Toys and Games Books

This is a wonderful book for an extremely low price. I bought eight of them as birthday party favors. It is perfect for small children.

This book is wonderful for toddlers. It teaches them to follow instructions while having fun with their Sesame Street fans. My daughter is 16 months old and knows the book by heart. I would recommend every family have this book in their childs library.

My son got this as a favor at a birthday party when he was one. He loves this book and wants us to read it to him over and over. Now, when we say "Elmo says touch your nose!" He will do it! The best one is when "Elmo says do a shimmy shake"! You have to see it. I just wish it was a board book instead of pages, since he has ripped out several pages and now I need a new copy.

This book is excellent -- clear, detailed, and well-organized. And it always seems to have just the information I need.

To give a specific example: I was recently trying to prepare a robot for a local fire-fighting contest, and was counting on using a HiTechnic interface board to connect up one or more Sharp analog distance sensors. But the HiTechnic board didn't work for me, and the deadline was looming. I flipped through Extreme NXT, and there in Chapter 8 was the solution: a simple circuit for that does exactly what I need.

The NXT is a great robot controller, and this book effectively converts it from a closed to an open platform. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I bought this book to get a better idea of how to safely interface my own circuits to the Lego Mindstorms NXT. In my opinion, you can't find a better book for this purpose. "Extreme NXT" contains the pinouts and proper usage of the NXT motor and sensor ports. It also provides a large number of the most useful homebrew sensor implementations, right down to parts lists containing part numbers for common component suppliers like Digikey and Radio Shack.

My background is in engineering, with an emphasis in control systems. The first book I read in the field of hobbiest robotics was "Mobile Robots: Inspiration to Implementation" (Jones and Flynn). In those days, the 6811's were king for these sorts of projects. I spent many a happy day with my MIT Handyboard (a simple 6811 robot controller board). Things have come a long way. Nowadays NXT is available, and this book is the modern day equivalent to that excellent text for those who want to dig in and find out what the NXT is capable of. The book is written in a format that is easy to understand for the novice, but also supplies plenty of content to allow the more advanced user to be able to push the NXT envelope. The organization is superb, commonly used charts and tables are easily found. I have been finding myself referring most often to the pinout tables for the NXT connectors, and these are very conveniently found towards the front of the book.

Chapters are broke down into sensor and output types, starting with the more basic and easily contructed passive sensors up to more advanced and expandable I2C sensors. Motor control, h-bridges, etc are also covered in detail. Both the construction of the circuits, and the NXT code to run them, are covered. Code is provided in it's most basic form first, NXT-G, which every NXT user will be familiar with. Examples proceed to more complex compilers, such as NBC, for sensors or circuits that are better suited to those implementations.

The appendix provides complete source code listings, useful websites and links categorized by chapter. There is also a great tutorial on prototyping with breadboards and perfboard for the uninitiated. With this book, any skill level in electronics should be enough to do some cool things with the NXT kit.

This book will become a very useful addition to any hobby robotics library. For me, it will be the goto book for designing circuits to safely interface to the Lego NXT. Highly recommended!

Reviewer J. Doubek, said it best - "I bought this book to get a better idea of how to safely interface my own circuits to the Lego Mindstorms NXT. In my opinion, you can't find a better book for this purpose."

And that is very true! I cannot add much more to his review... This book is the 'Make' book for the NXT. The authors have explained everything so any builder of any age or skill level can understand the processes. It teaches several techniques that can be developed into viable career skills. Including soldering, electronics knowledge and usage, and handy-tech projects that will also get one's mind flowing with other ideas. If you are a 'Maker' or tinkerer or would like to learn some inside knowledge of the NXT and how to build outside of the box you will find no better starter book.

Grab it, read it, and use it to expand your NXT knowledge!

Chris
MDP, MCP
USA - NASA

My two oldest daughters love this book! Their Dad and I have been having fun doing one page a night before bedtime. The illustrations are amazing! They are so intricate that it easily takes us 20 minutes to do just one page. The great thing about this book is that it can handle the interests of a wide range of ages. For example, my four year old has fun counting the fairies she finds while my six year old can sound out 'S-U-N' and then find that in the picture. Once we have found all the things the book asks for the girls have us search for other things on the page.

We have heard rumors that this author and illustrator have two other books coming out soon. We can hardly wait!

What an enchanting book -- an absolutely wonderful tool for a grandparent and grandchild to share. It brings magic to all ages. This book has become my gift to big sisters who are welcoming new babies into their family space and to brand new grandparents. I can hardly wait for the next books to come out so I can enjoy more special time with my special little ones!

My family discovered this wonderful book on Saturday, when we happened upon the release party in San Francisco. We met the both the Author and Illustrator who were enchanting the crowd of children like the fairies in their fairyland. My sons and daughter are captivated by the book - filled with lush color, wonderfully imaginative illustrations and playful, engaging rhyme that delights while leading us through the pages of discovery. Really a treasure.

This is a nice flexible book for introducing new, young wargamers to the hobby. It's also a fine addition to any gamer's library. There are many simple rules for skirmishes of all kinds throughout history. Most of the rule sets for the different eras are roughly about 3 to 5 pages (there are 39 sets of rules). The ideas allow you to use any figures in whatever scale you chose. Each era covered also includes a bibliography for further historical reading and there are 'labs' for history or social studies teachers to run wargames in the clasroom. Loose, free spirited, and fun rules. 280 pages. I wish I would have had this book when I was 10!

This book is a treasure for those seeking to getting started in wargaming and, for teachers, seeking to bringing gaming into their teaching suite. Covering all known periods of history, these fast, simple rules are a great way to introduce friends and students to gaming while keeping the expense on the ultra-low side.

From ancients to modern, from land battles to sea and air battles, this book has suggestions for quick battles recreating history. While not as detailed as commercially available rule sets, it does cover all aspects of wargaming from morale (how casualties and enemy fire can affect your troopers) to fire potential of different weapons.

After playing a half dozen games of different periods of history, I was impressed as to how these rules catch the flavor of a period. If your a teacher looking to introduce your students to gaming and how the different aspects of war can change history, then I suggest that you pick up this book. It is a treasury as the title implies and one cannot go wrong in using it. Game on!

As a longtime miniatures and board wargamer I applaud John Bobek's "Games of War"; he has created a work that belongs on the bookshelf (and more importantly, the gaming table!) of anyone interested in the re-creation of historic battles in miniature. Easy-to-understand but quite comprehensive in it's coverage of the subject, he provides the reader with rules-sets and background information on how to simulate every form of combat from Alexander's campaigns to Vietnam and even the present-day struggles in the Middle East. Additional rules allow the beginning gamer to immerse him/herself in gladitorial combat in the Arena, and even Wild West action.
Most impressive to this reviewer is the Author's combination of all of this in one complete, exciting, even humorous collection of gaming rules, hints, suggestions for classroom use, and tabletop combat lore.
In my career at sea (US Navy) I have often faced the question of what types of games to carry aboard with me--limited by storage space and playing time to a few boxed rule-sets and a handful of miniatures. No more! Bobek's book goes a long way toward replacing the numerous rulebooks I used to carry around, and reduces my accessory requirements to a few "minis" and a handful of dice!
I strongly recommend this book to the beginning and experienced gamer as well!

This book is great, we are buying one by one from this collection and my 4 1/2 years old love it. It's unbeliavable how kids pick up things from books. He didn't want to wash his hands very often and the book works great for that matter.I recommend the whole collection.

I bought this book for my 2 1/2 year old and it quickly became his favorite book.

Now when it's time to wash his hands he tells me! He is always telling me "Germs are not for sharing." He also asks me for a tissue when he needs one and has stopped eating food that has hit the floor.

I think the charm of this book is the fact that it uses words like Achoo, Cough, Gurgle, Flush -- that I can say in a way that really gets his attention.

2 Thumbs up!

Simple and to the point. Great book for the very young child on what to do when you sneeze, blow your nose, etc. It isn't a book about "just washing hands", it covers more than washing hands and opens up the opportunity to discuss when and where we find germs. Wonderful illustrations - bright and colorful.

Groovy Tube Books are fun and educational. High quality. You won't be disappointed.

This is a fantastic book, game, and toy combination! It includes realistic bugs with their names labeled underneath them. The game fascinates my 3 year old. He not only likes to look and play with the bugs, he also enjoys playing the game and listening to the story. I am going to use it in my classroom with my first graders and am planning on buying it as a Christmas gift.

Three-in-one value: book, toy sea creatures and board game. The book has beautiful photos with very readable and interesting information. The special Fin Facts sections provide bizarre and kid-friendly information about unique sea creatures. An excellent activity and craft section in the back of the book, provides fun and educational ideas. The toy animals are sturdy, realistically colored and are labeled with their name, such as starfish or hammerhead shark. The game board is sturdy and the question cards reinforce facts from the book. My eight year old boy loved the book and the game. Our whole family has enjoyed playing the game several times.

I really like this book. I have found it to be a 2-in-1 teaching tool. Not only does it help teach numbers but also animals!!

I bought this when my twins were a little over a year old. They still love it one year later. It's very well made and versatile.

the product is extremelt good... new borns would love it... arrived in great condition and real quick...

ellen zieselman is a brilliant writer. a magical piece. i hope she goes on to write others.

I purchased this book for my 6 year old after he expressed a sudden interest in marionettes. He is not yet reading fluently, but sits eagerly by my side nightly as we read through this beautiful book together. He has learned much about the marionettes of Gustave Baumann. The photographs provide high visual interest, and the text with marionettes doing the 'speaking' is quite appealing to young children.

This is a delightful representation of the artist and his work, beautifully and clearly written and magically photographed. It will make an enthusiast of the casual observer!

Gave it to my 6 year old niece who is a Hello Kitty fan, she loved it. But it was the 3.5 year old niece that went nuts for it. Was so obsessed with it I had to buy her the same one for her too to stop the fights!

lots of stickers and reusable so the book can be used over and over again. My 4-year-old niece loves this sticker book!!

This is a book that can be played with again and again. Adorable kitchen pages with lots of cookies and cakes to arrange. My toddler also loved the idea of seeing and playing "in" Hello Kittys room with all of her personal things. Pretty cool.

Everything you've always wanted to know about TV high tech tools and how to get the most out of your viewing experience is presented in this book. The straight forward, concise and to the point style leaves no room for misunderstanding. Kovsky, who has been a tech journalist for many years obviously knows what he's writing about and explains things like TiVo, game consoles, and video convergence devices with an insiders expertise. I found High-Tech Toys For Your TV very readable and extremely informative. It's a good read but an even better resource for all us TV hounds.

While I rigorously maintain my status as a rider on the leading wave of software technologies, I am way behind the curve when it comes to entertainment. Before I read this book, I had only a glancing understanding of the latest technologies in capturing and replaying television broadcasts and other interactive entertainment devices (IED). Even though the information is now dated, I found the book well worth reading.
Like everything else, the advance of technology in this area is amazing, it seems that the only thing that can slow it down is legal action. Each of the descriptions starts at the most elementary of levels, yet is thorough enough so that when I was finished, I understood the advantages and disadvantages of each enhancement. Kovsky is also very diligent in pointing out the costs and explaining some of the difficulties that can be encountered when setting up and interfacing the various types of IED's. Pointers to some of the best improvements that you can do to enhance your experience are also included.
If you are new to the arena of high technology entertainment, then this is an excellent place to begin your education. Be warned however, you will be tempted to purchase some of the equipment that is described.

This book was given to me as a gift. For someone who likes the latest gadgets but is too busy to keep up with all the product offerings, this is the perfect book. Written in clear english with a touch of personality, it is very informative and helpful. I would think that anyone who doesn't have time to shop the personal electronic stores full of people who have no idea of what they are trying to sell would love this book.