The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary

Book Description

New edition! An inexpensive edition of the book that SCRABBLE players call their bible. Ideal for recreational and school play. More than 100,000 playable two- to eight-letter words including 4,000 new entries. Includes variant spellings. Endorsed by the National SCRABBLE Association.

Customer Reviews:

Be Prepared to meet the Challenges.......2007-10-01

With each new volume the avid scrabble player becomes more adept to meet the challenges of intercultural usages of words, making the competition involved in word building, more exciting and satisfying.
Thank you for a great and informative volume.

The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary.......2007-09-06

I have enjoyed my book. It has increased my game. The book is in fine condition.

I'm sorry, but Qwerty is NOT a word........2007-09-06

I'm sorry, but Qwerty is NOT a word. Neither is "Herstory" or a good number of other stoopid werds in this aggravating book that - unfortunately - somehow got isself endorsed by Scrabble officials. The definitions are slim and in many cases, nonexistent. I thought Scrabble was supposed to be played in English? well, there's lots of foreign words in here too. "Barneys"?!?! That's a name. Furthermore, we've been playing Super Scrabble (twice the scores, twice the tiles, and twice the time - but BIG fun), and another aggravating "feature" is that this book does not contain any words longer than 8 characters - so you can fuggeddabout adding onto "Further" to make "Furthermore" - cause its not in here! This book gives me an Incredulity (11 letters - not in there!) socre of 75% and an Aggravation (also 11 letters - and not in there either!) score of 99%. Every time we play I want to do a Farenheit 451 on the damn thang!!!!

To many two-letter foriegn words, e.g. xi, xu, qi.......2007-09-02

I got this book because I was heading out on a month-long trip with some people I didn't know and they said they liked to play scrabble. I figured this would be the easy way to end all potential conflict between on this subject. It did that pretty well, but in part because we all did not like many of the words in this book.

I was especially appalled with the words Xi, xu, qi and others like that that converted scrabble from a game of leveraging your vocabulary to one of remembering odd otherwise-useless trivia about strange words.

The next time I play scrabble I am going to request that we either eliminate 2-letter words, or stick to ones that would have been in common english usage throughout the 20th century.

scrabble players dictionary.......2007-08-31

i was very happy. item came in a timely manner and in good condition. thank you.

Average customer rating:

Great first book for baby
Bright and Colorful
Flaps hard to open
Fun Read
Great flap book

Where Is Baby's Belly Button?

Manufacturer: Little Simon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0689835604

Book Description

Where are Baby's hands?
Under the bubbles!

Where are baby's eyes?
Under her hat!

Karen Katz's adorable babies play peekaboo in this delightful interactive book. The sturdy format and easy-to-lift flaps are perfect for parents and children to share.

Customer Reviews:

Great first book for baby.......2007-09-29

As mentioned by other reviewers, this is a flap book that teaches babies different body parts by playing "peek a boo" and hiding the babies' mouth, feet, belly button etc. This was the first book my baby ever focused on when he was around two months (I think it is due to the movement of the flaps and the bright pictures). At four months he still enjoys this book over most of his other books.

Bright and Colorful.......2007-09-17

I had never heard of Karen Katz until I came across this book last Christmas and decided to buy it as a gift for my then 9-month old son. One of the best decisions I've ever made. He loves it just as much now (almost a year later) as he did when I first got it for him. I have no idea why this book tickles him so much, but anything that keeps him happy an laughing is a permanent hit with me. We've since purchased more books by Karen Katz and he enjoys them all, but "Where Is Baby's Belly Button" is by far his all-time favorite!

Flaps hard to open.......2007-09-16

I bought this book based on rave reviews and recommendation for my daughter. While it's a great concept and the colors are eye catching, the book was a real flop for my daughter and I because the flaps were so hard to open. My daughter would lose interest between "Where is Baby's mouth?" and the time it would take for me to reveal the body part. When she was older, she also had trouble opening them, and we had to bend a few flaps to make it easier. I really try to avoid this book during story time.

Fun Read.......2007-09-13

Our son's only 3 months old and even though he probably didn't get a kick out of it we did....can wait until he can understand it!! HEHE

Great flap book.......2007-08-29

If your child loves 'Lift the Flap' books, then he/she will love this one. It's great for teaching body parts.

Average customer rating:

Transformation Game
Innovation in noncompetitiveness
Missing items leads to missing the game
A customer
Everyone should get this!

Transformation Game
Innerlinks
Manufacturer: U.S. Games Systems
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Cards

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ASIN: 0880793805

Book Description

The game that can change your life! Developed at the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland, The Transformation Game is a joyful way to discover more about yourself and others. For 2 to 4 players, ages 16 to adult.

Customer Reviews:

Transformation Game.......2007-10-02

Excellent board game, very creative and really assertive. It helps you in your personal growth.

Innovation in noncompetitiveness.......2007-05-25

Finally a board game, that is not based on owerpowering/winning over/undercutting others. The whole game is based on generating more connection between players, on all levels of depth. Spiritual (some could say New Age-y or Buddhist) in setup, the game leads each player through being born, and existence in the physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual realms until the player (the first one or each) blasts out through the final transformation. All this happens not before everyone needs to answer questions, act under certain circumstances, make decisions and express support towards others participating. The game includes hundreds of cards accompanying the movements on the board and describing what needs to be done at each step. I really liked how the game also helped to integrate the different world-view and the newly learned insights into my life by encouraging to write them down or follow them up after the game. Both good and bad events in life are handled with a nonjudgmental atmosphere encouraging equanimity in life and in our choices, overseen and supported by angels of different quality from the included angel card deck.

Missing items leads to missing the game.......2007-05-22

When I received the game, I was excited and immediately wanted to play it.

However, my excitement was shortlived and turned to disappointment when I realised there were missing items hence I cannot play the game.

I emailed to the email address given but thus far have not received any response.

It'll be great if you could advise me on how I can have the missing items so that I can play the game.

Thank you

A customer.......2007-03-25

I purchased this game a month ago after hearing about it from a friend and have nothing but praise for the women that created it. I have played it both alone and with others and it never fails to show me the awareness, setbacks and insights for any focus that I may have. It is especially valuable being able to play with others for the wealth of interaction that happens with it. Just as with the experience of life itself, there can be pain, setbacks and depression but there is also blessings, miracles, enlightenment from angels and the other players as well as the opportunity for transformation. Every player's game is unique to them, there are no winners or losers. I make a point of recording all the results of my games to look back upon and will find that a lot of the same messages are being shown to me even by having different focuses. It is those repeated messages that I really need to focus on. I highly recommend this game to anyone who is willing to understand themselves for growth and self healing, as playing it will provide them with a very enlightening experience.

Everyone should get this!.......2007-03-25

This is a must-have for anyone with consciousness to move through this lifetime with ease and grace.

Average customer rating:

good for separation anxiety stage
Fun book every time we read it!
Oooooh, where is she?!!!
Excellent
Where is Baby's Mommy?

Where is Baby's Mommy?

Manufacturer: Little Simon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0689835612

Book Description

Is Mommy behind the chair?

Is Mommy behind the plant?

Join baby as he plays hide-and-seek with Mommy. The sturdy format and easy-to-lift flaps in this delightful interactive book are perfect for parents and children to share.

Customer Reviews:

good for separation anxiety stage.......2007-09-15

I first read this book when my daughter was 6 months old, she is 27months old now and still loves reading the book. we play act the book now, and she's full of laughs.

Fun book every time we read it!.......2007-07-19

This book is so cute as you peek a boo look for mommy on each page. What a cute and fun book the kids love this one everytime!

Oooooh, where is she?!!!.......2007-04-17

Toddlers will love this fun story. It has a hint of mystery as Baby searches for its Mommy. This is a unique way to teach kids the process of elimination as the illustrations rule out each place where Baby's Mommy is not hiding in anticipation of the exciting reunion between Baby and Mommy.

Excellent.......2006-11-11

Though my Son likes books of all kinds, he absolutely loves this and other Karen Katz lift-the-flap books. The illustrations are so simple, colorful and bright. After having read it a zillion times, he still is not tired of smiling everytime he finds mommy!

Where is Baby's Mommy?.......2006-08-07

My 20-month daughter absolutely loves this book. Lifting all the flaps and being suprised everytime to see what is behind them. Always when she finds the Mommy I say " There's mommy" she looks at me with her big brown eyes and says "NO" and points to me and says "Mommy". The book is absolutely ADORABLE.

Munchkin: Kill the Monsters, Steal the Treasure, Stab Your Buddy

Average customer rating:

Great fun for gamers and non gamers, fairly easy to learn
Loads of fun
Fun and Interesting
A Funny Solid Parody
Fun, irreverent game

Munchkin: Kill the Monsters, Steal the Treasure, Stab Your Buddy
Steve Jackson
Manufacturer: Steve Jackson Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Cards

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ASIN: 1556344732

Customer Reviews:

Great fun for gamers and non gamers, fairly easy to learn.......2007-09-10

I purchased the starter pack for Munchkin at a local gameshop after hearing about it online and from friends. My husband and I enjoy MMORPG's and he plays D&D & The Game of Thrones card game. I have never really gotten into the typical non computer role-playing games like D&D or card games like Magic. I decided to try this out so we could start gaming together at the game shop. We first tried it out this weekend and it was actually a lot of fun! With 2 people it's not as interesting as it would be with the recommended 3-6 players but even so, we had a lot of fun playing together! I am looking forward to playing with more people and I can't wait to get the other expansions! I would recommend this for ages 10 and up and adults. Some of the game play is confusing at first but after playing 2 rounds I got the hang of it. I am going to buy the next 2 expansions right now!

Loads of fun.......2007-07-13

I bought Munchkin and the first three add-ons for my husband for his birthday. Although we often play with just two players (not recommended for maximum fun by the creator of the game), we still have a blast playing Munchkin. If you've ever played Magic: The Gathering or Dungeons and Dragons, you will appreciate the humor and puns on these cards.

Fun and Interesting.......2007-01-09

I was given this as Christmas present. I played with my parents and younger brother for hours during the break. It allows us to map our strategy, we can partner or be competive with each other. Rare games that allow us to play as a family.

A Funny Solid Parody.......2005-09-15

It's about time the Dungeon and Dragons concept of dungeon-crawling, roleplaying, and loot gathering was broken apart into it's most basic components and shorn of it's fluff.

Munchkins is a card game which draws it's basis off the many roleplaying fantasy games that derive their heart from the Dungeon and Dragons system. The game is a complete parody while still providing a solid game play which is both fun and strategic.

Game play is rather simple: Each player begins as a level 1 human. Two decks are placed before you: the first are dungeon cards which contain a variety of different monsters, curses, and random effects; the 2nd is the treasure deck which contains the everimportant loot. You go into a dungeon, look for treasure, fight any monsters you see (you can enlist aid from your fellow players), and take the treasure. And what fantastic treasure it is! Great instruments of power like the "11 foot pole" and the "Kneepads of Allure".

Along the way you can draw cards which allow you to change your race or become other classes such as a thief, warrior, cleric or mage. The goal of the game is to reach level 10.

I found the optimal number of players for this game to be around 4-5. While you can play with 6 people expect the game to be long and that it will drag towards the end as each player closest to winning is bombarded with negative effects in order to prevent a level 10 victory. Gametime typically lasts around 45 minutes to an hour, but it is funny and enjoyable time.

I highly recommend this game for people who have played Dungeons and Dragons and thus can relate very well to the many jokes prevelant throughout the decks.

Fun, irreverent game.......2005-09-08

My 19-year old nephew introduced our family to this game. Now we are hooked, including our 13-year old daughter and two 9-year old boys. For anyone who has enjoyed reading or watching this kind of thing (dwarves, orcs, wizards, thieves, etc.), it should be a ton of fun. Where else can you go up a level because you drew a card that says "Invoke obscure rule"?

Baby's Box of Fun: A Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap Gift Set: Where Is Baby's Belly Button; Where Is Baby's Mommy?; Toes, Ears, & Nose

Average customer rating:

GREAT babyshower gift.
We <3 Karen Katz
Baby's Box of Fun
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!
Never received mine, bought from 'oktrbks'

Baby's Box of Fun: A Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap Gift Set: Where Is Baby's Belly Button; Where Is Baby's Mommy?; Toes, Ears, & Nose
Marion Dane Bauer
Manufacturer: Little Simon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0689038623

Customer Reviews:

GREAT babyshower gift........2007-06-27

Newborns and 4 year olds all love these books. I give them to all of my friends as a baby shower gift.

We <3 Karen Katz.......2007-05-16

These are, hands down, our daughter's favorite books. She enjoys them over and over. The illustrations are bright and cute -- highly recommend these books -- especially the lift the flap -- she LOVES them.

Baby's Box of Fun.......2007-05-13

I purchased this book set for my grandson when he was 12 months old. Listening to books is the only time he actually sits still. His favorite book was Toes, Ears, & Nose although he likes all the books because they are interactive. The only problem with the books is if he is left unsupervised or even when holding him, he rips off the flaps in the books. We have had to glue them back on numerous times. I would highly recommend these books but you must be careful with babies that are aggressively interactive with the books.

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!.......2007-03-28

This item was received as a gift and my 2 yr old loves her lift the flaps books. Her favorite out of this collection is "Where is Mommy". I have also purchased them for my friends children and they love them.

Never received mine, bought from 'oktrbks'.......2007-01-05

I bought this from 'oktrbks' and never received.
Contacted the seller and was asked if I want another copy so I said 'yes'
I have not received this yet. I was waiting for this because I believed the seller will send me an another copy. But now It's been more than 90 days so I can not even get my money back.
Not a big money but doesn't feel good at all about the seller's feedback.
Will see if the seller will contact me about this item or not.
I sent an memo to seller today again.

Learn to Play Go: A Master's Guide to the Ultimate Game (Volume I) (Learn to Play Go)

Average customer rating:

Loved it
A great help
A great way to introduce yourself to the game of go.
clear but not filling
Learn To Play Go Easily

Learn to Play Go: A Master's Guide to the Ultimate Game (Volume I) (Learn to Play Go)
Janice Kim
Manufacturer: Ishi Press International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0964479613

Book Description

A Master's Guide to the Ultimate Game.

The award-winning first book in the Learn to Play Go series by Janice Kim 1 dan and Jeong Soo-hyun 9 dan, two masters of the 4,000-year-old Asian game of strategy. Takes the complete beginner step-by-step all the way to playing real Go in one afternoon. Suitable for kids, demystifying for adults. Includes a complete Go set with 9x9, 13x13, and 19x19 playing grids and punch out

Customer Reviews:

Loved it.......2007-09-19

Great book! Helps you progress quickly with many examples and exercises. I intend to buy every book in the series!

A great help.......2007-06-08

This book has been everything I had hoped for in a beginners tutorial. It presents a little bit of an over view of how the game ought to be played plus some simple down-to-earth techniques. As a bonus, it includes a paper board and stones so the student can examine the techniques (or even play a full game).

I haven't fully digested the book but I'm playing better, already.

A great way to introduce yourself to the game of go........2007-03-23

This book steps through all of the basic strategy of Go. It is well illustrated and written in clear and understandable terms. I reference this book and the others in the series constantly.

My only critque is that, as a series, the books tend to be a bit repetitive and do not delve much into more complicated strategy.

clear but not filling.......2007-03-23

The book is very easy to read. This might be an advantage or a disadvantage., depending on your needs.
(I'm not quite a beginner, so I bought the book number 5.)
Many pages just contain one diagram, which is fine, but does not make for a lot of content.
If you're a serious reader, I'd rather recommend "Elementary Go" series by Kiseido

Learn To Play Go Easily.......2007-02-01

Janice Kim and Jeong Soo-hyun have made and excellent book. I had wanted to play go for a long time, yet I did not know what book to choose. Learn to Play Go: A Master's Guide to the Ultimate Game was very helpful.

The book is organized into chapters, and at the end of each chapter, there are some problems for you to try yourself. The book is very easy to understand, and you feel very satisfied when you successfully answer a question.

You don't have a go board? No problem. There is a go set inside. It has a reversable mat with a 19 by 19, 13 by 13 and a 9 by 9 board. There are also 'stones' made out of a thick paper.

This instructional book has everything from ko and life and death, to information about go history and playing go on the computer. If you have never played go before, definately buy this book.

Average customer rating:

Great for one-year-olds, according to my grand-nieces!
Great board book for infants and their parents
Her Favorite
love it!
TERRIFIC BOOK!!

Peek-A-Who?: Board book
Nina Laden
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0811826023

Amazon.com

Nina Laden's illustrations in this simple, rhyming board book are truly magical. The format is straightforward: on alternating two-page spreads, the words "Peek a" are repeated, opposite an illustrated page with a die-cut hole, behind which lurks a cow ("MOO!"), a green ghost ("BOO!"), and a mirror (you guessed it, "YOU!"). The youngest readers will delight in trying to guess who--or what--is peeking through the window, and can easily grip the baby-fist-size holes to turn the pages for the answers. The picture of the "ZOO!" is fabulous. Through the hole, all that can be seen is a wild pattern of colors, stripes, and spots. Turn the page, and find a wild kingdom of animals, one in front of the other: peacock, zebra, penguin, cheetah, elephant, and more. Ready for more peekaboo fun? Try Nina Laden's Ready, Set, Go! . (Baby to preschool) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Colorful pictures and simple rhyming texts help children guess what's peeking through the die-cut windows in these two fun board books. The anticipation of what's hiding on the next page and th bright, engaging illustrations will keep youngsters guessing and giggling all the way to the suprise endings.

Customer Reviews:

Great for one-year-olds, according to my grand-nieces!.......2007-09-15

My grand-nieces, who just turned one year old, were fascinated with this book as soon as I gave it to them. That's the best reward I could have gotten!

Great board book for infants and their parents.......2007-08-31

My son has loved this book since we gave it to him at about 5 months old. He's now 7 months and in the "grab and eat everything" phase, but still settles down and studies the pictures in Peek-a-Who when we read it to him. I've already ordered several more for baby shower gifts. And just like some other reviews state, it's nice and short.

Her Favorite.......2007-08-15

This is my little girls favorite book. Sometimes we read it a few times at a time.

love it!.......2007-07-30

This is one of the best board books I have ever come across. My daughter received this as a gift at 5 months old. She loved it then and she STILL loves it (she's 9 months now). She will sit and look at it for long periods of time. It's also easy enough for my 3yo to read so he will sit and read it to my daughter. :)

TERRIFIC BOOK!!.......2007-07-15

MY kids LOVE this book. After reading it once, my 16 month old son could finish the sentences for me! I recommend this book for ANYONE with babies/toddlers. I have 1 y/o twins. One is a reader and one is a non-reader. Even my non-reader loves these books. Anything by Nina Laden will do!!

The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain

Average customer rating:

A Wonderful Book About the World of Chess...
SImply Outstanding!
A personal and rather shallow book
A Fun, Not Technical, Chess History -- and MORE!!
We're living through a mini golden age for chess literature

The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, or How 32 Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science and the Human Brain
David Shenk
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385510101
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Book Description

Why has one game, alone among the thousands of games invented and played throughout human history, not only survived but thrived within every culture it has touched? What is it about its thirty-two figurative pieces, moving about its sixty-four black and white squares according to very simple rules, that has captivated people for nearly 1,500 years? Why has it driven some of its greatest players into paranoia and madness, and yet is hailed as a remarkably powerful intellectual tool?

Nearly everyone has played chess at some point in their lives. Its rules and pieces have served as a metaphor for society, influencing military strategy, mathematics, artificial intelligence, and literature and the arts. It has been condemned as the devil’s game by popes, rabbis, and imams, and lauded as a guide to proper living by other popes, rabbis, and imams. Marcel Duchamp was so absorbed in the game that he ignored his wife on their honeymoon. Caliph Muhammad al-Amin lost his throne (and his head) trying to checkmate a courtier. Ben Franklin used the game as a cover for secret diplomacy.

In his wide-ranging and ever-fascinating examination of chess, David Shenk gleefully unearths the hidden history of a game that seems so simple yet contains infinity. From its invention somewhere in India around 500 A.D., to its enthusiastic adoption by the Persians and its spread by Islamic warriors, to its remarkable use as a moral guide in the Middle Ages and its political utility in the Enlightenment, to its crucial importance in the birth of cognitive science and its key role in the aesthetic of modernism in twentieth-century art, to its twenty-first-century importance in the development of artificial intelligence and use as a teaching tool in inner-city America, chess has been a remarkably omnipresent factor in the development of civilization.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Book About the World of Chess... .......2007-10-02

and what an interesting world it is. An insightful look at the history, pyschology, philosophy, and implications for the future of the world's oldest and greatest game.

This book should please chess lovers, as it is a rare thing in the crowded gamut of chess books... a broad survey of the game. Many of us play the game, and we study chess books and chess software, we play computer progams and human opponents, but perhaps we do not stop to look at the game from a distance. This book does that for us. And there is much we can learn, in my opinion.

Mr. Shenk is a talented and capable writer, and he has done his work well. He builds on his personal relationship with the game. While he is not an avid player, his great great great grandfather was a Grandmaster. The book is a fun to read and a page turner, and while it delights, it also instructs. Not so much as how to play the game, but perhaps why.

Chess is the world's 3rd biggest sport. It was supposed to be killed by the computer - and yet paradoxically the computer has greatly enhanced the game. It is one of the oldest games and yet it defies mastery. This book looks at this and more, from wacky Grandmasters to precocious school kids and dedicated patzers. It examines the history of chess in ancient Persia, to Bobby Fischer versus Spassky in Iceland to Big Blue versus Kasparof in New York.

Most chess books place the game of chess under a "microscope" - they analyze one specific aspect of the game, by breaking the game into pieces with diagrams and algebraic notion. This book is so welcome and necessary because it looks at the big picture of chess... from a distance, through the years, chess through a "telescope".

My only critique is that I wish the book had been even longer!
This book will be of interest to all, from chess expert to novice to the non-player who merely wants an entertaining education about the world's greatest game.

SImply Outstanding!.......2007-09-17

What an outstanding read - part documentary, history, biography and mystery novel. David Shenk has stimulated all of my mental faculities by writing was is arguably one of the most compelling chess history book ever written. From Novice to Grand Master, lots of good moves within this read. Thank you for a job well done!

A personal and rather shallow book.......2007-08-19

Readers looking for a decent history of chess won't find it in this book. They will find a highly personal account of the author's chess experiences and rather indulgent reflections on those experiences, and a grab-bag of topics with some historical connection to chess - but treated in a superficial and almost journalistic style.

The last chapter (Chess and the future of human intelligence) is particularly trivial. Shenk observes a group of kids in an American Chess in Schools program. It is pure mawkisness - perhaps I should say silliness. Dialog is recorded verbatim. Portentious claims are made.

What makes the book interesting is that Shenk intersperses a famous chess game (The Immortal Game between Anderssen and Kieseritzky in 1851) among the otherwise forgettable chapters. One rushes through the chapters just to get to the next phase of this gripping chess game. This was an excellent device to inject interest into what could easily have been a dry, technical account.

The book will interest readers with no knowledge of chess, but who are curious about it and just want an entertaining and interesting read with minimum intellectual demands upon them. Readers who want a more scholarly and coherent account of chess should look elsewhere.

A Fun, Not Technical, Chess History -- and MORE!!.......2007-07-08

When I got this book, my wife took one look at the title and laughed. "A history of chess? Have fun with that." A lot of people will think that about this book, and that's a shame. The Immortal Game is far more than a history of chess.

Shenk does cover a lot of the history of chess. He traces the roots of the game to the Middle East, and traces its spread throughout Europe. But he traces the history of chess through how it is used - chess is used as a metaphor throughout history, and what it serves as a metaphor for tells us a lot about each time period.

Muslims enjoyed chess because it was not a game of chance. It emphasized the idea of personal responsibility and free will over strict determinism and fatalism. Medieval Christians embraced this symbolism as well, even as they changed the pieces to suit their own society (the Elephant of the Muslim game became the Bishop in Christian Europe, for example). Shenk tells of a Dominican monk who wrote what many consider the most influential chess book of all time -- Liber de moribus hominum et officiis nobilium as popularium sive super ludo sacchorum -- which translates as The Book of Morals of Men and the Dutie of Nobles and Commoners, or On The Game of Chess.

Shenk sees chess as a metaphor for life, and the responsibilities of each member of society. He goes so far as to justify the movement of each piece by the role its namesake played in society. Even today, chess is used by psychologists studying human thought processes and how intelligence develops. Computer scientists teach their supercomputers chess in an effort to simulate human consciousness and develop truly artificial intelligence. Elementary school children are taught chess to develop creative thinking skills. Each era adopts chess as its own metaphor, and the game continues to flourish.

Interspersed with the history of the game, Shenk offers a play-by-play of "The Immortal Game," a practice game played by Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kiesseritzky in 1851. The game began as something of little consequence, played between two acquaintances as they were waiting for the next game of their match, but quickly became something of note. The game has been studied by chess students ever since - Kiesseritzky even published a report in his own chess magazine immediately after it was over.

The Immortal Game is a history of the game of chess, but it's more than just a history. It's an attempt to answer the question, why chess? What has made this game so popular? Why has it lasted for over a thousand years? It's a study of the use of metaphor throughout history. It's a discussion of what intelligence really is. And it's an encouragement to novice chess players all over the world that there is a reason to study this game.

We're living through a mini golden age for chess literature.......2007-03-22

There have been a number of chess books published recently, most of them in expensive hardback format: Bobby Fischer vs. Russians, Kasparov's My Illustrious Predecessors, even Shahade's uneven Chess Bitch. Now add to those titles The Immortal Game, a great overview of chess by David Shenk. The author became interested in chess rather late, and he'll never be a great player, and he knows it. But that doesn't mean the game can't be fascinating. One of the things to take away from this book is you don't have to be a Grandmaster to get a lot of out chess.

The book follows the history of the game as it also tracks one famous encounter between two chess players in 1851. Dubbed "The Immortal Game," it sums up what is so magical about chess--its unpredictability, its sudden reversals, and the feeling that no matter how much you play it, you will never fathom its depths. That's also the point Shenk drives home in the part of the book not devoted to the game, as he looks at how chess has shaped thinking on everything from math to science to social class to warfare to art to computers to psychology. He talks about great achievements brought about by chess, and the game's darker side, which has led to more than one case of madness, more than one suicide, and a reclusive American genius' raving anti-semite comments. No other game, he argues, has impacted the world as much, and few have lasted as long.

This is a well-written book, and very engaging. It does not have to be read by a person deeply-immersed in, and it's not overly-technical. I have to quibble a little about his insistence that chess geniuses are made and not born. While I don't doubt that thousands of hours puts the Garry Kasparovs and Susan Polgars of the world ahead of the rest of us, he ignores the fact that many other a would-be champ devoted equal effort to the game and failed miserably. He also doesn't seem to get that much of the "research" that has "proven" effort over aptitude is effected and infused by social and PC bias of the time, just as research on the subject half a century ago was similarly biased in the other direction. We seem to hesitate to say there may be a "chess gene" because the game is predominantly male and almost completely excludes certain racial groups. Be honest and ask yourself if we'd approach the sport of basketball with the same convictions.

Overall this is a very good book, however, and I recommend it for both the devoted fan and the casual, as well as curious, person, as a fine entertainment. Hopefully we are seeing a chess-publishing revival in the book world, and renewed interest in the game in the U.S.

The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (Third Edition)

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Scrabble Players Dictionary
Mom's an avid Scrabble player
This book has been replaced by 4th edition!
Large print scrabble dictionary
This book is out of date

The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary (Third Edition)

Manufacturer: Merriam-Webster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0877799156

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If you're using the 1991 edition or the 1978 original, you're woefully behind the Scrabble-playing times. With more than 100,000 2- to 8-letter words, there are some interesting additions ("aargh," "aarrgh," and "aarrghh" are all legitimate now), while words they consider offensive are no longer kosher. Why subscribe to the Scrabble dictionary's changeable lexicon? Well, it ends the argument of whose dictionary to use, but the main reason is that it's the winner's dictionary, and why play Scrabble if not to win? Memorize those 2- and 3-letter words, and your Scrabble game becomes lethal.

Book Description

An inexpensive edition of the book that SCRABBLE players call their bible. Ideal for recreational and school play. More than 100,000 playable two-to-eight-letter words. Includes British variant spelling for game players in Canada. Endorsed by the National SCRABBLE Association.

Customer Reviews:

Scrabble Players Dictionary.......2007-01-06

A wonderful tool for the scrabble players. Easy to use and handy to have

Mom's an avid Scrabble player.......2006-11-10

And she doesn't dare part with this to anyone. This is something she truly appreciates. The one thing that surprised her is that since it's in large print, the book is larger than the smaller print pocket version. She keeps it at home for safekeeping and enjoys it very much.

This book has been replaced by 4th edition!.......2006-10-12

Do NOT get this book -- which contains only the THIRD EDITION of the allowable Scrabble words. If you want the FOURTH EDITION, which is current up through its publication in late 2005, use this number to search Amazon's catalog: 0877796343 which will take you to the Fourth Edition, Large Print. For some reason, you can't find it by using words like "Scrabble Large Print" to find that edition -- you have to use the ISBN number.

Using the older edition might be okay if Amazon starts selling it at a discount; it's certainly good enough for friendly family games (in most families!) but won't get you where you need to go if you are playing competitively, and need the most current list of new coinages, acceptable 2-letter words, and q-words.

Large print scrabble dictionary.......2006-07-08

This dictionary is excellent to read and has definations that the smaller version does not have.

This book is out of date.......2005-10-22

I don't know why Amazon is still pushing the 3rd edition 4 months after the release of the 4th edition, which is much superior! The 4th edition is available on Amazon as well, but you have to look elsewhere for the large print (Walmart online has it).

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