Book picks similar to
Reggio Emilia 2007/2008 by Mihail Marin


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Old Too Soon, Smart Too Late: My Story


Oliver Holt - 2018
    unsparing, honest' GQ magazineKieron Dyer's memoir, Old Too Soon, Smart Too Late, is the first intimate and unsparing portrait of the failures and excesses of the generation of English footballers made rich beyond their wildest dreams by the post-1990 World Cup boom in the game and the explosion of the Premier League. It shares the same brutal honesty and self-awareness of the bestselling No Nonsense by Joey Barton and GoodFella by Craig Bellamy.In the public mind, Kieron Dyer came to symbolise so much of what was self-destructive about a group of football players known collectively as the 'Baby Bentley generation'. Nicknamed 'The King of Bling' by the tabloid press, Dyer was caught up in many of the scandals that characterised the history of a talented crop of players who promised so much and delivered so little, a generation whose wages and lavish lifestyles began to alienate them from the fans who once worshipped them.The brash young man is gone now, and in his place is the quiet, caring, wise man who was such a favourite on I'm a Celebrity, Get me Out of Here! in 2015. Dyer narrates, in uncompromising detail, how a generation of talented English footballers, taken out of working class childhoods and presented with a world of glitz, glamour, wealth and temptation, failed to cope with the riches that were presented to them and often fell apart.Old Too Soon, Smart Too Late is about a moment in time, a social and historical record of English football at the start of its gold rush. For Dyer, the end of the book brings a measure of personal redemption and peace but for the English game, there is only a lingering sense of waste and regret for an opportunity lost.

Lasker's Manual of Chess


Emanuel Lasker - 1925
    Certainly no man has ever held the world championship longer — 28 years — or kept his powers so long. In his sixties, Lasker began what amounted to a fresh career in chess by playing his first serious game in ten years, and defeating Max Euwe, the man who was the following year to become world champion. The secret behind his extraordinary abilities may perhaps be found in Lasker’s wide knowledge of every phase of the game, and his ability to be independent of schools or fashions.This knowledge is reflected in the Manual of Chess, making it one of the great studies of the game, acclaimed by the chess world almost from the day it appeared. The book is one of the most thorough studies ever written, and though its main appeal is to the intermediate to skilled player, it begins its explanations at a level that can be understood by the beginner. Lasker analyzes basic methods of gaining advantages, exchange value of pieces, combinations, position play, the aesthetics of chess, and almost every other important aspect of the game. He examines dozens of different openings, including the Petroff Defense, the Hungarian Defense, King’s Bishop, Ponziani, Giuoco Piano, and Four Knights’ Game. He constantly illustrates his discussions with games played by the great modern masters. Lasker is always delightful reading, revealing a mind as quick to entertain and philosophize as it is to explain.One of the most rewarding features of the book is Lasker’s illumination and elaboration of the theories of William Steinitz. An interesting sidelight is that although Lasker always thought of himself as a disciple of Steinitz, he was actually an original, more versatile player, inclined to take calculated risks. His exposition of Steinitz’s thought and maxims, his principles of attack and evaluation, however, cannot help but be profitable to any chess player.

Sellsword: The Amoral Hero


Logan Jacobs - 2019
     But it was also filled with brigands, monsters, and the unknown. Fortunately, I was around to protect people. For a price that is. And I only have three simple rules. My code, if you will: I’ll kill anything or anyone for a price. I get paid up front. I leave town right after I’ve performed my task… and enjoyed whatever townswomen offer themselves to me as a bonus. They call me a hero, but I’m just out here looking to get rich.

Time Master


Wyatt Kane - 2019
    Alien bug-monsters. Beautiful women. Not bad for a strip-club bouncer with a talent for slowing down time.I never thought my power was good for anything really important. It was useful for helping me win fistfights against drunken customers, and for ogling the girls onstage. But saving the multiverse against a plague of inter-dimensional monsters?That was a bit out of my league. Or so I believed. But then a massive time-rift opened up behind the club, and a mad old time wizard saved my life. Now, here I am, careening through time in an old hippie van, with two crazy-hot strippers and an AI at my side, trying to level up enough to defeat the monsters.Sure, there’s a damn good chance I’ll die trying, but it ought to be one hell of a ride.Note: This book contains harem elements.

How to Beat Your Dad at Chess


Murray Chandler - 1998
    Each mating motif is carefully and simply explained, and several illustrative examples are given. A final test enables the reader to grade his pattern recognition abilities, and the last chapter explains what to do if your Dad is Garry Kasparov. Fun, instructive - and guaranteed to improve your game.

Boom Box (Duck & Cover Adventures Books 1-3)


Benjamin Wallace - 2017
     Join the Librarian as he strives to make the post-apocalyptic world a better world. Protecting the weak, fighting injustice, squaring off against a group of former renaissance fair workers who have established a kingdom in the Rocky Mountains, etc… Can one man make a difference in the face of such murderous cannibals and super smart bears? Probably not. The Boom Box includes: Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors (Book 1) An army of savage raiders have their sights set on the town of New Hope and the people there need help. So, when two heroes offer their assistance, one is invited to stay and the other is sent back into the wasteland. Did they choose the right man for the job? Find out in Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors. Knights of the Apocalypse (Book 2) A price on their heads has driven the post-apocalyptic nomadic warrior, Erica and their loyal mastiff west in search of a new beginning. But when their truck breaks down in what was once southern Colorado they are swept into an epic quest at the behest of King Elias, ruler of the Kingdom of the Five Peaks. The adventure that began in Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors, continues here in Knights of the Apocalypse. Pursuit of the Apocalypse (Book 3) The bounty hunter Mr. Christopher has kidnapped Erica and The Librarian and his dog, Chewy are desperate to get her back. Be a part of the greatest chase the apocalypse has ever known in this exciting sequel to Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors and Knights of the Apocalypse. It’s the end of the world as you've never known it.

Wolf Blade: A Dark Fantasy Harem


Marco Frazetta - 2018
     But his people lost the war... Now, Rothan is a prisoner. He is forced to fight as a gladiator for the entertainment of his hated Imperial enemies. Five years of this humiliating captivity, and he has almost completed his sentence. Just three more days and he is free. However, here in this wretched Imperial City, he has come to love one thing: the desertland concubine, Bellabel. He must find a way to win her freedom, to take her with him to the North. She must be his. And so he enters into a bargain with the Ringmaster of the City, a bargain for her freedom, a bargain which will catapult him into a far more twisted fate than he ever imagined. This book contains harem elements.

100 Endgames You Must Know: Vital Lessons for Every Chess Player


Jesús de la Villa - 2008
    Jesus de la Villa, an international grandmaster and former champion of Spain, presents the endgames that show up most frequently in practice, are easy to learn and contain ideas and concepts that are useful in more difficult positions. He brings you simple rules, guiding ideas at the beginning of each chapter, detailed and lively explanations, many diagrams, clear summaries of the most important themes, recommended exercises that will help you understand the material, and tests, divided in two parts: basic and final. The main thing De la Villa asks of you is to always understand WHY you play a move.

Chess for Beginners: Know the Rules, Choose Your Strategy, and Start Winning


Yelizaveta Orlova - 2018
    Chess for Beginners offers new players a quick-start guide to learn the game of chess and start winning in no time with rules, strategies, and tactics for success. Starting with the basics, this comprehensive guide provides a clear, illustrated introduction to the movements of each piece along with basic rules and game dynamics. With this foundation, new players will learn effective strategies and tactics to start playing competitively and confidently.From your first move to your last, Chess for Beginners shows you how to play your best game, with: A complete overview that introduces players to the chessboard and the movement of each piece with clear, easy-to-follow illustrations and directions. 10 strategies that show players how to control the board, think several moves ahead, go for a quick checkmate, and more! 10 tactics that offer short-term solutions to support your strategy and achieve checkmate. Position your pieces, coordinate your attack, and capture their king—Chess for Beginners teaches you all of the moves to play the perfect game.

Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes: Fifty Tantalizing Problems of Chess Detection


Raymond M. Smullyan - 1994
    The progressively more difficult puzzles include a double murder.

The Demon Spirit (2 of 3)


R.A. Salvatore - 2009
    Yet if evil is on the retreat, why are hordes of goblins and bloody-capped powries slashing their way ever-deeper into civilized lands? A sinister threat now looms over Corona, for the power of the demon dactyl was not entirely vanquished by the sacrifice of the monk Avelyn Desbris. Instead, its darkness has infiltrated the most sacred of places--as a once-admired spiritual leader rededicates his life to the most vicious, most insidious revenge against the forces of good. There may be no stopping the spread of the malignant evil.

All the Wrong Moves: A Memoir about Chess, Love, and Ruining Everything


Sasha Chapin - 2019
    Like countless amateurs before him--Albert Einstein, Humphrey Bogart, Marcel Duchamp--the game has consumed his life and his mind. First captivated by it as a member of his high school chess club, his passion was rekindled during an accidental encounter with chess hustlers on the streets of Kathmandu. In its aftermath, he forgot how to care about anything else. He played at all hours, for weeks at a time. Like a spurned lover, he tried to move on, but he found the game more seductive the more he resisted it.And so, he thought, if he can't defeat his obsession, he had to succumb to it. All the Wrong Moves traces Chapin's rollicking two-year journey around the globe in search of glory. He travels to tournaments in Bangkok and Hyderabad. He seeks out a mentor in St. Louis, a grandmaster whose personality is half rabbi and half monk, and who offers cryptic wisdom and caustic insults ("you're the best player in your chair"). His story builds toward the Los Angeles Open, where Chapin is clearly outmatched and yet no less determined not to lose.Along the way, he chronicles the highs and lows of his fixation, driven on this quest by lust, terror, and the elusive possibility of victory. Stylish, inventive, and laugh-out-loud funny, All the Wrong Moves is more than a work of history or autobiography. It's a celebration of the purity, violence, and beauty of the game.

The Ship


Jack L. Knapp - 2015
    But what if there was a better way? A true electronic space drive, reliable, safe, and cheap to operate? But the drive system is only part of the problem; it takes money, management, and engineering to build a working spaceship. Lots of it. And even if you DO manage to build a working spaceship, what will you do with it? How can you recoup the initial investment and finance more ships? Threatened industries will try to shut the company down. Governments will try to take it over. How is a small, threatened company, barely a step from bankruptcy, to succeed despite such terrible odds? Eccentric genius Morton Sneyd and his grandson Chuck invent an interplanetary space drive, based on an idea from a long-lost Nikola Tesla notebook. From a new industrial revolution to the brink of global war, restless humanity presses onward, eventually to the first contact with an alien species. There will be changes...

The Braintrust: A Harmony of Enemies


Marc Stiegler - 2017
    With its growing fleet of cruise liners anchored far off the coast of San Francisco, it has become the source of many of Earth's innovations. Innovations that threaten the dogmas of every power bloc in the world. As the BrainTrust's uneasy peace with the Reds, Greens and Blues unravels, the brilliant young researcher Dr. Dash arrives with plans to take the first step toward a cure for aging. Crisis follows on her heels: the man who most needs Dash's therapy is the American President for Life. His Chief Advisor will stop at nothing to grab the cure and the young scientist herself. Dash soon finds her fate inextricably bound with the fate of the BrainTrust itself. The BrainTrust has no Army, no Navy, no Air Force. Their ships have neither weapons nor armor. Yet a key question remains: can a society that has earned the name BrainTrust ever be truly defenseless? Now a 2017 Prometheus Award Nominee! If you like Heinlein's "Moon is a Harsh Mistress", or Vinge's "Peace War", or if you simply want to explore the consequences of a future based on today's radicalized versions of America, welcome to the BrainTrust.

Talon the Slayer


A.A. Warren - 2019
    But when he makes his final kill, he discovers it was all a lie... Soon he’ll be sold to a new owner, and his blood will forever be registered as a slave to intergalactic scans.A mysterious alien sorceress named Salena holds the key not only to his freedom, but to his past. Amnesia, a byproduct of a life-pod malfunction, has stolen Talon's memories. But Salena has access to dark energy magic, a starship, and a ragtag mercenary crew that might just be skilled enough to make Talon a free man.When an ancient warlord devastates the galaxy with a weapon of terrifying power, Salena’s mission takes Talon into the most dangerous battle he’s ever faced. It will take the secrets locked in Talon’s memories—as well as his trusty plasma axe—to stop the dark forces that threaten the galaxy…Space fantasy fans will love this action-packed series. Featuring epic space battles, alien magic, and a warrior hero with a plasma axe...