With complex stories and stunning visuals eliciting intense emotional responses, coupled with opportunities for self-expression and problem solving, video games are a powerful medium to foster empathy, critical thinking, and creativity in players. As these games grow in popularity, ambition, and technological prowess, they become a legitimate art form, shedding old attitudes and misconceptions along the way. Examining the Evolution of Gaming and Its Impact on Social, Cultural, and Political Perspectives asks whether videogames have the power to transform a player and his or her beliefs from a sociopolitical perspective. Unlike traditional forms of storytelling, videogames allow users to immerse themselves in new worlds, situations, and politics. This publication surveys the landscape of videogames and analyzes the emergent gaming that shifts the definition and cultural effects of videogames. This book is a valuable resource to game designers and developers, sociologists, students of gaming, and researchers in relevant fields.

Fifty brain-busting trivia questions about history, geography, pop culture, and more make for an unforgettable after-dinner duel between friends and family!

The viral sensation of 2018, as featured by ITV's Lorraine, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Metro, MailOnline, The Sun, Buzzfeed, Bored Panda and many more. Pair up the dogs with their owners in this hilarious card game. Fifty cards depict fun photographs of the dogs and owners, and humorous texts are included in the booklet to provide clues about 25 people and their furry best friends. Why DO people look like their dogs? Is it shared personality traits, barely suppressed narcissistic tendencies, or do they grow together over time like old married couples? This game explores the intense bonds we develop with our dogs, which are far from only skin, or even fur, deep. Play as a memory game with the cards face down for added entertainment. Collect the most pairs to win! This is the perfect gift for dog lovers and a must have Christmas gift.

You don't have to be a genius to enjoy chess. The practical instruction provided here can help anyone progress from first-timer or novice to capable intermediate player in no time at all, while instilling an understanding of the game's fundamentals, and providing a strong foundation for future advancement. The game's history, the basic moves for each piece, and strategies for openings, middle game, and endgame positions are all covered, and you can measure your progress with the exercises that follow each section. Checkmating tips are included, as is advice for salvaging a draw when you have a weakened position. Unlike many other chess books, the lessons included here are designed for "real-world" play, using positions that newer players are more likely to encounter. Also featured is a foreword by renowned chessmaster, teacher, and columnist Bruce Pandolfini, who was the instructor played by Ben Kingsley in the film Searching for Bobby Fischer and the chess consultant for the miniseries The Queen's Gambit.

Crowood Sports Guides are the perfect tool for anyone wanting to improve their performance, from beginners learning the basic skills to more experienced participants working on advanced techniques. These practical, no-nonense guides will help give you that all-important advantage. Darts - Crowood Sports Guides covers: a history of darts; rules of the game; choosing the right equipment; basic skills; how to improve your throwing technique and finally great suggestions for making your practice more interesting.

In "Chess for Everyone," national chess master and coach Robert M. Snyder introduces chess to the beginner in twenty graduated lessons. Mr. Snyder teaches the basic principles and then builds the student's knowledge in a clear and consistent manner. The reader is given a solid foundation in:

Basic rules(piece movements, checkmate, castling, en passant, drawn game and more). Opening principles, traps and a basic opening system. Middlegame strategy (checkmate patterns and tactics). Basic endgame strategy including basic checkmates and King and Pawn endings. Upon completing "Chess for Everyone" students can continue to expand their knowledge in all areas of the game by reading the other volumes in the "Chess for Everyone" series.

The Bridge Movements Encyclopedia. Duplicate Bridge Schedules, History and Mathematics is an essential book for tournament directors as well as bridge players curious about the history of the game of duplicate bridge. This comprehensive volume supplies you with all the movements ever thought of and many hundreds of new ones. Included for each movement are the variations, modifications, origins, authors and history of its development. Each movement is then assessed for its measure of quality, called calibre. The author presents a brand new event type, the Scissor movement - run like any Howell movement. In this type of event the players play as pairs as usual, but also have their teammates as another pair, never meeting each other. This allows the event to be scored both as teams and pairs, producing a winning team and a winning pair. Duplicate bridge players will find the history of their favorite game most intriguing. The book delves into the lives of well-known figures such as John T. Mitchell and Edwin C. Howell. When did they live, what did they contribute to bridge, and what were the politics of their time? In addition, many lesser-known historical figures are examined for their contributions to the development of duplicate movements. For the mathematically inclined there are plenty of interesting oddities. The mathematics of balance of movements, giving the measure of quality, is thoroughly discussed. The controversial debate over movement quality, along with its history, is presented through the ideas and opinions of players and mathematicians. IAN McKINNON is a mathematician, expert bridge player, tournament director, author and computer professional. Through circumstance, around 1970, he started tournament directing at a major bridge club in Sydney which eventually led to him being the senior Tournament Director within the Australian Bridge Federation during the 1970s. He produced his first book, Bridge Directing Complete, in 1979. All those years of experience, and the last ten years of intense research and computer programming, have resulted in this book.

Why is there a twelve on the cover of this blackjack book instead of the usual twenty-one? No blackjack author in their right mind would put a hand of twelve on the cover. Glen Wiggy did--he is full of surprises like that. Part how-to manual, part memoir, 1536 Free Waters and Other Blackjack Endeavors--Finding Profit and Humor in Card-Counting chronicles Wiggy's amusing experiences while playing blackjack during more than eight hundred casino visits from January 2001 until June 2008. It also introduces blackjack card-counting in a fun and easy-to-learn format.

In addition to the everyday casino patrons, starving puppies, angry pit bosses, French doughnuts, talking sea gulls, and 1536 bottled waters make unforgettable appearances in these entertaining stories tailored for casual blackjack gamblers. For players pursuing the game for serious profit, Wiggy also presents practical tips on

- Aspects of blackjack basic strategy- Fundamentals of card-counting- Techniques for managing money- Dangers of greedy gambling behavior

Unlike most blackjack strategy guides, 1536 Free Waters and Other Blackjack Endeavors won't teach you how to "kill" the dealer or make a living playing the game. Instead, you'll learn basic strategy and introductory card-counting skills that give you enough confidence to approach the table with a positive attitude and reasonable expectation of winning. Plus, you'll learn what to expect from the cards and the wonderfully strange people and places you may encounter. Enjoy the ride.

"Undoubtedly, the most enjoyable blackjack book I've read in my twenty years as the editor of a gambling publishing company. It had me laughing out loud."--Deke Castleman, editor for Huntington Press

Read more at www.blackjackstories.com.

Chirp up your card games with the most beautiful birds in the world. Includes 52 playing cards featuring illustrations of birds ranging from the familiar to the exotic, plus two jokers. From the cheerful red cardinal to the majestic white swan, the imposing California condor to the flamboyant great blue turaco, these delightful birds may make you forget your poker face

Originally published in 1897. The author was a famous conjuror who many spent many years perfecting the hundreds of tricks and sleight of hand methods described here. Contents Include: SLEIGHTS: The Double Handed Pass - The Force - The Bridge - The Glide - The Color Change, etc. TRICKS WITH CARDS: Magic versus Mnemonics - The Hypnotised card - Cards Shot Against a Hat - The Demon Envelope - The Obedient Card, etc. PREPARED AND MECHANICAL CARDS: The Changing Card - The Torn Corner Card - The Flap Card - The Conjurer as Marksman - The Envelope Card - The Coin Card - A Mysterious Transformation, etc Contains many explanatory illustrations. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Home Farm Books are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.Envelope Card - The Coin Card - A Mysterious Transformation, etc