5 comments about World of Warcraft Bestiary (Brady Games Official Strategy Guide) (Brady Games Official Strategy Guide).

1. Why do most folks want from a book like this? Well, you would expect to see a fairly comprehensive listing of the monsters that you meet in World of Warcraft, but you should get more. An effective book would not only provide very basic information, but indicate where these monsters roam and maybe a line or two of information about what/who they are. You won't find any of that extra information here and it is very disappointing. Thumbing through the book, you stumble upon interesting creatures and you wonder, "Hmmm where will I see this one?" yet the book provides zero information in this regard.
   
   The book's organization is rather odd, they don't put similar monsters together because they state that more significant mobs of that species deserve their own entry. Nice concept, but in the end that means there is zero reference that those other significant mobs exist if you only read the main entry for that species. To make matters worse, they have placed an index in the back of the book requiring you to look up mobs by other names that aren't indicated by those other names in the main listings.
   
   Part of the biggest attraction to Warcraft is the extensive lore, and Brady missed a large opportunity to provide fans with lore/context/history on all of these monsters. In the end, it is more of a pretty picture book with information that could have been gleaned online with much more detail. Brady Games really missed the point of a book like this and how valuable it could have been. It just leaves you wanting more than it offers and doing more research on WowHead or Thottbot to get that info. For that reason, the book loses two stars in my review. It might be better to pick up this one on the markdown table somewhere.
   
   One interesting item that it does show you is how often Blizzard utilizes the same character models with just a few different colors!



2. Excellent product and is a pretty good help for looking up beasts info in the game. It does help to let you know what you may be up against in a given area.



3. This book is purely academic, with no applicable use in the game. Yes, it gives you the stats, etc, but nothing else. If the book was going to be of any use, it needs to include the location of the mobs, what they drop, and any quests (if any) they're the target of.



4. I concur with the other reviews of this book. Without disclosing the actual location of NPC this book is not very useful. Considering the other Dungeon manuals also include the loot that drops from bosses this information could also have been included.
   
   Pass on this book and get the strategy guide or the dungeon guides instead.



5. When I heard Bradygames was making this guide, I was excited! Wow, comprehensive information about all the denizens of World of Warcraft in my lap! No more looking them up individually online!
   
   Sadly, this guide is woefully lacking such key information as:
   - Where they are located (even a general zone would've been helpful)
   - Immunities/weaknesses
   - Elite/Non-Elite
   
   Because of this, I find myself not looking anything up in this guide, and still go online for all of my bestiary needs.
   
   If you just want to know how many different creatures inhabit World of Warcraft, and want to see what so-and-so boss looks like, then this guide is an interesting read. If you need any crucial information to keep you alive in an encounter, or even just to FIND a creature, this guide is really no help at all.

5 comments about Project Arcade: Build Your Own Arcade Machine.

1. I like the book. but i wish to warn buyers about outdated parts. in the book and on the cd it lists many links. but many of the website have gone down and are dead. in the description for the book it says it gives details on making controls, but some cases it just gives links. some of are dead. but it does give good info on emulator, encoders and many other things that are hard to find on the web. but i think the man should have cut some parts short and added controle construction.



2. This book covered so much more than what I was expecting. If you have never built an arcade cabinet before then I would recommend this book if only to see how many different ways it can be done.



3. This book is a lot more "Techie" than I expected. It involves taking apart and reconfiguring quite a few things to get what you need. Sure it shows where to buy the components if you wish, but then why not just buy the arcade game already made. It does show you how to build the case. I thought it would show how to take your X-Box or Playstation and build an arcade enclosure to get the arcade feel. That is not what this book is about. You take a computer and several components, plus a moniter to make an arcade game. It is very informative but not quite what I expected. It is not a 1 or 2 weekend project. Do a search for mame to see what I mean. Mame is very important to this project.



4. This is a good book.
   My only thing is most of this is on the internet and may even be more updated if you find the right websites.
   
   But it is helpful as for the beginner will help you plan things out in advance. Would be nice to have a few more illustrations like some sample wire diagrams of the controls etc.
   
   But again..it has lots of reference websites listed in the book that can also assist.
   
   My suggestion is -> don't build a Mame Cabinet if you don't have the internet...because you will need it.
   
   Seems to have covered all the basis and the added cd is a nice touch.



5. Following the Arcade scene for a few years, I've been promising myself this book once I'm ready to sit down and start building my own MAME Arcade cabinet.
   
   After getting the book and skimming through the pages, I was disappointed to find it's either information I've already discovered on my own by surfing the Internet, or the links to additional content or files are severely outdated and a number of external links no longer work. The copy of MAME they provide you is ver 0.7x (Latest incarnation of MAME is over .100)
   
   Don't get me wrong, this book is great for those who haven't already done the research and want an all-in-one book on how to do it. For me however, I gained nothing from the book.

5 comments about The Myst Reader, Books 1-3: Three Books in One Volume (The Book of Atrus; The Book of Ti'ana; The Book of D'ni).

1. So far the first volume is fine. The binding is very nice for this 3-in-1 set. The book looks nice on the shelf, too, very decorative. I enjoyed Myst and Riven as games. Haven't finished Exile yet. But I look forward to reading these at my leisure.



2. Nothing like a compilation for tons of good reading. The classic series comes together so even the Myst newcomer can get an in-depth view of the Myst universe in one fell swoop. All three books are compelling. I am not an avid "alternate universe" fan, and I loved these books.
   
   ANY book-lover will be enchanted by the great "what if" contained in the Myst Saga. Highly recommended.



3. For anyone, from young to adult, who is into Myst, this book, has to be in your book case. I wish it were in hard cover, and I do hope the Myst group, continues with this facinating story. My only regret is, I had to buy a new computer, and It is a Vista based unit, and all Myst programs play on Vista, except Game V, End of Ages. I mention this, here in the book review, because, I just want to give a heads up to those with Vista, who are thinking of getting the game. PLEASE, Myst Folks, Don't let us Vista users down. We have been faithful to you, so Let us enjoy, Game V, too. Buy the book folks. You will not be disapointed. I could not put it down, except for some sleep, till I finished it, and it has only whet my appetite for more, and kudos to Amazon, for their great internet buying service. They have never disapointed me so far, and I have been doing business with them for a few years now. Thank You.



4. A fascinating book that is an interesting read, even if you're not a fan or player of the Myst game series. It provides a more spiritual backbone and reads somewhat like the illustrations you see in the Myst series: like a series of illustrative paintings that are of more simplified detail than the real world, but contain important moral lessons, and stunning visuals. The inclusion of three books gives one the feeling of immense amounts of time passing, though the narrative (if I remember right) only spans about one and a half lifetimes...



5. This book is based on the popular Myst video games.
   
   Ryan Miller along with a co author delve into the story of Atrus and his D'ni history. It's a must read for those who like to get into the whole Myst enviroment.
   
   It is a must read for the on line game that is getting ready to be released! MORE Very exciting.

5 comments about DIRGE of CERBERUS(tm) -FINAL FANTASY(r) VII- Signature Series Guide (Bradygames Signature Series Guide) (Bradygames Signature Series Guide).

1. I thought that this game was great. I was at first a little worried that I would not be able to get the controls figured out, but I did and that was not hard at all. I just love the game cause it had a great story line and sometimes I just need to remove stress and so it is fun just to shoot around.



2. A great guide from Brady Games as usual... helps find those nice unlockables that aren't listed in the manual...



3. It's great game, the CG cut scenes and the music during the entire game is pretty good, some of it has an almost Matrix feel to it.
   If your a collector of the series check out the collectors edition of the game. Jody Bissoon



4. Always pleased with Bradygames strategy guides, and this is no exception. Very helpful, step by step, color photos, just great all around



5. The walkthrough in this book is very thorough and is just about neccessary in order to get all of the memory capsals, some are insanly hard to find without the book. It does not contain any of the extra missions, but this is a slight oversight. Any FF fan will enjoy getting the most out of this game having the book, definant buy.

2 comments about THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).

1. I love having lists of items for RPGs and this guide provides plenty. Details for clothing and buttons are very well laid out. The guide also provides a walkthrough for hte game but I have not used that enough to give a good opinion. If you like having details for items in RPGs then this is a great accessory to a terrific game.



2. The guide is decent and helps you get through the game The World Ends With You. Includes an easy to follow walk-through as well as appendices to useful information about Threads, Noise database, Pin guide. Gives you information about the extra missions after you clear the game. I found the Pin guide most useful.
   
   This guide is not with out a few flaws such as incorrect information about pin evolutions and stating repeatedly that certain pins come from "big" noise when it should have said "pig". Not a big deal though the guide in it's entirety is helpful and the flaws are easily spotted and don't affect your ability to play the game well.
   
   I should also mention that the walk-through is only partially spoiler free. There are a few times when reading the walk-through will spoil a few story elements but it does keep some of the more important spoilers a secret.

5 comments about Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do.

1. Drs. Olsen and Kutner tackle a controversial subject in a clear and thoughtful manner. In Grand Theft Childhood, they demystify the academic research that serves as the foundation for their book, making it readily accessible to parents who want -- and need -- the information. They do so while shattering myths about video game effects and providing thoughtful advice for concerned parents.
   
   Academic research and its requisite statistics can appear daunting, but Olsen and Kutner guide the uninitiated through this maze. Chapter 3, "Science, Nonsense and Common Sense" could serve as a primer for an introductory research methods course (I may use it myself!).
   
   If you're expecting a clear-cut condemnation of video games, you won't find it here. Nor will you find an unfettered endorsement. (So it's likely that neither critics nor supporters will be satisfied with this book.) What you will find: interesting and easily readable background information, some surprises, acknowledgment of the difficulties in drawing any blanket conclusions -- and of the remaining knowledge gaps, and well-reasoned suggestions for what to worry about (and what not to).
   
   As a media researcher and parent of a teen-aged gamer, I heartily recommend this book.



2. Would you too like to turn some heads and sell a lot of books in the process? Well then, all you have to do is write about something that everyone knows but make the opposite conclusions so your book can serve as a force against those who have protested ill effects. There are millions of teens are happy to see a book like this published and thousands employed in the gaming industry who, you can bet will flood the market with this book, hoping to set parents at ease regarding the damaging effects of video games.
   
   No, video games don't led to increased incidence of social dysfunction, violent behavior, and hinder normal childhood development. Just like having firearms in the home don't lead to increased homicides, both accidental and intentional. In fact, it's a great thing to play video games because it increases hand-eye coordination! Sorry, but hand-eye coordination is no longer a skill needed in America since all the factories are in Asia.
   
   Kids don't just play video games for 10 minutes a day. They play them for hours, often leading to sleep deprivation and other forms of physiological neglect. Combined with other forms of docile activity such as Internet chatting, texting, and other crap that consumes children today, we are seeing the most obese teens in the history of earth. In fact, due to childhood and teenage obesity trends, this young generation currently risks a lower life span than its parents - the first time this has happened in the modern era. Wake Up People!
   
   Playing video games is a form of mental programming and even behavioral conditioning. This is a fact. I would like to know how much money these bozos have received from the gaming industry (including Microsoft, Sony, software companies etc.) to conduct research. The irresponsible and blatant wrong assertions in this book should serve as sufficient cause to strip these clowns of their licenses.
   
   The authors confirm what most people with common sense already know - psychologists are morons who are so unintelligent that the had to learn about human behavior from books written by people who have had little interaction with society, rather than learn it through life experiences as a perceptive intellect - the best way to learn about human behavior.



3. I work in video games. There are a lot of books that purport to address the issue of whether violent video games are harmful, benign, neither, or all of the above. Grand Theft Childhood actually delivers. It contains summaries of research conducted by the authors as well as (very often) the data they compiled so you can satisfy yourself. Their positions are nuanced and a bit surprising - although they note that kids are able to distinguish between violent games and real life and that they're not induced to be violent because of them, they also note that the amount of cursing in violent games often makes kids uncomfortable because they know those are "bad words".
   
   If you're interested in the space, this is an interesting read. If you work in the space, you should own this book.



4. As I scrolled the other reviews on this book, I had to check periodically to make sure the reviewers read the same book I read.
   
   While the book thoroughly trounces the idea that political, and more importantly parental decisions should be made based on any existing research, it does not seem to give a pass to anyone (including the authors themselves.)
   
   I did not read anything that offers a vindication of any sort to the 'anti-Thompsons' who believe that kids must play games in order to be better than their non-gaming classmates.
   
   What I've taken from the book is that until much MUCH more research is conducted, the only research that I can trust is sitting with my own children, watching them play and discussing their reactions.
   
   I guess my primary disconnect with most of the other reviews is the opinion that the authors 'really socked it to the politicos' and are giving the gaming industry some kind of free pass to make and market anything they desire to children.
   
   That's not what I read.



5. Violent, sexually explicit video games are corrupting today's youth! Our children are becoming desensitized, isolated, warmongering zombies and we need look no further than the game box for inciting influences behind such incidents as Columbine, Paducah, and Virginia Tech. Today's children are more aggressive, sexually active at younger ages, and even more foul-mouthed than ever before thanks to the rampant societal disintegration promoted in games like Grand Theft Auto, Vice City, and S.W.A.T.
   
   Well...not exactly.
   
   According to GRAND THEFT CHILDHOOD co-authors and social scientists, Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl K. Olson, there aren't enough up-to-date, clearly defined studies to make any determinations about the effects of graphic video games on children's behavior. Most data cited by public officials, watchdog organizations, and the media is at best inaccurate supposition which fans the flame of societal panic and ultimately diverts attention from the real issues.
   
   Kutner and Olson give a thorough context to their study, laying out the details, methods of investigation, inherent shortcomings, and need for further research, all in an informative, straightforward manner. The information can be a little dense to slog through at times, with the authors packing quite a bit of information into one book. (Everything from a brief history regarding previous research studies -- or, rather, lack thereof; the attributes and flaws of the game industry's current rating system; to an in-depth recounting of their own study's results).
   
   That being said, I am the first person to jump ship when it comes to dry recitations of scientific data, but not once did I consider abandoning GRAND THEFT CHILDHOOD. I found it an invaluable, thought-provoking treasure trove of information which any concerned parent or gaming teen would do well to read.
   
   Reviewed by: Cat

5 comments about Hacking the PSP: Cool Hacks, Mods, and Customizations for the Sony PlayStation Portable (ExtremeTech).

1. You can find many useful tricks and guides to learn about your PSP.
   One of the most useful is to learn how to disassemble it.
   There's a battery charger, and other nice stuff you may not be aware of. Some of the chapters fall on useless tips but...whatever...and also...with the fact that homebrew software has been even more restricted with every firmware upgrade, 3 chapters are just now useless. Unless our dearly hackers find a way to reverse these features :). Anyway if you can pay less than 15 go for it.



2. Despite the obvious reference to programming in the title (alas, the term "hacking" has been used for much less worthwhile pursuits lately), the book contains very little with respect to writing applications for PSP. Instead, it's largely devoted to electronic and aesthetic "hacks" - like making a PSP holder for your car.
   The book barely touches on development, only mentioning the toolkit and a few installation steps, which makes its title a lot less meaningful.



3. Even if you think you know it all, you're bound to learn something here. Some of the info is pretty basic, but there's a lot of stuff I didn't know you could do. There's also interesting mod projects and whatnot. The only drawback is just the nature of print media in a constantly evolving area like this (example, the firmware roll back stuff has changed a lot in the past few months.) Still a recommended book for PSP fans.



4. This is a good book, but it is not from folks who are not techies



5. At the time of the writing of this review, there is no hack to downgrade PSP firmware V2.81 or higher. Downgrading your PSP's firmware is essential for many (but not all) of the hacks provided in the book; e.g. running homebrew software won't work under V2.81+.
   PSP firmware V2.81 was, I believe, released in the fall of 2006. The current version is V3.80. Thus, if you bought your PSP only recently, you may not be able to use a lot of the stuff in the book unless a hack for the newer versions becomes available.

1 comments about Too Human (Prima Official Game Guide).

1. While the material in the guide is very excellent, the print is quite small at least to me. In Fact, I would have no problem paying a bit more for the guide if the print was larger. I would've liked to see maps for the cyberspace items as well.
   
   Still, all in all a good guide for the game.

3 comments about How to Do Everything with Second Life® (How to Do Everything).

1. This book offers sound advice on almost all aspects of Second Life from social interaction to scripting, building, and texturing. It goes into fine detail on the workings of the user interface with great time saving tips and tricks for all levels of experience. It's by no means a dry technical read. The author does a good job of tying all of the topics together through examples of practical experience within Second Life.
   
   I keep this book on my computer desk for quick reference. As an experienced user with a bloated inventory I found the topics on asset backup, inventory searches, and inventory organization extremely helpful.



2. This is the most up-to-date and comprehensive guide to SL that you'll find -- no need to look any further. It includes general information about how to get started in SL, what to do and where to go -- and it also contains easy to follow, step-by-step information about the things you are likely to be doing there: building, shopping, meeting people. Handy quick keyboard guide inside the cover that will be useful to both new users and seasoned veterans!



3. I actually created a second life account and canceled it because of the frustration of not nowing how to navigate through the environment. This books is the most awesome ever for SL and how to navigate through the environment. It includes a lot of shortcut keys and scripting to further advance your knowleddge in the Second Life Environment. This book is highly recommended for those that have no idea of how to navigate the platform and would like to learn how to use the grid, create skin, camera moves, buying land, buying shapes, creating textures etc. This books discusses everything you want to know, desire to learn and more!
   
   Lanesa Stubbs

5 comments about BioShock Signature Series Guide (Bradygames Signature).

1. I agree with a different reviewer in that you really don't need this book. I only looked at it while playing this game once and what I was looking for wasn't even there (don't remember what it was now or I would say). I've decreased what would've been a 3 star review to 2 because Bradygames' QA people are slipping. My cover is glued on backwards, upsidedown AND offcenter - the copy I was sent should've never made it off the production line!
   
   Bradygames and Prima both normally do a descent job with their guides and its not that this one isn't OK but you really don't need it at all in the the game ... I was mostly put off by Bradygames' lack of quality assurance with this one (the cover is horrible!)



2. This is the offcial guide to one of the greatest video games in years. Unfortunately, it seems they focused on how NOT to give answers as much as possible. It is full of hints, but hardly any answers. If you want to pay money for a book to get hints and clues to the answers, then this book does its job. If you want the answers (such as the combinations to locks) then try the internet.
   
   It even does not give a good summary of the storyline. I have found the Wiki's version of the story to be much more comprehensive.
   
   The book provides good illustration of the game. It provides some good advice, such as the 5 best Plasmids and how one should spend the money at the Circus of Values. Other than that, its clues are very skimpy and even stingy. For example, I have tried to obtain the keys to the Chomper's Dental for many hours. This book merely says to look for it using newfound plasmid (Telekinesis) in the Dandy's Dental. It wasn't helpful.
   
   I suggest using the internet as the guide, and not this book, which annoyingly tries to be cryptic and give as few answers as possible to the paying reader.



3. This game is great. I've been playing it for days on end. The ability to save, or if you get killed go back to a preset condition or start over at a preset game level makes getting killed not so hard to take. I've finished the game once and started all over again. It's addictive.



4. It is a fun game, though the final boss is the easiest part of the game. I could not bring myself to play it a second time to get the few achievements I'd missed. Even changing the difficulty does not do more than affect how fast you kill and are killed. The surprise 3/4 of the way through was great, though the ensuing battle is on autopilot. Being able to hack the automatic defenses around town to use against the bad guys adds some interesting strategy against the infinite stream of evildoers. That was the most annoying part for me, to be sent back to a rez chamber (thankful that damage on enemies persists when you die) only to find an enemy right outside the chamber who esnds you right back in. Second most annoying is when you die while firing a weapon and you just keep on firing and wasting ammo against the chamber door when you come back to life. There is an option to turn the chambers off with a download, but I never did.



5. Bioshock is a videogame masterpiece. This strategy guide is complete and will help you if you are lost or want to know the best way to survive in Rapture.