An improved version of an old classic
923062
X10 appliance modules have an internal mechanical relay to switch the power on and off whereas the lamp modules and wall switch modules are electronic.  As with things mechanical, they age and at some point stop working.  I bought this one to replace a 30 year old one that finally started to turn on only went it felt like it.  I can't complain about getting 30 years out of a product. The primary advantages of the newer model are having a 3-prong plug rather than just a 2-prong polarized plug, and that it is more esthetically attractive.  The downside is that the relay is much louder ... it can jolt someone out of their chair all the way across the room.  It works perfectly with the newest Powerhouse controller.  While X10 may not be the most sophisticated and latest technology it is certainly one of, if not the, lowest price.  For the price it does what is expected and does it well.
4844640
I own both this book and the original "The Art of Defense in Chess". I found Soltis' assessment that the actual practice of defense in chess has shifted in the interim to be accurate; it's clearly evident from comparing the games of, say, Petrosian in the 1960's, to the games of Anand in the 2000's.  The original edition was published in 1986.

You'd expect the new edition to draw heavily on new material and leave behind the old games of the 1st edition behind (after using a few as a baseline). After all, there wouldn't be a need for a new edition unless things had changed in the way the game is played, as the title implies.

But most of the chapters in the book (Chapter 7, Risk, is the main exception) have _more old games_ (pre-1990) than _new_.  If this is an exposition on the "New Defence", why are the illustrations of "new defence" ideas being made with games from 1903?  It's not clear that this is a step forward from Soltis' original in terms of the actual theory of defence.

I enjoyed the book and found it useful. It's well-organized and the ideas are easily understood and retained. But I'm not left with the impression it's worth replacing the original book.

A note on publishing chess in e-book format: I found the Kindle edition miserably difficult to read, because the typesetting uses figurine notation, and the characters are outline-only, not solid. Fortunately, no other chess book I've bought in e-book format does this (and for good reason). This transparent appearance (and their size) makes them _very_ difficult to interpret, unless you're willing to hold your tablet less than 12" from your face, or use a font size that's so big there can't be more than 10 words on a line (which I find too disruptive for rapid reading).

In addition, the diagrams are not crisp at all, they're fuzzy, as if they'd been scanned from a printed page. You might think it's a defect with Kindle, but my edition of Fundamental Chess Openings, published by Gambit Press, has diagrams that look like they're in HD by comparison.

So, the book is good, but not a necessary replacement for the original, and _don't buy the Kindle edition_ unless you have 20/15 eyesight and want it tested.
4633595
Much better than the old version. This is a BIG one, and FINALLY the top doesn't come fall so easily.

It's not perfect, the lid has room for improvement:
If I overfill it the lid 'leaks' through a hole, which seems intentional over the handle.

Pouring is MUCH better than before.
2432417
Classic in your type. Content and format of the excellent book in this new version.
1091773
This is an incredibly luxurious and grand edition of my favorite book, J.R.R. Tolkien's magnum opus.  It is interesting to compare it to my other leather-clad single-volume edition, given to me as a gift in 1977.  The cover is greenish-brown suede, as opposed to the bonded red leather cover of the '77.  The garish polychrome 70s graphics have been replaced with a dignified rendering of one of JRRT's own drawings of Minas Tirith, and the edges are gilded instead of plain, a glaring oversight in the '77.  The maps are the same; the case bindings are the same as the book.  The typography is different, though, with the lurid red print of the chapter headings being made uniform with the text.  The introduction assures us that typographical errors have all been repaired, and we shall not run into "dwarfish" when JRRT wrote "dwarven".  The index is improved, more complete.  All in all, a great improvement and, despite the price, a must-have for the Tolkin aficianado.  Highly recommended.
37384
Hans and Greta is an interesting mix of new and old. In the same vain as Sherk you'll now find these classic Grim characters making tongue in cheek comments about avoiding carbs, building inspectors, and a few other modern things. But this is about more than just updating the classic tale with some modern references. Hans and Greta is a full fledged reimagination of the classic. Now the two leads aren't brother and sister (thank goodness, cause that would be really weird with this story), the house isn't made of ginger bread,  and witches? We don't need no stinken' witches. Zombies make much better villains! ;) More than that I won't say, as I don't want to spoil anything. But, trust me, this ain't your grandmother's Hansel and Grettel. It's far more interesting and fun.

Have a good day, and God bless.
Retro.
4201110
If you want a good version of this classic as a handy reference, for a class, RPGs, creative writing, or just for personal curiosity, then this is volume will serve you well.
4599906
I enjoyed this updated version. The quips are fun and clever. The characters show how to look at life from a different point of view.
4576352
I read the original version of this book when it first came out. I prefer this version. It seems more complete, more whole.
146947
The updated version is as good - no, better! - than the original. Given as a gift to a friend who was recently 'downsized' and he thoroughly enjoyed the message. New perspective always helps!
1794636
Bernadette Watts retells the classic Aesop fable, in which a mouse offends a young lion (in this version a cub).  The lion extends mercy to the mouse, who promises to repay the favor someday.  The lion laughs at the thought that someone so small could make a difference for himself, but many years later he is caught in a trap and the mouse is able to free him.

Watts' interpretation is illustrated with gentle colors and a serene mood, even though the characters' lives hang in the balance.  The traditional moral, "Don't underestimate what even the smallest person can do" is incorporated into the lion's promise to never again laugh at someone weaker than himself.  He also promises to protect the mouse, an offer not included in Aesop's pithy original.

All in all, this story isn't bad, but if you're going to take liberties with a classic plot, you ought to do it boldly.  Watts' illustrations are pleasant, but a little old-fashioned, and the tale just isn't as exciting as it had the potential to be.  Still, if you're trying to teach the fable to an audience which needs a visual anchor, and you can't find a copy of Jerry Pinkney's resplendent wordless version&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Lion-the-Mouse/dp/0316013560/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Lion & the Mouse</a>, or you just don't like to read wordless books aloud, this one might  do the trick.

A modern twist on the old plot is available in&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Amos-Boris/dp/031253566X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Amos & Boris</a>, William Steig's tale of friendship between a mouse and a whale.
1520232
There have been substantial changes to this edition that brings it up to date with better illustrations. I now prefer this in the field to Sibley.

 Now if only there was a version small enough to stuff in my back pocket!
1393894
This is the updated version of an old classic that I've read several times.  I got this edition to get the new information on gross output, which Skousen tracks and has been requesting for years.  This is a great introduction to capital-based economics of the Austrian school to be read before tackling the more difficult original texts of Bohm-Bawerk and Hayek.  Well worth the price simply to see the real-world applicability of these concepts.  And I do apply them in the real world.
3000277
King of New York is a solid update to the original.  It keeps the game simple enough (in my opinion) to help it remain a fine gateway/in-between game, but introduces enough fun new elements that I would suggest buying this instead of the original (King of Tokyo).  If you already have King of Tokyo, I wouldn't go so far as to say you still need to pick this up, but I also wouldn't dissuade you from doing so.  It's a very fun press-your-luck dice game with a funny theme and lots of enjoyable ancillary elements.

It takes the original mechanics from King of Tokyo, and adds in a few fun new features.  At the base of the game, the dice have been changed from 3 icons and 3 numbers to 6 distinct icons: attack, energy, heal, celebrity, destruction, and 'ouch!'.  The first three have carried over, and are pretty self explanatory (damage other monsters, earn energy currency, and heal yourself).  The others are a bit more interesting.  Celebrity rolls take the place of the entire numbers system from the prior game.  Now, you need to roll 3 Celebrity on your turn to take control of the Superstar card (a global card that is stolen back and forth throughout the game).  You get 1 point for stealing the card, and 1 point per Superstar dice beyond 3 that turn.  If you have the card at the start of your turn, each Superstar dice saved on your turn will give you 1 point.  This turns the 'roll for points' mechanic into a situation where you may be forced to try to steal the card away from a player who has gotten close to a point victory.

The Destruction dice side is used with another new system in the game - Building/Unit tokens.  The game board is broken up into a set of 4 outer 'boroughs' and the inner 'borough' - Manhattan (the Tokyo of this game).  Each borough has a set of building tokens which can be destroyed for one-time benefits of healing, victory points, or energy.  You just roll enough Destruction, and you then flip over all of the building tokens you wish to destroy and take their benefits. By flipping over a building token, you reveal an army Unit token.  Visible Unit tokens are a major risk/reward.  Whereas Building tokens are benign, the Unit tokens can cause you damage if you or other monsters roll enough of the 'Ouch!' dice side.  If you roll 1 'ouch!', all military unit tokens in your borough attack you for one damage each.  If you roll 2, all units in your borough attack ALL monsters in your borough.  If 3 are rolled, ALL showing military units on the board attach any monsters in their respective boroughs.  Additionally, that player takes and holds a card that gives them 3 victory points until someone else rolls 3 'ouch!' and steals the card away.

In addition to the dice changes, the 'sitting in Tokyo' mechanic has been slightly altered.  Now, instead of a simple gain of a point or 2 for remaining in Tokyo for a full turn, you have a three step escalation of rewards.  By remaining in Manhattan for a full turn, you get 1 victory and 1 energy.  Stay another full turn, and you'll get 2 v and 1 e.  Stay another full turn and you'll now constantly earn 2 v and 2 e per turn you continue to remain there.  Again, another good enhancement to the risk/reward gameplay.

As already stated, it's a game I'd highly recommend in general.  If you're choosing between the King of Tokyo and King of New York, I would only ever choose Tokyo if you needed to keep things EXTRA simple.  And in that case, I would question if you'd even like Tokyo...
1031107
I played many games of the original Merchants of Venus and it is always a favorite of mine when we have four or five people with a few hours to spend gaming.  The new map and pieces update the game nicely.  There are two rule sets that come with the new edition.  An updated rules set that adds coplexity to the game and the classic rues.  I prefer the old rules.  I do not think that is just nastolgia since my son, who never played the original, prefers the classic rules as well.  But they are both available, so it gives you additional options of play.  Expect the game to take a bit longer to play than the box says, but also expect to enjoy it.
732383
This is an excellent presentation of a classic work.

This version contains a solid preface, followed by the Marriott translation of the work itself and then a couple of essay appendices to provide further reflections and context. I have not read any of the other translations, but was pleased to find that even though this one was from over a century ago, it still reads quite well.

However, aside form the content itself being sound, what really struck me about this book was the presentation.
The hardcover binding is in a royal purple fabric with a sheen that gives the appearance of silk. This is pressed with textured lettering and silver detailing. The artwork consists largely of beautiful photos of relevant artworks which are scattered very liberally amongst the core content of the book. The pages are solid with every single one containing some colour, even if it is just for a fine border or faux watermark detailing. The typeset also appears to be Garamond which makes for clean presentation and easy reading.
As superficial as all of this is, it seems the people that pulled this book together wanted the presentation to frame the content well - and have succeeded.
3289171
A modernized and reinterpreted, but very successful, update to an old classic. The instrumentation is somewhat discordant at times, but artistically it has to be to set off the lush vocals. You don't have to know of Mary Fahl's prodigious singing talent to appreciate the artistry of these vocals, but if it makes you search for more, rewards await you! The other reviewers' lament for her under-appreciated talent is right on. On this album for example, give a listen to Us And Them. And then keep on listening...