5 comments about SCRABBLE Wordbook.

1. Word lists based on 4th ed OSPD; good price, comprehensive, indexed nicely, easy to follow and some really interesting lists (ie mnemonics for the top 100 7-letter bingo stems, words with 70% vowels, short words that take suprise "s" endings, etc). Baron has gone beyond just listing "the two's", "q without u's", "jqxz's" and "word-hooks", lists (although, these lists are included); and created a really great resource for Scrabble enthusiasts. Only complaint is that word lists are printed in VERY small font, so those of us with small print issues should invest in a magnifying glass.



2. The original holy grail for hardcore Scrabble players has been updated to match the latest North American Scrabble dictionary. Whether you're a solid living-room player looking to enter the world of Scrabble clubs, or already a hardcore Scrabble junkie looking for the ultimate edge, this book has what you need to succeed.
   
   This not only contains every acceptable word of eight and fewer letters, in two lists (one alphabetical, the other in "alphagram", e.g. aaaghlmpr, order), but also key starter lists and tools to help you learn the most important words as efficiently as possible. Highly recommended!



3. This book is very well organized and easy to follow. The lists are in order of importance/usefulness and the introductions to each section are informative and entertaining. The only thing it's missing is a list of front and back hooks for the three letter words.
   
   I've been studying it vigorously for a month or so and have seen a great improvement in my game.
   
   A must for all Scrabble lovers, especially those aspiring to tournament play!



4. This book is a terrific value. It can be used in place of the Scrabble dictionary during games, and it's easier to find the words because there are no definitions, and the words are listed in alphabetical order AND alphagram order. It also gives you ideas as to what order to learn the word lists in. I would recommend, though, that as soon as you receive this book you get it spiral-bound with a coil binding at OfficeMax (cost: $4.50). I found that the binding cracked and the pages started falling out after only two weeks. But with the new binding I can lay the book flat and study it while I'm eating, and the pages don't go anywhere.



5. I should not have bought this,,because I have a scrabble dictionary that is more interesting to read. I have yet to go through much of it,,,problem is I don't know how to really use the book. It is just what is claims to be though so,,it is good.

5 comments about Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Extraordinary Book of Facts: And Bizarre Information (Bathroom Readers).

1. I'm so glad I bought this book. It's the perfect book to read while on the can.



2. I bought my husband & my sister in law this book. It made it's way to every family member. So many intresting facts. A great read!!! (even if you're not in the bathroom! LOL) Just put 2 more of Uncle John's book in cart for this Christmas!



3. This is a really great book, and a great read, starts off great and its hard to put down until close to the end where the information isn't quite as interesting.



4. I loved this book so much, it was a nice different angle on the Uncle John series. Anyone who loves Uncle John will love this book.



5. This is my 1st Bathroom Reader and won't be my last. If you enjoy trivial facts about anything imaginable..... This one's for you.

No comments about The Official Scrabble Page-A-Day Calendar 2009 (Page-A-Day Calendars).

2 comments about All About the States: Search-a-Word Puzzles.

1. This is a great book for anybody in grades 2-5 and wants to know more about their states, and of course, loves crossword puzzles.



2. I homeschool ALL my 7 kids (4 are through college & grown, 3 remain, ages 9 -15) My 9 year old is in Algebra 1, & my 15 year old is in Calculus & physics, so they keep me going looking for ways to incorporate "learning" new info or reviewing "past" studies, without it being sooooo dry & boring! Let's face it some things just are tedious!! You would be surprised at the people who cannot name all the states! So this is a remarkably refreshing way to "review" or learn the States, almost effortlessly! A friend suggested this book, & we were very pleased with the results!! Give it a try, you should be delighted, as was I! I just left it in trhe bathroom & REMOVED their current issue of "outdoorLife" Ha Ha, they actually had NO other choice, but to peruse or NOT!!!! :-)

5 comments about On A Scary Scary Night (Can You See What I See?).

1. Great book! Fun for the whole family! Could anyone find the "too" on the spirit potion picture?



2. My 3rd grade daughter and I enjoy doing look and find type books (we have a lot of Disney ones), and we recently picked up this Halloween themed one by Walter Wick, who also helped create the "I Spy" books. We bought this at the Scholastic book fair at her school.
   
   This is an excellent Halloween look and find outing. There are 12 pages of pics that you can spend a lot of time pouring over trying to find the requested items. The production quality of the pictures is top notch, and they have just the right Halloween atmosphere.
   
   The pages are very challenging, and there are a lot of additional items thrown in the pics, giving you plenty of "replay" options. I plan to buy the Christmas themed one next since this one was so well done.
   
   It's also fun trying to find the red and yellow wooden robot included in every picture.



3. This is my #1 choice for the new Halloween books released in 2008 feature on my blog at thirteenforhalloween.com
   
   OK. Absolutely awesome!!! This book is so, so cool. From the photographer of the I SPY series. They built a set worthy of a full-scale stop animation film like "Nightmare before Christmas" and then photographed it for the images in this book. It is so amazingly detailed. The story concept is taken from the well-known "In a dark, dark wood" classic. You start far away from this incredible castle, work your way through the village, inside and up the top most room where there is a cabinet and on a shelf of that cabinet is a bottle and in the bottle is a . . . well, you just have to see it. Did I say it was amazing? It absolutely knocked my socks off.
   
   Dixie (my 1st grade teaching wife) and I look at every new Halloween book we can find, and we both agree, this is the cream of the 2008 Halloween releases for kids.



4. Each night we read with our 5 year old before bedtime. At the end of reading, we select a page from this book and the 3 of us spend a few minutes trying to find all the items within the pictures. It's been a fantastic way to bring all 3 of us together, spending time laughing, patting each other on the back, and creating confidence and self assurance in our son. We'll complete the discovery of this book tonight, so I've ordered 3 more from Amazon to keep our fun going!!



5. My two year old grandson loves loves loves this book. I loved the photos and he found things that I could not find on my own. Great to help alleviate fears that children may have of some "scary" things.

5 comments about World of Warcraft Dungeon Companion.

1. If you're semi-new to the game and never ran the dungeons listed in this guide, then this will come in very handy. Most of us old-school WoW players know the info provided, but not all of it. I'm an Alliance player but when I created a Horde character this guide helped loads with instance quest info and such. And I still use it when trying to remember the pattern for the ST statues on my alts. ^_^;;
   
   Good Features:
   - Instance maps.
   - Very detailed walkthoughs and strategies for each instance.
   - General info about all instances such as level, location, types of mobs within, etc. so you're always prepared.
   - Details about every quest associated with the dungeon. This includes chain quests. (I want to express how awesome this part is... It tells you the quest givers, where to find them, the level requirement, description on what to do to complete the quest, and where to turn it in. Even lists rewards.)
   - Pictures of the instance. Hey, pictures are always good!
   
   Bad Points:
   - The loot table needs work. It's horribly organized and laid out.
   - The suggested "group make ups" and tips are off. Most of it is oppinionated and incorrect. (Other than the general "Need a tank, healer, CC, DPS" parts.... which are "duh")
   - You could get all this info on thottbot or other sites for free. =P (However I personally like to have a solid book full of info to read when I'm off the comp or whatever. But that's just me.)
   
   So yeah, go ahead and pick it up. Even if you're like me and don't really "need" it, or you use thottbot... it's still a nice guide for the price and you can take it with you wherever. If nothing else it's an interesting read.



2. A seemingly good idea in concept, an unbelievably bad idea in reality.
   These guides suffer from a few issues, that ultimately make them a bad purchase.
   
   (1.) Obviously a printed guide for an online game, won't be up-to-date, but these guides are hopelessly out of date. This fact alone makes these guides a complete and total waste of money. If you really want a guide, buy the .PDF version from Brady's website or ask Amazon to carry the .PDF version. The .PDF version is updated periodically throughout the year.
   
   (2.) Due to the nature of all the games being released at any given time, there are lots of guides to write. Understandably they must be pressed for time. But these guides seem to have be so rushed that there are typos, incorrect information and missing information. Mistakes like these can make the guide unusable at times.
   
   (3.) Any guide will likely be used by newer players. They will need to find information quickly and easily. Whoever setup these guides doe not understand information design or the essential needs of a new player. Even if you skip reason 1 and 2, when you actually use the guide, you will likely be frustrated many times.
   
   For they quickest way to find WoW info and answer your questions bookmark wowwiki.com, wowhead.com and thottbot.com



3. For many WoW players, one of their first group activities is the dungeon adventure. Therefore, this book isn't just good in showing you how to defeat the big boss and what great loot is there, it also gives you hints on how to interact with the other players. And let's face it, the screen loading hints only tell you so much! With this guide, there is a lot of info on what each class can do and how best to be part of a team, so that you don't anger the other players by accident or on purpose. After all, WoW is first and foremost a multiplayer game, and the dungeon adventure is the biggest element of the mutliplayer interactivity (other than PVP).
   
   This book can use an update, but even in this state, it's still very useful today. Highly recommended for a novice WoW player.



4. There is no doubt you have spent your money in the right place if you buy this book. Wanna run dungeons one time, with all the quests in your log, buy this book and its made simple.



5. This reference work may have been more helpful when it first came out, but now it lags behind the actual content that it is attempting to reveal. The work covers all of the instances from the original game (before any patches) and does so in alphabetical order as opposed to a more-helpful level-of-instance organization. On its own merits, it provides a sound basic understanding of the instances level 1-60 players may encounter. In addition, it also goes into the single and chain quests for each faction that are part of each dungeon--especially helpful if you want to go after Onyxia, for example, which involves the longest chain in the pre-BC game.
   
   The work does suffer from several problems, though. Blizzard has released numerous patches and updates since the book's publication, rendering much of the content obsolete. The typeface and layout of the book tend to be quite wearying on the eyes, so spending a lot of time reading it in one sitting is not advisable. Finally, Brady seems to have cut the budget for proofreading, as there are numerous spelling and typographical errors in the work. This last point may seem trivial, but if WoW had as many mistakes in it as this book has, gamers would have run away from it in frustration long ago.
   
   While this work is still helpful in several aspects, its age (in computer gaming terms, anyway) prevents it from being an end-all, be-all for the WoW gamer. The reader should use it for a general overview of what a dungeon is all about, but then should use the constantly-updated resources online to give the specifics as to how to run each dungeon and to keep up with all the modifications that Blizzard has made since this work's publication.

5 comments about Small Stakes Hold 'em: Winning Big With Expert Play.

1. This is not a book on No-Limit Hold'em. I think the title is a little deceiving. It should be called Small Stakes Limit Hold 'em: Winning Big With Expert Play. This book is about LIMIT Hold'em. I am a small stakes NLH player and was looking for a book on NLH. There is a lot of good advice on how to play Limit Hold'em in this book for beginners. However, most of the stuff in this book a good player will all ready know.



2. This is a great book for those who already have some experience playing Limit Texas Holdem. It takes your game to the next level. Sometimes you should go for that gutshot straight. Fit or fold is not always the best option. Always know the pot size and your break even odds. This book is not designed to keep you safe and away from traps. It is designed to get you the maximum profits from aggressive play. Advanced concepts include partial outs and outs for backdoor flushes and straights. What is your hand really worth. Other concepts include starting hand evaluations, overcalls, counterfieting, reverse domination, hidden outs. You were always aware of reverse domination (A2 beating AK on a flop of A Q 2), Counterfeiting (A2 vs AK, board of A Q 2 5 Q - AK wins as the pair of Queens counterfeits the pair of 2s. The second Queen was a hidden out). This book gives you plenty to think about and apply in you lifelong game of poker. Here are the essential concepts to raise your game to the next level. Happy fishing.



3. This book is excellent for the small stakes player. There is lots of good information. It can get a bit complicated with all the stuff you have to learn and remember from the book -- but failing to follow the strategies outlined in the book will result you in being a long term loser in small stakes poker.



4. This is a pathetic excuse for an actual book. The writing is bad. The writing is neither clear nor concise. The book offers no tactical advice. I got the impression that this author merely wants to have a book to sell to suckers like me. I regret buying this book. This book sucks. I have tossed the book into the trash. I can usually glean something of merit from any book. This book is the exception. There is nothing to be gained by reading this book.



5. I wouldn't have written a review until I noticed the trashing of the book. It is a superb text, the best out there for beginning limit players.

5 comments about Jewelry Studio: Wire Wrapping (Jewelry Studio).

1. Great starter book for any wire wrap "nut". Nice photography, great projects, nice source sites.



2. The step-by-step's are excellent. If you're looking to learn traditional wire wrapped bracelet, this is the place to start. Even if you're not into this style of bracelets, the techniques can be easily applied to other projects. The author tells it like it is when you just have to practice, practice, she's right, and it does get better. A side benefit: you'll build muscles on your arms fast.



3. I wish all jewelry making books had such beautiful picture and easy to follow instructions. The book is a keeper!



4. The team of Linda Chandler and Christine Ritchey are back with another fabulous book on wire. Part of Interweave's Jewelry Studio series, Wire Wrapping is the only book you'll need to learn wire wrapping. The authors go over tools and materials in Chapter One and then on to Wire Fundamentals in Chapter Two. Chapter two includes explanations on straightening wire, making jump rings and a catch and clasp. Basic Projects such as a basic bracelet, dress-up bracelet and my favorite, Celtic Knots are included in Chapter Three. The book ends with Chapter Four that describes projects to take you to the next level in your wire wrapping skills. There are projects instructions for making a ring and using patterned wire. A list of resources and index at the back of the book are very helpful.
   
   The photographs demonstrating the techniques and project steps are clear and detailed. Shots are close up so you can see exactly how the work is done. Good how to photographs are a hallmark of Linda and Christine's books. Perfect for the self taught wire wrapper.



5. A beautifully photographed book with very wearable projects, I was pleased to see that this book is not a beginner's book as many wire wrapping books are. However, each project's instructions are so detailed that a beginner would be able to follow them and could make the projects with some practice. So far, this is one of the best wire wrap books I own!

1 comments about In Your Face 3-D: The Best 3-D Book Ever! (Sports Illustrated Kids).

1. The title does not lie, this is the Best 3-D book I have ever seen. The photos actually pop out. There is a wide variety of sports covered in this book and the pictures are of the highest quality. You will be amazed at the detail of the 3-D images. This book is not just for kids, it is great for young and old alike.

2 comments about The New York Times Sunday Crossword Puzzles Vol. 28.

1. I bought this for my grandmother who loves crossword puzzles. She is having a ball!



2. The puzzles are fun and challenging, and the grids are the perfect size for filling in.