The Draw 50 Way: How to Draw Cats, Puppies, Horses, Buildings, Birds, Aliens, Boats, Trains and Everything Else Under the Sun (Draw 50)

Book Description

For more than thirty years, the bestselling Draw 50 series has shown children how to create everything from puppies to ships, horses to skyscrapers, and aliens to racing cars. In this new addition to the beloved series, Lee J. Ames shows you how to draw sixty of his popular sketches step-by-step. His clear instructions help budding artists learn the basic movements and procedures of drawing, allowing you to explore your interests in a fun, familiar, and easy-to-master way.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic!.......2007-01-15

My son received this book for Christmas and LOVES it. It's a great book for anyone that loves to draw - it breaks everything down for you and has a step by step illustration for every picture in the book.

Average customer rating:

Drawing Birds

How to Draw Birds (How to Draw (Dover))
John Green
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0486403823

Book Description

Easy-to-follow guide for beginning artists of all ages shows how to create likenesses of a strutting peacock, graceful swan, a duck afloat, plus a cardinal, penguin, toucan, owl, ostrich, and 22 other avian creatures. Simple diagrams reveal how to draw figures and also demonstrate the fundamentals of shape and dimension.

Customer Reviews:

Drawing Birds.......2007-09-30

I got this book for my eight year old grand daughter and she loved it. Even took it to school.

How to Draw and Paint Gulls and Other Sea Birds (204)

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How to Draw and Paint Gulls and Other Sea Birds (204)
Ena Grant
Manufacturer: Walter Foster Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0929261879

How to Draw Cartoon Birds (Kid's Guide to Drawing)

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How to Draw Cartoon Birds (Kid's Guide to Drawing)
Curt Visca , and Kelley Visca
Manufacturer: PowerKids Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0823961567

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Birds (How to Draw and Paint Series)
Lynn Bogue Hunt
Manufacturer: Walter Foster Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0929261755

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Birds and How to Draw Them
Hogeboom A
Manufacturer: Vanguard Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 081490324X

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Birds and how to draw them
Amy Hogeboom
Manufacturer: Vanguard Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007E1E9A

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How I Draw Birds
Roland Green
Manufacturer: Adam and Charles Black
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0F91Q

How to draw and paint birds (How to series)

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How to draw and paint birds (How to series)
Lynn Bogue Hunt
Manufacturer: Foster Art Service
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007218RU

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How to Draw and Paint Birds; Book 54
Lynn Bogue Hunt
Manufacturer: Walter T. Foster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WDVZ1I

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Addams and Evil: An Album of Cartoons (Methuen Humour Classics)
Charles Addams
Manufacturer: Arrow (A Division of Random House Group)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Chas Addams Happily Ever After: A Collection of Cartoons to Chill the Heart of Your Loved One

World Of Charles Addams

Chas Addams Half-Baked Cookbook: Culinary Cartoons for the Humorously Famished

ASIN: 0413553701

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Addams and Evil, An Album of Cartoons
Charles Addams
Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Chas Addams Happily Ever After: A Collection of Cartoons to Chill the Heart of Your Loved One

Chas Addams Half-Baked Cookbook: Culinary Cartoons for the Humorously Famished

The Addams Family - Volume 2

ASIN: B000KX9OTK

Customer Reviews:

Prescription for Better Home Video Movies........2006-01-27

subtitled: How To Avoid The Most Common Mistakes

Slightly dated ( autofocus didn't work so-well in 1988 ), but /damn/ good.

It's a little book, in a simple and straight-forward style, with cartoons illustrating the concepts to /show/ us what is meant, like the Head First series of books by O'Reilly, sorta, and it would improve many /many/ a videographer's practice, believe-me.

If you have been tasked with making a video for your group, no matter whether if you've done many before, strive to improve the work, eh? Because Them That Know(tm) are going to see what one ignored in doing the work. . .

Here's the TOC:
You're a Television Expert
Get the Right Equipment
Avoid the Shakes -- Make Steady Pictures
Be a Sharp Shooter -- Focus First
The Viewfinder -- A Window on the Video World
The Art of Anticipation
The Long and the Short of It
Record Motion -- Don't Create It
Edit in the Camcorder
Let There Be Light -- The Right Light
Sound Advice on Sound
What Do You Shoot When You've Shot the Kids
The Main Thing -- Have Fun

Some of his recommendations, like journalling your realizations about how pro video/film was shot, or what you like about it or don't, are fundamental to getting steady long-term-learning & progress. . .

In this or any-other field of practice. . .

He recommends simple controls, low-light recording capability, automatic iris control
( *I* would recommend manual /as well/ because of what happens when some person fires a camera-flash while you're videoing. . . sudden dark then sweep up to bright again. . and then they shoot another shot. . . makes one sea-sick. Better, then, to find the right level, then lock the exposure to manual, and let the flashes be short overexposures, just like they are in real-life, rather-than have the exposure-motion-sickness go on and on. . . ),
Automatic White Balance, Autofocus, Zoom Lens that covers what you want to shoot ( wildlife photography? loooong zoom lens: a teensy bird in a huge frame isn't interesting bird-videography, is it? ), Macro mode.

Try the thing. Comfortable? Right Weight? Steady to hold? Viewfinder works for you? Works with glasses or has diopter adj? Southpaw functional?

Carry case, tripod, ( I use a monopod with mini-ballhead with quick-release plate on it & bino-cam harness ), lights, spare ( best-quality, not shedding debris in the camera's mechanism ) tapes, spare batteries.

Lean against a tree or building. . . ( improvised support ), or rest your arms on something ( car roof, parking meter ). . .

Focus EVERY shot. Figure-out where autofocus will work, and where it won't: dark? particular colours? lack of contrast? where the stuff of interest is /beside/ the centre of the frame? Fence or glass between you and subject?
Train in focussing in these conditions, and get good at it. . .
Depth of field, using Push To Focus instead of continuous autofocus. . .
Always be ready to shoot

Accurate framing:
Level with horizon.
Right space above ( and beside ) subject.
Use lens at appropriate focal-length.
Avoid distractions ( pipe-through-head or lamp-sprouting-from-head syndrome, AND people walking between you and subject, traffic in background ) by changing angle
before rolling tape.
Make certain you /do/ want this shot.

Timing, anticipation and context. . .
Roll the tape /before/ the instant of interest, or the viewers won't understand what the hell's the shot /for/.
Show the /story/... keep rolling until they understand it sufficiently enough. . .

Complexity: simple scene? short shot.
Complicated scene? give the viewers longer to comprehend it.

If editing later, shoot lots more than you intend to use ( a couple of seconds longer at each end, so you have space to make your joins the way you want )

Panning and Zooming: don't. Motion is what you're recording, not what your camera-holding is doing to the viewer, right?

Exceptions to the rule, and how to do 'em ( carefully ).

Forget the "script", try an outline, instead. . .

The wide-shot, medium-shot, and the tight-shot, and fitting 'em together to create balanced result. . .

using a neutral shot between to other shots, to buffer the transition. . .

The Set-Up Shot. . .

Be Concise

White Balance before you shoot ( I use a Gretag Macbeth white-card for doing that right )

Exposure & Lighting ( especially recommending fixed lighting, high-up )

Sound. Don't film a bird while audio captures squealling-tires that auto-gain-control has amplified from 2 blocks away. . .

The Video Letter, Video as a Coaching-aid, Video for Insurance. . .

Average customer rating:

Intriguing look at Hollywood at its Worst

A Critic Who Isn't A Pompous Windbag? Amazing But True!

A Must For Movie Fans

I Beg to Differ

Learning how to dismiss - not love - movies

Schlock Value: Hollywood at Its Worst
Richard Roeper
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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What Were They Thinking?: The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History

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Fiasco: A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flops

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ASIN: B000FILLF0

Book Description

A hilarious collection of essays, riffs, and lists that celebrate the insanity of Hollywood -- for anyone who loves the movies.

Richard Roeper, like the rest of us, adores the movies. In this uproarious, offbeat book, he gives us a whole new set of critical lenses for assessing the movies and the people and the industry that make them. With his characteristic acerbic wit, he weaves short essays with lists that work together to explain where Hollywood succeeds -- and where it so often frustrates, disappoints, and fails us. But while Roeper devotes most of the book to mockery and ridicule, this book is, in the end, a love letter to film.

Some of the essays and lists included in Schlock Value:

--Comical statistical breakdowns, including career batting averages of actors
--Reviews of Hollywood finances, including budgets, salaries, and ticket prices
--A proposed moratorium on pet projects, e.g., Kevin Costner's The Postman or John Travolta's Battlefield Earth
--The age differences between Woody Allen and his various leading ladies
--Actors appearing around the world in television commercials, including a list of the biggest stars that do overseas commercials -- and the products they push

Schlock Value is the perfect book for anyone who loves grumbling and complaining about the movies -- but still can't help spending their weekends and evenings in front of the screen.

Customer Reviews:

Intriguing look at Hollywood at its Worst.......2006-03-18

The interesting part about Richard Roeper is that he seems to me to be a critic that speaks his mind, even at his angriest. While Roger Ebert would call a bad movie, well, a bad movie, Roeper opens up his insult box and would, at the very least, call it a disgusting piece of garbage, or something along those lines. The fact is, the world needs more critics like Richard Roeper. His accuracy is amazing to the point that it's insanely funny. Though he does not make his political views known on the show (he doesn't hide them either), he lets it all fly in Schlock Value. He takes aim at everyone from Joel Siegel (on his positive review of Cat in the Hat), to idiot liberal-hater Ann Coulter, to Wireless Magazine's Earl Dittman. Roeper leaves no holds barred and points out the idiocy of some of Hollywood's worst. One of my favorite sections in the book is Roeper's attack on "Quote Sl*ts" like Earl Dittman, the completely braindead Shawn Edwards (Fox-TV), and Mark S. Allen. The only critic that he left out that I wish he would have taken down was Jeffrey Lyons of NBC-TV. Find me an awful movie and I will show you that the only people to give it good reviews are these critics. Roeper also takes aim at the complications of the Academy Awards, especially regarding the long speeches of the lesser winners ("All due respect to these people, but nobody knows who you are and nobody has seen your work and nobody knows anyone you're thanking."). Roeper ranges from career "batting averages" to "Most Disappointing Careers After Winning the Academy Award," a list that includes F. Murry Abraham, Cher, Whoopi Goldberg, and Cuba Gooding Jr. Roeper is insanely funny, yet he is insanely accurate. Nobody points out the obvious better than he does.

A Critic Who Isn't A Pompous Windbag? Amazing But True!.......2005-05-29

I have always liked Richard Roeper's column. He is a normal, reasonable, sensible guy who is also one of the most influential critics in the country. In general I don't pay much attention to most critics because they are more full of themselves than politicians on average, and have no more real-world knowledge or sense than anyone else I come across in a typical day. Roeper is different because he grew up from centrist Midwestern, roots, and doesn't hide from that history as if it was a skeleton in the closet.

This book is wonderful at pointing out the wretched excesses and self-centeredness of Hollywood and much of the critical world. I am particularly amused by the observations from Aspen, and never tire of Roeper exposing self-serving, hypocritical talking heads for the shallow hacks they are. Don't get me wrong, neither Roeper or I believe in censoring anyone's right to free speech, but we both believe that if a celebrity says something absolutely asinine, it deserves to be exposed as surely as if someone else said it.

I actually prefer Roeper's daily columns to his books, but I found this book an entertaining expose that was fun to read, and was not a bit self-serving. Best of all, Roeper is still a normal guy with a normal ego, and I can't tell you how wonderful I find that to be.

A Must For Movie Fans.......2005-05-23

I've been watching Roger Ebert's show since the early PBS days in the 70's. Have rarely missed a week. Agree or disagree with them, it is one of the only shows on TV with serious discussion about movies. So, I have been following Richard Roeper since he began on the show a few years ago. While I've watched him, I'll be honest, I've never read his column in the Sun Times.

While in a bookstore, I saw SCHLOCK VALUE on the shelf. After being plugged on the show for the past few months, I decided to pick it up and look at it. I immediately brought it to the checkout counter to buy.

What a great book!

Among the topics covered in the book, an analysis of the top "movie stars" and what percentage of bad films they make, a look at the faulty obsession with box office grosses, the Oscars, the Golden Globes and why they shouldn't be taken seriously, bloopers in films, how critical blurbs work (the quotes in movie ads), a behind the scenes look at the Ebert and Roeper show (including a sample schedule of screenings for the week), politics and film stars, and (in the best section of the book) a description of Lost films, films that never played theatres, playing on video or never released in any way.

The only problems with the book, at times, it seems a little disorganized. He bounces around from one topic to the next, even in the same chapter. Plus, a couple times he repeats himself, saying the same thing in different chapters. And, most of all, it is too short. The book is 210 pages, but it is the size of a TV Guide. I read it in one night. I wish the Lost Films section was an entire book on its own.

The book is a lot of fun. Roeper is more movie fan than film scholar and his writing shows that. He loves what he does.

Now, I'm going to have to read his columns more.

I Beg to Differ.......2005-03-11

The first reviewer takes film far too seriously. Modern cinema is most decidedly not "our greatest art form." Sheesh! Most of what comes out of Hollywood these days is mindless pap. That's not to say that a lot of it is not entertaining. Even some of the stupid stuff entertains some Friday nights after a long week's work. There are still even a few great films out there, and Roeper acknowledges this.

Guess what, critics are supposed to be critical, not sycophantic. I enjoyed the sarcastic wit of this book a lot more than I enjoyed some of the movies I've seen.

Learning how to dismiss - not love - movies.......2005-02-09

Richard Roeper is the worst thing to happen to movies since the corporate take-over of the studios in the 1980's. He cares far more about celebrities, his own image, and behind the scenes gossip than he does for any film. Whereas a good critic would find ways to help people love movies (or any artform) more, Roeper almost never does this, choosing instead to focus on the most negative elements of many of the films he writes about. Even the descriptions above, by the publisher, highlight this fact: he writes about "Reviews of Hollywood finance." (Rather than encouraging people to care more about the story than the budget.)
"Actors who appear in television commercials." Does Roeper want us to focus on who does commercials, or focus on each movie, and decide whether its story is told well or not? Citing two unsuccessful films, Roeper proposes a "moratorium on pet projects." But Roeper wants to oversimplify films so he can snarkily make his point, when he ignores the reality that many, many successful (i.e., well-told) films are "pet projects." Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, or Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ are two strong (and very different) examples. But Roeper just wants to dumb everything down (including the movies and movie audience) for his jokey complaints. I do believe that this very shallow man loves movies, but he uses a tremendous amount of power and energy encouraging and teaching people to utterly dismiss entire movies because of one or two irrelevant elements. A quick example: When the film "Chicago" was in theatres, Roeper nearly bent himself double complaining fiercely about the fact that the movie wasn't filmed in Chicago - EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT IS ON THE SCREEN. I heard him being interviewed on a radio show, and the host was scoffing at "Chicago," saying that he wouldn't go see a musical. Rather than stepping into the role of film critic and defending the film as sexy and fun (Roeper gave a thumbs up to it), Roeper merely complained about the location of the shoot again, and never said another word about it. Disgraceful. This book is NOT, "a love letter to film." It is a course in learning how to diminish and dismiss film, our greatest artform.

Customer Reviews:

Entheogens: Professional Listing.......1999-05-01

"Music and Your Mind" has been selected for listing in "Religion and Psychoactive Sacraments: An Entheogen Chrestomathy." http://www.csp.org/chrestomathy

Music and your mind: listening with a new consciousness,

Average customer rating:

A little dated - can be put to good use though.

Music and your mind: listening with a new consciousness,
Helen L Bonny
Manufacturer: Harper & Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0060670673

Customer Reviews:

A little dated - can be put to good use though........2006-12-29

I am in the process of working through this book, which takes time, since it is not meant for just reading. Many visualization exercises are presented, along with musical suggestions to accompany the process.
I was initially put off by the dated language, i.e. "In the past, people who wanted to have such special experiences took drugs - LSD, mescaline, marijuana." As if entering a different state of conciousness while listening to music was something new in 1973. The author also makes too much use, in my opinion, of the phrase "altered state of consciousness." The book makes it sound as if the attainment of some far out mental state is more important than the experience of the music itself. To be fair, I am using the original edition of the book - I hope that this language was updated for later editions.
After a period of a few months, I have found that in spite of the difficulties, this book does offer a number useful methods of exploring music in a new way. I have made use of the musical lists (unfortunately riddled with errors of one kind or another), of mostly classical music, with some contemporary (for 1973) musical selections, and some 20th century orchestral works. Helen Bonny's method, as well, has survived to the present day - it is taught in music therapy schools. That makes it worth investigating for anyone with more than just a passing interest in music.

Average customer rating:

Music and Your Mind Listening with a New Consciousness
Helen L. Bonny & Louis M. Savary
Manufacturer: Harper & Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF39AY

Book Description

Chess enthusiasts of all ages and levels will find this book an instructive delight. In a simple, easy-to-understand format it explains how to bamboozle your chess opponents using commonly occurring tactical motifs. The illustrative positions, all taken from real games, show the 50 Tricky Tactics that experienced chess masters use to win their games. Recognising frequently-occurring tactical ideas is vital to success in chess. One of the fastest and most enjoyable ways to improve at chess is by learning these thematic manoeuvres. Beginners will benefit from the clear explanation of basic concepts, such as how to utilise a fork, pin, or skewer. Advanced players will delight in the many devious middlegame tricks - some classified here for the first time - which can catch out even grandmasters. Chess Tactics for Kids makes improving easy and fun, and is full of helpful explanations on how to approach chess games with confidence - and success.

Customer Reviews:

Great Tactics Intro.......2007-01-10

This book is a very good introduction to a number of essential tactical concepts. For novice players looking to improve quickly, attention to the lessons in this book will be a big help. The lessons build from simple concepts to more complex motifs in a logical manner, which makes the material easy to grasp.

I recommend the book.

Chess tactics and combinations to make you a more powerful player quickly!.......2006-12-31

This is a great book that compliments "How to Beat Your Dad at Chess." It covers various chess tactics that come up or can be created to win material, gain positional advantages and impose checkmate.

Overall, the book is highly readable with good diagrams and easy to follow text. It is thorough in covering important and commonly used tactics, but not overwhelming for new players.

I think Chess Tactics for Kids is a misnomer in a sense since this book is appropriate for almost any adult and probably wouldn't be very useful to kids under 12 years old unless they have more than a casual interest in chess. However, younger kids could certainly grow into it as their interest peaks and they master more fundamental skills.

I've been playing chess for years and got a lot out of this book. I think it's perfect for teenagers and highly recommend it to adults who have not read seriously on chess and are somewhat intimidated or bored by move-by-move type chess books. I also recommend it to younger kids with more advanced chess skills or who are serious doing their homework to improve their skills.

I wish this book was available when I was learning to play chess. It would have saved me a lot of time learning things the hard way and wading through a lot of overly complicated move-by-move type books that I wasn't ready for.

Chess Tactics, Traps and Combination books - the best way to get better.......2006-09-15

When you are a beginner there is nothing better than studying books on Tactics, Traps and Combinations in chess. This is because the mind of a beginner can certainly understand 1 + 1 = 2. The value of the pieces is clear and coming out ahead can be calculated. This is a point that is a first step in learning chess! Tactics, at any point of the game are important to learn. Knowing what they are, how they work and recognizing them at a glance is necessary if you are going to become a good chess player. "CHESS TACTICS FOR KIDS" works on the most important starting tactics by showing you what they are and giving brief examples. This is not a tactics workbook where you will find hundreds of examples (a good book to get after this) or a traps book (a book also good to get) where you can see the tactics arise from the first move of the game. It is a book where you will learn the "mechanics" of the tactics. The brief chapter on each tactic is a great way to get started!

Another awesome book for fast improvement.......2006-06-16

A few years ago the author of this title wrote his How to Beat Your Dad at Chess, an original and popular book which taught checkmating patterns. In Chess Tactics for Kids the lessons are all about learning chess tactics which win material, for example winning a pawn or a piece.
The format is very similar to the DAD book and equally effective.

To improve at chess, the best chess teachers will tell you to study a variety of chess books. If you are interested in the opening stages, and are confused by all the choices, go for a book like Understanding the Chess Openings by Collins. This gives a useful overview of all openings.

If you want to study middlegames try a move-by-move book or study a collection of games played by a great player. But if tactics is your thing, you can't go wrong with Grandmaster Chandler's two books.

As a pair, How to Beat Your Dad at Chess and Chess Tactics for Kids cover all the basic tactical themes a chess player is likely to encounter. The motifs are grouped by, well, motif, and the concept of pattern recognition is introduced in a way that is easily understood.
There are several hundred diagram examples per book, including tests and puzzle positions to solve.

The best thing of all is how often these themes, tricks and traps occur. I found that I had been getting numerous opportunities to win in my own games, only I just didn't realize it! Chess Tactics for Kids teaches how to spot the patterns where a tactic is likely to be lurking.

It is amazing how quickly winning combinations can be found, once you know the patterns.

Aimed at children but good for adults too.......2006-02-25

This is Murray Chandler's follow up to his highly successful "How To Beat Your Dad At Chess". The book presents 50 common tactical ideas - pins, skewers, forks, stalemate and many more - each one explained and illustrated in a double page spread. Only themes which occur fairly commonly in practice are included, and there are six diagrams per double page. The explanations are in simple language, and each diagram is accompanied by a brief commentary pointing out the salient features of the position. The continuations are very short (usually only one or two moves) so they can be followed easily without the need for a board.

Three or four examples are given of each tactical trick, with the aim of getting the reader to recognise certain patterns, and hopefully apply this newly acquired pattern recognition to his/her own games. To test how well the patterns have been absorbed there are 54 test positions for the reader to try. If the reader is unable to spot the continuation, a hint is given by way of a reference to the number of the tricky tactic that is being tested. So you can refresh your memory by looking back at the illustrated examples and then hopefully spot the same theme in the test position. All of the illustrative positions and test positions are taken from actual play (though there are no game references given), and there are no artificially composed positions.

Although the book is aimed at children in the first instance, it could be used equally profitably by adult beginners who wish to sharpen up their tactical awareness.

This review first appeared in the magazine En Passant.

Average customer rating:

Tactics Workbook - Nice and Big Format
Good Tactics Problems for Beginners but lots of mistakes
Nice book but has flaws
The multiplication tables of chess
Just ok

Chess Tactics for Students
John A. Bain
Manufacturer: Learning Plus, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0963961403

Customer Reviews:

Tactics Workbook - Nice and Big Format.......2006-09-22

I really like the "large" (about 8" x 11") workbooks that I have gotten on both very basic tactics ("Chess Tactics for Students) and on chess opening traps ("Winning Chess Traps for Juniors").
The print is big and easy to see with big diagrams. I don't like books with tiny little print and diagrams so small you need a magnifying glass (should be included with the book!). I don't have s seeing problem, but I just like my tactics and trap workbooks in the large print format.
"Chess Tactics for Students" was my starting tactics book. It is good for beginners. My only small grips are I found some printing mistakes and wish it had more puzzels to work on (but maybe that is a plus!).
This is a good book for a beginner after they learn how the pieces move.

Good Tactics Problems for Beginners but lots of mistakes.......2006-08-04

If it wasn't for the mistakes in both solutions and some obvous typos this would be a very good first tactics book for any age. It needs to be corrected and a couple of problems removed that do not work and replaced by some that do. A better quality control was needed!
Now I feel tactics are one of the most important things for students who are new to improve their game. Getting some tactics workbooks and opening chess traps books are a good way to accomplish improving over all tactics.
This book will still help you get started, but there are a lot of choices of simular books without so many mistakes.

Nice book but has flaws.......2005-10-19

This is a good book for students. My only complaint is there are a number of errors. It should have been checked by Fritz

The multiplication tables of chess.......2004-12-23

I won't repeat what other reviewers have said, but merely add my advice: please don't start by thinking you can read this book once and then move on.

Let me ask you a question. What's 4 times 8? What's 6 times 7? Chances are you didn't have to "think" about the answers. The numbers 32 and 42 just popped into your head. Right?

That's what this book should be to you.

To get the best value out of this book you need to MEMORIZE these positions until you are sick to death of looking at them. Although you may not encounter them at first: Trust me - these positions will occur in your games.

I suggest going through the book once in 10 days, then take 8 days, then 7, then 5, then 3, then 2 days and finally do all 400 exercises 1 day. By that stage, completing the book in one sitting should take no more than two hours.

This will increase a beginner's rating by 200 points MIMIMUM and cost no more than the price of the book and a month of 20 minute-a-day practice.

Try it if you don't believe me. Or forget my advice, and I hope to play you one day. Prepare yourself for a thrashing. ;)

Just ok.......2004-10-25

This book provides some good exersizes for kids to go over. I found a few mistakes in the solutions. Could use a little improvement there. Otherwise it is well organized.

Average customer rating:

Perfect for Elementary Kids
Not pleased with the quality or quantity of the material in it
Excellent Explanations and Examples of Basic Tactics
Something Else - Very Sparce
Can Something For Kids Be Better Written On Tactacis?

The Chess Kid's Book of Tactics (Chess)
David Macenulty
Manufacturer: Random House Puzzles & Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0812935098
Release Date: 2003-07-29

Book Description

In chess, tactics are the tricks and techniques players use to get a quick advantage over their opponents. David MacEnulty, a former director of program development in New York City's award-winning Chess-in-the-Schools program, teaches students how to develop a tactical mindset. In The Chess Kid's Book of Tactics, he instructs 6-10-year-old players in how to recognize the basic chess patterns and how to apply those patterns to understand-and win-the game.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for Elementary Kids.......2007-02-20

I am a USCF expert and have read many books on tactics. I have struggled trying to find a starter book on tactics for my elementary chess club students. Most books have problems that are too hard and text that is too long for 7-9 year olds and they only get frustrated. My second grade daughter (USCF 300) is able to pick this book up and read it by herself. After Simple Checkmates, by Gilliam, this should be the next book a young player reads.

Not pleased with the quality or quantity of the material in it.......2006-09-09

This is a very, very basic book on tactics. It is just ok for someone that has just learned how the pieces have moved.
I found that there was not enough examples of problems to make this book worth while. There explanations are not very good and not as clear as my other two chess books on tactics and traps in the opening (they all had a lot more material too). I felt that the diagrams were much bigger than they needed to be and that a lot of space was wasted on the pages. I have looked at the McKay Chess Library for Kids and they don't seem to have anything beyond super beginner stuff that is the same style.

Excellent Explanations and Examples of Basic Tactics.......2006-07-25

I own more than two hundred chess books and I've been teaching chess to kids in both public and private schools in California for ten years. In my opinion this book gives very clear explanations of the concepts behind many of the most basic chess tactics. Tactical puzzles are organized by theme so that the student can learn one type of tactic at a time. Games are included that show how the various tactics can arise from typical chess games played by kids. This book is not for students who are just learning how the pieces move, but it is an excellent work for students who have learned how the pieces move
and want to move on to the next level of chess. Another excellent work for that purpose is grandmaster Daniel King's book How To Win At Chess, The Ten Golden Rules.

Something Else - Very Sparce.......2006-04-22

This book is lame in my opinion because,
Number One - I found some mistakes in it that no writter or publisher should miss,
Number two - There isn't enough actual stuff in it. It will take someone in my grade who has learned to play no time to go through it and be bored stiff if he has been playing chess in the club at there school.
Number three - Overgrown sizes of diagrams just take up space. This book look like the company that published it got the material and had to make it BIG to make it into a book instead of a booklet.
Number four - Judge this book by its cover and you will not want it! I gave it away to a friend so I can beat him. Maybe not so nice, but this book actually teaches you some incorrect stuff!!! My other book by the David MaKay Library by another writer was very good, just not this one. So don't judge a book by its publisher, but by its author is my advice.

Can Something For Kids Be Better Written On Tactacis?.......2005-06-20

I was looking for some thing that would teach me tactics in openings or when I would be at any point of the game. I was very, very disapointed when I found this book didn't explain things very well.
Well here I go, one,two, three (I hope you give me a good review for being telling you as a 5th grader about writting a review because I am doing this review because I am in a summer scool class),
Number One Thing:
It does not tell almost every time were the person who made a mistake made it. I want this so I will not make the same mistake.
Number Two Thing:
I ran out of things to learn much. I wanted to see more stuff and things. The book is SKIPPY. It doesn't expain WHY!!!!
I want a book that TEACHES ME TACTICS, ESPECIALLY WHEN I START A GAME IN THE OPENINGS WHERE TRAPS ARE USED.

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