered as this Player's Guide)
   
   I hate the way prestige classes, feats and new spells or items are presented in this book. They don't have their own chapter; they are instead scattered through Chapter 2, and not even the index shows which enrty refers to a prestige class. So, you may sometimes "discover" a new PrC you never heard of while looking for information about Valenar, for example. Maybe that reinforces the way a PC aqquires knowledge: by asking the DM about a specific topic. But as I said, this book is meant to be in the hands of a Player, not a DM.
   
   There are a lot of sidebars in this book showing the Knowledge DC for most of the information provided in the book, but i guess its purpose is to save he DM the time it takes to think about the appropiate DC.
   
   Well, in short, it is a book for players really into the ECS and/or those incapable of waiting fo their Eberron DM to throw in some information about the world. If you are an Eberron DM, there are a lot of books you should buy before this one.

2 comments about SCRABBLE Crosswords.

1. Scrabble is one of my best word / board games. I have the Scrabble Deluxe on my computer. While on vacation, I was in the Barnes & Nobles Bookstore in Manhattan, saw a Scrabble Crossword and decided then and there to get another. They are really fun and definitely works the brain.



2. Based on 4th ed OSPDThe Official Scrabble Players Dictionary; this 50 puzzle crossword puzzles book is a great way to build a better Scrabble vocabulary without memorizing word lists or the OSPD. Cheap, easy to use (it's spiral bound) and a great mix of both common and unusual Scrabble words. Use a pencil and eraser and you can use the book over and over!

No comments about Fantasy Football Almanac 2008.

5 comments about Statistics Hacks: Tips & Tools for Measuring the World and Beating the Odds (Hacks).

1. Very few things create the visualization of dozens of students sleeping in class like mentioning the subject of statistics. But, statistics can be interesting, fun, and useful as Bruce Frey demonstrates in this very approachable introduction to the subject. The first three chapters cover the necessary introduction to statistics with a discussion of sample size, distributions, standard deviation, correlations, chi-square, and random sampling. Starting with the fourth chapter the author moves from the theoretical to application in a chapter on beating the odds in cards, dice, and various gambling devices. With chapter five he moves into the area of games like the now infamous Monty Hall question (do you switch doors if offered a chance to), tic-tac-toe, and even sports games. The final chapter is using statistics to think smarter by spotting faked data, explaining things that appear to be a coincidence, and other common situations. While Statistics Hacks is not for everyone, everyone will find some portion that is interesting to them, even if it is just how to play the currently popular Texas hold-em while taking advantage of probability to improve your odds of winning. Statistics Hacks is a recommended read for those interested not only in statistics but how to use them immediately in the real world.



2. This is an excellent resource to have. The tips are clear and easy to understand and the author's writing style makes it enjoyable to read. I am currently taking taking courses taught by Bruce Frey. He is an excellent teacher and his book is just as good. I am a PhD student and I love the book!



3. 75 four-page sections on topics in statistics and probability, some textbook and some "popular science" and some nicely different. Brisk user-friendly style. Provides a useful view of a big picture of statistics for someone who's taken a dull statistics course in college. But this potentially great book is spoiled by too many misleading statements (almost everything we measure in the natural world [follows] the normal curve (#25); the more instances you can get [in a multiple regression analysis] the more accurate your eventual predictions will be (#55)). Wikipedia entries on the topics will probably be better written and more accurate.



4. This is one of the funniest books I've read in a while, certainly the funniest non-fiction book I've read in a long while.
   
   And in 20 minutes of reading it over lunch, it explained more to me about basic statistics terminology than I got in the whole semester of statistics I took at Berkeley a couple of decades ago.
   
   I disagree with the reviewer who said the first 100 pages would make your eyes glaze over. For years I've been wondering what people really mean by stuff like "standard deviation" and at last, here is an explanation in plain English. Anyhow, as the author says in the book, you do NOT need to start with the first 100 pages. Just dip in wherever you like -- these are independent hacks.
   
   To be quite honest, I haven't even gotten to the main hacks yet, but I already feel like I got my money's worth. For the math-geek and absurdist humor alone. But just wait till I get through the Texas Hold-Em chapter by next poker night ...



5. It's not very easy to use the words "entertaining" and "statistics" in the same sentence, but you can if you're talking about this book. Bruce Frey's collection of tips and tools makes the subject interesting, fun-- even funny-- and most importantly, approachable.
   
   It's important to understand that this book is not intended to be a statistics textbook, review, or reference manual. Rather, it is a collection of bite-sized hacks that relate statistical principles to the "real" world. Every hack is illustrated with some example, including many relating to gambling, games, and bar bets. Which properties should you buy in Monopoly? The answer is here, along with an explanation. How many people have to be in a room with you before you can be pretty sure that at least one of them shares your birthday? That's here, too, along with the explanation. Is there a way to predict the winner of a baseball game by listening to about twenty minutes of the middle of it? Yep.
   
   If you're looking for an authoritative, comprehensive, serious statistics text, keep shopping. If you're looking for a light but nonetheless very useful explanation/review of how and why statistics work in a real-world context, buy this book.
   
   I'm glad I bought it, and I'd do it again. I got more than enough entertainment and utility out of it to justify the expense.

5 comments about Commonsense Bidding: The Most Complete Guide to Modern Methods of Standard Bidding.

1. The most modern and complete guide to the language of bidding. Bill's simplified approach will teach you how to value your hand and modify the value as the bidding progresses. Gives illustrative examples on how to handle almost every situation. 1986 Bridge Book of the Year - already regarded as a classic.



2. In another review about a book by the same author, I remarked that reading his books is like chewing sawdust. This basic fact has not changed. However, I now maintain that Bill Root has written the best books on learning the game in all its aspects.
   
   This book is not about plain point ranges as another reader has already claimed; the book is logical, methodical, clear, but there is a catch: this is to be read like a text book; I have taken notes, underlined, and made crib sheets out of it. If you slow down enough your reading speed and do not read it casually like a novel, you will be amptly rewarded.
   
   An example of the terseness of this book is that the headings in this book need to be read and fully understood before reading the respective sections; most of us tend to skip the headings, don't we?
   Before I have used this terseness as a con in Root's books, but I have come to realise that this is the best possible format: no distractions, just pure essence.
   
   I am tired of these books that are full of anectodes, pretend to ease you into the point they are trying to make, and then ... KABOOM, here is the point as dry as ever.
   
   Root's books have the guts to be pure bridge, no filler, no gimmicks, JUST EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WITH NO HOLDING BACK OR TRYING TO SPREAD THE INFORMATION OVER SEVERAL BOOKS.
   
   Root headed out to teach with no compromise, but following a standard of completeness and clarity.
   
   It took me quite a time to realise his sense of integrity and charisma, but I did. I am sure that any absolute beginner will initially resist buying his books, but he or she will inexorably gravitate to them and appreciate their wealth of information.
   
   It is this wealth that will make you go through them slowly; the other authors have spoiled you and have put the emphasis on easy reading.
   
   A page by Root is worth easily 20 by the other authors.
   
   5 stars!!!



3. Another of Bill Root's comprehensive bridge primers, "Commonsense Bidding" is about as close to a bible of modern Standard American bidding as is available in the literature today. Root examines every aspect of bidding methods from a perspective that is in line, for the most part, with modern club players. There are some exceptions, especially in the emphasis of strong twos (weak twos being an afterthought) and neglect of the now virtually universal Jacoby transfer. However, for someone wanting to understand what comprises "standard" in the modern era, there is no better book. With appropriate adjustments, it is a great read for beginning to intermediate players.



4. Actually, it would be 4 1/2 stars, because this is a really thorough guide to bridge bidding. It is not dated, because it only discusses the standard, which hasn't changed much. Of course, if you want to know about the conventions, you should get Modern Bridge Conventions by the same author. Both very thorough; if you read them (and undersatnd and remember them) both, there are little situations where you will not know what to do



5. this book is fine, but not my favorite, and not one i regard as essential. the BIGGEST flaw in all of the root books is that there is no INDEX!!! this is so important for research (when comparing different books and systems) that i cannot believe they left it out, and it often means i don't find out what root's take on a given issue is!
   
   his system is unusual, and quirky, and it's not quite my style. but, this is a personal issue i think, and it may be great for others.