1 comments about Kids' On-The-Go U.S. Word Search: Puzzles of All 50 States.

1. I have a nine year old son with Autism who presents delays in several areas. We discovered that our son likes these words search puzzles. What we LOVED about this one is that it is educational in the sense of giving him important useable information as opposed to just random words. Now, our son was able to engage in his word searches and learn facts about his country at the same time. What a great idea!! We also loved the theme based word searches by the same company. This book was a high motivator for our son in his classroom to complete his other work. Doing a page was a reward for him. I would be thrilled to see more books like this on other subjects.

3 comments about Backgammon for Blood: A Guide for Those Who Like to Play but Love to Win.

1. This is the best book that I have read on backgammon for several years. It is an excellent introduction for beginners and a great aide for intermediate and advanced players. It is far better than the book with a similar name from the 1970's.



2. Everybody loves to play games, but more importantly everybody loves winning. This is the book to get if you want to learn all the tips and tricks of Backgammon. Full of interesting scenarios and questions every Backgammon player come across, it is a great book to pick up to improve your game.



3. This little book almost has it all, from the basics for beginners to the modern advanced concepts (especially related to doubling) for advanced players. Much of the advanced discussion is found elsewhere only in advanced (and pricey) books. All interspersed with personal anecdotes and historical development to make it all come to life. So much in one book makes it a great value and a book I would recommend to players at any level.

2 comments about Brown Belt Kakuro: 150 Puzzles (Martial Arts Kakuro).

1. This is an excellent book for those of you who have mastered Kakuro and want a little challenge, without having to think too hard. These puzzles can be solved without guessing or very much notes. If you want a really good challenge, go for the Black Belt Kakuro puzzles.



2. I love this series. The last two books, Brown and Black Belt are more challenging.

No comments about Nets, Puzzles and Postmen: An Exploration of Mathematical Connections.

1 comments about The New York Times Easy to Not-So-Easy Crossword Puzzle Omnibus Volume 1: 200 Monday--Saturday Crosswords from the Pages of The New York Times (New York Times Crossword Puzzles Omnibus).

1. The crosswords are seperated by days of the week. If you want something a little easier, start on Monday's pages. Looking for a challenging you can go straight to Friday and/or Saturday.

5 comments about Understanding Chess Move by Move.

1. This is a very popular and famous book, and John Nunn is a well-known chess writer. Almost every move is explained deeply in this book. But there is one problem with this book: For whom did Nunn write this book? I'm confused because, in a specific game the first move "1.e4" is explained as if the reader is beginner or a novice. But later in the same game, Nunn includes a lot of long and complex variants in several analyses after a specific move, analyses that are only useful for a strong chess player. For me it seems like the author couldn't decide for whom he wrote this book for, and that sure makes this book not one of the best "move-by-move" books. The games chosen, for instance game 20 between Kasparov and Shirov is to complex, to explain weak colour complex for a novice/beginner. And some games presented in the book are actually exceptions from basic guidelines, e.g. "don't keep your king in the centre, but castle quickly", guidelines that an intermediate player should follow.
   
   Improvers should instead try books like McDonald's "The Art of Planning" or Giddins "50 Essential Chess Lessons". Beginners should try Chernev's "Logical Chess Move by Move"



2. My word; I took up this magnificent game only a very short while ago, and now, three months later, I'm hooked. To learn, I saw at once the need for expert guidance, and I can confirm that there is plenty of guidance to be had, and most of it turned upon pure vanity. I tried CD's and numerous online instructions, and purchased various unreadable books, and until I came across 'Understanding Chess' by John Nunn, through Amazon. Com, I was at my wits end trying to understand the most simple game plans, tactics and strategies. This book gave me instant confidence. It is a real chess page turner, full of exciting plots and positions, encouragement and really good advice. So much so, I have it next to me when I play online and in this regard I've already begun to win a few games against much more experienced and very much stronger players. The key lies in its simplicity of approach. It is well written and so easy to understand. It does for chess everything that is essential in developing the skills demanded. For all those keen to take up chess, to improve performance, to gain greater advance, and to discover in this ever more fascinating game the fruits of clear thinking and the joys and rewards in winning. Chess is not a game which can be self taught overnight. The essence is long term, so one needs something constant to guide one along the way, and this book will most certainly do that for me.



3. If you look at the book description (above), you get the idea that this book is focused on teaching fundamentals to non-experts. Wrong. The title's obvious parallel to Chernev's [excellent] work (Logical Chess Move by Move) only reinforces this misleading perception.
   
   Each chapter does begin with a few paragraphs on a fundamental principle of chess. And the first moves are described as if to total novices. But as soon as Nunn gets beyond those first few moves, you'd better be able to follow lots of algebraic notation with very few visuals, because the vast majority of this book is variation intensive, and thus useless to non-experts who don't want to spend hours getting through a few pages at a time.
   
   On the other hand, if you ARE an expert, then what's the point of reviewing fundamentals that are already second-nature? In that case, this is just a group of highly analyzed games.
   
   This book sits useless on my shelf. If you haven't read Chernev's book, then you're better off getting IT because it is what it says it is.



4. This is a really great book. I have at least one hundred chess books. I have even read many of them! I have read, studied, and used this book more than any ohter. It is a good to great collection of games. The annotations are the critical part of the book and they are great. When I study a game, I write the date in the margin. I have been through some of the games as many as ten times. Why? Well, first, I can and do learn new things each time. Sometimes I learn things that I was not ready for the first time. Other times I just enjoy the game (but still I usually learn something). The earliest date that I notice as I write this is from eight years ago! Not only do I expect to enjoy many of the games many more times, there are still some games that I have not been through the first time! Mostly the games that I have not studied are openings that I have not had interest in playing. That too changes over time so I expect to have more fun and learning with those games in the future. A related matter is my only real criticism of the book. It does not have an index of openings. In spite of the fact that the author has taken a different approach to organization, such an index would be very helpful in using the book. Indeed, I intended to prepare such an index to include in my review. That intention has delayed the review so I gave up on that idea. I will consider some of Nunn's other books, but since I have so much to learn from this one, I may not get any of them soon.



5. Nunn does everything right in this book. First off, the games that he selected are very interesting, and they directly illustrate the themes he discusses. Second, he is one of the finest game annotators going on the planet because he can combine a deep understanding of a position with user friendly annotations. Fantastic stuff, and kudos to the brainy Nunn.

5 comments about Byrne's Advanced Technique in Pool and Billiards.

1. If you've already read Byrne's standard book, don't waste your money on this book, unless you're really in to 3cushion billiards. There is very little new info in this book. Borrow it from a friend, or check it out in the library if you can. Some stuff is useful, but you'll be disappointed if you've already read Byrne's.



2. ...I don't claim any good talent in pool, but i do enjoy reading up on all the strategies and thought processes, and attempting to apply them when I play. Byrne's Advanced Technique isn't so much for advanced players only, but covers some specific topics that aer very interesting as well, such as the half-ball hit, the masse shot, the physics of the heavy tavern cueball, and so on. The section on Three-Cushion billiards is somewhat redundant, though, if you have his Standard. but it has some other topics, including more shots from master play, to keep one engrossed. He also writes some stories on several of the games greats, including three-cushion legends like Ceulemans and Blohmdal. Overall, a very good buy if you want to know as much about the game as you can.



3. This book contains very little information that will be of use to an 8 or 9-ball player and close to half of the book is spent discussing specific 3-Cushion shots. I bought this book for the defense section hoping to learn some more about that but again it related to 3-Cushion rather than anything for 8 or 9-ball. Since I don't know the first thing about 3-Cushion billiards, I can't say whether or not the information about that is good or not.



4. If you wanna be a real player read byrne's books and gamble that's it



5. All of his works are excellent if you play pool for pleasure or have a very competitive approach. I was "fair" at playing pool -- primarily 8 Ball. Now, I'm known as "The King" because of applying the information in his books.

5 comments about Microsoft XNA Unleashed: Graphics and Game Programming for Xbox 360 and Windows (Unleashed).

1. well this isnt realy the publishers \ writer fault but this book is written for XNA 1.0, and once 2.0 had been released some of the code in the book needs a bit of tweaking,
   
   i think that if you have some background knowledge about C# and programming, then this is the perfect book to take you into XNA.
   it has a much better approach then most, "teach yourself" books,
   and i recommand getting it,
   
   it only got a 4 out a 5, but if a new edition with XNA 2.0 will be release i would have givven it a 5.
   :)



2. At first I was hesitant to get this book since it based on the 1.0 refresh. However, I wanted to get started right away and seeing how this technology will simply continue to grow, there is no better time than the present to start learning.
   
   I have all of the current XNA Books available and this one is by far the best. I love this guy's coding style ... it is nice when an author using .NET is actually using .NET styled code. If there is only one XNA book you can buy -- get this one.
   
   I really enjoyed his perspective on performance. It helped me in my day job as well ... can you say Garbage Collector? I bought this book to do 3D and I have been happy with my results. I am using 2D to supplement my 3D game, but it seems the community is obsessed with 2D games at this point. The physics chapter is great. I also enjoyed the chapter on Artificial Intelligence. Both are short, but to the point and helped me know where I need to look for more information. The particle system is excellent. I liked the force field created by particles ... cool.
   
   I am a programmer by trade and have dabbled in computer graphics in the past, but it was just too much work to get anything valuable. With XNA and this book as a guide, I was able to go so much farther than I ever did with DirectX and the books I bought on that subject. I have created a full 3D game that I plan to put out on Xbox LIVE Community Games when it is available. There is no way I would have a completed game without this book -- sound, game states, input, polish -- it is all in here!
   
   I liked how the author didn't waste time on rendering a single triangle ... he did a rectangle (two triangles) ... and then later used that code to create a skybox. The chapter on the content pipeline was excellent. I enjoyed the advanced topics he has as well like Render Targets, Parallax and Relief Mapping.
   
   In regards to changes with 2.0, he has updated the code on his site and it runs with no issues at all! Fortunately, the code is about identical to what it is in the book even with new code. I guess it just proves that not too much had to change between 1.0 refresh and 2.0.
   I would buy this book again. In fact, I will when the author comes out with the 3.0 book.
   
   Get this book ... and don't waste any more time ... make a great game -- it really is within grasp!



3. This is a very well planned book with game development students in mind. Readers who complain that the writer takes off too quickly should keep in mind that the book is categorized as "Intermediate-Advanced" and quite accurately so.
   
   I'm using this as a recommended text for a module I am teaching to diploma students and it brings them up to speed on programming with XNA.
   
   You should get this if you have programmed in DirectX and/or C++; you'll find it a breeze and be amazed by how many things have been taken care / made much easier by the XNA framework and using a managed language such as C#.
   
   The author, Chad Carter, also actively responds to the questions in the book's discussion forums. This is especially important for a technical book such as this as technology is constantly evolving (we're at XNA 2.0 currently), and it helps to know which parts of the book need to be updated (or not).
   
   The only improvements I can recommend for the next edition (XNA 3.0) are:
   1. Consolidated list of errata on the author's website (xnaessentials.com) to make it easier to find and update my own copy / students' copies of the book.
   2. Teaching / supporting materials. However, I must admit that going through the exercises in the book will give you a good deal of ideas and inspirations already.
   
   In short, thanks Chad, please keep up the excellent work.



4. The book assumes you know C#, and basically takes you through the development of a 2D game and a basic 3D FPS style game. As new functionality is added, the book explains the code pretty much line by line. It therefore shows you two sets of simple game design patterns in some detail.
   
   It also makes the book very linear - as new functions are shown in the context of what has been built already, you can't easily just experiment with the different classes on their own. You really have to follow it through as a sequential tutorial.
   
   What I was more hoping for was a more systematic treatment of the various XNA classes, and more of the underlying theory particularly with respect to using transformations. Matrix and vector maths is barely discussed directly at all.
   
   The linear structure and practical focus also means that I didn't find myself able to "dip into" the book and learn more about XNA whilst watching TV for example.
   
   So if you want an extended tutorial on XNA game programming its fine. If you want to really "get inside" XNA and graphics programming, then its not the right book for you.



5. When i started to get serious about XNA i started looking for a good book to begin learning. Like most people (IMHO) i learn better through books and then self training than reading everything online.
   
   The Microsoft XNA Unleashed by Chad Carter is a great book as it is not merely a skim through from the top for XNA but is very detailed. I have just started and i dont think i will be done with the book very soon.
   
   I like his presentation style as well as the detail. I read all the reviews and sure some folks think it is a good book whereas some folks think otherwise. For me when i started reading through it i immediately liked the presentation style. I think (IMHO) that a good presentation style with good material leads to better learning.
   
   I will post an update to my blog as and when i complete this book. Based on my initial 80 or so pages, i like it a lot.
   
   See my blog http://ilovethexbox.blogspot.com/2008/06/microsoft-xna-unleashed.html for updates to the review.

1 comments about The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology.

1. Curious minds that have delighted in games will love this book! I adored the compilation of shared thoughts from "Who's Who" in game design. Aesthetically, the book is so cute! My copy sits on my coffee table. The book had me at the cover...

3 comments about A Gentleman Entertains A Guide To Making Memorable Occasions Happen.

1. "A Gentleman Entertains" takes a surprisingly unpretentious look at men entertaining, though the book is by no means without merit for women readers. The practical advice and simple, elegant recipes cover a broad range of entertaining scenarios, from casual cocktail parties at home to dining out, to family reunions. The South is perhaps the only place left where it is still fashionable to be genteel, and Bridges lives up to his Southern upbringing without coming across stuffy. Leaving no stone unturned, the book touches on everything from tipping to starting a charcoal grill to choosing the wine. Though the title suggests a certain level of sophistication, the author is just as quick to advise readers to use paper plates when the situation dictates as he is to recommend the proper way to garnish a cocktail. Bridges writing style is crisp and on the wry side, though he had more room to shine in "Keeping Up," a delightful series of essays on his upbringing in Slapout, Al., as well as witty observations on life and martinis. I would have liked to have seen him cut loose in this book a little more stylistically, but being the proper gentleman that he is, he wrote a respectable book suitable for any coffee table. It is a fine follow up to his previous outing, "How to be a Gentleman." I recommend it to anyone who is looking for the kind of practical advice on entertaining that bears repeating and never goes out of style.



2. A great, easy read, filled with practical advice. This book takes the "who me??" out of cool entertaining. Highly recommended by the editors of SharpMan.com.



3. This is a rare book that actually deserves 5 stars.
   
   Most books in this genre (including some in this series) are too superficial to be of any help but Bridges does a great job of filling each page of this little book with helpful, practical hints.
   
   There isn't much in the way of recipes or cooking specifics, but that isn't the idea here. Spend $12 on this and $12 on a cook book and you will be set.
   
   In conclusion, the two best things I can say for this are: 1. I have not had to call my mom for any entertaining, non-cooking questions since I got this book. 2. My wife has looked things up in this book.