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VIDEO GAMES BOOKS

Posted in Video Games (Saturday, November 22, 2008)

Written by Elizabeth Hollinger and James Ratkos and Don Tica. By Prima Games. The regular list price is $9.99. Sells new for $59.00. There are some available for $4.00.
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5 comments about Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Prima's Official Strategy Guide.
  1. This book takes you step by step and the descriptions are clear. Although it may take a while to acutally complete the game while trying to read a player's guide at the same time, it does not take away from the excitement.

    And a big plus would be that this guide doesn't take away from the plot. BEWARE those that do!



  2. Dear Zelda fans& lovers,
    This book is sure to help you on the 2nd level to getting the Goron Ruby.Soon I have this book to help me.
    P.S. This guide is the best!


  3. This is a great companion to the game. It is descriptive and offers a number of strategies for certain situations. I noticed a couple of flaws in it, but nothing major. For example, in the back where it describes where to find all the gold skultulas, it usually has what you need to get it, what dungeon or town it is in, and where it is in the dungeon or town. However, one of them had the dungeons in one column, but what you need to use to get it in two coulmns, so I had no idea where to find it, even after searching. I think there is another flaw, but that is about it. They are very minor and don't take away the fact that this is a great guide!


  4. This is a really good guide, I had a copy of this, but it was like five years old, and the pages fell out. But before, it was really a good guy, and it helped me out of a few tight spots. The one thing I think it could have is more puzzle-help. Especially the one in Forest Temlpe, the one where you have to move the crescent blocks. But, it might have had it, that pages has been missing in my copy for years. Overall, excellent. Highly recommended. Being a kid (-13) myself, I can say that most kids will find this easy to understand and comprehend, and the complete maps, listings, and charts are very clear!


  5. Not being a "game" person, I must admit to having to struggle through the most simple of computer and other electronic type games. I simply could not have completed this one on my own. If this guide helped me, then I certainly feel it would be helpful to anyone! Ghe graphics in this book are excellent and the instructions are quite easy to follow. Recommened this one highly.


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Posted in Video Games (Saturday, November 22, 2008)

Written by David Hodgson. By Prima Games. The regular list price is $19.99. Sells new for $11.92. There are some available for $8.17.
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5 comments about Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary (Wii): Prima Official Game Guide.
  1. My 14 year old daughter was becoming frustrated with the game. Once she reviewed the book, the game quickly became her favorite.


  2. This much needed guide explains alot but as with other reviewers found it lacking in the Lara control dept. The screen shots are really dark but then so is the game unless you lighten the graphics. It definately helps you through the game. Can't see doing without it.


  3. Excellent guide for those who wish to find ALL of the hidden treasures, and of course the med-packs.


  4. recieved quickly & in very good condition. Would do business with this
    company again.


  5. this is just like other reviews state, wii remote hard to control and nothing like original playstation version. do not like it.


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Posted in Video Games (Saturday, November 22, 2008)

Written by Michael Knight. By Prima Games. The regular list price is $19.99. Sells new for $11.00. There are some available for $13.51.
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No comments about Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).



Posted in Video Games (Saturday, November 22, 2008)

Written by BradyGames. By BradyGames. The regular list price is $16.99. Sells new for $6.00. There are some available for $5.00.
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2 comments about THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)) (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)).
  1. I love having lists of items for RPGs and this guide provides plenty. Details for clothing and buttons are very well laid out. The guide also provides a walkthrough for hte game but I have not used that enough to give a good opinion. If you like having details for items in RPGs then this is a great accessory to a terrific game.


  2. The guide is decent and helps you get through the game The World Ends With You. Includes an easy to follow walk-through as well as appendices to useful information about Threads, Noise database, Pin guide. Gives you information about the extra missions after you clear the game. I found the Pin guide most useful.

    This guide is not with out a few flaws such as incorrect information about pin evolutions and stating repeatedly that certain pins come from "big" noise when it should have said "pig". Not a big deal though the guide in it's entirety is helpful and the flaws are easily spotted and don't affect your ability to play the game well.

    I should also mention that the walk-through is only partially spoiler free. There are a few times when reading the walk-through will spoil a few story elements but it does keep some of the more important spoilers a secret.


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Posted in Video Games (Saturday, November 22, 2008)

Written by Joseph Adler. By O'Reilly Media, Inc.. The regular list price is $24.99. Sells new for $7.25. There are some available for $3.61.
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5 comments about Baseball Hacks: Tips & Tools for Analyzing and Winning with Statistics (Hacks).
  1. I recently purchased this book hoping to be able to apply some of my recent work-related statistics training to baseball stats. It promises step-by-step instructions that 'anyone' can follow. While the instructions are step-by-step, if you have no computer experience outside of Windows (like me) you will almost certainly be frustrated very early on.

    My first hiccup was in hack #10, step 4, in which the author jumps to using Unix commands without mentioning that fact. Fortunately, I have a friend familiar with both Unix and MySQL who was able to get me through that particular hack by installing a GUI and importing the files through it. For those who are stumped on that particular step, jump to hack #18, install a GUI, and import the DataBank files as a script using the Query Editor.

    I haven't proceeded much farther in the book, largely because I can already see the frustration to come from fumbling my way through Perl. The author gives very rudimentary instructions in the language, followed by more 'easy to use' scripts. The problem is the scripts are based on filenames and information that is more than a year out of date. This will require editing the scripts, something a programming illiterate such as myself will find challenging at best.

    So after all these complaints, why did I still rate the book a 3? Because I'm trying to be fair. I've read through the rest of the book without trying to apply anything, and if you are at least familiar with MySQL, Unix, and Perl you'll probably get a lot out of it. The tools presented appear to be very powerful. Also, since I'm familiar with Access, the hacks for using it have been helpful. Unfortunately, the instructions in the book assume a basic level of programming knowledge on the part of the reader, despite the author's contention that they do not. If you can't tell a Unix prompt from a DOS prompt, this book is not the answer to your stat-processing prayers.


  2. This book is uniquely geared toward the database-literate and technology-literate baseball fan. The author shows all kinds of ways to gather free baseball statistics over the Internet, load them into databases, and then to build reports and queries against them. If this sounds even vaguely interesting to you, this book will entertain you for hours - and it might help you with your fantasy baseball picks, too.

    The book contains 75 hacks to help you acquire and analyze baseball statistics. O'Reilly publishes a whole series of hacks books and in this context, a hack is basically a solution to a problem. It is an idea or piece of code that can be used to further your understanding and knowledge of baseball. If you follow the daily baseball box scores, review historical statistics, or play fantasy baseball, you will definitely enjoy these hacks.

    If you are a new baseball fan that likes the game but is befuddled by all the terms and statistics thrown around, Baseball Hacks can help. Even some long-term baseball fans don't understand things like slugging average, OPS, or DIPS. But Baseball Hacks explains them and how to derive them.

    If you are an open source proponent, and a baseball fan, you'll definitely want to take advantage of hack #10, which shows you how to get a MySQL database of player and team statistics. Rather use Microsoft Access? You'll want hack #9.

    Really. Baseball Hacks is a great book for the database/baseball nerd in all of us. If you are looking for a way to merge your profession with a hobby, look no further than picking up a copy of Baseball Hacks.


  3. This book takes a fairly different approach to baseball statistics. The author goes thru and explains most all of the newer statistics. The real meat of this work is teaching the reader how to build his or her own data bases free of charge by importing information from various websites. My sense is that to really benefit from the data base aspects the reader must have a pretty good acumen for dealing with computer programing. Even though the author provides precise step by step help with codes. Still, I would say most baseball fans who enjoy statistics will benefit from this.


  4. Baseball Hacks: Tips & Tools for Analyzing and Winning with Statistics (Hacks), which comes with download able scripts from the O'Reilly site, shows how to do SABR metrics like the big league analysts.

    If, like me, you wish to use only the free, or open source, programs on Linux, you are in for significant work. I could not get R, (the statistical analysis program much like S-Plus,) to work under Ubuntu. I was able to get it to work under the SuSE version of Linux. If exploring Baseball Statistics is like the Lewis and Clark expedition, Adler is your Pocohantuas!

    What satisfaction comes from comparing baseball intuition with computerized analysis of the vast databases of baseball statistics! The American economy would be much more efficient if lessons from Baseball Hacks were applied to enterprise management.


  5. You have to be a programmer to do much with the code in this book. There is no robust system to download you can just run. However, it goes beyond programming and has a lot of explanations of advanced baseball statistics. Mostly historical statistics such as "Was Barry Bond's better then Babe Ruth and how do we use statistics to tell?". The world could stand to have a few more books involving baseball and programming.


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Posted in Video Games (Saturday, November 22, 2008)

Written by David Hodgson and Stephen Stratton. By Prima Games. The regular list price is $14.99. Sells new for $8.75. There are some available for $8.50.
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5 comments about The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Prima Official Game Guides).
  1. I bought this guide with the game and thanks to this guide I am actually making it through the game. Its a great guide and is able to get you everything while not distracting you to much from your journey. I'd highly recommend it


  2. I am having a hard time with this guide. Some of it is helpful but there are parts that just go on and on. I'm completely lost at this point and time with the game because I have no idea where to go and I can't see where I am in the book. I should have just paid extra for the Nintendo game guide!


  3. If you are the kind of gamer who likes to do things on their own and simply look at a guide for occasional hints, be wary of buying this guide. The writers take paragraphs to describe a course of action that can be summed up in two sentences, which gets very frustrating and honestly, annoying. The biggest downside to this guide is that it doesn't have charts on where to locate certain items such as heart pieces, golden bugs, and poes. So, if you miss something, good luck trying to find it again somewhere in the 432ish pages of fury.

    Despite my criticism of this guide, I am actually glad I bought it. The battle tactics are effective and the maps are great. It really isnt a bad guide all in all, it is just too long.


  4. This guide book really helps. I like that the side quests are not in their own section. The book tells you when the side quests are available.


  5. This guide only released today November 4, 2008.
    There are already reviews for this guide.
    I think the reviews here are for older guides of this game by Prima.
    Past guides either covered just the Wii or just the GameCube version.

    An older guide had a gold foil stamped hardcover and was a Collectors edition released November 13, 2007
    Find this guide with this isbn 0761557857
    New Content! - Sixteen pages of new content added. Full Legendary Checklists for quick ref of all collectibles.
    Cloth Overworld Map - A collectible poster map of the Overworld printed on cloth to keep you oriented in Hyrule. (the cloth map isn't that great it has strings coming off it one reviewers said)
    Every item is covered in Prima's Guide - Every collectible item and Rupee location in the entire game world revealed.
    Premier Maps - Exclusive maps for every Dungeon in the game.
    (The legendary checklist at the back didn't detail the location of Poe Souls or Golden Bugs, which could've helped in many cases. The heart checlist is pretty good, though, telling you where to find them. The checklist also details on finding equipment and items. So it's not so bad. )

    Another guide was a Wii Version Paperback released November 28, 2006
    Written specifically for the Wii version!
    Find this guide with this isbn 0761555714
    ·The complete Twilight Princess compendium
    ·Exclusive maps for every dungeon in the game, plus all hidden dungeons mastered-including the infamous Cave of Ordeals!
    ·All Golden Bugs, Poes, Pieces of Heart, Fairies, Rare Gold Chu locations, dig spot caverns, overworld and dungeon treasure chests, and every major Rupee location in the entire world revealed!
    ·Complete walkthrough showing the optimal path to take! Grab all the best items at the earliest possible points!
    ·Outrageously fast times, cunning techniques, and secret unlockables for all mini-games!
    ·Giant double-sided map poster inside!
    ·Multiple methods for fighting against all of Hyrule's dark denizens!
    ·Learn when and where to search for every item, upgrade, character, and dungeon. Includes how and where to fish for the legendary 27-inch Hylian Loach!
    ·Dozens of combat, gameplay, and healing tricks, plus easter eggs you won't believe!
    (There is not a section specifically devoted to finding the extras, like golden bugs, but it comes with a giant map that shows you where everything is.)


    This guide released November 4, 2008 is suppose to cover both Nintendo GameCube and WII versions of the game.
    432 pages
    This guide should have isbn 0761561595
    * Every item is covered in Prima's Guide - Every single collectable item and Rupee location in the entire game world revealed.
    * Premier Maps - Exclusive maps for every Dungeon in the game
    * Pull Out Map - Giant poster map of the Overworld to help keep you oriented in the kingdom of Hyrule.
    I got this info from this link
    http://www.primagames.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780761561590

    Anyone who buys this guide and reviews it should see if it lists the following:
    All Golden Bugs, Poes Souls, Pieces of Heart, Fairies, Rare Gold Chu locations, dig spot caverns, overworld and dungeon treasure chests, and every major Rupee locations also finding equipment and items.

    Is there a checklist telling you where to find all of this stuff so you don't have to do a lot of page flipping?
    Is the guide well organized?
    Are the pictures large enough?
    Does it tell how to beat the Cave of Ordeals?
    Does it have a fishing guide?
    Does it tell how to catch legendary Hylian Loach fish?
    Also include pictures of this guide.


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Posted in Video Games (Saturday, November 22, 2008)

Written by David Williamson Shaffer. By Palgrave Macmillan. The regular list price is $14.95. Sells new for $8.10. There are some available for $8.17.
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3 comments about How Computer Games Help Children Learn.
  1. Dr. Shaffer aims high and really hits the mark. Most recent, successful books about learning and video games go for the seasoned computer aficionado (me), or the rank computer newbie (my husband). Rarely do they target both. Shaffer's topics are deep and wide, but his language is fluid and unassuming; as a result, both audiences will find useful chunks of knowledge that resonate.

    It is not hard to understand why todays twelve-year-olds would rather play SIMS or DOOM than finish their math homework. Shaffer (and his excellent team of graduate students) makes a very compelling case for why those experiences need not be mutually exclusive. In fact, if the games in the book become more the standard in U.S. schools, there might indeed be hope for our kids in the world-wide digital market after all.


  2. In this book, Shaffer takes the conversation about games and their relevance to society in general, and for children's learning in particular, to a new level. In a world where standardized thinking is rapidly being encapsulated in machines or outsourced, he says, education ought to be about providing young people with opportunities to learn innovative ways of thinking.

    Which is where computer games come in: these games "are significant because they let us think in new ways" (p.191).

    While touring a variety of video and other games, the book is centrally concerned with a new kind of game called an "epistemic game." In these games, players physically take on professional roles, like that of an engineer or architect, and use computers (and mentors/peers) to identify and solve problems - to think - like professionals.

    In each of its six chapters, the book explores a specific epistemic game, such as Digital Zoo (about engineering), through a particular professional dimension, such as the specific "Knowlege" or "Values" of an engineer. (Promising commercial games are discussed along similar lines at the end of each chapter as well.) As a result, the book moves easily back and forth between personal stories and impressive studies, helping readers connect solid research on game playing with important learning theories.

    This book is a must read for anyone interested in games, learning, and compelling visions for how to transform education.


  3. David Shaffer proposes here that we educate children by having them do the things adults do--only by simulating them in game form. This is an idea I haven't run across before, and I think it may have real merit.

    I have a nine-year-old son who attends public school. His school spends a lot of money and effort on computer learning, but I have been frankly underwhelmed by the results. The educational software I've seen doesn't strike me as much of an advance over flash cards--just a lot more expensive. I consider myself generally a skeptic on the whole subject of computers in the classroom.

    Shaffer's point is that not just any learning software will have educational benefits. The software must be a serious attempt to simulate the sort of tasks that adults do, such as running a business or designing a building. Shaffer calls these epistemic games. Shaffer's descriptions of some of these games do sound interesting, and he provides some evidence that children learn a lot from them. Shaffer's research seems to have dealt mainly with teenagers; his evidence for the benefits of these games seems much less solid for younger children.

    I can't say that I'm convinced that computers in the classroom are worth the costs, but after reading Shaffer's book I'm willing to at least consider the idea. Shaffer may indeed have something here that could be a significant step forward in education.

    That said, Shaffer's research strikes me as very preliminary. His studies involved only a few kids, who were far from randomly selected. The teachers were hand-picked, highly motivated, and interested in the subject they were teaching. The ratio of teachers to students was high, and the teachers put in a lot of effort. The kids were followed up for only a short time. This is a long way from being proof that the epistemic game concept works. In my opinion, it's very unlikely that conditions this favorable for learning could be maintained for large numbers of children for a long period at reasonable cost. Teachers putting in that kind of effort burn out quickly. Would epistemic games work with ordinary kids being taught by an ordinary teacher? Who knows? If this sounds like I'm being a bit of a sourpuss, the fact is that the history of education is absolutely replete with "reforms" that worked well with a few kids and a select group of teachers, but failed to improve education in the long term. American schools today are in very sad shape. Much of the blame for that goes to well-meaning educational reforms that were implemented too hastily, without evidence that they really improved educational outcomes for most children.

    Overall, though, Shaffer's book is interesting and well worth reading.


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Posted in Video Games (Saturday, November 22, 2008)

Written by David Hodgson. By Prima Games. The regular list price is $16.99. Sells new for $5.00. There are some available for $3.95.
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5 comments about Viva Pinata: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides).
  1. I don't usually get game guides because they spoil the fun, but sometimes you just want to know what kind of fertalizer to use, and this one tells you everything. It's a good reference for those who don't want to take notes on a game that is purely for fun.


  2. One can get quite far in the game by just paying attention, experimenting and luck; however, sometimes it's nice to have a reference when you want to attract a particular Pinata or produce a particular variation. While a lot of this information is freely available on the web, I find having a book to flip through, more practical while playing the game.


  3. I will keep this review short and sweet. Many have covered the basics.

    Viva Pinata is not new. My son has been playing it for a while now and the progress has been steady, but slow. I felt that he is starting to loose interest or at least, I'm starting to feel useless.
    So i decided to get this guide. The first ever guide i get for any game (I'm 36 and i've been gaming since i was 6).

    Man did it change his life. I was blown away by how much of this game is revealed, new challenged uncovered and objectives to look forward to.

    And Unlike the reviewer who thought this came out late. I think all Strategy Guides should come out a year or more post game release. It will add so much more replay value, renew interest in a game, almost removing a shroud. Interest in a game would be prolonged...

    And, as a bonus, my kid is actually forcing himself to read through the book, page by page.

    That alone is worth 5*s


  4. But found that this game is fun for all ages. It has it's childish moments, it's bright colors, cute little pinatas running around and funny noises; but there really is no substitute to the kind of gaming enjoyment this game will provide. It's kind of a SIMS crossed with the original cartoon. You control the pets, take care of them and protect them from the bad pinatas in hopes of creating secret pets and luring newer and better pets in to your gardens. The features and pretty abundant and all add to the variety of game play allowed. I wouldn't feel bad recommending this game to my friends or allowing my 5 year old child to play.

    The only thing I would like to warn the parents about that may be thinking about giving this to their kids is the pets are able to reproduce and create little pinatas that are delivered as eggs to the loving parent pinatas. Basically two pinatas are looking for love, you get them together, play a mini game. Upon successful completion of the mini game the pinatas do a dance...literally. A cut scene shows the pinatas do a variety of world dances to the appropriate music. I only mention this because I don't want parents complaining that no one warned them that the game may cause little Timmy or Janie to ask questions about where babies come from. Regardless of that, I'd recommend this game for all ages.


  5. As far as game guides go this is one of the most complete I have encountered. It makes a great book to have handy when you are sitting there and playing. It's not laid out as a walkthrough, but rather as an encyclopedia of sorts. Because Viva Piñata is so open-ended, it makes this layout the best method. You can easily glance through the book and if you see a piñata you like, you can see all the prerequisites that go into attracting it and getting them to stay, plus any of the extra color variations of them you can obtain. The book also makes it a whole lot easier to go buy items when you can look right in the book and know the cost and variations before you even head to the village to shop. Some guide books can ruin the experience of a game by providing you every step that you should be taking, this book on the other hand becomes that ultimate game manual that you never had. So grab yourself the Piñata bible and go out there and get gardening!


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Posted in Video Games (Saturday, November 22, 2008)

Written by Scott Fischman. By ESPN. The regular list price is $19.95. Sells new for $3.99. There are some available for $3.26.
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5 comments about Online Ace: A World Series of Poker Champion's Guide to Mastering Internet Poker.
  1. Scott Fischman is a guy who was once a dealer who went on to win a couple of World Series of Poker bracelets including one for the HORSE event. This interested me. (Yes, I used to play basketball and remember Bob McAdoo of the Lakers who was a deadly shot at HORSE, about whom it was said--by Michael Cooper--"You do, McAdoo.") But I digress.

    HORSE in poker stands for Hold'em, Omaha hilo, Razz, Stud, and stud Eight or better. It's spread in some clubs, but you can almost always find some limit games at PokerStars and other places on the Internet. A round is played of hold'em and then a round of Omaha eight or better, then a round of razz, which is stud lowball, and then a round of regular stud and then stud hilo, and the cycle is repeated. You have to be a pretty good all-around player to be successful at HORSE, and anybody who can beat that game regularly earns my respect.

    This book, like many others published in the wake of the TV- and Internet-turboed rise of poker, is directed at beginners or near beginners. The "Mastering Internet Poker" in the subtitle is justified however because Fischman reveals a lot about his overall approach to the game of poker, especially his psychological approach. For Fischman the most important psychology in the game is self-psychology.

    There is plenty of strategy presented throughout the book and some explanations given on how to play various hands in various situations; but mainly Fischman concentrates on his overall approach to the games. In a sense this is a hybrid book: part "how-to" and part "how-I-did-it."

    Fischman is not a deep strategic master of the game or a mathematical whiz. He is a "by the seat of your pants" player with a wealth of experience both online and in the brick and mortar clubs. His advice on tournament strategy, especially online Sit-N-Go's is excellent. He divides the tournament, one-table or otherwise, into three "seasons," the beginning when blinds are small relative to stacks; the middle, when the size of your stack begins to dictate decisions; and the endgame, when many or most decisions will involve all your chips and your tournament life.

    In the "beginning" he likes to "look for spots where I can safely--or as close to safely as poker allows--double my stack. Otherwise, I've got no business being in the hand." (p. 71) In the middle he likes to start making small raises often with the idea of picking up the blinds from his now very careful opponents. In the endgame, Fischman becomes super-aggressive. One excellent idea of his is that near the bubble when many players start to play very carefully you can steal a lot of pots. He believes that in Sit-N-Gos you should aim to finish first, not just in the money because of the big difference between first place money (usually 50% of the prize fund) and third place (usually 20%). So he advises, don't be afraid of finishing fourth and out of the money. A first and a fourth are better than two third-place finishes.

    Also interesting is Fischman's take on "multi-tabling" online. He believes that playing several tables at once not only allows the expert to win more money, it allows the expert to get into the zone and become "the Robot," as he calls himself when he is just one with the decisions, one after another in front of him on his computer screen. His idea is that because multi-tabling is so demanding on your attention it forces you to focus. You don't have time to worry about bad beats or time to over-analyze. You are a Robot, focused, decisive and unemotional. Yes, you miss subtleties and some opportunities, but you don't try to do too much and you go with your first instinct which is often right.

    Fischman tends to the superstitious, which of course is NOT recommended. However he justifies it from a psychological point of view by noting that if something makes you feel confident that will help you win. So it's okay to depend a little on that lucky shirt, and yes it may very well be the case as you drive into the club and see all those license plates with the poker hands on them, "KAA 555," etc., that yes you ARE going to be lucky today!

    Some of Fischman's recommendations on how to play specific hands in specific situations go against the grain of the conventional wisdom. But here again I found his ideas interesting. Sometimes he seems clearly "wrong" or maybe just doesn't make himself clear. For example on page 125 he writes about tables being broken down later in a tournament as players are eliminated. He notes that he doesn't like being moved to a new table after having made some rebuys because "I want to have the chance to win back the chips I have lost. I can't do that if the players I've been kind enough to 'loan' my chips to are suddenly scattered throughout the tournament. There's nothing worse that rebuying 10 times, having your table broken down, then finding yourself at a new table where no one has purchased a rebuy."

    Unless I'm missing something, this seems plainly illogical because it doesn't matter from whom he wins chips. He still has the same number of chips and the same relative chance of winning the tournament. I think what he must mean is that while losing those chips he picked up some valuable information about those players and now can't use that information.

    What is obvious from reading this very readable book is that Scott Fischman is one heck of a good poker player and that his strength is in his overall approach to the game, some of which comes shining forth from these pages. I think both experienced players and beginners will find something of value here.


  2. ****1/2
    This was my second poker book and first online book. I have been playing off and on for about 7 years now and this book has helped my game tremendously, specifically online, but not exclusively either. Scott gives you a lot to think about during the game and also helps you to think on different levels and how your emotions and mind come into play whether playing online or live games. There were many excellent tips and anecdotes from well know pros as well, both online and brick and mortar. There is a great pace to the book - it is a very quick and easy read. Lastly, another nice feature is the multitude of pointers for sit-n-go's, tournaments, and cash/ring games!

    The only drawback might be the lack of mention of odds in general, which do play a large part in poker, but that should be a given anyway. This can be learned from many other books anyway. I highly recommend this book to just about anyone, beginners and advanced players alike. You will certainly become a better player with all of the great strategies and insights provided. And, in turn, hopefully you can make much more money! Best of luck always!


  3. Not a bad book, it does have a lot of useful tid bits inside the pages, but the book will not really challenge your thinking and insight to the game. If you're a beginner this book may be a useful read, but if you've been playing for a while and past the beginner stage, you might want to look at some other more in depth material.


  4. Not one worthwhile idea in this book. For beginners try Lee Jones..Intermediate..Mat Hilger and advanced Harrington. They are worthwhile books. Tis one is not!


  5. WOW DICK COOK... do you even know what you are talking about? I thought this book was insighful and well thought out. It covered several different angles for beginers. This is who the book is aimed for. This book is not directed toward the more experienced players. Well done Mr. Fischman, well done.


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Posted in Video Games (Saturday, November 22, 2008)

Written by Piggyback Interactive Ltd.. By Piggyback. The regular list price is $16.99. Sells new for $34.84. There are some available for $12.91.
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Purchase Information
5 comments about Tomb Raider: Legend: The Complete Official Guide.
  1. I'm very happy with this guide. It is very detailed with nice photos. It came in good time and in excellent condition. A little long to read and it does not stay open by itself but very informative and I am happy that I purchased it.


  2. I bought this book almost a year after I bought and played the game. First of all, there is only 1 down-side on this book, I expected more page filling art works, scetches, of pictures of the locations. Sure they are in it too, but small and too few.
    But never the less, don't let this spoil the book, because for the rest I found it very handy (and nice) to read. It's written in a funny way, clearly by somebody who also enjoyed playing the game and writing this book, Everything is explained in a clear way, making it sound almost too easy to get all the hidden treasures, and what I also found helpfull was a map of every level, in clear detail, where to find what, how to get there, what to find there. And ofcourse all the unlockable secrets of the game itself.
    All together I am very happy with the purchase of this book


  3. This is just what I needed. Being new to the Tomb Raider series, I was in need of something to help me with the in's and out's of the game. With the guide, I have been able to get farther into the game in 3 days than I had managed in 2 months without it.


  4. Hi, I'm a lover of Tomb Raider. I've played many of the Tomb Raider games. The last one out; Legend, is very fun and even better then the tomb raider games before. The other Tomb Raider games gave you a phone number to call incase you got stuck. Tomb Raider Legend does not have that. Your best bet is to get Tomb Raider:Legend:The Complete Official Guide. This way you will not miss anything and if you can't figure something out and you've spent hours on it, you can cheat and find out how to do whatever it is you're trying to do or get through. Before purchasing the book I was told of a few different web sites where I could find answers to my questions I have about Legend. Unfortunately, that did not work for me. I'm very happy to have purchased The Complete Official Guide, for Tomb Raider Legend. It's made the game much more enjoyable, even more so than it already was!Tomb Raider: Legend: The Complete Official Guide


  5. I guide really help me understand most if not all of the puzzels.The bosses are fairly easy and the each of the courses are are pure fun. I love the construct of the game it's fun granted. Though it may take a little getting use to the set up of the controls.Tomb Raider is the best game that I have played in while


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Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Prima's Official Strategy Guide
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary (Wii): Prima Official Game Guide
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides)
THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU Official Strategy Guide (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames)) (Official Strategy Guides (Bradygames))
Baseball Hacks: Tips & Tools for Analyzing and Winning with Statistics (Hacks)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Prima Official Game Guides)
How Computer Games Help Children Learn
Viva Pinata: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides)
Online Ace: A World Series of Poker Champion's Guide to Mastering Internet Poker
Tomb Raider: Legend: The Complete Official Guide

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Last updated: Sat Nov 22 15:22:33 EST 2008