This is a fascinating set and a good concept, but with issues
930140
This is a fascinating set and a good concept. My twin boys, who are about to turn nine, have had a great time assembling it, and my six-year-old son has enjoyed being a "helper," getting pieces ready. It's complicated enough to require concentration, but the instructions are clear enough that it is doable. Kids who lack good visual-spacial sense will probably struggle at times. In terms of the final product, it's more delicate than I had anticipated. Even carefully put together, with all the connectors snug, the track is very wobbly. And we've found that the roller coaster car often doesn't make it all the way around the track. The other big issue is that our motor didn't work, so when we got all set up, we couldn't fully use the set. I'm hoping the company will rectify the issue. If not, that will quickly downgrade the review to 1 or 2 stars. But this is a fun idea, and the execution is good enough to make it a fun option for kids with interest in building.
3993294
There are things that I like about this set and things that I don't. I waffled between giving it 3 or 4 stars.  I went with 3 because I think the novelty of the lights will wear off and then these bricks will get left behind due to their not so easy connectivity.

Things I don't like:
1. Need a screwdriver to open the battery case
2. Says 8 in 1 model but you have to download and print out the additional 7 sets of instructions.
3. The pegs do not snap together nearly as easily as legos
4. The clear color makes assembly more difficult (I realize that is the nature of the beast but combined with the difficulty of snapping them together it can be quite irritating)
5. It is not nearly as colorful as the images on the box make it out to be

Things I do like:
1. It lights up
2. The sound activated feature is especially fun
3. It is compatible with legos
4. The instructions are clearer than most lego instructions. It shows the piece needed in each step as dark and it shows the finished step as well.

Overall I would recommend it for lego fans looking for something a little different.
126516
The concept of this anthology is a very good one, collecting many of the core papers in the history of quantum mechanics. [It's not a new concept; a more general scientific anthology is Alan Lightman's "<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Discoveries/dp/037571345X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Discoveries</a>." Sadly, like that book, this one has some significant problems.

That said, as some of the other reviewers have noted, there are numerous typos. Worse, some of those typos are actually significant, and make it hard to understand. (Worse still, if you don't know anything about physics, it would be difficult if not impossible to know that the information is wrong.) For example, one pair of equations seems to reduce S^N to S by simply dividing by N; you need to go back to the previous page to realize that the N isn't an exponent, but rather a subscript.

As another example, it presents the sequence 1/14 + 1/24 + 1/34 + 1/44, when that should read the very different 1/1^4 + 1/2^4 + 1/3^4 + 1/4^4.

Moreover, the book is poorly organized; the pages could be laid out better (there's no reason this book needs to be over 1,000 pages long), there is no index, and even the headers at the tops of the pages only tell you what chapter you are in. Since most chapters have multiple papers, it makes finding information more difficult than necessary.

All in all, it's a noble effort marred by lousy execution. [That said, I should add a response to one of the above reviewers who felt "deceived" about the book: as stated in the description, the book "compiles the essential works from the scientists who sparked the paradigm shift that changed the face of physics," in much the same way as Running Press' earlier collections "God Created the Integers" and "On the Shoulders of Giants." Nowhere does it claim to be Hawking's explanation of these works.]
1533007
I really like this concept, and the design isn't too bad, except for a few caveats: While I appreciate the workmanship, and my not needing to be hooked up to my phone while listening to music and audiobooks, I am finding some flaws which I believe need to be fixed if someone is going to pay around $100 for these.  (By the way, I wanted these because I cannot have my phone dropping on the floor as I am asleep listening to a meditation recording or music.)

First of all, I have a lot of trouble with the controls (volume, on/off).  I have trouble locating and manipulating them.  I am in the dark when I need to turn the system off.  Also, I cannot do a very good job manipulating the controls even when I am able to locate them.

Second of all, not every person can understand diagrams and no text.  Instructions are usually poor for electronic devices as it is.  Please do not skimp on the setup instructions.  This wasn't a walk in the park; though, I appreciate having these earphones.

I like the sound ok, and yet I do understand if people will pick it apart because of the price of this item.

Otherwise, I can see this item lasting quite awhile; it doesn't seem as though it was made cheap.  The controls are my most important concern, while I just love being able to listen without being connected to my phone.  Also, the actual earplugs have adaptors of various sizes which is very high on my priority list since I usually have trouble keeping them in.  (My hair is short, but long enough to cause interference.)

Overall I gave this item 3 stars because the merits outweigh the flaws by enough of a margin in my view.
3120377
Quality of the set is very well built. It's a beautiful set!  However, one of the chair seats had indented marks in the wood because of the strappings! One another chair seat had a crack on the seat, these were noticeable defects once I put the set together.  We had no idea who to contact with these issues.
2387371
This would be a great set if the parts stayed together and if the bases were a bit wider.  It's strange because some of the connecting pieces stay together much better than others.  If you so much a breathe too hard next to this set it will fall over and fall apart.  It's going back.
4169609
A very good continuation of an excellent and interesting complete set
2326245
Overall, I absolutely love this set, but it's not without its share of problems. Most of the issues that I have with it are specific to my vehicle (2016 Kia Soul), it would probably be FAR easier to install on a different vehicle. My set didn't come with instructions for the back seat at all, I had to look up a video to get the job done. All of the seat covers have elastic loops attached at the bottom which you're supposed to hook together beneath the seat. Well, the seats in my Soul are installed in such a way that it's impossible to get beneath them without removing the seats, so I was unable to tie them down. I ended up tucking them in between the bottom and back of the seat really well and tying them down to the bar that's used to move my (manual) seats forward and back. This has worked out pretty well, but I do have to readjust them more than I would if they could be tied down properly. There's nothing to tie the bottom part of the back seat covers down to at all, so they slide around a lot more. The included instructions don't mention that you need to poke holes through the back seat covers to make room for the headrests and seatbelt, but you will need to do that because they don't come with holes. It wasn't hard to do, just something to be aware of. The floor mat for the driver's seat does not fit the Soul at all, I had to cut it to keep it from covering my gas pedal. The steering wheel cover also didn't work at all. I got the thing on, but I think maybe the Soul has a slightly larger steering wheel because it didn't cover as much of the wheel as I would have liked and the added bulk made gripping the wheel extremely uncomfortable. My hands would start cramping up within the first ten minutes, I had to remove it and ended up purchasing a solid color silicone one separately. I don't mean to sound so negative on the set though, I REALLY love the new lime green interior, it's super bright and loud and fun! Silly as it may be, I honestly enjoy driving my vehicle more now because of these fun seat covers. Steering wheel cover aside, I have zero complaints with the quality of this set and I would buy it again in a heartbeat.
1579082
We love the concept of this multi pack! My son is three and loves making (or trying to make) complex train tracks. It has some drawbacks, and it is a mid-grade set. Below, see pictures.

PROS:
-Good selection of creative connectors
-Upgrades the functionality of basic wooden tracks considerably
-wood is smooth and seems well-milled
-Much train-joy on our little boy's face...he would give it "eighty billion stars"

CONS:
-Some immediate quality issues The largest, triangular shaped piece broke within minutes (on Christmas morning) (see pic and IKEA compatibility notes below)
-The ball connectors are plastic and not well-attached. Some you can pull out easily. Some come stuck halfway in (making the track wobbly where it connects to another segment).

IKEA  track compatibility:
 I can't speak to other track compatibility, but we use IKEA tracks. The ball connector side of this track is very loose when connecting to an IKEA track. The receptive side of the Maxim track is very, very, very tight when connected to the IKEA track.  My three-year-old has trouble connecting it, as do I. The tightness issue contributed to the breakage (I presume...as I noted, it broke within a few minutes, but what I think happened was that the very tight connection combined with the leverage of the connected track and the weak point of the wood..:broke with the grainall came together to lead to the breakage).  I have some sandpaper to eat some of the tightness issue, but it is still a hassle, and not a perfect fix.

All in all, I would hesitate to buy the set again. There are some definite pros for us, but the drawbacks make it a less-fun toy for what we use it for.
824573
This is the first in a series surrounding the seven wonders of the ancient world (of which only one remains standing). The concept is intriguing, for all of man's ingenuity and greatness, it cannot stand up to the greater powers of nature and of God.

The story is organized around the imminent fall of the Colossus statue-the symbol of the greatness of Rhodes.

The protagonists, are both stuck between worlds. The peasant Nikos is plucked out of obscurity when his wealthy father decides to acknowledge him. He has been sent out to do some political spying on a politician named Glaucus. Tessa lives a life of luxury, but does so at the whim of Glaucus, to whom she is enslaved as a kind of mistress for hire. Glaucus is awful to her and, unsurprisingly, Tessa is hard as nails, jaded, and bitter.

Tessa and Nikos end up working together when Glaucus is accidently killed (not a spoiler). Political unrest and Tessa's chance to escape makes it prudent to cover up his death.  The plot is tight and has some believable surprises.  Nikos and Tessa are a likeable couple- Tessa is strong, yet fragile because of the life she has lived. Nikos seems to understand when Tessa can stand on her own and when she needs a tall dark hottie to give her a hand.

The story isn't perfect: a few character motivations seem to be hazy (I  think going into them would be spoiler-ish). Also, it seems like Higley is trying to massage a Christian message into a pre-Christian era. I'm not sure how accurate all that is or where it leaves the protagonists.

But overall, it was a good read. I'll be checking out the next one in the series. Also, Higley visited Rhodes while researching this book. On her website she has some awesome pictures and information that really helped me visualize Rhodes.
2333642
it was a fascinating concept but I feel that it bit off too much and ended up trying to tie too many different plot strings together
1935884
This is a very nice set. But like the other specified sets, they're fun to put together the first time but then the pieces get all mixed up with other sets and you can never quite get them back together like they were meant to be.
2988724
The set looks neat but the majority of the tricks are not fun to learn or to do.
4365628
I like it because it has the makings of a good starter set -- I bought it to start experimenting with basic techniques, hoping to turn painting into a hobby.  But there are some downsides to this set, which is sad because it had so much potential........

1) the carrying case and wood thumb palette are not made of a finished wood, so you have to be careful of splinters when handling them.
2) the drawer isn't big enough to hold everything in the kit.  The small color paints it comes with fit, but the tubes of black and white don't fit, nor does any other size paint.  Neither of the white mixing trays fit, the magnetic model man certainly doesn't.  So all I really have in my drawer is the color wheel, brushes, and pencils.
3) the hinges on the case don't stay closed very well so you'll frequently have the easel open up when you pick it up to carry.  The same hinges are used for the drawer and I would worry about that opening in transit as well.

The brushes, paints, and canvases seem to be good for starters, and the color wheel is good (though difficult to turn)....... but I think you might get better quality if you bought these items separately.
1471341
Upon opening the case and sorting out all the pieces and putting them in their respective spots, this seems like a really nice set. The case itself looks pretty rugged and the tools look and feel just as rugged as well.

Unfortunately, here are 2 things worth noting when buying this.

One, trying to look at the pieces and identifying them (if they get mixed up) would be a little difficult. The engraving is really hard to see and read. You'll have to turn it here and there to try to see it. I'm going to try to put a little color in there if it'll work. We'll see.

Secondly, for those who'll use this and transporting it continuously to and from you truck like i will, there will be bumps here and there. If you hit the case just a little, it dislodges a hand full of the sockets if not more. Now put that together with the difficulty of trying to identifying those pieces, you just lost a bunch of time.

Hence the reason for my 3 stars. I will update. I'm on the fence of returning it.
1801770
The idea of the series is good, but some things bothered me. I read the three books in a row, and maybe this was the problem. Maybe if I had read another book between them, I'd give it 5 stars. The story is interesting and the author makes a very good job of uniting the storylines of the different characters. The idea of a plague before an alien invasion was a good one and the depiction of the plague itself, from the viewpoints of different people was very good. Also the way the world goes on, after the plague and with the alien invasion was also interesting. The aliens were very cool, specially with the difference in how they perceived the world. This theme has been used by other authors, and here it was well developed.
Now what I didn't like: every main character talk like they have an atitude. I'm not a native speaker of English, so it's difficult to put what I felt in words... All the characters talked with an ironic tone that in the end made things a bit annoying to me. One or two characters would be all right, creating different personalities, but all of them? Also the way the aliens lived, their motivations for the invasion and how they went through with the aftermath of the invasion were good. But I wanted more of THEIR side. It left me expecting something that never came. Maybe it's in the 4th book...
All in all, it was a good read, and considering the price I've paid fot the three books together (less than $1) it was VERY good. I'd definitively pay $5 for the first book, and maybe for the second.
4654905
I absolutely love this set- I've been waiting for something like it for years.  The transfers are pristine, the sets are gorgeous, and the films are tremendous fun. I left a star off, though, for a couple of reasons.  First, I think the Al Jolson song 'Goin' to Heaven on a Mule' should have been included.  I disagree with another reviewer who said it was left off because of the 'political correctness' crowd. Let's face it- the scene is entirely racist and offensive.  I'm black and I can watch "The Green Pastures" while hardly squirming, but the Jolson bit makes me want to take a bath in sulphuric acid.  Nevertheless, it's as much a part of film history as "The Eternal Jew" and "Birth of a Nation", and it needs to be seen, if only for people to know how insulting it really is.  I teach college, and many of my students do not understand what racism was like, once upon a time- scenes like the Jolson clip make it clear how bad earlier times could be.

My other quibble is that there should have been commentaries, especially for "Footlight Parade" and "Golddiggers of 1933", and possibly for "42nd Street".  These movies cry out for annotations by film historians. I would even have loved someone like John Waters discussing the impact of these films on queer sensibility and camp- for many lesbians for instance, these movies are a rare treat (how often do you get to see half-naked gorgeous women take bubble baths?), or Elvis Mitchell dicussing ideas of race and ethnicity (that line about 'gleaming white bodies' in "Footlight Parade" always makes me gag, and I still don't know what to make of Ruby Keeler as a China doll). Or, for a change, how about some feminist film historians talking about the impact of Berkeley's style on the idea of female perfection and interchangeability, wherein women become akin to icons, goddesses, or even machine parts? That would have been a lot of fun, and akin to what was done in the two Film Archives sets.