5 comments about Masters of Deception: Escher, Dali & the Artists of Optical Illusion.

1. This is a fascinating book to dip and absorb and marvel at how the artists use various techniques to show what we look at we dont see, and we see what we are "programmed" to see. Good fun.



2. [...]
   
   Masters of Deception:
   Escher, Dalí & the Artists of Optical Illusion
   Published by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. (New York), Fall 2004
   
   
   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   
   
   There are a number of incredible artistic works featured in Masters of Deception, which require movement to appreciate their full impact. Additionally, I had in my possession various interviews with some of the book's featured artists that I wanted to share with my readership. Unfortunately, the publisher was unwilling to produce a CD to accompany the book. I have created this web site, therefore, to augment and enhance the reader's experience by presenting those works and interviews that I could not present in book form.
   
   [...]



3. Beautiful pictures, fascinating in their ambiguous interpretations. For anyone who likes Escher, these are many artists, all of the works worthy of long perusal.



4. Really great coffee table book - excellent pictures and the details on the authors are amazing. Very highly recommended.



5. This book has some fabulous paintings and drawings which as the book states can be really deceptive. My children are both fascinated with it and spend lots of time studying it. They enjoy showing it to their friends and it is very entertaining. A great coffee table book.

5 comments about Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide, 4th Edition.

1. Forgotten Realms has been a favorite fantasy setting of mine forever now. This latest edition is an abomination of all previous incarnations of the Realms. Ed Greenwood - how could you possibly condone your name being associated with this farce in any way? I actually feel gutted, disgusted, lifeless - and oh those are 3 words that can summarize the 4th edition of the realms. But if you'd like more, read on.
   
   All of the color, the mystery, the excitement, the lore, the flavor, the history, the peoples, the locations, the empires, the wondrous places - all - GONE! All because the Spellplague (a.k.a WOTC money plague) was created and WOTC decided that a complicated setting was too much for their new target audience - 9-12 yr olds. How is this justified? Well, Wizards say that now you have all the control, you create the lands as you see fit for your campaign, you populate them and decide what monsters and heroes are a part of them. If I wanted that, I wouldn't pay good money for it, I would just make my own generic world to be populated by cookie-cutter NPC's - oh wait a second - that's just what this is! So people like Lady Alustriel, Szass Tam, Manshoon, Kheben Blackstaff, and many, many others are now simply background material if mentioned at all. Supposedly this is to allow the PC's to be stars of the show without such high-level NPC interference. Let me tell you something - I have been in many Realms based campaigns. I have been in games where NO and I mean NO high level NPC's of Faerun EVER come in contact with the PC's. So, if you are in a campaign where the adventure party is constantly having to report to Elminster for every minor orc they defeat or track they find and he then tells them exactly what it means, or the adventurers are in Thay and come across Szass Tam (even though they are 4th level, out of heals/spells, no magic items and have just fought a army of wraiths, ghouls, zombies, and other undead fiends) and are total party killed/wiped out - or even sillier - Drizz't Do"Urden "mysteriously" appears in Chult where the party is to help the struggling PC's out - YOU HAVE A TERRIBLE DM WHO IS RUNNING THE GAME WRONG - don't blame the setting for your horrible experience!!!.
   
   Many other posts have touched upon other numerous terrible attributes of this book - the pantheon makes no sense, deities gone for no reason, others ascended for even more obscure reasons, fewer pages but higher price, the map is terrible, etc.
   
   Stay far, far, away from this. The Realms are Officially Dead! Product Suicide by WOTC. Do not spend one cent on any more of their 4th edition B.S. MMORPG wanna be product. I would give negative stars if I could. One is way too generous.
   
   A setting that I once felt rivaled that of even Middle Earth in its wonder and creativity itself is no more. Thanks WOTC for ruining a beautiful world and taking advantage of your loyal fan base. For shame!



2. The new FRCG is not perfect. Far from. But let's get the facts straight here people.
   
   The Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide is not a "travesty" nor is it "the end of the Realms." A quick look at the people writing the book will reveal as much, many of whom have worked in the Realms for years and love it as much as most fans. Unlike those who post a review before reading the book, however, these people aren't hung up on maintaing the Realms exactly the same way for decades on end. Change comes eventually and in this case, I think most of the changes are done well.
   
   Let's get to what the guide does well. First off, lore. This book is almost nothing but. There's a little crunch in here but what the book is really about is the fluff and most of it is well-written and with a set of details that makes the Realms come alive as a world again - just a century later and with some changes. It doesn't have as much lore as 3e Realms has, but let's remember that 3e Realms had seven years of support, whereas 4e Realms has been out for only a few months. Likewise, 3e Realms built heavily upon the foundations of 1st and 2nd edition Realms, whereas 4e Realms is more than a century after the base year for 3.5
   
   The book also posseses a nice, readable format as well as a nice set of new enemies to play with at the end of the book. Many of the new countries to explore are interesting and while places like Neverwinter, Luskan, Unther, Mulhorand, and Halruaa will be missed new locations like Tymanther, Returned Abeir, or Akanul have the potential to be just as interesting, as does the new Shadow Empire of Netheril if the writers play it right. Overall, this is an interesting fantasy world to explore all on its own, without even taking into account the planes, which also get some attention in this book (though less than I would have liked).
   
   Now let's get down to some of the major criticisms of the book. First of all, alot's changed. But not quite as much as you might expect. Though every region has been transformed in some manner, many have only endured only marginal changes. Take Waterdeep, Baldur's Gate, or Amn, the three great coastal cities of 4e Realms. All three are instantly recognizable from their original renditions, though with a few alterations. BG, for instance, is now much larger. But other than minor changes like these they remain much the same. The same goes for many other regions, including Cormyr, Chult, the Silver Marches, and the Underdark.
   
   As for whether or not Ed Greenwood has forsaken the 4e realms - he has not. In fact, if anything, he shows more enthusiasm for it than 3e. He loves the new ruleset (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXvq4-GbuNI) and, if the fact his name is on the book cover doesn't convince you, keep in mind that he wrote up the lore for an entire continent on his own - Returned Abeir, which is certainly a major change in Realms lore. Naysayers who want to shout about Greenwood hating the new Realms just don't have anything to base their claims on.
   
   Are the gods reduced in number? Yes, and in some cases drastically so, though it's not as though there's only a dozen gods now (indeed - there's about a dozen greater gods ruling over pantheons of lesser gods). Also, consider that the book doesn't detail anything on Zakhara or Kara-Tur aside from a brief mentioning (much like 3e FR) and so whether or not the pantheons of that land remain intact is an open question. One does still have a right to complain in this department though, as more than a handful of important gods have taken the fall.
   
   Now there are somethings worthy to complain about. Though the format for the chapters is alright the overall outline for the book itself is very badly done. The most interesting and detailed chapters are, oddly enough, placed at the BACK of the book rather than the front, where one would might expect them to be. Instead, the first three or four chapters, which are more or less glorified appendicies, are placed up front. This makes for a jarring format.
   
   The map, while by most standards well-done and detailed, is less than what has come before for Realms fans and has substantially less detail. Furthermore, for all the promotion of the Underdark and of Returned Abeir a map for them does not exist in comparison.
   
   The art, is, however, fabulous, much like most of 4e's art.
   
   Bottom line: The book is well-written with lots of lore and ideas for DMs (players, however, need the FRPG companion). It's not a "rape" of the Realms, having, after all, been written by many of the minds behind the Realms for the best ten years. It is, however, a big change. If you can get past the 100 year jump and Spellplague buy the book. If you can't move on, don't - you'll only be wasting your money and fueling your frustration.
   
   Personally - I enjoyed it.



3. Just to be clear-this is my first real exposure to running an FR campaign. I always avoided it for all the baggage it seemed to carry. How ironic then that I'm so disappointed with the lack of information I found in the new book.
   
   To put it mildly, the book is seriously light on content. I'm on the fence about returning the book. The only reason I'm considering holding onto it, is because I'm waiting to see how much they add via Dragon. (The Cormyr piece in Dragon is the only reason I didn't immediately return the book. I'm willing to give this a little time to shake out.)
   
   I'd say this book is a 50K foot view of FR. But I would have preferred a 1K foot view of at least ONE of the "classic" adventuring areas (i.e. Dalelands or Cormyr). The feeling I'm left with is one of casual knowledge. I really don't feel I have enough information to run my own detailed campaign in any of these settings.
   
   The capital city of Cormyr has 4 paragraphs! I can't run an adventure in a capital city described in 4 paragraphs. If I wanted to "fill in the details," I wouldn't have bought a "Campaign Setting Guide."
   
   It really seems unclear who this book is for. It seems to me; all you've done is ticked off your fan base, and confused new readers.
   
   I'm not looking for something on the scale of Monte Cook's Ptolus campaign setting (though PLEASE let him convert that to 4E!-I'd return this in a heartbeat).
   
   Also, the introductory adventure took up way too much space that could have been better served adding much needed depth to this book. The 'starter adventure' should have been saved for Dungeon. Really pointless.
   
   In summary: Careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
   I wanted a "fresh start" on FR. Not a blank slate with a few scratches.
   Overall, I'm very disappointed and wouldn't recommend this product.



4. I bought the first release of the FR campaign setting back in the early 90's when D&D was in its first edition. Since then I have been continually impressed with how well the Realms have evolved to accomodate each new release of the D&D game. Somehow they managed to keep the game current and exciting while still retaining the enduring, unique "character" of Toril - high fantasy, intriguing heroes and villains derived from the setting, a unique cosmology, and most of all, a "lived in" feel to the game world any long time gamer could relate to.
   
   So when the latest evolution of FR was released with the latest revision of the D&D game rules I didn't hesitate to purchse this book. The 4th edition rules open up a slew of new possibilities for evolving the setting. I was extremely excited to see what Ed Greenwood and company had come up with. Instead, I found a sloppily presented, poorly engineered game world. Both of which would have been unfortunate, but still forgivable, if only the designers had found a way to successfully capture the unique character of the Realms in how they rendered it for 4th edition. TSR found a way to do this when they evolved the setting from 1st edition to 2nd edition. WoTC then did the same in evolving the setting for 3.0/3.5. But for 4th edition, WoTC has failed. Dramatically.
   
   I'm late to the game on providing a review for this book. So don't want to reiterate the scores of other negative reviews - the illogical presentation, the absence of creativity, the destruction of the setting's core aesthetics. What I do want to comment on his how shocked any long time reader of Realmslore will be as to the lack of concern the design team had for maintaining the integrity of the game world. Rather than dilligently adapt and evolve the setting for 4th edition, they just poached a half dozen new concepts from Wizards' 4th edition marketing bin (new races like dragonkind or new magic rules for spells). And then dumped them into this book with what appears to be very little valuation of what makes the Realms well .. the Realms! This isn't just heavy handed. It's lazy. Which for a world with this kind of cachet (and one would think revenue potential) is absolutely shocking.
   
   I have a proposal for Wizards. Back in the early 80's a hit TV show called "Dallas" had a disatrously conceived season. At the end of he season, it was unclear how the show could recover it's fans. It had written itself into a corner with poor plot turns and choice of character development. The solution? The writers started the show's next season with a sequence that showed the entire previous season had been a dream by one of the lead characters. A terrible, terrible dream.
   
   Wizards has some of the best talent in the business. And a lot of revenue on the line. This first shot at a 4th edition adaption has been an unmitigated flop. But what if Elminster just woke up one morning in his quaint tower in Shadowdale. He'd had the strangest dream ...



5. It is interesting to start the guide with a full 1st level adventure as chapter 1. It is also interesting to see the new maps and art. The book is a guide to the realms. The book is clear that the FR players hand book is also needed. The rules are mostly in the FR PHB and not in this book and maybe that is OK. It was just a surprise that you needed both.
   
   Like previous books it lists all the lands and tells you a bit about each. It also has a few interesting new rules. The FR PHB has much of the same information but presented differently and at a player view. It reminds me of a Fodor's Guide more than a rule book.

5 comments about Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).

1. There are some good tips and advice in the pages of this guide for legendary which I beat, but I was disappointed that they did not show the location of the skulls. It is fun to read through the guide to find some interesting advice. Its worth buying for this price. Enjoy



2. This is very helpful for game play.I would greatly encourage the xbox live gamer to get it because it tells the respawn times for the weapons on each multiplayer map.



3. I am not a "gamer" This was a purchase for my grandson at christmas. I am able to relate to his delight. Further, I feel that as intense as this game is the guide book was a good thing to include with the X-box and Halo game.Jamie says it is "way cool" with real great tips and tricks. I bet that you did not think that it was possible to get a big old bear hug from a 13 year old boy in front of his friends.



4. i just bought this iteam.i love halo...i also just orderd halo3 ...i was wondering what is the content of the guid...help would be great



5. This book is not recommended to those who want to play Halo 3 without any know how on how to play but it is a very very good book to those that are struggling on Legendary difficulty or that you might just want to know some ways to do the levels as quickly as possible. Note: Sometimes some pages might fall off though.

1 comments about The New York Times Crossword Puzzles 2009 365-Day Tear-Off Calendar.

1. This page-a-day desk calendar features 313 consecutive New York Times daily crossword puzzles originally printed between June 2, 2005 to December 8, 2005 and January 2, 2006 to June 24, 2006. This series aligns with the normal Monday to Saturday progression of difficulty. Saturdays and Sundays share a calendar page and feature a Saturday puzzle.
   The puzzle grids measure about 3" x 3" on the page, while each full page measures about 6" x 5". The lower right corner even features a few square inches of blank space for use as an actual desk calendar. The tear-off pages offer portability - I often keep a few pages in my planner for use in waiting rooms, train rides, etc. The front two pages are small 2009 and 2010 calendars that can be removed and conveniently posted elsewhere at a desk.

5 comments about Star Wars Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, Saga Edition.

1. Star Wars Saga is the best in the series. I wish it were a little longer, providing more options and powers, but WotC has created out a superb product in Saga. Not just the best of Star Wars, but one of the best RPG's I've ever played.
   
   The Jedi are still a little overpowered, but the other classes hold their own more effectively then ever.



2. I bought a copy of this book & gave it to my friends for Christmas. We use it quite frequently when we game & we always have a blast. It's got stats for various races, ships, etc. Quite a thorough little book & I'd really recommend it if you're into playing Star Wars campaigns.



3. I love the game but.....The rule book is not really laid out well. Character creation is the same as any game using the D20 system but the character creation process doesn't flow. The layout of the book causes one to constantly flip back and forth between sections. I also found fields on the included character sheet, such as Initiative that I can't find described in the book in a way that makes me think it should be on the character sheet. The powers, skills and talents section are pretty descriptive. Where I think the book was lacking was in source material. The available equipment, armor and weapons was a pretty short list and excluded items such as the sword. The choice of races is pretty limited. Some races such as Gammorean have so many limitations a player character would be suicidal to select them. To get around the limited gear, I got out KOTOR and KOTOR II fired up some saved games and went to a few merchants to build up my options. With only 4 types of armor in the core rules, PC's don't have many options. As big as the Star Wars universe is, there isn't much source. I suggest getting involved in an online gaming community. All in all a good buy but don't expect to be wowed.



4. The Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook, Saga Edition is the ultimate guide for the entire Star Wars universe. Based on all six movies of the Star Wars saga from The Phantom Menace(Episode I)- Return of the Jedi (Episode VI) and also includes the new movie Episode III-Revenge of the Sith. This book is for both PCs and Gamemasters alike with character creation, equipment, force powers, skills, feats, a gm section, and everything else to help both PCs and Gamemasters get everything they need for a great time with Star Wars. The Star Wars RPG Core Rulebook runs through three different eras in the Star Wars universe: Rise of the Empire (Episodes I-III), The Rebellion (Episodes IV-VI), and The New Jedi Order(Based on the books and comics). The book is good to have everything you need to start your first adventures, sessions, and campaigns in the game and will also help with the sourcebooks coming with the next months. For fans of the RPG and the Star Wars universe this is a definite must buy.



5. I purchased this and most of the suplements. I've also been a long time player of the previous D20 versions of the star wars roleplaying game and own all the supplements for it. That being said I'm going to give you a quick run down of what I thought was better and worse as compaired to the previous edition.
   
   First there is infinatly less paperwork. Character creation and leveling are greatly simplified. If you've played for very long you have undoubtedly had a few of those sessions where you only have one core book for your group. As a result of the need to pass it around while everyone picks news skills and feats you lose a whole game session to book keeping. It will still take awhile to create a first character, but once your familiar with the general concepts and archetypes available, you can easily create a character in 15 - 20 minutes or less. further more, creating higher level character's is greatly simplified. skills and abilities apply retro-activly, so no more wasting hours building a level 15 replacement character level by level.
   
   combat rules. At first appearance the new rules favor minitures. I know i've seen many people complain about how useless the game is without them. As a long time hater of minitures I can attest that I felt this way at first glance. How ever, after playing for awhile with the new system, I must confess that I found the opposite to be true. The new combat rules are greatly simplified and thus easier to abstract to play without minitures than the previous versions.
   
   Here's an example. to through a grenade in the previous version, you had to role to attack a square, then there was all the scatter which inevitably involved digging out the book and looking up tables, then looking at it's burst radius. rolling damage and making reflex saves.
   
   In the new verion you simply make an attack role against the reflex defense of everyone in the blast radious, then roll damage accordingly. it could be done in 2 rolls. and easily with out minitures. ex: player 1: I throw a grenade into the the group of stormtroopers that just entered the room. GM: ok, make your attack and damage rolls.
   
   Now, all the things that I like being said, let's talk about it's weaknesses.
   
   this one is a mixed bag. Non-force using character's are alot stronger in this one. I've had great fun playing a mandolorian which I've found to be well balanced against the party Jedi. However, sometimes the weaker Jedi aren't exactly what you want. If you want to do a campaign that focuses heavily on Jedi and other force users, then I think the older revised edition really shines in this department, especially when combined with some of the optional rules that are available in the revenge of the sith guide (free download from wotc).
   
   My other complain would be the absurd amount of typo's in this book. there's alot. oh well.
   
   All in all, If your a fan of the star wars RPG I think this is worth picking up. definatly get the Star ships book if you plan on running much space combat, as the starship stats is definatly lacking, and also pick up the bad guys book, as the npcs are equally lacking in this new edition.

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. 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.



2. 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.



3. 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!



4. great reading I would have given this 5 stars but there were hardly any pics of any of the retro game machines ,and I think more could have been written about atari I mean it was the company that started it all.
   It kind of seemed geared more to nintendo in my opinion with chapter after chapter devoted to them .but all in all a good read .



5. TUHOVG is a long and intriguing book that covers the earliest interactive computer experiments and progresses pseudo-chronologically through each major movement up to the start of the new millennium. The account provided for the early years of gaming is particularly detailed and well crafted while the details on gaming history post-80's lacks the same luster. Kent's "History" is more a history of the business decisions and financial climates under which the gaming industry thrived and suffered and much less an account of the particular games, game designers, and technological breakthroughs that marked the milestones in the progression of the art form. Ultimately, Kent provides the reader with a wealth of research and interviews, warranting the 4-star rating given by this reviewer. While Kent steers clear of pandering to the hardcore gamer crowd in this volume, he also proves to lack deep or unique insights into the nature of the Video Game form.

No comments about Rune Factory 2 Official Strategy Guide.

5 comments about Fortune's Formula: The Untold Story of the Scientific Betting System That Beat the Casinos and Wall Street.

1. Having just finished Poundstone's book on Gaming the Vote, I was hoping for a book equally as interesting. Although this book was worth reading, and there are a few aspects from it that I will put into practice, I did not walk away wanting to quote it on a regular basis like I did Gaming the Vote.
   
   It gives an interesting historical overview of various scientists involved with gambling and the stock market, and it reviews the concepts involved. These parts were interesting, but truthfully not fascinating.
   
   The sections about Murder Inc, Boesky, Millken, and the junk bond collapse were much more interesting.
   
   In short, it is an interesting book and worth reading, but there are many other books I'd read first...



2. This is a nice look into the past systems of betting. Also nicely written and gives a good understanding of the Kelly formula. Was not quite what I thought it would be but was a nice book.



3. This book is a concise look at the evolution of formal investment theory, with continual contextual references to its ties to gambling and to organized crime. It also is a hilarious and insightful history of gambling from the Bernoulli's in the 1700s through the hedge fund traders of the late 1990's.
   
   The author devotes over 50 pages to notes and the index. This was appreciated since I wanted to look up more about so many of the anecdotes he included.
   
   Mr. Poundstone poignantly describes the downfall of high-flying firms such as LTCM, where the investment wizards went from the darlings of Wall Street to the dredges of the investment community in large part because they were so clever; and they started to believe they were infallible.
   
   One LTCM road-show presentation was held at the insurance company Conseco in Indianapolis. Andrew Chow, a Conseco derivatives trader, interrupted Scholes. "There aren't that many opportunities," Chow objected. "You can't make that kind of money in Treasury markets."
   Scholes snapped: "You're the reason - because of fools like you we can." (Page 281)
   
   Warren Buffett marveled at how "ten or 15 guys with an average IQ of maybe 170" could get themselves "into a position where they can lose all their money." That was much the sentiment of Daniel Bernoulli, way back in 1738, when he wrote: "A man who risks his entire fortune acts like a simpleton, however great may be the possible gain." (Page 291)
   
   He also points out the real world flaws in some theoretically appealing scams. The St. Petersburg Wager seems mathematically correct; yet it overlooks a vitally important constraint (pages 182-184). Another is the unfounded weight we unconsciously give to historical returns, as evidenced by his retelling of another Warren Buffett story:
   In a 1984 speech, Buffett asked his listeners to imagine that all 215 million Americans pair off and bet a dollar on the outcome of a coin toss. The one who calls the toss incorrectly is eliminated and pays his dollar to the one who was correct.
   The next day, the winners pair off and play the same game with each other, each now betting $2. Losers are eliminated and that day's winners end up with $4. The game continues with a new toss at doubled stakes each day. After twenty tosses, 215 people will be left in the game. Each will have over a million dollars.
   According to Buffett, some of these people will write books on their methods: "How I Turned a Dollar into a Million in Twenty Days Working Thirty Seconds a Morning." Some will badger ivory-tower economists who say it can't be done: "If it can't be done, why are there 215 us?" "Then some business school professor will probably be rude enough to bring up the fact that if 215 million orangutans had engaged in a similar exercise, the result would be the same - 215 egotistical orangutans with 20 straight winning flips." (Page 314)
   
   The author follows the lives of a few major contributors to investment theory, information theory, and betting theory: Claude Shannon, who invented Information Theory and paved the way for the digital computer age; John Kelly, who developed the formula for gains with no possibility of ruin; and Edward Thorpe, who built upon these findings and beat the roulette wheels, the blackjack tables and the investment fund managers.
   It's a fast read - only 329 pages before the notes and index. I highly recommend it!



4. Book was more than I expected. Tied in many stories dating back to the early 1900's and the beginning of AT&T. Excellent read, very entertaining and well researched.



5. Good book. I enjoyed it.
   Especially good for those interested in the Kelly criterion and all the people along the way who wanted to maximise gambling profit or investment profit.

No comments about Jeopardy!: 2009 Day-to-Day Calendar.

5 comments about Universal Waite Tarot Deck and Book Set.

1. After I purchased these cards, I read the reviews and all the bad things about them being thick and sticking together and not being comfortable, but when I got mine yesterday I immediately fell in love with them. I think that they're quite beautiful and for a beginner are a wonderful starter deck. Once you shuffle them a couple of times and get them nice and mixed there is no problem with cards sticking and it's nice to know that they're a nice durable, trusty deck. In fact, I started using them right away, and they came out on the head with answers. Mind you my friend wasn't too happy with the outcome, and how now his feelings were exposed to me, but that's his own issue, and he even agreed that they hit the nail on the nose with the problems he was having in his psuedo "relationship". Alas, if you feel like you want the cards, don't let negative reviews stop you from getting them, go with your gut, I adore mine.



2. It took me several trials to find the "right" Rider-Waite/Pamela Colman Smith deck. The first I tried was the basic Rider Waite Tarot deck, which has clear imagery but a little bit of a "3-color" comic book look to it. The second I purchased was the "original" Rider tarot, which I gather is a facsimile reproduction of what the deck used to look like when it was originally produced - the artwork is more detailed but the colors are a bit washed out; however it comes in a nice box set with a pocket sized copy of Waite's originial Key to the Tarot.
   
   This deck, the "Universal Waite" deck, is my personal favorite of the three. The original illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith have been retouched and recolored, so it is not the deck for "purists" but the colors are brighter and the details clearer than either of the other editions I have. This deck is available sold separately from the book; the book included in the book and deck set is the same text found in the "Original Rider" deck box set, and seemed like an unnecessary inclusion with the deck. A beginner will be better served by other books on tarot, and an expert probably already has a copy of this book. The set did include a fold-out paper "mat" describing the celtic cross spread which was rather nice and possibly useful to a beginner but overall I found myself wishing I'd just bought the deck by itself.
   
   This is the deck featured on the cover design of "Tarot for Beginners" by Joan Bunning.



3. I have around 65 decks and among all the complete RWS clones out there, this is my favourite. I was always put off by the orginal colouring and thick lines, ugly!
   
   When I came across this and delicate, exquisite and sumptious re-colouring by Hanson-Roberts I was very delighted! I love her way of drawing and use of colour(among my other favourites are her signature deck and the Whimsical) technique. The details just pop out and sing their message. It's astounding how simple colour changes and line restructuring can totally change your experience with a deck you formerly couldn't work with.
   
   So many books use the RWS for study and illustration, and it's been a treasure having this gorgeous deck to take out and follow along. As an alternative to the basic or original versions, this comes the most highly recommended by me!



4. I just purchase this item and received it yesterday. The set of cards are very nice, but I feel the book is a little difficult to read. I am new to the tarot and so I thought the book would be a little more comprehensible, but I found that I would read the same paragraph twice. I think I will look for a more easier book.



5. The cards were fine, but it stated that it was never used, however the book binding was broken in 2 or 3 places, and the mini reference booklet was missing, and the box was crushed.