The Book Of Games

This lavishly illustrated 736-page reference provides a lifetime of entertainment! It contains complete rules, playing tips, and instructive move-by-move examples of 65 fun and diverse games. They range from Senat, a pastime enjoyed by King Tut, to Hex, invented by a 20th-century mathematician; from strategy games like Siege of Paris to dice games like Chuck-a-Luck to chase games like Pachisi; from Asian Shogi to African Wari; and from traditional Chess and Go to modern creations like Mastermind and Othello. Colorful illustrations show old-time and modern players, game boards, and equipment alongside fascinating anecdotes and curious facts about games throughout history. For every player, this one’s a sure winner!

Mathematics was only one area of interest for Gerolamo Cardano ― the sixteenth-century astrologer, philosopher, and physician was also a prolific author and inveterate gambler. Gambling led Cardano to the study of probability, and he was the first writer to recognize that random events are governed by mathematical laws. Published posthumously in 1663, Cardano's Liber de ludo aleae (Book on Games of Chance) is often considered the major starting point of the study of mathematical probability. The Italian scholar formulated some of the field's basic ideas more than a century before the better-known correspondence of Pascal and Fermat. Although his book had no direct influence on other early thinkers about probability, it remains an important antecedent to later expressions of the science's tenets.

The third volume in this acclaimed series features more than 100 of the newest games from a variety of platforms. A complete compendium of video game synopses as well as a feast for the eyes with literally thousands of vivid, high-resolution screen shots, this comprehensive visual tour through the world of PC and video gaming is sorted by genre, with each game review containing information of interest to players, parents, and industry professionals. A two-page spread includes detailed game summaries, analysis, and strategies; nine in-game screen shots; lists of games with similar skill and strategy requirements; appropriate age range; notes Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) content ratings; and complete technological specifications to supplement each game's profile. A game developers' Hall of Fame and a thorough run-down of the world's best gamers, clans, and guilds are coupled with fascinating stories about the politics of video gaming, the latest research on gaming's effects, and the world of Flash and Java games. Useful reference tools such as an illustrated glossary, an overview of game publishers, and information on current hardware platforms—such as Sony's new PlayStation 3, Nintendo's Wii, and handheld systems, including the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP—are also provided.