Amazon.com (ISBN 0932592945, Spiral-bound)

Asked to name the best board games of all time, what would you say? Chances are your final list would be strikingly similar to the table of contents from The Book of Classic Board Games, which includes checkers, go, mancala, backgammon, nine men's morris, and 10 others.

The spiral-bound book is designed to lay flat when opened, instantly becoming a portable playing area. Each two-page spread features a game board on one side with the directions on the facing page, allowing you to play without having to fish around for a rule book (game pieces and dice are also included). There's also a brief history provided for many of the games. Best of all, the entire package is about a third the size of a single board-game box, allowing you to take this cornucopia of contests anywhere you'd like. --Matthew Baldwin