Rating: 
Summary: The Proof is in the Pudding - or the Prizes in this Case!!!
Review: As a kid, I remember going to amusement parks and being awed by all of the big stuffed animals. I always wanted to win one, but I was never good at any of the games where the big winners play.
I am an adult now, and my wife purchased Six Flags season tickets this summer. Our family really likes the carnival games, but with the exception of the Wacky Wire, it was hard for any of us to win the really BIG prizes. So, we purchased "The Secrets of Amusement Park Games... Revealed!" through Amazon.com just before our last trip to Astroworld in Houston, Texas. One of the games that really beguiled me was the Milkcan Toss. I had never seen anyone win this game. I had tried it a couple of times before - 13 balls for $5 seems to be one of the better deals going among the different games offering big prizes - but I had never even gotten close to winning. After receiving the book, I read the chapter on playing the Milkcan Toss. By using the technique Brian offers in his book, with my first $5, I had won my wife a giant-sized Taz!!! We went on from there and took home quite a few prizes - three giant stuffed animals and probably 30 other prizes of various sizes.
That is why I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars. How many other self-help books have you tried showed immediate results? This is a first for me. Thanks for the advice on playing and winning such a challenging game as the Milkcan Toss. I would have to say that purchasing this book paid off with the very first game I played after reading it! I look forward to learning and using the book's techniques on on some of the other carnival games I have had my eyes on...
Rating: 
Summary: I personally did not like this book....
Review: because he tells the readers what the games are than to tell us what the secrets are. After reading the whole book, I felt like I didn't learn anything new. Sometimes I feel as if the author writes too much "un-necessary" stuff...Perhaps if pictures were added to the book, the instructions could be more clear... and the stuff that the author says it's not that funny!
Rating: 
Summary: Carnival Scams
Review: Brian has written a book on the many games that he has experimented with over the years. Although he does tell you that some may be altered against you, there are some games that do give you a fair chance at winning, depending on your skill level. As a law enforcement officer who inspects carnival games and teaches on the subject for other cops, I am impressed with Brians writing and his humor in telling others his experience with games. Yes, you can win at some, but don't think that you will if no one enforces the law at your fair or carnival.
Rating:
Summary: Carnival Scams
Review: Brian has written a book on the many games that he has experimented with over the years. Although he does tell you that some may be altered against you, there are some games that do give you a fair chance at winning, depending on your skill level. As a law enforcement officer who inspects carnival games and teaches on the subject for other cops, I am impressed with Brians writing and his humor in telling others his experience with games. Yes, you can win at some, but don't think that you will if no one enforces the law at your fair or carnival.
Rating:
Summary: Get ready to win huge stuffed animals!
Review: Does a good job teaching how to win the "Milk-Can" game. After reading this book I took the Circus Circus Casino in Las Vegas for three HUGE teddy bears for under 20 dollars.
Rating:
Summary: Carny Knowledge
Review: I admit being a sucker for those shooting games at carnivals. But despite being a pretty good shot with most projectile weapons, from slingshot to shotgun, I sometimes lose at the state fair. Why, oh, why did I fail to win the Terence and Philip doll set? What am I doing wrong? Finally, a book to help me win those stuffed animals and kewpie dolls. "The Secrets of Amusement Park Games ... Revealed!" has a lot of good tips and techniques on popular carnival games. What's even better--it has a chapter on games the author avoids. Richardson made a study of carnival games and puts his accumulated wisdom in this very reasonably priced book. In fact, the price of this book is so affordable, you'd be nuts not to get it--it's a whole lot cheaper than getting bent out of shape at the Milkcan Softball Toss while your girlfriend sneers at you behind her acrylic manicure and makes eyes at the more successful stud manfully tossing his (soft)balls next to you. Seriously, this is a cute little book, born of Richardson's passion for carnival games and quite a few years of "research." Some games are not included, because they have been banned in a number of states (rats, no Three Card Monte!) Bonus--there is a list of rollercoasters, steel and wood, for you rollercoaster afficionados. I'm not an enthusiast, but I admire the engineering of rollercoasters and their rich history in the US. Great little book!
Rating: 
Summary: Good info, bad production
Review: I am a carnival junkie and love carnival games. The very first time I used this book, I won (to my surprise)the "shoot the red star with the BB machine gun" game. I've never witnessed anyone actually do it, but I did it, the very first time. Problem was, the stuffed dog we won was so big, I had to take it to the car before we could see the rest of the fair. Not a bad trade off. This is a must read!
Rating:
Summary: The Secrets of Amusement Park Games... Revealed!
Review: I am a carnival junkie and love carnival games. The very first time I used this book, I won (to my surprise)the "shoot the red star with the BB machine gun" game. I've never witnessed anyone actually do it, but I did it, the very first time. Problem was, the stuffed dog we won was so big, I had to take it to the car before we could see the rest of the fair. Not a bad trade off. This is a must read!
Rating:
Summary: Good info, bad production
Review: I suppose the information in this book is solid and useful, but the production values are so amateurish that it's very hard to get through. It seems as if Mr. Richardson typed this thing up on his computer, hit "Print", and sent it right to his publisher... no copy editing, no nothing. Basically, it's a good few web pages worth of info, with amateur web page grammar, language, etc. For the price, it's probably worth it, but don't expect that that money has purchased any great level of quality.
Rating:
Summary: How to show off for your date
Review: I'm not sure why I purchased THE SECRETS OF AMUSEMENT PARK GAMES ... REVEALED. Perhaps it's my obsessive craving for profound knowledge. Perhaps it's because on those very rare occasions when I visit the annual Los Angeles County Fair, I steer clear of the games and beeline for the junk food. (Once a long time ago, I tried to show off to my then fiancée at an amusement park shooting booth and failed miserably. We eventually married, but she refuses to call me "Bwana". Perhaps this book will give me an edge for a major comeback in spousal respect.) SECRETS will likely appeal to a very narrow niche market. I'm probably not a legitimate occupier of that cranny, but am giving the volume the benefit of the doubt with 4 stars anyway. (At my level of carny involvement, 5 seems cheeky.) Author Brian Richardson seems to know what he's talking about as he advises the reader on how to increase the odds of winning at the Milk Can Softball Toss, the Peach Basket Softball Toss, the BB Gun Star Shootout, the Ring Toss, the Sign Ball Bounce Off, the Curly Bar Ring Guide, the Basketball Shoot, and several others. In the Ring Toss, for instance, is it better to go with a throw of high or low arc, and is it done overhand or underhand? Brian instructs. A nice touch on the first page is an impressive photo of (apparently) all the stuffed animals the author has won using his tried and true techniques. Richardson also includes two chapters on the games he personally avoids, and the Top Ten steel and wooden roller coasters in America. Brian has obviously had a lot of fun gathering the material for this little paperback - 85 pages in a 4 x 6.5 inch format. Would that we could all be so clever with our free-time diversions.
|
