5 comments about Altered Art: Techniques for Creating Altered Books, Boxes, Cards & More.

1. Altered Art showcases some of the most fun altered art out there today.
   This field is expanding exponentially - it seems so accessible - and offers
   a relief from the generally serious world we live in.
   Not that altered art can't (and doesn't) have a serious side all its own. As illustration, compare the Nori Dress by Dee Fontans on page 140 with I'll Fly Away on page 128 by Betsy Reeves. They each speak to the same theme in two entirely different languages.
   Terry Taylor has assembled an incredible array of talented artists, doing what they do best, altering the bits of our wonderful, wacky, crazy and sometimes sad world into a storytelling vision of art that transcends time.



2. .. brilliance! You won't get through it in a day or two. I have never seen so many photographs in one book before. The projects are awesome and the author, Terry Taylor, has chosen some fantastic designers to display their work. Terry is brilliant and it is evident in his art. This is an extremely inspiring book.



3. It is an absolutely beautiful book, filled with great projects and suggestions. For someone with creative aspirations but little direction, just flipping through the pages provides so much inspiration.



4. I browsed through this book at the local craft store at least three times over several visits before I finally decided to buy it. I sure am glad that I did! Not only is it visually appealing, filled with so many wonderful ideas, techniques, and creative springboards for one's own ideas, but it simply, yet clearly gives directions on so many different techniques. In fact, I think that the only technique that was mentioned but not fully covered was soldering.
   
   Everything else was carefully explained, and beautifully detailed. It does cover: altered art (obviously), altered books, cards, jewelery, dolls, techniques, copyrights, history, and much much more.
   
   I have been creating mixed-media collages and altered art for about 2 years now, so I'd consider myself, well, not a beginner but not as advanced as others. But I believe this book would be helpful to anyone, at any level. I highly recommend it and enjoy it each time I refer back to it.



5. This book is pretty great. There are a bit fewer "great" projects in it than I had hoped for and a few things more basic than I would have liked, but the bulk of the book is great. It's very inspirational and just plain fun to look at. The book shows a lot of pretty piles of found objects without showcasing an actual project made from said items in most cases but there are tons of other examples to look at. There are also several tips on how to do things, such as solvent transfers, which are nice. I would recommend this more to a newcomer to altered art or someone who doesn't mind spending the money to look at things they likely already know how to do. Again, the prettiness of most of it is worth it though.

3 comments about Sudoku - Green (Sudoku).

1. You might wonder how a sudoku puzzle can be poorly designed...the puzzles in this book violate at least two of the rules in good puzzle design. The first is that a well designed puzzle is symmetrical. You should be able to copy the puzzle and rotate it 180 degrees and the numbers should overlap. None of the puzzles in this book are designed that way. The second rule is that there should be only one correct answer. Many of the puzzles can be completed in multiple ways.
   
   Two great things about the book are the spiral binding...and the main reason I selected it initially...and the small size. It fits in your purse so you have an activity with you all the time.



2. This Sudoku book is designed as well as any other Sudoku book I've seen, in terms of puzzle design. Any numerical puzzle can be solved in more than one way if the revealed numbers are few enough.
   
   Try this puzzle. Write your review. I doubt you'll be disappointed.



3. I love Sudoku and I love this little book. It's small enough to fit into my purse and pop it out when I'm waiting for an appointment, during my kids' practices, whenever I have a few minutes to spare. Being spiral bound also makes it even more convenient and compact.

3 comments about Entertaining Science Experiments with Everyday Objects.

1. I like to do science experiments with my grandson who is 6, and he loves them, so I try to find easy things to do for him. I was hoping this book would be better suited to our needs, but I feel like it is for older children 10 or 11 and up.



2. I am a physics teacher in a Mexican high school. We have a big problem in our country because we lack a scientific culture and background. This kind of books are excellent because help to promote scientific ideas without being boring.



3. I think anything by Martin Gardner is great. Enjoyable and for the most part practical.

5 comments about Running Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn.

1. This book is a real page turner. It is amazing it ever got printed, given Wynn's many attempts to strangle the unflattering portrayal it in its infancy. That in itself is reason enough to pick it up and study it.



2. So damaging to his super clean image, Wynn drove the original publisher into bancruptcy and tried everything he could manage to keep this book out of circulation. Steve Wynn vs. the First Amendment (1st 1, Wynn 0).
   
   Certainly did improve Vegas by leaps and bounds, but at what cost? Using public water to build his exclusive Shadow Creek golf course, buying art, jets and NY condos with stockholders money as the stock sank into takeover waters, untimately being shown the door by casino magnate Kirk Kerkorian. Once owned by MGM, things changed. The golf course was opened, the art, NY condo and jet all sold.
   
   How does one man undermine Federal law to build a dolphin attraction? he is on film meeting with a known mobster who used his Atlantic City casino (Golden Nugget) to launder money, but can't seem to remember anything about it.
   
   Fact: the son of a Bino Hall operator rises up to be one of the worlds leading casino developers and owners through some very shady associations. He influences Nevada politics as all people with money are able to, so no surprise there. The mob associations are clearly documented and associating with a convicted felon (Milken) is grounds for losing your gaming license, yet Wynn does so with impunity.
   
   Wynn has brought some great changes to Las Vegas, but after reading the other sidie of the story, you have to ask yourself if the ends justify the means.
   
   John L. Smith has done a great job with the facts surrounding Steve Wynn. Hat's off to him!



3. This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to know more about the character of the man who is Steve Wynn. It is a true account of the way he has conducted himself over his history in Vegas and Atlantic City, not the image projected of him by Steve Wynn and his company. It is well written and concise. John L. Smith does an excellent job presenting the information, including several of the more uncanny incidents Steve Wynn has been involved in over the years by merely presenting the facts as they happened. He asks some very good questions that should have been asked but never were because of who the man is. He also points out numerous things that have been glazed over by the press and various agencies involved. Very informative. A definite must read.



4. If you're looking for a biography-style book about S.Wynn's road to being King of Las Vegas this really isn't it. I'm about 120 pages into it now, and I'm already flipping through to see if it is going to get any better. Here's a little on the book:
   
   VERY detailed! Assuming all is true in the book, you can tell there has been much research and hours of connecting people together in the stories in the book. Unfortunately, the book seems to be just that, many many small stories or bits of stories that rarely link together at once. The book really doesn't have a good time line -- it's all kinda scattered, and doesn't read very well. The worst part about the book is for me it seems the author has an agenda to destroy the reputation of S.Wynn. Every opportunity is taken to say how Wynn was asscoiated with crooked and shady characters. So many of these characters one would never recognize, so there is much wrote about why these characters are shady people, so we all will know just how bad the company of Wynn was. There just seems to be nothing good written about Wynn in the book (so far) and that doesn't seem to be changing. Maybe that's just how it really is, I don't know. There's no wonder Steve Wynn sued these people for putting this book out. If you really want a copy, you can look for mine on ebay. This will be the first book I haven't finished in long time.



5. I am about 75 percent through the book, but I have a good feel for the writer and the content. I'll keep it short so you can make a decision.
   
   I think the book is really full of great Mob stories/conections with Steve Wynn. It is not as detailed as i hoped, but as a S. Calif. person who is intreged with vegas, it is a real eye opener.
   
   The main thing i dont like is that its not like a true biography. I have been reading a Disney biography at the same time and in comparison, its not as good, but then again, I dont believe Steve Wynn really contributed to it or allowed it.
   
   Bottom line, if you want to know about Steve Wynn and his amazing ride to the top of a billion dollar corp., read this book. If you like great vegas stories, give this a read. If you have personal feelings about Steve Wynn, you will either love it or hate it.
   
   Easy read, buy it used, and don't ever give a dime to a Wynn company (my opinion after reading the book).

5 comments about Mutants & Masterminds: RPG - 2nd Edition.

1. The M&M 2nd ed. book is simply an amazing RPG. Using a point build system, it allows for complete freedom to create and customize not just your character, but also their individual powers. You can also faithfully recreate virtually any superhero or anime character if you wanted.
   
   The "balance" in the system between powers is remarkable, considering the freedom given to character creation, and how insanely powerful some comic book villians can be.
   
   I do have two complaints however.
   All the freedom to create your character almost encourages players to make characters that try to abuse the point system, tacking on flaws to reduce power costs, while trying to circumvent the negative effect of the flaw in some way. Though the system is very good at making power flaws exactly that, there are a few small holes that, baring omnipotence on the part of the creator, are bound to crop up in any RPG.
   
   I strongly recommend that any GMs using this system have their players flesh out their character concept BEFORE letting them see the power list or even open the book, as I find this makes for more exciting and "theme based" characters, rather then "functionality-utility-handle-any-situation" characters.
   
   My other complaint is that an average toughness character or villian can easily roll poorly on a "toughness save" (a roll to resist damage) and be knocked out in one hit, as if they had a glass jaw. Since the system uses a d20 as the main (read: only) dice type needed, the roll obviously ranges from 1 to 20, with an equal (5%) chance to roll each number. Since degrees of success/failure on a toughness save are determined in increments of 5, a low toughness character can roll a 20 and laugh off an attack, while a much tougher character can roll a 1 and be severely hurt or knocked out by that same attack. The same holds true for attack and defense, though to a lesser extent. As a house rule, I have been experimenting with rolling 3d6 for attack and toughness rolls, giving a range of 3-18 and making the rolls more consistent (a much higher probability of getting average rolls rather then extremes).
   
   In conclusion, I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone who enjoys superhero RPGs. In 9 years of GMing I have yet to find a superhero system I like better, and I look foward to a possible future edition.



2. I can't believe how great the Mutants & Masterminds RPG is! I have played all sorts of RPGs for ~20 years, and this one is truly special. The Freedom City sourcebook for M&M is one of the best RPG products, of any type, that I've ever owned. Great job, Steve Kenson; great job, Green Ronin!



3. For those of you who remember the original Marvel Super Heroes Roleplaying Game and the DC Heroes RPG, this is their progeny. Take the best elements of both systems and put them together and you have Mutants and Masterminds 2nd Edition. It is, by far, the best superhero roleplaying game I have ever played! Religiously faithful to the comics genre and ALL its myriad facets, I would dare say it has a scope as far and wide as comics itself...which means ANY genre you could name could be faciliated by this system...ANY genre. Mutants and Masterminds is simply the best out there.



4. I think M&M Second Edition is by far one of the best RPGs I have played in a long time. I run a lot of games myself for D&D 3.0-3.5, Star Wars RCR and Saga Edition (Saga being the current one), and even Stargate on occasion. But by far M&M gives anyone cracking into it the first time a awesome setting with almost no limits.
   
   I say almost because there have to be some limits to your character's powers and abilities, otherwise the rest of the players or the game itself isn't fun any longer. But I don't have to worry about going with one of the pre-made supers in the book, or any classes. However one thing I love is there are those pre-made characters or arch-types that you can look to for inspiration or ideas. The system is so free you can take those arch-types apart and redo the stats to fit your idea as well.
   
   For me I started playing D&D in second edition, fell in love even more in 3.0 to 3.5 editions. Been gaming ever since, and the bottom line is I have played many games, many systems, and had lots of fun. But by far this is the best RPG to be a super hero hands down.



5. OK, my 1st all time favorite is probably DC Universe d6 system, but for a simple and generic Supers game, I would say this is tops. My 3rd all time would be TSR's old Marvel system. Now allot of good reviews have been done already, so I'm not going to repeat them here. I got this to run with my two sons, they like easy systems and when I heard all you needed was a d20, well that was great, my youngest son has a heck of a time playing games with different types of dice needed to make rolls with, it starts to confuse him ("roll 2d6 for damage.....huh?, no thats a d8 son"), its a great fast action oriented game with no hit points as well, great for kids and old adults....The creation system could use a little streamlining with less skills and fewer feats and the powers could be a bit more descriptive, but overall that does'nt take away from the games simplicity, thats why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars.
   A third edition with less skills and feats would be great.

5 comments about Woodshop Dust Control: A Complete Guide to Setting Up Your Own System: Completely Revised and Updated.

1. This book provides a complete and detailed writing on the methods for woodshop dust control methods. It covers different strategies for controlling dust from simple respiratory protection devices(masks), shop ventillation and air filtration and dust collecting machines (portable and central units).
   It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each method for different situations and how to optimize each strategy for a given situation. Great and interesting book. Written in practical and easy to understand manner.



2. A very good starting point for anyone interested in woodshop dust control. Does a good job covering the hazards and methods of control of sawdust. It then goes on to describe methods for designing and installing a central dust collection system.



3. Basically what I found is just when the book was getting into enough detail to be useful the section would end.
   
   The book is fine if you haven't ever read an article on dust control. But a two page section on dust control from sanders right at the end of the book??? Come on give us a little meat here. Little detail is given on how to control dust with jigs or with equipment that doesn't have dust control.
   
   I gave it 2 stars because I found it wasn't technically detailed enough to be useful and very vague in areas that really needed attention. Took me 3 hours to read it..I'll put it on the book shelve where ironically enough it will probably gather dust.



4. Very detailed, Easy to read, very helpfull in setting up shop.



5. The book is ok, but I wish he would spend more time on running a DC system in a small home shop. Also, a topic I was interested in (grounding a pvc based system) was brushed over in less than a page.

1 comments about NCAA Football 09: Prima Official Game Guide (Ncaa Football).

1. This is a very informative book, but it's mainly geared for the Xbox 360 and PS3 games. There is some good info for the PS2 and Wii games.
   It gives good explanations on gameplay and the different formations and plays for both offense and defense. It explains what formations and plays are good for certain situations.
   The book breaks down all 120 FBS teams, offenses, defenses, formations used, favored plays, and impact players. It doesn't have the players names.
   It's a good reference for the questions asked in the Campus Legend mode exams. Mascot names, team nicknames,trophies, etc.
   Something like this in condensed form, and specific for each game console, should have been included in each game package.
   It's not a must have, just a decent supplement for the serious NCAA Football game series fan.

5 comments about The Million Word Crossword Answer Book.

1. I've had this book about 1 month now, and although it's NOT a crossword book I use a lot, I've found it very useful when I've come across a clue to which I can not find an answer (and end up with a partially completed word). It's at this point that this work becomes the best crossword 'ANSWER' book I've ever encountered.
   
   A short synopsis of how this book functions...the main part of this book is an extensive list of possible answers, in fact 1269 pages of them; there are absolutely no definitions. It assumes you have a least two letters (in any position) in ANY 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 letter word and then proceeds to give you ALL possible combinations of words (answers) that would fit with the letters you already have.
   
   For example...If you had a seven-letter answer with the second letter being H and the sixth letter being C, and appearing on your crossword page as *H***C*, this book will suggest the words CHALICE and PHYSICS, the proper names EHRLICH and SHYLOCK, and the phrase THIN ICE as possible answers.
   
   To help make the book easier to use, all letter combinations are listed alphabetically; this listing method allows you to quickly find the letters you have and their positions within a word quickly. For example, all four letter words using at least one 'A' and one 'B' would be found listed initially under AB**, then A*B*, then A**B, then *AB*, *A*B etc. until all A & B combos were exhausted. And so on with all the rest of the letters in the alphabet.
   
   The only daunting thing about this system is that the number of possible combos for some of the potential answers can be VERY extensive. So it really helps in some cases (especially with six and seven letter words), to have more than just two letters available, as this will narrow your search down significantly. It becomes obvious that the more letters you have to start with, the smaller and easier the search required.
   
   As you might imagine, some of the words listed as possible answers can be very unfamiliar looking. So to try to help this situation, the authors have developed a 'Glossary' (at the end of this book) that has 24,000+ words in it; words initially found in the main answer section. Each of these words, has a short definition to help explain the meaning of these 'unfamiliar answers', to help you determine if the word fits your crossword definition. Surprisingly, this section turned out to be much more useful and helpful than I thought it would be.
   
   Only one minor concern...this book is big and heavy; toting this volume around is cumbersome to say the least.
   
   Conclusion:
   This book offers the potential solution to many tough crossword clues if your regular definition dictionary is unable to do the job. The only caveat is that you do have to have at least two letters in the word that is giving you trouble; but with this minimum information this book will be a definite asset. 5 Stars.
   
   P.S.
   This book could be classified by crossword puzzle purists as unfair or even cheating in obtaining help for some clues, however, if you've reached the end of the line in some 'obscure' definition, this book will very likely be able to give you the assistance that you need.



2. Nice thick book. Not a million crossword definitions. If you like puzzling with numbers and letters this is it. Opened it and very disappointed. Makes a nice base to set a flower plant pot on.



3. Because I like working crossword puzzles this book is a big help with the really tough ones.



4. I bought this book thinking it was a newer updated publication of A DIFFERENT book I have (wih a VERY SIMILAR NAME). Published in 2004 by the same authors, THE MILLION WORD CROSSWORD "DICTIONARY" has tons of hard to find celebrites, brand names & movies. I love THAT book, and it may actually be the book you are seeking. This book's title is THE million word CROSSWORD "ANSWER BOOK" - and is large awkward book that helps you find a word by "missing letters". Quite frankly, I have an ELECTRONIC crossword puzzle solver that does the same thing in less time and is MUCH EASIER to use. They're small, light, handy, and most electronic versions also spell and unsramble. Trust me, if this IS the type of crossword help you are really looking for, buy an electronic solver instead. If you want answers to clues, buy the MILLION WORD CROSSWORD "DICTIONARY" version.



5. 33 pages missing still the best iv'e found. I called the publisher for a replacement. This must have been a second.

5 comments about Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games: Improve Your Chess by Studying the Greatest Games of All time, from Adolf Anderssen's 'Immortal' Game to Kramnik Versus Kasparov 2000.

1. This review pertains specifically to the first edition. I do not have the second edition and probably will not buy it because I will probably never finish learning everything that I can from the first! I really like the book and have learned much so far. The selection of games is very good and that analysis is good. Based upon some of the other reviews here, it may not be perfect analysis, but it is very good. At first I thought that the biographies were unnecessary because anyone who could use this book would know about the players, but then I learned quite a bit there too. A very good book and at a very reasonable price.



2. This book contains selected games. Both of the masters of new, old all great which will help your ability to checkmate! One Hundred and Twelve games analyzed games study, alone or with your best buddy. The analysis though not real deep makes is light enough for your mind to keep. Want deeper analysis using games get books by Nunn (Understanding Chess) or by Snyder ("Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors"). They are move by move both fun and the the analysis more tighter. These days when it comes to books with games and good analysis you have many to choose so start reading them all it's no time to snooze.
   
   Now down to real business! "The Mammoth Book" contains a wide variety of games over a long time span by many strong players. The analysis ranging from light to moderate in depth is for an intermediate level to stronger player level. This is not a down to basics level book. I was disapointed only in that the book was made out of really cheap paper and is hard to keep open when using (why four instead of five stars). True, I prefer the "every move commented on approach" used by Chernev, Nunn and Snyder, but "the Mammoth book" is still excellent.



3. The authors have put together an excellent collection of great games from the last 175 years of chess history. The book is aimed at the intermediate and advanced player. It starts with a brief introduction to the players and the game for each game and then proceeds to explain and analyze what is happening in the game. It contains the right amount of explanation and analysis to appeal to a wide variety of players and has plenty of diagrams so that the stronger player will not need to have a board and set to follow the action. For the less experienced player, the authors place a aynopsis of the lessons to be learned at the end of the game.
   Although the description of the book say 512 pages, it is actually 624 pages. The amount of material, quality of annotation and reasonable price make this a very worthwhile book to own.



4. I looked at this book (2nd edition) specifically for a game where Nigel Short marches his king across the board to defeat Jan Timman. I got interested in this because chess teacher Fred Wilson mentioned it in his "Four Fighting Kings" tape (available from fredwilsonchess.com).
   It was a real disappointment to see that the book I examined was apparently the result of a printing that went from pp. 481 to 486, then went back to 482 and was missing the first 8 moves of the game!
   So I ordered a copy of the first edition.



5. I purchased this book as a gift for a friend. Many notable games are disected and give opportunity for study.

3 comments about Book of Spirits (World of Darkness).

1. Book of Spirits is a information tome and antagonist book meant for all games within the World of Darkness. To my knowledge, it should be useful in mortal, Vampire and definitely Mage games. I cannot say about Werewolf since I don't follow that, but the authors seem convinced that this will supplement not replace Werewolf books on spirits. References to Werewolf books in this one would seem to indicate that Werewolf books have more detailed and specific information on spirits than this. This book tends to be fairly general about spirits, establishing a level from which storytellers can build specifics.
   
   The introduction as usual sets out what the theme and mood of the book is, though the authors don't exactly do this directly. Rather, they point out that they decided to make the Shadow Realm a mad, dark reflection of an already dark setting. They claim that it should be 'easy enough' to make this spirit world a bit brighter, but personally, I find that this book follows a common method of the World of Darkness: the darkness is greater not because of what they put in but what they take out, and that is harder to counter. Anyway, the first chapter sort of continues with setting the theme and mood, as instead of going into specifics of the spirit world, it recounts stories of how ordinary mortals have been made contact with that world, and sometimes also how the material world has affected the spirit world. It is basically story hooks and background info, and it also establishes a minor theme of the book: including things from Werewolf and Mage that can be used in other games without the fine details from those games.
   
   The second chapter gets into the fine details. It defines the spirit setting. It begins by giving rules on how the spirit world and the material world affect each other, then moves into the points of direct contact between the worlds. Throughout this chapter and the next there are plot hook sub bars and three or four little descriptions of some specific thing for story use. There are locations, but also urban myth type rituals that may give some knowledge or access to the spirit world or other things. After contact are details on travelling and surviving as a mortal within the spirit world. Then comes a general description of the spirit world, various places unusual even there, and descriptions of what is found in the Shadow of urban areas and of natural ones. It is a huge chapter. This might be a good time to mention that White Wolf is no longer putting extensive bookmarks in their ebook versions, and if any book needed more than just chapter bookmarks, it's this one. Eventually, it gets to the fine details of spirits. This whole section is still conceptual, not game mechanic specific. It sets out the life cycle of spirits, defining why they live as they do. It is another long section, but White Wolf sum it up with the phrase "survival of the fittest". This is one area where I find it difficult to adapt to the setting. To me, the natural and therefore spirit worlds should define that phrase in the sense Darwin actually meant, that a creature that survived was fitter than one that got killed. White Wolf uses the phrase in the social darwinist/eugenicist style usually restricted to humans: kill others before they kill you. The spirit world is truly an ugly, brutal place.
   
   After this come two chapters on game mechanics. The third chapter is about merits, mostly for ordinary mortals, that allow them to interact with spirits. For some reason these new merits all have built-in drawbacks. It is a strange addition to the game, especially since the merits seem to mostly be about making it easier for spirits to torment those that have them before getting to the drawbacks. There seems to be little incentive for players to pick any of these new merits. The chapter also has an extensive collection of cursed items tainted by the spirit world and some new fetishes and rites for Werewolves. There is an optional new Discipline for Vampires, that gives them ability and incentive to deal with spirits. Also, while the rites are Werewolf-only, the fetishes can be used by anyone (anyone gullible, in one case).
   
   The fourth and final chapter at last sets out the game rules for spirits. This deals with everything: gaining and spending Essense, the use of Influences, and of course the Numina spirits have. The Numina listing is a mix of things from various previous games with new ones (I presume some are not in previous Werewolf books). Following that are many examples of the various types of spirits. Most of them are quite weak so that the storyteller can expand and adapt them, but a few are strong and good examples of developed spirits. That said, back in the intro it stated that weak spirits are still a big challenge for characters other than Werewolves or Mages. This section includes people that are ridden by spirits, from people as living fetters, to the types of roaming spirits that possess people, to the Claimed. The combinations are as usual quite strange and intriguing.



2. This is a really nice extension to World of Darkness, It's really recommended for NWoD:ers who like me, like horror tales then hero-tales.



3. Although it's met with mixed reactions, this book fills a much needed roll in the new World of Darkness. As the name might imply, it covers spirits... and all things related to them. Only instead of being focused on a particular gameline like, say Werewolf: the Forsaken, the information is much more general and can easily be applied to anything from mortals to vampires to changelings or any other monster. As such, gaming groups that don't have access to Werewolf or Mage (both of which already contain extensive information on spirits) will get just as much usage out of this book as those that do.
   
   The first chapter opens up with Invisible Lore, detailing how spirits interact with mortals and the mortal world, and how human perception color encounters with these alien beings and abstract representations of concepts. It includes a number of sample characters who, with only a little work or re-imagining, could easily be used as NPCs in any game. You've got people who have encounters with djinn, devils and even UFOs, a 'good ol' boy' who thinks he's communing with ghosts of former Klansmen and pagans who think they are paying homage to the Old Gods, monsters under the bed and Hermetic occult systems trying (unsuccessfully) to learn about the Shadow, and folks who inadvertently have become beacons to the spirit world. Even suggestions on how to incorporate tainted locations or use the material with Hedge Magicians from Second Sight. Very good stuff.
   
   Next it moves on to detailing the Shadow itself, and it's denizens. For those who don't have access to Werewolf or Mage, it fleshes out (and expands upon) the material from those books, explaining what the Shadow (spirit world) is, the Gauntlet that seperates the two worlds, Verges, Loci and Blights, and how the Shadow differs from the deepest wilderness to the heart of the urban jungle. Not only this, but it gives some sample locations to use in your games, and methods for mortals (and vampires, etc) to cross INTO the Shadow, and the dangers of doing so. Moreover, it also gives details on how to flesh out spirits and information on their predatory spirit-eat-spirit hierarchy. Great stuff for any game, but the most valuable part is that it includes information on how many supernaturals and their powers interact with the Shadow. That alone is a huge plus for the book.
   
   From this, we jump to a chapter crammed full of useful mechanics. The book includes several new Merits and a couple of Flaws for any games, be they mortal or supernatural, dealing with spirits and the spirit world. Werewolves and Mages aren't left out, and in fact, the former get a couple of new Rites and Fetishes, while the latter get some new Artifacts. Cool but not ground breaking. But for integrating Vampires... well, theres a whole new Discipline called Blood Tenebrous, designed specifically for interacting with the spirit world. Although it is assumed to be a rare Discipline that theoretically any Vampire could learn or develop, the book also mentions it would be appropriate for a Mekhet bloodline (which is not explored further). But the real juicy part here? A new type of Merit - Cursed Items. These are objects that have absorbed spiritual resonance over time, usually quite bad, and can create certain effects... always with some drawback. Think of the monkey's paw or bargains with the djinn and you've got the right idea. Again, very cool.
   
   The final chapter, which is probably the biggest in the book (and justifiably so), deals with spirits themselves. It contains detailed character creation rules for spirits, much moreso than Werewolf or Mage have given, including making them powerful appropriate to their rank and designing their bans, and the Numina. There's easily 60-75 Numina listed in the book, expanding greatly on previous material, so even Werewolf STs will get quite a bit of use out of this chapter. Moreover, theres also a 'spirit bestiary' detailing various things you can throw at your players. Of course this includes some things you'd expect... nature spirits, elementals, spirits of abstract concepts like gluttony and envy. But theres other stuff too. The Hammerbull was freaky, and the idea of elementals of void/nothingess was brilliant. It also includes a fair number of Claimed, mortals who have been taken over/possessed by spirits. And not just humans either, but also animals and inanimate objects. Alot of twists here.
   
   I think alot of people running Werewolf or Mage games might, understandably, be somewhat apprehensive about this book. Nonetheless, it greatly expands upon and clarifies the previous material on spirits, so Mages and especially Werewolves might get even MORE use out of this book than mortals, Vampires, Prometheans, etc. There are alot of twists and cool ideas that break outside of the box, so it'll keep them on their toes. Even so, the other game lines will still get alot of usage out of this book too. In fact, given that they are much more limited in their interactions with the spirit world, it may even make them that much more horrific. Pretty much anything you could ever want to do with spirits is covered in this book, and better still, theres alot of inspiration to use too. Its an essential book for any World of Darkness games.