5 comments about Chess for Children.

1. This book is an excellent place to start teaching children chess. I almost gave it four stars because I don't think children under 7 or 8 will be able to tackle it themselves without an adult. It would still serve as an excellent guide for older children and teens and with an adult's help any younger child would love it. It has great outlines and pictures of how the pieces move, the rules, special rules (en passant for example) and can be referenced easily by anyone. Great job by Mr.Chandler.



2. I bought this book for my children's school library. I am the chess coach at their school and have been making efforts to increase the library's collection of chess books for children. This book is a fine addition to the collection. As I read through it I thought that my K-2 crew would probably enjoy it more than my 3-5 crew, but so be it. I think learning any activity should include reading about it, in addition to having personal instruction. This book will help those little ones to develop good learning habits and good chess habits as well.



3. This book is great for teaching beginning children all about playing chess. It uses simple language, and clear explanations, for easy understanding. Cartoon character images help to keep children interested as Kirsty (a pet alligator) teaches George how to play. No prior knowledge of how to play required.



4. I am using this book to teach my two older children (6 and 4) and my wife (who never learned) how to play chess.
   
   It is WELL done at having bite sized lessons followed by exercises. (I add some additional ones of my own.)
   
   I was concerned about the algebraic chess notation lesson with my four year old, but he did great!
   
   The best part about this book is that it isn't just a "here are the rules" book. Last night we went through the lesson on the value of pieces and talking about whether a swap is good or not. Some other really good lessons are the ones showing common checkmates, that talk about what to do when in check, and the chapter on forks, pins, and skewers.
   
   This is a great book, but understand that it is for the absolute beginner. I think it is going MUCH better using this book than if I had tried to teach the kids just by myself.



5. Great book. Uses things to interest kids. For example, the alligator story throughout the book is written on a kid level. While teaching chess, get them to read the conversation also. And the use of a "terribly tough test" is great. All questions are worth a point, so it gets them interested if they know they are scoring points. Much like the searching for Bobby Fischer movie. The points get them interested and wanting to do more and better. Also teaches them in a good progression. For instance, rooks and bishops, then queen. Makes sense since a queen is a combo of the two. Also gives great diagrams which they will see later with chess puzzles, such as the ones in chessmaster. I highly recommend. My son is 8. I can see this working for a 7 year old, but 6 and under might be hard.

5 comments about Color Works: The Crafter's Guide to Color.

1. Colorworks is a great introduction to color theory for people who
   work in fiber arts, packed with lots of examples of color schemes
   worked out in knitting, weaving, beads, quilting, paper, machine and surface embroidery. While it is not nearly as in-depth as the now out-of-print Color and Fiber, it is also more accessible. It is also not as specific as Mary Fry's Color for Needlework, but it provides a good, solid ground for a stitcher's exploration of color.
   
   Almost half the book is made up of color tools, including palettes of each of twelve hue, ranging from fully saturated hues to extremely muted tones and shades. A Color Wheel and Value Scale are also provide. A series of templates has holes cut out to be used in conjunction with the color wheel to find color combinations.
   
   The seven chapters of the book cover all the major topics in color
   studies. There are chapters on color relationships, value,
   contrasts, and harmonies. Each sub-topic within the chapters is
   given s page of text. Next to it are nine samples in various media
   showing the principle discussed. These examples use the same design from page to page, varying only in the color used. As much as anything, this gives graphic demonstration of the topics and will fuel stitchers' imaginations.
   
   The last two chapters apply color to specific media. The sixth
   chapter discusses the characteristics of media in relation to color. Most folks know that shiny surfaces look lighter than matte surfaces, but how does this apply to knitting yarn or beads. Knowing something of the characteristics of yarns before you shop will help you in making choices. The final chapter, shows how a color scheme is developed in each of the nine crafts used in the book. Paper scraps show the basic colors involved while the text outlines the color harmony used as well as the specific colors. A value scale on paper is included and samples of the media used are also included in the illustration.
   
   This book provides just enough information on color to get a
   craftsperson started with this exciting topic. Unlike many books on color, this book doesn't talk about mixing colors, since these
   materials are all discreet. But it should be considered a starting point for color exploration, not a complete book.



2. If you are a craftsperson, this is a terrific reference tool! The examples of spinning, beading, weaving, quilting, and embroidery really show you how color works in each realm. Best of all are the tear out color wheel and color harmony overlays that get you thinking about your palette.



3. Deb Menz's Color Works is about color combination. There are numerous illustrations of theory and practice. The pages of samples showing several mediums makes the book for me. The same color on yarn, fabric, seed beads, or paper has a different resonance. The text illustrates how color/medium combinations "can be dramatic or theatrical." The examples push the reader to consider alternative color choices. Goethe's color theory of relative proportions is convincingly illustrated. Deb Menz offers practical methods to add more colors (hexad harmony) while avoiding a rainbow look. There's plenty to retrain the eye and mind.



4. Really, this book covers all you'll need to experiment with color. I never knew that so much was involved when making color choices. It's not hard to understand, but it took me a bit to understand the chapter on value. Once I read it through twice, though, it all started to make sense.
   
   It also contains a color wheel with punch out overlays to help you choose colors. I did find them hard to punch out, as another reviewer stated, and ended up using scissors to cut the perforations.
   
   This book is just packed with information. If you are interested in exploring color, you'll find this book very helpful.



5. the colors seem dull and dark. why use a black background for the samples and examples? those pictures look a little out of focus, shadowy, and dark. i really like everything else about this book, but expected much better photography. i want a visual feast when i sit down to explore color. this was uninspiring.

5 comments about Professional No-Limit Hold 'em: Volume I.

1. I've read and re-read all the classics (i.e. Theory of Poker, Super System, Harrington on Hold em, etc etc etc) I cannot say for sure that this book is a classic, but I definitely feel that it stands out amongst all other poker books who have not yet acheived classic status but still want you to pay classic prices. Other reviews give specifics about SPR (stack to pot ratio), planning hands, and other topics in the book, I wont get in to that. I will say that they manner that these topics are presented in the book are innovative, straightforward, and an advantage to the strategy of a serious poker player. Will the use of planning your hand before the flop allow you to outplay your opponents and show a profit? Maybe - Maybe not, but the thought process of how to use this information is a definite advantage because I feel that many players think exploitively but not necessarily in the context that this book presents the material. Poker is the type of game where if you are static instead of dynamic, good opponents will exploit your tendencies. This book gives a different perspective on (i.e pot odds) ratios when discussing SPRs. This book is the type of reading that will truly improve your game because it causes you to think on a different level. When you think on a different level it always improves your game because it adds variables that you consider in making important decisions. The more information you have to make that decision, you will undoubtedly make better decisions. In my opinion, the method that they present some of the material is not discussed in any other book I've ever read, which to me indicates that they're doing something right.



2. I just completed reading this book, and I'm an active NL cash player. My overall impression: the book was absolutely worth the money, and worth the time spent reading. I'll get Vol II. I'd recommend the book to my poker playing friends.
   
   Clearly, I think the book is overall pretty good. I don't, however, think the book deserves the level of praise it's getting here, because it does have it's flaws. Much of the core of the book revolves around SPR (simply: effective stack size / pre-flop pot size), and manipulating the pre-flop betting to get you the SPR that is ideal for your hand. But *why* are those SPRs desirable? He determines it based on how many pot-sized bets it takes to get you all in. That is a flaw, in my opinion - he builds into the math the assumption that bets and raises are the size of the pot. Sure, sometimes they are, but often they are not.
   
   Don't get me wrong: your stack size absolutely effects how you play different types of hands. But he takes the idea of specific SPRs way further than it should really go; it's pretty core to his play style.
   
   Another pet peeve I had was places where he recommended get pot committed / all-in "so that you don't have to face any tough decisions later in the hand". (He is not the only author that gives this advice, but it rankles me everywhere I see it). Basically he is saying, get your whole stack in, so that you don't have to make choices later. I think choices are a good thing, especially given that I'll see more cards and have a better basis for making decisions later - I don't want to self-limit my choices ahead of time! That advise is only worthwhile to someone who habitually gets bluffed off the best hand.
   
   Over all, though, the book was good and I felt I got some valuable ideas from it. I like his ideas about planning out a whole hand early, and deciding if you will or will not get committed to a pot before you have put much into it. (I see so many players that call a few bets and suddenly realize on the turn that they already have 1/3 of their chips in).
   
   Get it, read it, learn it, but in my opinion, take it with a (small) grain of salt.



3. I used to be an avid poker player but had to slow down when I got married and had kids. Anyway ... this book is a good text on breaking down how one should/could approach thinking mathematically about the issues in no limit hold'em. One key concept for me was how buying in short kept me mathematically from getting burned so much, because I overplayed top pair top kicker when stakes are 100BB+. It is definitely not for the casual player and requires some study to understand the concepts. I've read this book as well as the Slanksy and Miller No Limit text. This one is better, but only marginally. In all honesty, both have not "done it" for me like the Small Stakes Limit Hold-em text or even Slansky's Hold'em for Experts, which are both clearer and very informative. Perhaps that is because no limit is a more complex game or the concepts in limit are easier to convey. I'm hoping that Harrington on Cash (which should be released any day now -03/08) is better in than these texts. Nonetheless, I fully intend to finish the series if they publish more. (What else would I buy with those pokerstars FPPs?)



4. This is a great poker book. Easy to read and understand. I think it has taken my game to the next level. However, it is not a good book for beginners. This book assumes you all ready know how to play poker and teaches you how to think and play like a pro. There are some great books out for beginners, but this book is not one of them. However, This book is a must have for advanced players. It was worth every penny.



5. A book that highlights the message "plan-the-hand" for NL play. Sounds simple. In reality it often isn't.
   The authors take you through the planning proces and give advise that is very helpful, not just in theory but also in the heat of the battle. Key advise is, prior to making a pre-flop bet, to decide on which flops you do want to commit your stack and on which flops you don't, and to estimate for your starting hand the percentages of both types of flops. Subsequently bet/raise pre-flop such that you realise the right stack-to-pot ratio on the flop for the purpose of your planned post-flop play. The authors give practical advise for various classes of starting hands/flop combinations what is the optimal stack-to-pot ratio. Some of the analysis leads to pre-flop betting that - prior to reading the book - I would have classified as over-betting. However, the analysis in the book is sound, and it definitely helps keeping a robust rational approach to the game.

5 comments about The Original Rider Waite Tarot Pack.

1. It was a gift for my mother, she loved it. Its really different from others that she had.



2. This deck is great for beginners and veterans. The art is beautiful and I have been able to get very accurate readings with these cards.



3. This is a classic set, which includes mini size of the book The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by Arthur Edward Waite. Essential for any serious student of the occult, magic, gnosis, and of course the tarot.



4. This is the best, basic set to learn with and to carry anyone until they find their personal style and a set (or sets) that speak to them.



5. For those interested in Tarot, no matter your level of experience, this deck and book pack are a great value. However, those with less than perfect vision may wish to consider other similar items instead, or may even want to purchase a seperate book and deck. The book included with this pack is in EXTREMELY TINY print making it difficult to read.

5 comments about The Ultimate History of Video Games: From Pong to Pokemon--The Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World.

1. The book is really good, although I think at the beginning it focuses only in the Atari point of view, a lil incomplete but hey, you could write an entire encyclopedia about gaming and it would still be short.
   
   But still if you are a gamer or a businessman, this is a must have, must read and must memorize.



2. As others have stated, this book truly lives up to its name. Jam-packed with more information than you can imagine, all written in a lively, entertaining style. Set aside plenty of time though - you won't be able to put it down!
   
   Bottom Line: An absolute must-own for any gamer. Period.



3. Very Sad I wasted the money on this book.
   
   It has some good factual material and seems to be complete...but comparing against other video game history books...this one is dry.
   
   Very few black and white pictures...
   
   This book will put you to sleep...sorry just not happy with this one.



4. Having been playing games since 1989, when I was four years old, I feel like video game history is a part of my own personal history. I picked this book up to satisfy my nostalgic needs, but I do have a few problems with it that left me wanting more. First off, I want to say that this book is a quick and easy read, and it is incredibly informative about the history of console and arcade games, ranging from the origins of company histories, to the Atari, all the way to the Playstation 2. I learned a lot of interesting little tidbits of information packed away in video game history that I've never even heard working at a game store for the last year.
   
   Now on to my problems with the book...the biggest one is that I've been more into computer games than consoles since Doom came out in 1993, and this book is severely lacking in any PC Gaming storyline. The book does talk about DOOM revolutionizing the 3d graphics in computer games, and details a little bit about "Doom clones" such as Duke 3D and Quake, then says nothing about PC games for the rest of the book. What the heck! As if Age of Empires, Warcraft, Diablo, Everquest, Ultima Online, or any other '90s computer game wasn't as important as the countless Mario and Sonic sequels!
   
   Another problem with the book: It's seven years old! A lot has happened since then. Update, please!
   
   All in all, this book is a must-have for anyone that grew up on Mario and Sonic. The book focuses more on the successes and failures of the companies involved (Atari, Activision, Nintendo, Sega, etc.) than the evolution of gameplay, but not so much that it loses the average sitting-in-front-of-the-TV gamer. I just wish out of 624 pages the author could've dedicated more to PC games, and that an update would come out soon.



5. I think this book should be renamed to "The Ultimate History of ME!" cause it pretty much tells the story of my life growing up with consoles and trips to the arcade.
   
   It's a wealth of knowledge, the most concise history of video games you'll find out there - and best of all it's a fun, exciting read. The size can be a bit intimidating, but any fans of video games will fly right through this.
   
   Highly recommended for any former video game addicts from the 80's like myself!

5 comments about The Big Book of Brain Games: 1,000 PlayThinks of Art, Mathematics & Science.

1. This was purchased for two kids, 9 and 13, to take on a trip for use in the car or the expected rainy afternoons. Fun to do and a challenge for their grandparents, too.



2. A superbly designed book of puzzles. You will find all types of "brain games" with different degrees of difficulty clearly marked. An index at the end of the book allows you to choose a "brain game" according to its type and degree of difficulty. Solutions to all brain games are at the end of the book.
   Very colourful and inviting for all ages. Just leave it on your coffee table and all the family will stop to browse it and try their hands (or brains rather) at any of these attractively presented puzzles.



3. This book is great! Very fun...the only parts we don't enjoy are the parts you are supposed to cut. We don't want to cut up our book so we most likely won't do those activities. Our favorites are the activities that don't require anything but our mind or that we can read to each other. Very fun to do with another person to pass the time.



4. I bought this as a Christmas present for my 3 kids, who I homeschool. They have all been enjoying the puzzles, which are very challenging for both kids and adults! The graphics are very colorful and appealing to kids. This is a great book to leave out on the coffee table - I highly recommend it!



5. This book is SO much fun, and there are many challenging puzzles to figure out. It's addictive!

5 comments about Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America.

1. This story takes place in the late 1800s, early 1900s. You will fall in love with the horse like all of America did! He was adored wherever he went and broke many records. I wish I could have seen this horse. I hope to see a movie based on this book. It would be a good one!



2. This book is an incredibly well written account of the life and times of the pacer (and equine celebrity) Dan Patch. The author took great care to include historical and modern day accounts of the people who were closest to Dan, and those who currently keep his memory alive. The flow of the book keeps your interest from waining. It touches on the practical uses of the pacer at the turn of the century, and the inevitble decline in the use of horses for transportation as the automobile came to reign supreme. The author discusses the differences in Thoroughbred racing versus Standardbred racing as well. In our current state of dependence on ever increasingly expensive gasoline to fuel our vehicles, I began to think we perhaps made a mistake when we gave up on the role of the horse as local transportaion.
   I wish I could have met Dan in the flesh. He sounds incredibly personable, friendly, and talented; characteristics we could use more of in our heroes today.



3. If you like horses and history, well-told at a brisk pace, this is the book for you. Charlie Leehrsen's prose seems effortless and keeps you reading, carrying you along for the ride. Even if you've heard of Dan Patch, you'll enjoy learning fascinating details from this book. Maybe it will inspire a movie, but if not, simply bask in the tale as it unfolds.



4. Since I am a standardbred trainer I can relate to this book. I also think that everyone can understand and like reading a part of sports history. It is very well written and a very interesting story.



5. I was really looking forward to reading the book, Crazy Good but I just finished it and was disappointed. Oh, not in Dan Patch-a remarkable horse- but in the way the story was told. This is no Seabiscuit of a story. While it has a lot of stats it has much less heart. What I did get from the book was an insight into how cruel the world of racing is. Doping horses was as prevalent then as it is now and no matter how well a horse may be housed, ex-Barbaro, in the end it's all about the money.

5 comments about The Everything Crossword and Puzzle Book.

1. I you have a loved one doing some unfortunate incaraceration time, this is a great gift. It helps pass the time, promotes humorous conversation with other cellis, and it stimulates the mind. It will last some time and it is an acceptable gift if you order it and have it shipped from Amazon. It will not be concidered contraband unless they decide to wet it and make a sculpture or something. Everyone enjoyed it.



2. I actually bought this book for my dad - an older gentleman who needs to keep the ol' brain pleasantly occupied. I coupled it with a (ubiquitous) sudoku set, too. He told me last week that he's been rationing them out so he won't finish the book too soon. Great stuff.



3. Not a bad puzzle book really, maybe not as good as some others but Ok nonetheless. However, they skimped on proofing I think, as the easy crossword puzzles are listed as the medium and vice-versa. A little discombobulating!



4. this is a great book. you must be an extreme crossword lover. i give it a three because all the puzzles are just too hard for me, not including the find the word. a little unfair rating, but it just wasn't what i expected. i wanted to see at least one suduko puzzle.



5. Working these puzzles is a great way to keep mentally fit, and this collection provides varying levels of challenge and types of brain-builders. Enjoy!

5 comments about Texas Hold'em For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies)).

1. This book was a nice read and I really enjoyed some of the information that was presented in this one. Some information was new that other books, including ones that claim to teach you the secrets of the pros, decided to leave out. My only complaint is, that it being a For Dummies books makes a lot of references to "We'll cover this later" or "Head back to Chapter 7 for a review on this "



2. A great boof for beginners! I have just started plating poker and this book has really helped me understand the game!
   
   Also, provides some neat strategies.



3. Harlan's text is light and fun to read, yet very useful, concise and to the point. Differently than other poker books that scare you away by starting off with a lot of math and statistics and pot odds, Harlan goes through many other important and interesting poker stuff such as optimal starting hands, betting strategy for each round and table position, reading your opponents, different sorts of game - home, online, casino - before spaeking abouth the math (which, byt he way, he does in a very agreeable way, keeping it simple and straightforward - maybe because he knows his stuff - he is an applied math degree). the book also has easy to follow examples and real life anecdotes, keeping all that poker theory closer to what the average player will encounter at next Saturday's $10 poker night over his friends. It's definitely the first book on Texas Holdem you should buy, and you'll learn an awful lot from it.



4. I didn't know how to play poker until this year. I learned the rules and played a little online, but had no idea what I was doing. I picked up Texas Hold'em For Dummies and started practicing more and more online. A couple of weeks ago I was at a casino and decided to take a seat at a real poker table.
   
   I was nervous when I sat down and was sure I would make a lot of mistakes. I remembered the advice and strategy from this book, played my hands according to the Harlan and Derossi rules, and found that I was winning pots. In three hours of play I doubled my money and felt a lot more confident about playing poker, both real-world and online.
   
   This is a great book to learn the basics from, and it gives the beginning player a framework for learning. It's not just a lot of rules and lists, though; there are explanations for everything the authors advise, and plenty of real-life anecdotes.
   
   This book taught me how to play poker and gave me the confidence to actually play the game.



5. I am a big fan of televised Texas hold'em, but when I started playing with a group of collegues, I realized this is a tricky game. Texas Hold'em for Dummies is a simple-stupid book that teaches you everything required to survive at the poker table. Easy to understand, plenty of examples, and a great reference if you forget anything. I gived this book two thumbs up-

5 comments about Mensa Guide to Solving Sudoku: Hundreds of Puzzles Plus Techniques to Help You Crack Them All (Mensa).

1. The information contained in this book is informative and useful to the Sudoku solver, but the construction quality of this book leaves a little to be desired.
   
   Within 2 days of receiving this book and working puzzles in it, pages came loose from the binding and started falling out. The binding on this book is terrible. If you want this book, use extreme care handling it otherwise the pages will fall out.
   
   The information is good, worth 5 stars. But the poor quality of the binding knocks 2 stars off.



2. This book gets five stars because it is the first book I found that actually helped me get better at working hard puzzles (and I was no slouch before I got this). I see some reviewers complaining about the puzzles being smaller than many books, which is true, but this book has over 700 puzzles in it. I'll take more puzzles any day.



3. After solving many puzzles, I found 3 star and lower puzzles too easy, but I occasionally came across a 4 star puzzle that I could not solve without guessing. This book gives you multiple advanced solving strategies that should allow you to solve any "solvable" puzzle. I was disappointed to learn from the author of this book that some puzzles that indeed have one unique solution can only be solved by guessing. The 798 puzzles in this book, however, are guaranteed by the author to be solvable without guessing. So far, I have found this to be true. Hence, I have spent long hours on some of the puzzles with ultimate success without the fear that I am simply wasting my time. I agree with other reviewers that the grids are too small for the amount of note taking that is required to solve them, so I have been transcribing the puzzles onto larger photocopied grids. This strategy also saves the puzzles for another solver or for me at another time.



4. I have never knowingly done a seduco myself but my wife is hooked. She says this book has brought her to a new level. Now she is going back and trying the ones she had put aside because they were too hard.



5. This is the type of book that one will regularly refer to in order to brush up on very advanced solving techniques. Sadly, the construction of the binding is quite poor and after a short while I had more than a few pages fall out.
   Probably should order another copy, but I hate to reward shoddy construction with even more sales.
   
   Probably the best advanced Sudoku puzzle solving reference though; if you buy, treat it more gingerly than you'd think necessary.