5 comments about Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy.

1. I am about half way through Watson's book. It is very clearly written. I like it because it contributes to two areas. As a student of the game, I am interested in chess's history. It is intriguing to learn more about Nimzowitsch's contributions and to learn how chess theory has advanced in recent years. Second, I am already seeing Watson's lessons influence my play and understanding of the game. All in all Watson is a good teacher.



2. We are lucky, thanks to this book we can learn chess strategy avoiding to study outdated books like the ones by Nimzowitch and Pachman.
   Watson tells us which of the old ideas are still good and which are wrong, and then he give us the modern brand new ideas. All in a enjoyable and instructive way, without thousand of boring and not useful variations in every position. Variations like the ones that make Pachman impossible to read.



3. Take my comments here with a grain of salt. I'm an intermediate player and no more than that. I will never know as much about chess as Mr Watson. But I have this book, and others like me will buy it (as we probably are the target audience), so I'll put in my two cents worth as to my impressions.
   
   First of all, a lot of work has gone into this book. Mr Watson is very scholarly, and writes very well. My first impressions of this book were "amazing", just like many of the reviews here. But the more I read, and the more I think, the more I have some concerns. So I will try to list them now:
   
   1. Who is this aimed at? As an intermediate player, I am looking for chess books that "teach me", that "help me to improve" or are just "fun to read". But this book purports from the outset to be more of a summary of what is going on in modern chess.
   
   2. Is Mr Watson qualified to summarize modern chess strategy? As a 1700 odd player, I don't really understand a game that a 2000 player is playing. I have read and seen that the jump from IM to GM is enormous. I have serious doubts that anyone less than GM level can accurately describe how GM's are applying strategy, let alone describe all the strategic advances since Nimzovich. In fact, I doubt that Mr Watson, as an IM, could fully explain strategy up to Nimzovich.
   
   3. Why the lack of humility? What's with an IM taking sides for and against ideas of GM's? I think unless you had played at GM level you have no business presenting yourself as an expert who can decide which GM's are right or wrong.
   
   4. What's with "rule independence" the main thesis of the book? So, the position and analysis that has been done on it (probably with a computer today) is more important than strategic rules. Well I think the ability to understand a position beyond rule application has probably always been key at GM level - there's a reason why so few can get there. Does this help me, as an intermediate player, to learn though?
   
   5. Is Nimzovich a decent starting point anyway? Some GM's are very dismissive of "My System" - have a look at Kevin Sraggett GM's book review on his web site.
   
   While a ton of work has gone into this book, and I enjoy browsing from it, and can learn from it (as an intermediate player), I just don't like the way Mr Watson presents himself as the expert who can summarize and provide the word to date on chess strategy. I think IM's can and do write terrific books that teach us chess. But to summarize the state of all chess strategy knowledge? Come on! It would be like me writing a book on IM chess, which would be a total joke.



4. I liked this book: it can give you clear ideas about a set of topics about strategy. The first part is built upon the discussion of the ideas given in "My System", by Nimzowitsch, as seen from a modern master's point of view. Despite of this other-source-dependence, the book if self-sustaining: you do not need to read Nimzowitsch's book to understand J. Watson's.
   If you want to improve your strategic skills on chess, buy it (and read it!).



5. I don't see the point of this book. Presents bunch of special cases to confirm that general rules are no good. But good players know when to deviate from rules anyway, and beginners need to know the rules first. So, who is this book for?
   
   Also, this guy writes way too many books which always seems suspicious to me.

5 comments about The Book of Bluffs: How to Bluff and Win at Poker.

1. I HAVE NOT FINISHED BUT I WILL. SO FAR IT IS HELPING I CAN SEE THAT IT WILL IMPROVE MY GAME.
   
   YOU MUST READ THESE BOOKS MORE THAN 1 TIME 2 GRASP ALL OF THE CONTENTS
   
   
   KINGAR1



2. This book still has not been shipped to me. Thanks for the opportunity to tell folks how pitiful you are. I ordered it several months ago. I think you are supposed to ship it in another month. It is available now at many other places.



3. Just tells about a lot of bluffs using examples from actual hands. Problem is I have seen the same situations where it didnt work.



4. I enjoy reading it, and it helped me a lot. Now I can do more bluffs than ever!



5. The author of this book, Matt Lessinger, is in the same class as Lou Krieger (who praises the author in a blurb on the back cover) and Mike Caro, who wrote the foreword. Which is to say, he's a poker *writer* first, and a poker *player* second. So Lessinger makes a lot of ordinary poker moves sound like they're great. Example from the end of the book: Bobby Baldwin versus Crandall Addington at the 1997 WSOP main event. Baldwin pushes all-in with a 10-high on the turn and gets Addington to fold ... 8-high. Of course this happens all the time in NLHE, when someone thinks he is bravely bluffing with nothing, and his opponent makes a "great laydown" ... with an even lower nothing!
   
   But this sort of overselling of unextraordinary moves is a specialty of the "writer first, player second" type of advice you can expect from poker journalists like Lessinger and Krieger and Caro. You can see this coming, though, since the book starts off with the "bluff of the century" by that one-hit wonder, Chris Moneymaker. Thank heavens this book was published in 2005 before we could be regaled with the "brilliant moves" of the 2006 WSOP winner, Jamie Gold.
   
   There are some interesting ideas in the book, as we might expect. When you first sit at a table in Hold'Em, you are required to post the amount of the big blind. Lessinger suggests you do this when the button is to your immediate left, and recommends you then raise to steal the 2.5 bets in the pot if the action folds around to you. I confess I had not thought of this before, since this can only occur once per session.
   
   Most of the book concerns Limit Hold'Em, although many of the examples can be adjusted for No Limit Hold'Em if you give some thought to appropriate bet-sizing. But there are many No Limit examples, too. There were a few non-Hold'Em examples from which perhaps a thing or two could be learned, but I generally skimmed those examples.
   
   I would not recommend this book to any expert players, nor would I recommend it to beginners, either. It is for intermediate players who won't mind the low price of the book and feel that learning a couple of new things from any inexpensive source to be worthwhile. Some of the advice is contradictory, and the attitude overall is that bluffing is much easier than it really is, but for those for whom bluffing is not in their arsenal yet, perhaps this book will encourage them to experiment and learn.
   
   Two better books on "making moves" in NLHE are: Harrington on Hold'Em Volume Two and the Little Blue Book by Phil Gordon.

5 comments about The Professional Poker Dealer's Handbook.

1. I'm a student right now in poker school and this is the book we are using for class.
   
   It covers everything from the proper mechanics of "pitching" (dealing cards the proper way), flops, sidepots and controlling the table.
   
   I've read the book multiple times. I highly recommend this to prospective poker dealers and even long time dealers that have developed some bad habits in their game.



2. Have you always dreamed of being a Poker Dealer?
   If you read and study this book, it is only months away for you. My husband was told to buy this book by our Casino Poker Supervisors. He was told to read it three times and then study and practice what is in this book. He has been playing poker most of his life but this book helped him turn his hobby into his job. He worked only 4 days as a Poker Dealer and now he is a Poker Supervisor and Dealer. This book helped him learn the skills to fulfill his dreams and it can do the same for you.
   Become a Poker Dealer with this book by reading and practicing what the author Dan Paymar give you. His tools really work. Good Luck.



3. I got a job as a poker dealer and had have a few errors that weren't quite covered in my "introduction course" by my employers, plus I wanted to be as professional as I could so I decided to buy this book.
   
   The overall structure of the book is somewhat confusing since you can find repeated lines all over the book, and several subjects are covered in several chapters so you can't really know all you need to of, say, blind structure, until you've read most of the book. This however is not that bad since you are most likely to read the whole thing in a couple of sittings. I actually read it in 2 days during breaks right at work.
   
   The obvious lack of illustrations is also a bit of a problem but the explanations are clear enough.
   
   There are some problems that you will find frequently during your job that the book leaves to the floorperson's decition and gives no information as to what their call might be, it would've been nice to know some options on those subjects.
   
   In spite of these issues, the book is excellent at procedures and gives you the tools to be a true professional, my performance has improved a great deal and the players really appreciate a professional dealer.
   
   Overall the book is great, I have it as a reference and when problems arise that need understanding by the players we can actually take the book and show the proper procedures.



4. This item was in amazing condition and shipped extremely quick. I can't ask or anything better. Wish every order was like this. Thank you!



5. The title of my review is a quote from the book, which I gave to my son as a gift for his 21st birthday. He's very happy with it and has already read most of it. The quote is one he took from the book which really spoke to him...practice doesn't make perfect...it makes permanent. Essentially, practicing the WRONG thing won't make you perfect, but it will make a permanent behavior. Since my son's goal is to be a professional dealer, this was a perfect match for him!

5 comments about Expedition to the Demonweb Pits (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying).

1. I am co-DM in a campaign and we decided to go with the "quick" version of this setting. I'm not sure if it is better in the earlier stages but so far it seems like this book was rushed. There are some mobs on the maps that don't have a map key while others do, and the maps for the encounters in the pits are somewhat confusing. This is a fun campaign setting, our players are really enjoying it, but if you are going to DM it make sure you go over it thoroughly before each game. Some things that should quick to find are a bit tough to navigate for players that are into the role playing aspect more. They are in there, just spread out and seemingly disconnected. Not a good campaign to pick on spur of the moment, but it is fun to play and DM if you have the time for it.



2. As a player and a DM for over 20 years,I was anxious to see this 3.5 update of the classic early gygax era modules,I read through the new adventure and was astounded that they suggest this module is suitable for a 9th level group,the first encounter alone states that even though it is highly challenging a fully empowered and rested group should prevail.This is the mind set throughout the book.Several Demon lord aspects abound in the module which I find that most characters would have difficulty defeating that were less than 14 th level.Although the book states these encounters may be avoided,most players will invariably face nearly every one.
   I enjoy the flow of story but any player familiar with the game would laugh at the concept of 9th level characters "plane traveling" and surviving the rigors associated with dealing with the denizens of aforementioned alternate planes.This module should have been designated for 12th-16th level players which would be more in line with the game mechanics.



3. This thing sucks. I was expecting something really interesting and would involved politics of the Abyss, but got a hastily thrown together group of encounters. The plot line makes little sense. The hook to get the PCs involved makes little sense. The reasons for why most NPCs would assist the PCs makes little sense. From a combat perspective, it's probably decent as a dungeon crawl. (I haven't run/played it, so I can't say how balanced the encounters are) You'd have to totally ignore the plot and story to enjoy it, though. Unfortunately, this follows in line with almost all of the adventures that WOTC has put out in the last 4 years. They're great dungeon crawls if the PCs are okay with just being led along by a string of encounters. You're left in the end wondering what the hell the reasons for the adventure even were. They could have done sooooo much more with NPCs like Grazz't and Orcus and the interplay of politics between the demon lords. I'm very disappointed. The only plus side is the pages and printing and diagrams are visually nice and the encounter format is concise. I'd rather have the encounters placed back right into the main text, however, 'cuz I don't want to have to "refer to appendix C for monster and environment details" kind of junk.



4. I'm running this now (the party's near the end of Chapter 2), and so far it's quite a bit of fun... if you're in the right mindset.
   
   If you're looking for a wacky jaunt across the planes, merrily killing drow and demons, this will probably work for you. If you're looking for an adventure with plot & complexity, you'd best look elsewhere. I was looking for a pretty brainless adventure I could run once a month for some gaming-deprived out-of-town friends. My prep time is somewhat minimal, so this seemed like a good buy.
   
   The format of the adventure actually is pretty easy to use. You get all the material for a single encounter on one page, or two facing pages, along with full stat blocks. That layout makes my job as DM pretty easy while I'm running the game. It's somewhat annoying while I'm *preparing* for the game, but once I got used to it, it worked.
   
   I'd give it 5 stars for the material and for the presentation, but the stat blocks are awful. I'm not talking about the new stat block format - I *love* the new stat blocks (top section is pre-encounter, second is player's turn, third is monster's turn, fourth is detail, fifth is exposition), but the stat blocks are full of errors. I don't know that anyone really did proofreading on this book. (Two Examples: Ratatosk damage assumes small-size weapons while the creature's size is listed as Medium. Rule-Of-Three's dagger attacks don't include the magic bonus.)



5. Wow! This massively rich Dungeons & Dragons experience is a weaving of expert writing, deliciously devilish (or demonic)creativity and deadly challenges--sure to please any veteran or new explorer of the outer planes of existence.
   
   Whether you are a DM wanting to take your players on a plane-spanning adventure, a hardened warrior seeking to right unthinkable evils, or spellcaster seeking to push the envelope on your powers, this is an adventure you don't want to miss! Playable over the course of a single weekend, I can't recommend a better mod for PCs of level 9-11.
   
   Familiarity with extraplanar worlds is helpful, so check these books out also:
   
   Planar Handbook (Dungeon & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
   planar handbook
   
   Good gaming,
   Tyrskald

2 comments about Crime And Puzzlement: 24 Solve-them-yourself Picture Mysteries.

1. Lawrence Treat presents 23 (not 24 as the book's cover claims) pictures of crime scenes and invites the reader to solve the crimes. To aid the reader, Treat presents lists of questions that more often than not make the solution obvious. Still, the book represents an hour or two worth of mental exercise, and the reader is of course under no obligation to read the questions that may telegraph the solutions. For an inquisitive and mentally-active teenager, this book might be a great deal of fun. The most significant criticism of the book is that in a few cases, Treat relies on probabilities that are not close enough to certainties. In other words, at times the solution depends upon one or two educated guesses that could very well be wrong. However, as an exercise in deductive thinking, reading the book should provide a young adult with an afternoon well spent. (The twenty-fourth puzzle is not a crime to be solved but instead a pair of pictures in which the reader is to find the differences between the two.)



2. Man, these books were my _favorites_ in middle school. Fifteen years later, the original still hasn't lost its sheen. Looking for mystery picture puzzles with charm and wit? Plunk your $8.95 here. Adults will like them as well as teenagers.
   
   Each puzzle greets the reader with a detailed mise-en-crime scene (or piece of evidence) and a few short but vivid expository paragraphs. Each of the subsequent yes-or-no questions prompts the armchair detective to examine a different aspect of the evidence closely, leading her down the path of deduction toward the proper conclusion ("Do you think Rubitsh had been fishing?" "Is there evidence of a fight?"). Not that these will always make the solution apparent, of course, but if you don't care for the hand-holding, you can, as the text suggests, dive right for the final question. Do, though, stick to working through the entire question list for the toughies; it points your eyes to the details which pack the pictures and might otherwise escape notice. (Bonus: the questions are a useful aid in teaching logic to younger readers - if the perp used an everyday object from the scene as a weapon, for example, was the crime likely premeditated or spontaneous?)
   
   Competently-constructed mystery puzzles litter the market, though; the style is why these books have stuck with me for fifteen years. Cabarga illustrates with homey detail but also deliberately co-opts the dramatic lighting and shading (and occasional fedoras) of '40's noir. (There's even the tiniest splash of Art Deco.) As a result, every focal point has stage presence and a little "Maltese Falcon" mystique. Treat's writing lays out exposition crisply and cleanly, but he also grabs you with wry humor dropped coolly and off-the-cuff, mixing the droll with the daffy ("As the clock struck five, ninety-year-old Mrs. Mirabel Fallwell dropped out of the window of her spacious twelfth-floor apartment. On the fourth stroke she struck." "Romano Rubitsh was undoubtedly the most hated man in Endicott County, and his life was often threatened, even by children."). As I can personally attest, even if you've already solved every puzzle, the prose and illustrations are a pleasure to revisit. Together, the artists create menace and atmosphere, painting in the corners and making these goofy little scenarios come to unique life in the space of an investigation.
   
   (About that menace - as several of the puzzles evince, Treat and Cabarga understand that intrigue and mystery can benefit from a *touch* of the macabre. The curtain from Mrs. Fallwell's apartment window flies ripped in the wind, still fluttering from her lapsed grip; a burlap hood shadows the mouth and eyes of a strangled bookworm while a smiling Santa doll perches on his chest; the childlike scrawl and misspellings in the "note from a desperado" convince us that, yes, something "terribel" will happen to Josephine if the villain is not stopped. Nothing's overtly gory, mind you, though much is certainly unnerving. The cover intro gives a good sample; flip through in the bookstore if you're a parent on the fence. Again, middle-school kids should be safe.)
   
   My fellow reviewer faulted "Crime & Puzzlement" for taking latitudes with logic; I can only surmise that he was Johnnie Cochran. I can find precious little here that is unintuitive. I find plenty, though, that is evocative, entertaining, and proof that puzzles don't have to be dry, perfunctory scraps to be tossed away after the blanks are filled in. The title's been in print for almost thirty years, yet it still stands as one of the most innovative iterations of the craft.

1 comments about Simon & Schuster Mega Crossword Puzzle Book #2 (Simon & Schuster Mega Crossword Puzzle Books).

1. This puzzle book is on good paper, easy to read and work on. I had hoped it would be spiral bound for ease of working back page puzzles, but it's not. That's the only disappointment. Other than that one complaint, it is a big, easy to use, fun to work, crossword book. I've been able to complete a good percentage of the puzzles (with help from a Xword dictionary), so it's not so difficult that it is discouraging, but at the same time the puzzles are challenging and fun.

No comments about AI Game Programming Wisdom 4 (AI Game Programming Wisdom (W/CD)).

5 comments about The Art of EVE.

1. I can't believe I'm going to be the first one to review this product. It surprises me some "EVE Online" fan hasn't already hopped on this yet.
   
   Yes, that's right; I'm not an "EVE Online" fan. I tried two trial subscriptions and it just didn't do anything for me. I found the interface clunky and not intuitive at all and the setting felt very, very lonely. It's supposed to be an MMO, right? Where is everyone? I guess looking at ships that act as a player's avatar as opposed to something more... bipedal might contribute to this.
   
   But, this isn't supposed to be a review of the game. It's supposed to be a review of "The Art of EVE." I wanted to preface my review by making it clear I'm not some fanboy fawning over anything and everything that has to do with the object of my affections. I have some serious problems with the game and its fundamental gameplay. That said, it's a very pretty game. One might even use the word `gorgeous.'
   
   That is why I purchased this book. Well, that and I'm a sucker for art books in general, video game art books in particular (I'm looking at you "World of Warcraft" and "Guild Wars" art books...).
   
   I was a bit worried about the $50 price tag but upon securing it's release from my local comic book shop (yes, I didn't buy it from Amazon) I see that the price is well worth it.
   
   The book comes protected in a nice metallic grey plastic sleeve featuring its name in bold black letters. The book cover itself, covered in an off white semi-see-through thin papery/plastic-like dust jacket featuring the title of the book again in black lettering (except that the word "EVE" is cutout to reveal the book underneath), features a cloudy ethereal scene of dirty blues and grays punctuated by a single light source refracted behind the clouds to illuminate it all. The title of the book is again repeated on the cover in clear glossy text that is all but invisible unless held at a particular angle.
   
   The book is divided into five sections and inside you'll find everything from developer interviews and insights into their process to early concept sketches, completed paintings and models, and looks into the artistic direction they're going to take the game in the future.
   
   There's isn't a single thing I could think of adding to make this book better. I may have removed the pages dedicated to tile art (only two) and some interface screenshots but that's simply personal taste and fans may really like that stuff. I would have filled those pages with more beautiful ship designs, which are already abundant, but it is interesting to see the variety of icons present within the game - something most people, fans or otherwise, would probably overlook.
   
   Let's quickly talk about the ships if we could. They are simply remarkable. All the work put into making each of the game's four factions visually unique from one another is plain to see on the page and that's where it should be. I think any fan of sci-fi ship design would find little if anything to complain about when it comes to the buffet of choices offered in this volume.
   
   The Titans in particular are breathtaking. The one featured on pages 94 and 95 is my favorite. I'd say it was Amarr if I had to guess.
   
   Part Five of the book has me most excited about the game itself. I'm a fan of first-person shooters and I'd like to hope "EVE Online" is moving in a direction that may offer something to me: Ground combat. Having fleshed out space the developers are looking to flesh out the character scale game. Both on space stations and planet side (a game I'm fond of BTW - "Planetside"). If "EVE Online" wants to be a fully function universe (not just a setting) this is a realm of gameplay it should enthusiastically embrace. I think "Battlefield 2142" (and even the aforementioned "Planetside") gives the developers of "EVE Online" some good examples of where sci-fi ground combat can go. This section of the book shows us concept designs of ground- and planet-based vehicles as well as building interiors where it's clear characters are supposed to interact.
   
   So, I think I've made it clear that I'm very happy with this book and I cannot stress enough it's not just for fans of the game. If you like sci-fi art, or just plain `ole good art in general, this is a solid buy.
   
   Leave it open on your coffee table sometime and see who gets attracted to it. It's beautiful and anyone will a pair of functioning eyes will want to check it out.



2. My husband asked for this book for Christmas, and I'm very happy that I bought it for him. He really enjoys playing EVE, and he really seemed to enjoy this book. I'm not a gamer, but even I thought the pictures were cool.



3. The mailman finally delivered the book this afternoon, and I am absolutely satisfied with it`s content! The artwork is great, and I was very happy to see pictures and information about the very beginning of the game, and even about it`s future. I think every EVE Online player will appreciate this book. It offers a little bit of everything, I fully agree with "selderane" on this one.
   
   Besides having great content, the art is printed on high quality paper, and the book itself even comes with a plastic sort of casing around it. I expected the total package to be good, but it exceeded my expectations. Besides that, the book has a pretty neat pricetag here on Amazon, compared to other resellers!
   
   Go order, now! ;-)



4. This product for the die hards is a great addition along with the new novel. Alot of background and BEAUTIFUL images.



5. The book is valuable for what it holds... very nice pictures and art scatches of EVE online game. I guess i was disapointed because i thought the book would have more information about the game itself but it is purely an "art" book... that's pretty much it...

No comments about The Black Goat of the Woods Expansion (Arkham Horror).

5 comments about Embroidery Machine Essentials - Basic Techniques: Jeanine Twigg's Companion Project Series #1 (Jeanine Twigg's Companion Project Series).

1. This is a wonderful book for beginner machine embroidery students. The ideas given are varied and very easy to follow. I highly recommend this book. This is part of the Jeanine Twigg's Companion Project Series. All books in this series have been most helpful and easy to follow.



2. I have three of Jeanine Twigg's books on machine embroidery. They are all excellent resources featuring plenty of illustrations, great ideas, and clear instructions. Plus, the free designs are great!



3. I wouldn't go high on this book. It doesn't teach you much, only describes some simple techniques and ideas on what can you use embroidery, for example on a cushion cover (like you didn't know that before). To use the given designs that came on a cd-rom, you have to have a special software that costs you a small fortune. I am giving it 3 stars for the colors and designs only.



4. This book, as it says in the title, is a "companion" to the Embroidery Machine Essentials", "How to Stabilize, Hoop, and Stitch Decorative Designs".
   
   This book has some really cool projects and creative ideas in it. It also has a CD-ROM included with some nice designs on it. Some of them are "take-apartable", which means you can use just a portion of the designs or rearrange the elements the way you want to.
   
   The only drawback to the book (the reason for 4 stars) is that it really depends on the original book for a lot of the basics. I guess that is not so bad, and I did buy the parent book, but had I not, it would have been more than a little irritating. Just be aware that this book, while having good projects and nice designs included, really needs the parent book for the full experience.
   
   By the way, the original book is very good, for newbies like me, with the basics.



5. The designs included with this book are very juvenile and nothing you would want to use on a real project. The instructions are spare and incomplete. You are constantly referred back to her book for info which is time consuming for $20.00 I expect more. Don't waste your money. A big disappointment.