Gladstone's Games to Go: Verbal Volleys, Coin Contests, Dot Duels, and Other Games for Boredom-Free Days

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Smart
Review: I decided to check out this book after reading an interview with the author at UsedWigs.com. I thought it sounded like fun for 10 bucks. Turns out that while some of the games are easy standards that I already new (Password, Ghost), the most interesting stuff here is brand new and really involving. The last board game I bought was Scattergories, which cost like $30...well, this tells you how to play that one without buying any special equipment (its obvious, but I never thought of it), so you end up getting dozens of games for less than what a single one costs when you buy the boxed version. Good deal. Smart stuff.

Rating:
Summary: No boredom--and your brain will thank you!
Review: In this day and age of constant visual and aural stimulation--marketing and advertising messages, music of all sorts, cellphones, PDAs, you name it--it's SO refreshing to see that not everyone has given up hope. Jim Gladstone is obviously someone who values the grey cells, and puts his talent as a writer where his quirky interests are. Not only is this book FULL of original and updated games that often require nothing more than what many of us had on-hand in first grade: a pencil, some paper, a little extra time and a sense of playfulness (okay, and maybe a little competitiveness, too), it's also beautifully designed, durable and very portable. Buy this book and keep it in your backpack, briefcase--whatever you drag your stuff around in. Next time you're stuck on a plane, bus or even your own car and your sick of listening to the garbage on the radio or watching the fluff on TV, pull out Gladstone's Games to Go and give your brain a much-needed workout. For parents who've had enough of GameBoys and giant headphones that keep your kids as alienated from you in the car or on a plane as they are at home, Gladstone offers some fun ways to interact that won't cramp the style of even the most jaded teen or tween. And for the rest of us who just like a good, challenging game now and then (and hate it when dinner party conversation starts to wane), you're CRAZY not to have this book at arm's reach.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Entertainment!
Review: Thanks to this great instructional book, no games boards or electonic devices are needed to have fun with your friends. Lots of great word and entertainment-based games. Ah, simple pleasures! Great (cheap) gift for your game-loving pals, too.