5 comments about Hellgate London (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Unfortunately, this guide could have been so much more. Instead it is mostly table after table of items without much useful information. It's a shame because this game has huge potential despite its bugs and this guide could have gone a long way towards helping with its potential.
   
   The book is sadly lacking in Strategy tips and even dips so low as to repeat the same tips in multiple places in the book. The maps are slightly helpful and are what makes me rate it two stars.
   
   Even the class sections dealing with the skill trees are simply regurgitating what you can read in the game itself. There is no deeper explanation or suggestions. It is sadly lacking in details.
   
   Normally, I love Prima's strategy guides but this one falls flat.



2. Much of what I learned about the game was from trial and error. The book does not address how to create mods, item crafting, or salvage. It doesn't inform you that some areas are closed off until a quest is obtained from a particular npc for a more distant area.



3. I'm in my 60's and enjoyed this game very much, it has replayability which makes it usable for a long time.



4. I bought this book to help understand some elements of the game a lot more, and its actually a pretty awesome book. The fold out poster looks pretty cool, which is a common banner Flagship Studios use in the tube stations. The other side with the map is awesome, with full descriptions of the complete world map.
   
   The biggest confusion without much detail is the skills, atrributes, etc.. This game describes each skill for each faction/class very detailed. And there are actual dev tips so you can maximum your experience in the game. I'd recommend to any player of the game.



5. I know that people buy these books for many reasons, but if you are looking for help with the quests, save your money. I have had a number of Prima books over the years, some good some better, almost all were helpful. So I didn't take the time to thumb through this before I bought it. Too bad for me. The section on the quests is a total waste of paper and certainly a waste of my money. Whoever wrote this book must have not played the game or the beta and worked strictly from developer's notes.

5 comments about Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Any old time Command & Conquer fan and player. Would not play the game without a book. Come on. There a whole new lay outs and bonus quests to do. Would you go on the road without a road map? The guides are part of the game, they make the game better to play. This is a totaly different game from the pass ones with added bad guy. I never buy a game without a guide. Game packages don't included any good information. That why they stick in guides for added profit.



2. Nice game guide to help you out in a pinch or when your totally lost in game. It's good to get an inside idea of how to and where to go. Well worth the price to get the most out of the game.



3. I thought I was buying a "Game Guide" as the title suggests. I received some crappy C&C 3 "novel".
   
   Lame



4. I beat the game and Beat the last level of nod that had me stuck for 4 months and 30-50 retrys. I was that stuck Sure buying a book cuz of that one level seems a wast, but I WON!



5. I got stuck in the campaign mode, and i bought this book, it really helped me out. The book looks extremely nice with enough info to help you in any details in the game. Fast delivery and cheap price. I give it 5 stars.

5 comments about Internet Texas Hold'em: Winning Strategies from an Internet Pro.

1. Teaches the ins and outs of poker and will help any beginer improve his game. The flop chart is the best asset,follow it and it will help eliminate alot of beginer mistakes. not for advanced readers, but if you are an advanced player Middle limit poker by ciaffane is the best book out i feel for the advanced. This book and the ciafane book are the only two poker books you need if you are beginer or play poker at all. Has turned around my bottom line dramatically



2. The book contians standard information, is written somewhat blandly, and doesn't reveal anything the myriad other poker books have already covered.
   
   I do like the cover though.
   
   I went to the bookstore specifically for this book, but was rather dissapointed when I looked through it. So, take my review with a grain of salt, b/c I only spent approximately 20 minutes reading through the various chapters.



3. The boom in online poker has brought with it an equal boom in how-to handbooks for internet players. The problem is that they're all pretty useless, for the very simple reason that:
   
   Internet poker = real life poker - tells.
   
   Save for some marginally informative behavior like speed-of-play (and you don't have to be a poker genius to figure those out yourself), decisions in online poker are never based on tells, which actually reduces the complexity of the game and makes internet poker an excellent tool to learn the game: it's one less thing you have to worry about.
   Therefore, you really don't need a handbook on internet poker, any good Hold'em strategy guide (like Sklansky's Hold'em Poker and Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players) will teach you all that you need to know.
   That said, Matthew Hilger's book is a good guide for beginning players and offers some handy charts on starting hands and probabilities.
   If you're just starting out and you've never read a book on Texas Hold'em, you might as well begin with this one, but if you've already studied the game, you'll find nothing new here.



4. For those claiming that this is a beginners book, I say you must be quite confused about what constitutes "beginners" material when it comes to the discussion of Limit hold 'em. Also, for those who claimed the book is "boring," why do you buy poker books? To be entertained? NO! You buy them to learn how to win at poker. They are instructional manuals, not bedtime Wilbur Smith novels!
   
   One of the questions that needs to be asked when considering whether a poker book is merely average or exceptional is; "Could I read this book and nothing more and become an excellent, winning poker player?" In this case the answer is a resounding "YES!" Lets just be clear, Hilger is very successful middle to high limit player and this book provides the knowledge to play anywhere from low to middle and high limit games. Almost all of the hand examples in the book are taken from actual hands played at 20/40 or 30/60 games! I personally would go so far as to say that this is a better book for even the middle limit player than either "Hold 'em for advanced players" or "Middle limit hold 'em" which are considered by many to be the two best books for the mid to high limit hold 'em player. (It is my humble opinion that both those books are somewhat overrated. Of course I'm only a low limit player so what do I know? :)) Some might say that is blasphemy but I've read all of them and that's my opinion.
   
   Hilger does a fantastic job explaining the conceptual ideas behind each topic in very basic language, he then provides several very clear hand examples to illustrate the concepts at work coupled with very solid reasoning explaining the logic and thought processes behind each play. Finally, he provides a comprehensive summary at the end of each chapter that really sums up the meat of that chapter. He covers everything one needs to know to play a winning game of hold 'em and does it in simple language that is easy to understand.
   
   This is a great book and is almost as good as what I consider the best book on Limit hold 'em- "Small stakes Hold 'em" by Ed Miller and co. As in the case of SSHE, the only thing missing from this book is a chapter on shorthanded play but hey, you can't have everything right?
   
   Five stars and easily one of the top 5 books on limit hold 'em on the market today.



5. I try to pick up something new from each poker book I read. As I am a new student to the game, I have found the starting hand chart found in this book to be extremely helpful. The chart lays out what hands you should play from what positions, and under what conditions (unraised/raised pot).
   
   But beyond this chart I have to agree with Bartman_9 in that internet poker is pretty much live poker without tells. There were a few pages of specific internet related material and internet tips here and there but not much at all. If you want to play serious online poker and you are somewhat of a beginner, then this book would be a good cold call, however don't expect it to impart an online silver bullet. You can't go wrong with this book, 3 stars.

5 comments about Cruciverbalism: A Crossword Fanatic's Guide to Life in the Grid.

1. I have been doing xwords for 60some yearsand this book told me that I have doing them right. I really love the older style themeless puzzles, but the newer ones are great as long as they are difficult. I read a lot and have been a good speller, vocabulary is so helpful. Stans's book is entertaining and also instructive, and I picked up some hints from him. I am 70 and they say xwords are the way to keep your brain cooking S Linley, Ilwaco ,Wa



2. As a late entrant into the world of Crosswords (53 years old), I found this gem amazingly helpful in refining both my knowledge of and style in working these word puzzles. By following Mr. Newman's simple suggestions, I hae whittled down my time (remember, small case letters!) and increased my ability to take the "Saturday Stumper" challenge.
   Loved the history, characters, wordplay, especially the puns, and easy style. Mr. Newman's writing made me feel like I was part of an interactive discussion of the crossword with his multi-leveled presentation of crossword construction.
   I heartily recommend this to all Crossword enthusiasts.



3. An entertaining little book with some good suggestions for improving your crossword puzzle solving skills. A bit too much self-promotion for my taste.



4. Hey, if you like to work crossword puzzles you're gonna love this book. You will not only be thoroughly entertained, but you will learn a thing or two in the process. Newman's enthusiasm is contagious even though I was already quite passionate about the subject to begin with. Maybe even fanatical. But if I wasn't before reading Cruciverbalism, I probably qualify as a full-fledged fanatic now because I've experienced a distinct improvement in my solving skills thanks to a few insider tips from the master.
   
   Check it out. You'll be glad you did.



5. This work is marred by unexpected self-aggrandizement and mean-spiritedness. In the first chapter, the author lets us know he was able to beat competitors to win three major crossword competitions in a row. He also tells us he was brave enough to attack, in writing, Eugene Maleska, then crossword editor of the New York Times. Dr. Maleska's approach, and one of his apparent flaws as Mr. Newman sees it, was to encourage and use many crossword clues based on classical and obscure references, including Latin words, rather than the more pun-oriented wordplay, and contemporary references approach used by most modern crossword constructors. There is some irony that Mr. Newman's book is titled, "Cruciverbalism - A Crossword Fanatics's Guide..." rather than simply "Crosswords - A Fanatics's Guide ..."
   
   Word play and current references make crossword puzzles accessible to a wider audience, while less common "academic" references often inform and educate. Thus, it is appropriate to contrast and discuss each of these approaches, and consider if one approach is always more appropriate and desirable, or if both should co-exist to appeal to different audiences, or to the same audiences at different times. However, Mr. Newman's comments are not just a reasoned explication and evaluation of these two construction approaches. Rather, his attacks are ad hominem, and appear to reflect a strong and extended personal animosity that has continued even after Dr. Maleska death in 1993.
   
   Mr. Newman has, to me, the ill-manners to note that after Dr. Maleska's death he, Mr Newman, was assigned to edit Dr. Maleska's puzzles. To quote Mr. Newman, this is what the phrase "spinning in his grave" was invented for.
   
   During Eugene Maleska's tenure at the New York Times he produced irritation and anger among some solvers and many constructors, not primarily by his approach to crossword construction which many disagreed with, but more by his notoriously sharp rejection letters to crossword constructors whose work he would not accept. An earlier perceptive reviewer told Mr. Newman to "deal with it"; I agree. Mr. Newman's obsession with Dr. Maleska, and the author's self-promotion, fatally damages what should otherwise have been an outstanding work.
   
   Some reviewers here refer to the author as "Stan". Whether they already know him or not, its clear many folks hold him in high regard. Additionally, the book carries a short endorsement from the current and widely respected NY Times crossword editor. Thus, this work appears atypical of Mr. Newman's attitudes and relationships in the crossword world.
   
   The author is clearly in the top tier of crossword solvers and constructors, and very well versed in the business side of crossword publishing. This work already contains some quite fascinating anecdotes and stories about crossword solvers and constructors, discussion of solution strategy, as well as some interesting history about the growth of the U.S. crossword interest/obsession. Its list of 100 essential words for crosswords puzzles is excellent. If the egregious personal attacks and egocentric references could be removed from any later editions, and the work expanded -- the relatively small format, page count, and margins make this almost more pamphlet-sized than book-sized -- to include more for Mr. Newman's clearly outstanding knowledge of crossword solution strategies, history, construction, and the crossword business this would be an exemplary work for crossword enthusiasts.
   
   The often stated, "It's Not What You Say, It's How You Say It" applies here. Mr. Newman's stories and anecdotes are frequently informative and often fascinating. Rewritten with less animus, this would be an exceptional work. Unfortunately, in its current state, it reflects an inappropriate pettiness, and contains so much vain and boastful writing that it cannot be highly rated.

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

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



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



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



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



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

5 comments about Lego Star Wars 2: The Original Trilogy (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. Overall this game manual is helpfull execept for a couple of Minikit Locations are missing in both Episodes 5 & 6, but otherwise it is pretty thourough.



2. Very insightful, helps me find most of the items I can't otherwise find.



3. HE RECEIVED THIS AS A GIFT ALONG WITH THE GAME AND IT HAS BEEN REAL HELPFUL FOR HIM TO GO BACK TO SHOULD HE BE UNSURE AS TO WHAT TO DO IN A CERTIAN AREA OF THE GAME.



4. Good game guide, it's helpful, covering every chapter in full detail, history and free modes, even when sometimes it is not very clear it helps.
   It misses some canister locations, among them, the most difficult to find, which is the one in the first chapter, but this is hidden in the elevator ramp behind the crane and it's accessed with one of the cars built in previous sections (attainable only in free mode)
   It does not cover the locations for all the red bricks, this would help a lot.



5. Well illustrated and carefully thought out guide. I played the game through the first time without the guide but then bought and read the guide cover to cover before starting the game over again (in Free Play mode). Really added to my enjoyment the second time through. Helped me find things I simply missed the first time. Enjoyable read, especially for a game guide. Great screen captures and art work. Lots of nice extras.

No comments about Bully: Scholarship Edition Signature Series Guide (Brady Games) (Bradygames Signature Series) (Bradygames Signature Series).

5 comments about Code: Veronica (Resident Evil #6).

1. Exotic locales are the springboard in this latest entry of S. D. Perry's 'RE' offering. From a South Atlantic island off the coast of South America to bases at the South Pole on the Antartic continent, exotic realms abound. Add to this a secluded mansion inhabited by reclusive twins and haunted by Bandersnatches, this strange brew conjures an unusual concoction of imagary spanning everthing from 'The Thing' to 'Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass'. traditional elements of gothic novels are prevelant as well. Yet, through all of this, 'Code: Veronica' often remains cryptic as the many parts to this puzzle lose cohesion and the conclusion having the impression of being forced or rushed. At times, the residents of this 'Resident Evil' almost seem unclear how to stay in character. Though there is a bit of a fumble here, S. D. Perry does a respectable job at providing a readable sixth tale for the 'RE' franchise volumes of books.



2. This book was enjoyable. I was glad that Steve died; he was too annoying in the game and the book reminded me why.



3. Apparently these are based on the game, which I have never played. A young woman is held captive by a pair of twins who are related to the whole Umbrella thing. They have a very twisted relationship.
   
   She manages to get out, and meets a boy around the area, and they try and escape, dodging monsters.
   
   Elsewhere, the girl's brother, a S.T.A.R.S. member, decides to come looking for her.
   
   The female twin is the carrier of the T-Veronica virus, meaning she can become a superhuman shapeshifter. This is bad news for some.



4. Oh my god let me just say this book totaly rocked. Reading this book was almost as fun as playing the game. I was totally happy. You must check this book out, and all the other books in this series



5. Out of all S.D Perry's RE books, this one was my least favorite. This may have a lot to do with the fact that I'm not too fond of Claire Redfield and she's the main character in it. I absolutely love all the other books, but this one didn't catch my interest like the others.

No comments about Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) (Prima Official Game Guides).

5 comments about Tomb Raider: Legend: The Complete Official Guide.

1. I'm very happy with this guide. It is very detailed with nice photos. It came in good time and in excellent condition. A little long to read and it does not stay open by itself but very informative and I am happy that I purchased it.



2. I bought this book almost a year after I bought and played the game. First of all, there is only 1 down-side on this book, I expected more page filling art works, scetches, of pictures of the locations. Sure they are in it too, but small and too few.
   But never the less, don't let this spoil the book, because for the rest I found it very handy (and nice) to read. It's written in a funny way, clearly by somebody who also enjoyed playing the game and writing this book, Everything is explained in a clear way, making it sound almost too easy to get all the hidden treasures, and what I also found helpfull was a map of every level, in clear detail, where to find what, how to get there, what to find there. And ofcourse all the unlockable secrets of the game itself.
   All together I am very happy with the purchase of this book



3. This is just what I needed. Being new to the Tomb Raider series, I was in need of something to help me with the in's and out's of the game. With the guide, I have been able to get farther into the game in 3 days than I had managed in 2 months without it.



4. Hi, I'm a lover of Tomb Raider. I've played many of the Tomb Raider games. The last one out; Legend, is very fun and even better then the tomb raider games before. The other Tomb Raider games gave you a phone number to call incase you got stuck. Tomb Raider Legend does not have that. Your best bet is to get Tomb Raider:Legend:The Complete Official Guide. This way you will not miss anything and if you can't figure something out and you've spent hours on it, you can cheat and find out how to do whatever it is you're trying to do or get through. Before purchasing the book I was told of a few different web sites where I could find answers to my questions I have about Legend. Unfortunately, that did not work for me. I'm very happy to have purchased The Complete Official Guide, for Tomb Raider Legend. It's made the game much more enjoyable, even more so than it already was!Tomb Raider: Legend: The Complete Official Guide



5. I guide really help me understand most if not all of the puzzels.The bosses are fairly easy and the each of the courses are are pure fun. I love the construct of the game it's fun granted. Though it may take a little getting use to the set up of the controls.Tomb Raider is the best game that I have played in while