Book Description
Explore, Expand, Conquer!
• Complete coverage of all civilization advances
• Tips for building and controlling your armies
• Essential strategy for diplomacy, politics, and commerce
• How to use Great Leaders
• Tactics for understanding and developing the new Culture element
• Advice for immersive single-player gaming
• Detailed information on the game editor
Customer Reviews:
Great for novices and begginers!.......2004-06-14
This a great book that improves your skills. It is great for skimming through or evening reading cover to cover. Great addition for Civilization fans!
Good Information.......2003-01-24
Gives you a lot of information in tables and charts. Well orgainzed and easy to reference. Has some helpful hints and clues to make the game easier to learn. It is NOT going to help you WIN. You have to think and reason on your own to accomplish this on your own ability. Use the brain GOD gave you and say thanks. Great Game and Great Information Book.
Expanded Instruction Manual - Little Strategy.......2002-11-22
I bought this manual hoping to quickly get up to speed with the new game. I knew enough to play at the more basic levels but wanted tips on how to improve my playing level. What I found in this book was a nicely complete instruction manual, and very little in the way of strategies, tips, etc.
While I did read the book cover to cover and learned a few rules and features that I was unaware of beforehand, it did little to improve my level of play. This is a very complex game, and knowing a few basic tips/tricks can be immensely helpful. Most of the tricks I've learned came from extensive playing (it's easy to get [pulled] into this game) and message boards online - Yahoo groups, civfanatics, etc.
If you have money to burn and want a comprehensive instruction manual buy this book. If you are looking to improve your level of play, you won't find it here.
Knowlegeable Civ players must pass on this.......2002-11-15
This guide is only for those people who don't know the difference between a spearman and a warrior, or for those who get eliminated while playing the Chieftain level, which isn't an easy feat.
Otherwise, it does the job it's supposed to.
What the Manual Should Have Been.......2002-11-02
Once again Prima sets the standard for what a strategy guide should be. It's well-written, well-illustrated and well-organized, which are three things that are lacking in the hefty manual that is provided with the game. And unlike the manual, the Prima strategy guide endeavors to answer the cause-and-effect question of why something happens, instead of leaving the secrets of the game to a frustrating series of trial and error. If you read this book you'll still stay up half the night playing Civ III, but you'll be in a better mood when you finally do reach that ever-elusive stopping point and go to bed.
Book Description
BradyGames’ Civilization IV Official Strategy Guide includes:
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Features a complete listing of City Improvements, Military Units and Wonders of the World.
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Comprehensive coverage of the Research Tree, detailing each Scientific Advance.
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Achieve global domination through Cultural, Economic, Military or Scientific means.
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Strategies for building empires for both single player and multiplayer games!
Platform: PC
Genre: Strategy
This product is available for sale worldwide.
Customer Reviews:
Little more than a reprint of the game's online help.......2006-12-24
I expect a guide like this to pick up where the instruction manual leaves off. But this book spends 3/4 of its pages just reproducing what is already included with the book's online and printed help. The rest provides some very abstract ideas on strategy. It does not tell you what units or buildings to build or when to build them. Civ 4 is a great game, but you won't get much here. Stick to the game's manual and visit some of the fan sites for helpful hints.
A Dissenting Point of View.......2006-08-22
After reading all the pans of this book, I thought I would put in a dissenting point of view. I am completely new to the Civilization series and need all the help I can get. I think generally the book is doing a good job getting me up to speed. I do agree, though, that the drawbacks of the book are significant and make the book frustrating to use.
First, what works about the book:
* covers basic strategies
* reproduces tech tree and unit descriptions
* gives strategy and tactical advice for each unit and resource
* includes tips from the game testers
* doesn't assume reader is familiar with previous games in the series
* is good for people (like me) who don't want to read the Civilopedia online any more than they have to
What doesn't work about the book:
* text is too small! Much of the joy of reading the book is squandered by having to squint -- and I don't wear glasses.
* no index. Publishers that release books with no indexes might be trying to save money, but they really reduce the book's usability
* screenshots are so small (some are 1.5" x 1.25" -- what were they thinking?) and are in black and white, so they are mostly too frustrating to bother trying to understand. Whoever tried to save money by printing in 9 point text made the same decision with the screenshots.
* screenshots have no caption beneath them. What is the screenshot attempting to demonstrate? Text only sometimes can be counted on to refer to the screenshot. The combination of smallness, lack of color and no captions makes the screenshots mostly useless to this reader. Pretty quickly I learned that they add no value to the book.
Final assessment: I paid a grand total of $13 for the book and definitely am getting my money's worth. The thing is that, given the option, I would have gladly paid $20 for the above drawbacks to be rectified.
Basic.......2006-08-17
If you have ever played a civ game before, this guide is basic. It does lay out the tech's though and puts you on the fast track. It is a real quick read, with half of the book dedicated to the civilopedia.
Low on content and cheap to boot!.......2006-07-21
I'll agree with other reviewers that the content doesn't provide much supplemental information, but I confess a preference for hard copy documentation when I'm using software. It's the booklover in me, plus the fact that I like to look at the manual and the game I'm playing at the same time.
My complaint with this book is that it is cheaply produced and difficult to read. I've grown used to the 4-color Prima guides. They are excelently laid out and easy on the eye. The Civ IV guide, however, is B&W and the font size is 9 at best. Unless you have great vision, you'll find yorself wanting to use a magnifier. It's fascinating. The Prima Sims2 Nightlife manual has 224 pages, all 4-color, and is a pleasure to read. The Brady Civ IV manual has 188 B&W pages and is a complete pain to peruse. Both have list prices of $19.99. One guess which company is delivering the best value.
Please don't waste your money.......2006-05-06
This barely qualifies as a book, let alone a guide. This points out, vividly, one of the drawbacks of buying books online; I never would have bought this book in a store - I would have spent 30 seconds flipping through the book, shook my head in disgust, and gone on looking.
This book is such a rip off, amazon should do something about it -- like put a big red border around this pages w/a "everyone hates this book" warning -- or better yet, stop ripping off your customers & remove this from inventory.
Average customer rating:
- The absolute best Civ 2 book - BAR NONE!
- Great for the beginner to the intermediate.
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Sid Meier's Civilization II: The Official Strategy Guide (Secrets of the Games Series.)
Dave Ellis
Manufacturer: Prima Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Entertainment & Games
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ASIN: 0761501061
Release Date: 1996-03-06 |
Book Description
Imagine what the world would be like if you could personally sculpt history from the dawn of time. Would you build the Roman Empire? Construct the Great Wall of China? Discover a cure for cancer? However you choose to rewrite history, don?t make a single decision without consulting
Sid Meier?s Civilization II: The Official Strategy Guide.
From the founding of the first village to the dawning of the space age, Civilization II -- the long-awaited sequel to Sid Meier?s Civilization -- offers gamers the ultimate Civilization experience, and this guide includes everything you?ll need to shepherd humanity through 5000 years of evolution.Inside you?ll discover:
Exclusive tips on all the new technology, units, and Wonders of the World included in Civilization II
Expert information on mastering each level of the game, including the most difficult deity level
Proven philosophies on implementing political and social policies
Time-tested strategies to successfully manage military force and economic growth - and much more!Whether your goal is to conquer the world or colonize the stars,
Sid Meier?s Civilization II: The Official Strategy Guide is a companion no great leader should be without!
About the Author
David Ellis, a technical writer and designer for MicroProse, is the author of X-COM UFO Defense: The Official Strategy Guide and X-COM Terror from the Deep: The Official Strategy Guide (both from Prima).
Customer Reviews:
The absolute best Civ 2 book - BAR NONE!.......2000-10-26
This book is the absolute best Civ 2 book. Bar none. It is also the best Civ 2 reference book available. Do not even bother to buy other Civ 2 books; I have read them all and most are a waste of your money, esp. the worthless book by Jason Rich.
This book has excellent suggestions for beginners and intermediates, and is invaluable for experts as a reference. Many of the details of the game are simply not found anywhere in the game's original documentation, but are explained very well in this book. From this excellently formatted wealth of information, one can deduce many advanced strategies of the game.
There are a few minor errors which advanced players will eventually notice (eg, page 309 concerning subversion), but these are very subtle and probably won't be noticed by most beginners and intermediate players.
This book is easily worth the price. If you like Civ 2 (or wish to play and/or understand it better), this is the book for you. This is the first book you should buy after you get the Civ 2 game.
Great for the beginner to the intermediate........2000-04-05
Definately worthwhile. One of the best books for Civ II I have seen. Some really good info. Strategies for the intermediate player to the beginner. Not only a good strategy guide but a good referance as well.
Product Description
Instructio manual for Civilization II the ultimate version of the best-selling strategy game by MicroPose
Average customer rating:
- Excellent guide with real strategy
- A solid Intermediate-wanting-to-win-at-Diety-Level book...
- Sand Pirates pulls you in to the story and won't let you go.
- A good book, I would reccomend it.
|
Sid Meier's Civilization II Advanced Strategies (Secrets of the Games Series.)
Michael Rymaszewski
Manufacturer: Prima Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0761509178
Release Date: 1996-10-23 |
Book Description
Here's the next chapter.
Sid Meier's Civilization II Advanced Strategies will take your game to new heights. You don't have a prayer of winning at the Deity level without it!
Inside you'll find:
• Fresh strategies for every level, with an emphasis on King Emperor, and Deity play
• The path to the top—a separate section just on the next-to-impossible Deity level
• Tips for building super-cities from the ground up
• Primers on domestic policy, foreign affairs, and the art of war
• Useful advice on putting scientific advances into practice
• And much, much more!
About the Author
Michael Rymaszewski is the author of Command & Conquer: Unauthorized Secrets & Solutions, Command & Conquer: Red Alert—Unauthorized Secrets & Solutions, and Caesar II: The Official Strategy Guide (Prima).
Customer Reviews:
Excellent guide with real strategy.......2000-05-04
Unlike most so-called strategy guides, which are really rehashes of the game manual, Rymaszewski's book outlines a legitimate strategy which players of CivII can use to succeed at the game on its hardest settings (Emperor and Deity).
The author knows his book is different; he recommends that the most effective way to use it is to simply "read it, and then play the game again". In other words, _Advanced Strategies_ is not a step-by-step walkthrough, nor is it a comprehensive references source full of charts and tables. Instead, it is an outline of a new way of thinking about the game.
I recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with CivII. While Rymaszewski's advice cannot compete with the level of detail available on some CivII-related Web sites, his clear writing style and no-nonsense approach to the game make _Advanced Strategies_ well worth its list price.
A solid Intermediate-wanting-to-win-at-Diety-Level book..........2000-02-04
This is a fairly good book, but is rather thin for the price. It seems targeted to the Intermediate Civ2 player -- anyone who is looking to refing winning high-level play strategy will find it rather redundant.
However, if you are struggling at King or Emperor level, this book will help you. It's targeted to building a sound empire, then winning (albiet sloppily) at Emperor and Diety levels; however, it will not help with most of the more subtle play at those levels (e.g., getting your score from 3,000 to 15,000 by 1850 AD, etc.).
This book does discuss solid fundamentals, how to deal with unhappiness, how to start a strong empire, etc. It does not cover things such as the OCC (one city challenge), getting your top Diety score above 20,000, and the game's more subtle idiosyncracies (max advances, the food caravan 'trick', cheapest way to rush build, etc.).
The cutting edge strategies still reside on the Internet, or maybe you'll discover them during extended gameplay.
PS, If you still seek a challenge, take the OCC (though this book does not help). OCC game rules are simple: you are only allowed ONE--that's right--ONE city, no cheating, no takebacks (unless a hut gives you a city); game setup: Diety level, small world, 7 civs, raging hordes. Your single city against the world... Top players can LAND a spaceship by 1900 AD, and the best have done it before 1850... Questions? My email is civII@bigfoot.com
Sand Pirates pulls you in to the story and won't let you go........1999-06-28
Sand Pirates is not only a romance, it's a breezy mix of suspense, mystery and thrills beyond ones wildest dreams. It takes you far away to a land of fantasy. I was intrigued by the characters that were well developed and interesting. The story moves fast and keeps the blood pumping. The twist and turns of the plot and the island of Sava made me feel as if I were there.
by- Kim Sandford author of Secret Fears
A good book, I would reccomend it........1998-05-02
This is a great book for types on building your civilization from scratch. I learned many strategies from this book. It is not like other Civ2 books I've seen, that are pretty much a extension of the manual and the Civilopedia. The only thing lacking is the tip's for scenarios from Civ2 Conflicts in Civilization (to be bundled with Ultimate Civ2: Gold Edition.) It had two pages for tip's on some scenarios, and only a half on others. It also didn't rate any of the scenarios. Still, if you are yet to fully master Civ2, I would buy this book.
Average customer rating:
- The WORST Civ book EVER written
|
Civilization
Jason R. Rich
Manufacturer: Sybex Inc.,U.S.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Culture
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ASIN: 0782112935 |
Book Description
Here's a new edition of Sybex's popular book on one of the most popular simulation games on the market. Suitable for all players and covering both the DOS and Windows versions of the game, it contains a wealth of new strategies.
Customer Reviews:
The WORST Civ book EVER written.......2000-02-04
This book is CHOCK FULL of Inaccuracies! It wastes most of its pages repeating what is in the Civ II user's manual and the game's Civilopedia.
The book "Sid Meier's Civilization II Strategy Guide" is the one you'd really want.
This book does not give new strategy, and it's discussions of units, advances, etc. are quite disorganized and hard (for a logical mind) to follow.
I have personally read every single known Civ II book, and most of the hundreds of Internet guides and posts... so unless you'd just like to waste your money on some fire-starting paper (or make Mr. Rich RICHER ;-), don't bother with this book.
Product Description
Computer Simulation
Average customer rating:
|
Civilization II
Sid Meier
Manufacturer: Micropose Software, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000L41EWS |
Average customer rating:
|
Civilization II
Sid Meier
Manufacturer: Microprose Software, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VA43R0 |
Book Description
Far more than an intellectual puzzle for pundits, economists, and policymakers, economic growth--its makings and workings--is a subject that affects the well-being of billions of people around the globe. In The Mystery of Economic Growth, Elhanan Helpman discusses the vast research that has revolutionized understanding of this subject in recent years, and summarizes and explains its critical messages in clear, concise, and accessible terms.
The tale of growth economics, as Helpman tells it, is organized around a number of themes: the importance of the accumulation of physical and human capital; the effect of technological factors on the rate of this accumulation; the process of knowledge creation and its influence on productivity; the interdependence of the growth rates of different countries; and, finally, the role of economic and political institutions in encouraging accumulation, innovation, and change.
One of the leading researchers of economic growth, Helpman succinctly reviews, critiques, and integrates current research--on capital accumulation, education, productivity, trade, inequality, geography, and institutions--and clarifies its relevance for global economic inequities. In particular, he points to institutions--including property rights protection, legal systems, customs, and political systems--as the key to the mystery of economic growth. Solving this mystery could lead to policies capable of setting the poorest countries on the path toward sustained growth of per capita income and all that that implies--and Helpman's work is a welcome and necessary step in this direction.
Customer Reviews:
Still a mistery..........2006-07-06
Helpman, his name notwithstanding, doesn't help much in understanding "the mystery". Maybe the title is far too ambitious, maybe it's because of his often convoluted writing, maybe because the most important recent evolutions in growth theory seem not to have been thoroughly digested by the author, maybe because there's little about the politics of economic growth. In fact, the part on governance and institutions in particular is less than clear. The first chapters are better, though: clear and comprehensive. But that is not enough to make of this book a classic.
Detailed, useful overview of growth economics, but not for beginners.......2005-11-26
Helpman here offers a survey of many important aspects of economic growth theory. He gives some general background and then deals with accumulation, productivity, innovation, interdependence between countries, inequality, and institutions. Be warned, however, that although he claims that his book "provides a nontechnical description of growth economics," the word "nontechnical" here simply means non-mathematical. Much of the book is peppered with economics jargon, and although the glossary at the back is helpful, a reader without some advanced undergraduate or basic graduate background in macroeconomics will struggle.
Some chapters are definitely more approachable than others, and you generally don't need to have read an earlier chapter to understand a later one. The chapters on inequality and on institutions, for example, could be understood by most readers, whereas the chapter on innovation is much more challenging.
Having some advanced training in economics, I found the book a helpful refresher course on the latest research in many areas of growth economics. A better book for someone interested in a truly nontechnical (but definitely not dumbed-down) exploration of how growth theory has been applied to economic development policy is Easterly's The Elusive Quest for Growth. A non-technical (and slim) volume focusing on the empirical aspects of growth research is Barro's Determinants of Economic Growth.
Solow-growth model, nothing else.......2005-08-10
I was expecting - hoping - for something a little different. Helpman runs through the Solow growth model and does little else. I ended up putting it down. Nothing about competing theories, why economic growth models work some places and not in others, or anything beyond the mainstream model. If that's what you're looking for, that's great, but otherwise, take a look at The Elusive Quest for Growth by Bill Easterly, or The Mystery of Capital, by Hernando de Soto. Those offer a departure from the norm of development theory.
A fine survey of what is known and unknown in economics.......2005-04-06
What factors influence and drive economic growth? Numerous titles have studied the sources of economic growth, but mysteries remain, especially for novice readers without a solid background in economics. Enter The Mystery Of Economic Growth, presenting a fine survey of what is known and unknown in economics, and how to improve an understanding of global economic influences. Here the story of growth economics is organized around themes of technological and institutional influencers, total productivity, and interdependent growth rates of different countries.
A fair but unexciting summary.......2005-03-05
This book summarizes a good deal of economic thinking, so it will probably of value to someone. But I found the style sufficiently dull that I couldn't bring myself to absorb much of what it says.
The author seems to hold views that are very mainstream for an economist, and is mostly reporting consensus opinions rather than new insights.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from IMF Staff Papers, published by Thomson Gale on July 1, 2005. The length of the article is 2641 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Comments on "from 'Hindu growth' to productivity surge: the mystery of the Indian growth transition".
Author: T.N. Srinivasan
Publication:
IMF Staff Papers (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 52
Issue: 2
Page: 229(5)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
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Elhanan Helpman, The Mystery of Economic Growth.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
Manufacturer: Western Michigan University, School of Social Work
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B000ALUDZ6
Release Date: 2005-07-25 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, published by Western Michigan University, School of Social Work on June 1, 2005. The length of the article is 502 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Elhanan Helpman, The Mystery of Economic Growth.(Book Review)
Publication:
Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2005
Publisher: Western Michigan University, School of Social Work
Volume: 32
Issue: 2
Page: 185(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is a journal article from Journal of International Economics, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Description:
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Monthly Labor Review, published by Thomson Gale on April 1, 2005. The length of the article is 589 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: What causes growth?(The Mystery of Economic Growth)(Book Review)
Author: Michael Wald
Publication:
Monthly Labor Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 128
Issue: 4
Page: 50(1)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
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The Mystery of Economic and Growth
Elhanan Helpman
Manufacturer: Academic Foundation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 8171884849 |
Average customer rating:
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The Mystery of Japanese Growth
Ramesh Ponnuru
Manufacturer: American Enterprise Institute Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0844739391 |
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