Pay a visit to London and a black cab will probably be one the first things you will see. The London taxi drivers are almost as famous as the black cabs in which they drive, this is mainly due to their in-depth knowledge of London and ability in taking their occupants to their desired destination amid the congestion and the chaos that you often find when travelling through London's streets. London taxi drivers go through stringent training to obtain their licence, they need to pass 'The Knowledge', a test which is amongst the hardest to pass in the world, and has been described as 'like having an atlas of London implanted into your brain'. The test requires you to master no fewer than 320 basic routes, all of the 40,000 streets that are scattered within the basic routes and approximately 20,000 landmarks and places of public interest that are located within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross. This book breaks the test down into a series of head-scratching questions and features enough trivia about the capital to surprise even born and bred Londoners. It's the perfect gift for anyone who thinks they know London inside-out, or wants to learn more!

Whether the heroes are surveying a moon dotted with erupting volcanoes or fighting on unstable islands in the middle of an active lava flow, no Game Master wants to spend time drawing every volcanic rock outcropping and lava fountain. Fortunately, with Paizo's latest Starfinder Flip-Mat, you don't have to! This line of gaming maps provides ready-to-use science-fantasy set pieces for the busy Game Master. This double-sided map features a river of lava cascading down a cliff face on one side and a bubbling lava lake filling a crater on the other. Don't waste time sketching when you could be playing. With Starfinder Flip-Mat: Lava World, you'll be ready the next time your players discover that the ground is lava! A special coating on each Flip-Mat allows you to use wet erase, dry erase, AND permanent markers with ease! Removing permanent ink is easy-simply trace over any permanent mark with a dry erase marker, wait 10 seconds, then wipe off both marks with a dry cloth or paper towel. * 24" x 30" mat * Folds to 8" x 10" * 1" squares on each side

Learn the fascinating game of American Mahjong with this expert guide. This affordable best-selling book is one of the only available game strategy guides specifically geared toward American Mahjong (Mah Jongg) and follows the official National Mah Jongg League rules. Offering first-time players an easy-to-follow guide to this complex game, A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg includes simple, easy-to-follow instructions and clear diagrams to walk the reader through each step of the game, including how to select a hand, how to play and how to develop winning strategies. A key feature is the color text which shows various hands and tiles. This Mahjong guide includes: Step-by-step instructions for gameplay. Hands-on "Do It" exercises Tips and quizzes for natural learning Mahjong background and history An explanation of tile symbolism Glossary of Mahjong terms A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg is the perfect guide for all skill levels to learn Mahjong-from Mahjong beginners to pros.

Equal parts hilarious and informative, Hey! Listen! should be in every gamer's library. - Lucy James, (Gamespot) An informative, accessible romp through the early years of the games industry. All hail Il pirata pallido; the gaming hero we never knew we needed. - Adam Rosser BBC Radio 5Live Steve McNeil is funny, knowledgeable, and a massive, shameless, nerd. His brilliant book reminded me just how much of my life I've wasted. If the Golden Age of Gaming is a horse, then Steve's book is the stable. - Paul Rose (aka Mr Biffo), Digitiser A thoroughly enjoyable look at the early days of video gaming - comprehensive and fun. Loved it! - Stuart Ashen (aka ashens) The 'A La Recherche du Temps Perdu' of the gaming community. The 'A La Recherche du Temps Pew-Pew-Pew', as it were. - Dara O'Briain If 'Games Master' was a Nobel title passed on through the ages like 'Duke of York' or 'Rear of the Year' rather than simply the name of a 90s magazine and TV show then Steve McNeil would surely be the current holder of the esteemed position. What I'm saying is, he knows a LOT about games... - Scroobius Pip Taking us on a historical journey from the very early days all the way through to the late 1990s the book tells the stories of the men and women behind some of the most wonderful (and occasionally awful) games of the golden age, the fierce rivalries, bizarre business practices and downright bonkers risks taken during the pioneering days of computer and video gaming. This informal yet extremely well-researched book manages to educate and entertain in equal measure and this - dare I say - well-informed retrohead actually learnt a good deal. A thoroughly enjoyable read! - Mark Howlett (aka Lord Arse) Hugely funny, and full of fantastic facts about the history of video games. But enough about me; Steve's book is also quite good. - Ellie Gibson, Eurogamer A hilarious history of the golden period of computer games from the creator of Dara O'Briain's Go 8 Bit. It is fair to say Steve McNeil likes video games. He took a Nintendo Wii with him on his honeymoon (obviously), and spent so much time playing smartphone games in bed in the dark that he got eye strain and had to wear an eye patch. The locals nicknamed him 'the pale pirate'. Steve's obsession with video games can be traced back to the golden period from the early 70s to the late 90s. In this book he will delve into these games - from the appallingly bad to the breathtakingly good. He will also take us through the nerdy geniuses who created them, their fierce rivalries and risks often leading to some of the most farcical moments in the history of entertainment. This is a story of obsession, full of tales of Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Mario, Sonic, Wolfenstein 3D, Worms and many more. It will also answer important questions about the golden age. Questions like: Why did Namco feel they had to change the name of Puck-Man to Pac-Man because they were worried about graffiti, when Nintendo were more than happy to bring out Duck Hunt? Joysticks at the ready. Let's do a gaming!

"A Mah Jong Handbook" gives beginners and enthusiasts a first-hand look into the exciting game of mah jong. Offering a clear and concise introduction to the classic Chinese, Western, and Japanese rules of the game and outlining its many variants, this comprehensive guidebook will help you to improve your skills and add strategy to your game.

67 sure-fire mental feats to delight and mystify: mind reading with cards, instant ESP, identify the owners of objects given to you in random order, number prediction, magically reproduce drawings on slates, book tests, handwriting tricks, mind-reading done from a room away, much more. 73 illustrations.

Malba Tahan is the creation of a celebrated Brazilian mathematician looking for a way to bring some of the mysteries and pleasures of mathematics to a wider public. The adventures of Beremiz Samir, The Man Who Counted, take the reader on a journey in which, time and again, Samir summons his extraordinary mathematical powers to settle disputes, give wise advice, overcome dangerous enemies, and win for himself fame, fortune, and rich rewards. We learn of previous mathematicians and come to admire Samir's wisdom and patience. In the grace of Tahan's telling, these stories hold unusual delights for the reader.

"Who are Carlotta J. Thompkins, Lottie Deno, Miss Kitty, Laura Denbo, Faro Nell, and Charlotte Thurmond? For answers to these and other questions, read Cynthia Rose's account of the life of Lottie Deno.... Recommended for anyone that is interested in reading a complete history of a western gambler from cradle to grave". (Review of the West)

"Rose paints an intriguing picture of Western heroine Lottie Deno.... Readers will gain insight into the devastation caused by the Civil War and also into the wild but opportunity-filled West". (School Library Journal)

The true story of the woman who has been "immortalized" in frontier novels and more recently in television and film (as "Miss Kitty" in "Gunsmoke" and "Laura Denbo" in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral). Santa Fe writer Cynthia Rose presents verbatim accounts by people who knew Lottie Deno and rare period photographs documenting her life and times.

Master the fascinating game of Go with this expert guidebook. Go is a two-player board game that first originated in ancient China but is also very popular in Japan and Korea. There is significant strategy and philosophy involved in the game, and the number of possible games is vast--even when compared to chess. Go has enthralled hundreds of millions of people in Asia, where it is an integral part of the culture. In the West, many have learned of its pleasures, especially after the game appeared in a number of hit movies, TV series, and books, and was included on major Internet game sites. By eliciting the highest powers of rational thought, the game draws players, not just for the thrills of competition, but because they feel it enhances their mental, artistic, and even spiritual lives. Go! More Than a Game is the guidebook that uses the most modern methods of teaching to learn Go, so that, in a few minutes, anyone can understand the two basic rules that generate the game. The object of Go is surrounding territory, but the problem is that while you are doing this, the opponent may be surrounding you! In a series of exciting teaching games, you will watch as Go's beautiful complexities begin to unfold in intertwining patterns of black and white stones. These games progress from small 9x9 boards to 13x13 and then to the traditional 19x19 size. Go! More Than a Game has been completely revised by the author based on new data about the history of early Go and the Confucians who wrote about it. This popular book includes updated information such as the impact of computer versions on the game, the mysterious new developments of Go combinatorics, advances in Combinatorial Game Theory and a look at the current international professional playing scene.

70 of the best rope tricks ever devised using overhand knots, slip knots and square knots. Dissolve knots, cut and restore ropes, make ropes magically shrink or grow longer, rope escape tricks, flourish knots. 423 illustrations and clear, easy-to-follow directions make performing these startling feats foolproof.

The Scottish and Welsh wars of Edward the first and second up to the Battle of Bannockburn, with barded knights, Scots schiltrons and wild Welsh archers fighting again for freedom. Featuring an extensive castle model with a siege assault force and a siege game included in the rules.

The author of the smash hit, The Floor is Lava, is back with 101 fun-filled, boredom-busting games to occupy the whole family during the summer holidays. Starting to get fed up of endless games of Would You Rather? Or is screen-time taking over your life? Well, this is the book to bring everyone together, with an endless selection of creative games you can come back to time and time again. You'll quickly find the right game to match ANY occasion with games for one, for pairs or for groups. Most are quick to set up and require minimal equipment - ideal for anyone looking for straight up fun. Bored? Games! is the ultimate book of games to keep everyone entertained. There's games for any occasion: * Rainy days * Around the table games * Single-player games * Games for groups * Travel games * Summer holiday ideas NO BATTERIES REQUIRED.

Battle or befriend more than 100 weird and alien life forms in this creature collection for the Starfinder Roleplaying Game! Every new world and space station comes with its own dangers, from strange new cultures to extraterrestrial predators to massive spacefaring organisms capable of battling starships. Inside this book, you'll find rules and ecological information for creatures from across the known worlds, plus exotic alien gear, complete magical polymorphing rules, and more. A robust selection of template grafts gives you the tools you need to populate any planet with environment-appropriate fauna, and racial rules for many of the new species let you be the alien! Want to play an intelligent, multi-legged centipede? An emotionless, mask-wearing mollusk? An uplifted bear? Explore the limits of your galaxy and your game with Starfinder Alien Archive 2!

Master the exhilarating game of Mahjong with this introductory guide. This complete, easy-to-follow instructional Mahjong handbook includes over 150 full-color photographs and illustrations to introduce players to this captivating game. This is the first Mahjong book to cover the Cantonese or "old rules" game fully. It also includes all of the most popular variations, such as the Shanghai game, the 16-tile or Taiwanese game, and the 12-tile game. Included are the rules, tactics, techniques, strategy and the rituals only the most experienced players know. This Mahjong book includes: Easy-to-follow instructions Full-color illustrations and photographs Instruction on: Authentic Chinese Mahjong play Cantonese Mahjong play Shanghai Mahjong play American Mahjong play The 12-tile versions of the game The Complete Book of Mah Jong is the perfect guide for all skill levels to learn the different styles of Mahjong--from Mahjong beginners to pros.

Upon its premiere in 1992, Midway's Mortal Kombat spawned an enormously influential series of fighting games, notorious for their violent "fatality" moves performed by photorealistically rendered characters. Targeted by lawmakers and moral reformers, the series directly inspired the creation of an industrywide rating system for video games and became a referendum on the wide popularity of 16-bit home consoles. Along the way, it became one of the world's most iconic fighting games, and a transmedia franchise that continues to this day. This book traces Mortal Kombat's history as an American product inspired by both Japanese video games and Chinese martial-arts cinema, its successes and struggles in adapting to new market trends, and the ongoing influence of its secret-strewn narrative world. After outlining the specific elements of gameplay that differentiated Mortal Kombat from its competitors in the coin-op market, David Church examines the various martial-arts films that inspired its Orientalist imagery, helping explain its stereotypical uses of race and gender. He also posits the games as a cultural landmark from a moment when public policy attempted to intervene in both the remediation of cinematic aesthetics within interactive digital games and in the transition of public gaming spaces into the domestic sphere. Finally, the book explores how the franchise attempted to conquer other forms of media in the 1990s, lost ground to a new generation of 3D games in the 2000s, and has successfully rebooted itself in the 2010s to reclaim its legacy.

In this in-depth critical and theoretical analysis of the horror genre in video games, 14 essays explore the cultural underpinnings of horror's allure for gamers and the evolution of "survival" themes. The techniques and story effects of specific games such as Resident Evil, Call of Cthulhu, and Silent Hill are examined individually.

Clear diagrams and step-by-step instructions for performing 18 simple feats of prestidigitation: Strength Test, Untangled, Elastic Lock, Mystic Spinner, Rollaway, Heavyset, The Great Escape and many more, using such ordinary objects as coins, rubber bands and string.

Join Jo-Rosie Haffenden and Nando Brown, the animal trainers from ITV’s hit show Teach My Pet To Do That, as they reveal the surprising truth about training cats

You might think that cats don’t do obedience, but this simple, practical guide will have you and your cat mastering the basics of trick training in no time and will open up a whole new world of fun for both of you.

Whether your feline is shy and retiring, or loves the limelight, there’s something for every personality type. Trick-training is a great way to get to know your cat better, deepen your bond and help keep them keep fit and stimulated.

Full of hints, tips and photographs, and taking you from the very simplest training fundamentals to show-stopping tricks like ‘Ring the Bell for Dinner’ and ’Wipe Your Feet’, the only limit to where you end up is your imagination.

Ultimate Sticker Books make learning fun. Packed with 60 full-color, photographic, and self-adhesive stickers, these books are ideal for children to use at home or in school -- and some glow in the dark

Join Jo-Rosie Haffenden and Nando Brown, the animal trainers from ITV’s Teach My Pet To Do That, as they reveal how any dog can learn new tricks

This simple, practical guide will have you and your pooch mastering the basics of trick training in no time and opening up a whole new world of fun for both of you.

Whether they’re shy and retiring, or love the limelight, there’s something for every type. Trick-training is a great way to get to know your dog better, deepen your bond and help keep them keep fit and stimulated.

Full of hints, tips and photographs and taking you from the very simplest training fundamentals to show-stopping tricks like “Dog Yoga” and “Tidy Your Toys”, the only limit to where you end up is your imagination.