Diagram Group

I love taxonomies and music, so this has been a great reference and fun to look through for pleasure or more information on a musical instrument seen on a recording or on stage. this is based on the von Hornbostel-Sachs system so has a chapter each for chordophones (stringed instruments), membranophones ( drums, etc., aerophones (winds) and mechanical
or electrical. it's richly illustrated and methodically organized as well as comprehensive. additional chapters focus on regions, history, show more ensembles, and makers. show less

This is a really fun book that not only covers the Western Zodiac, but also the Chinese/Eastern zodiac, and discusses other various aspects such as the elements and how they connect to various zodiac signs. This isn't what I would call an end-all reference book, but for its size, it is absolutely jam-packed with information and one I would recommend to any novice astrology enthusiast.

I'm not as much into astrology as I used to be, but I still treasure it and have it as part of my library.

This is a book that time has passed by. There are seventeen pages of terse "rules" one should follow when creating a crossword. Included are such helpful tips as using a "one-time ribbon" on your typewriter to get the best results, and "the solution must be the correct answer for the clue." There are very few examples of cluing given. There's a short history and bibliography of reference books (heavily weighted towards UK puzzles, as this book was published there). But then the rest of the show more book -- some one-hundred-plus unnumbered pages -- are filled with blank puzzle grids of all designs. There's no indication that many publishers can't use odd-sized grids, although the constructor is encouraged to ask for a style sheet before submitting. There's a tiny paragraph that suggests using a theme in your puzzles -- by the early 1980s, that was becoming more of a requirement, and is now considered almost mandatory.

I paid a dollar for my copy, and I still feel that was way too much. Aspiring constructors should hunt down the now out-of-print Random House Puzzlemaker's Handbook or Crossword Puzzle Challenges For Dummies (good news: Patrick Berry has a revised e-book, now called Crossword Constructor's Handbook, available on his web site).

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LT Haiku:

Now out-of-date guide
on writing crossword puzzles;
better books exist. show less

I loved this Collins Gem Predicting book for its simple explanations on such a wide variety of predicting forms. While I did use it for entertainment purposes (cartomancy was my favourite one included in this book), I also found it to be a great reference for basic details when including such forms in my writings and using the tea/coffee reading symbols as a basis for some symbolism. Ultimately, the book was just so old that the binding came apart and pages were lost. I was quite show more disappointed to lose a valued reference book. show less