Customer Reviews

The Great Mahjong Book: History, Lore, and Play

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Written by globe-trotting mahjong enthusiast Jelte Rep, The Great Mahjong Book: History, Lore, and Play is a thorough guide to the history and play of mahjong world wide - illustrated throughout in full color, which is particularly helpful when it displays sample mahjong tile groups. The straightforward text covers both basic and advanced mahjong rules for gamers of all skill and experience levels, and an index allows for quick and easy reference. Anyone seeking to learn mahjong, improve their skills, or especially, play the game while visiting another nation, is enthusiastically recommended to immediately add a copy of The Great Mahjong Book to their personal library.

Jelte Rep's Great Mahjong Book, originally published in Dutch, is an interesting tour of mahjong around the world. It starts from the history of the game - not thousands years like many sources like to claim, but actually more like 150 years.

Then he takes a look at how the game is played in the US, Japan, China, other Asian countries and several European countries. The local variations are described, not always in great detail, but detailed enough so you can try them out if you wish. If you want to learn a particular style well, get a book or a web site focused on that variant, but for a general overview, Rep's book is excellent.

Add to that a sleek, stylish layout and plenty of good pictures, and you get a rather fine book on a rather fine game. This book will serve both newbies and enthusiasts.

I like this book and have given it as a gift to mahjong enthusiasts who have also liked and enjoyed it. Its a good explanation to just about everyone of the different rules and the different meanings of the tiles. No one I know thats seen this book hasnt learned something! This comes from a white woman married to a Chinese man and has friends of every Asian background!

I purchased this book for my library on Mah Jongg as I am just learning to play the game. Very good detailed information on the Chinese and American variations of the game are presented, along with some strategies for playing the game and info about some of the Spoecial Hands to form while playing. 5 *****'s on the book and POSITIVE FEEDBACK to the seller for fast shipment and a Great book.

Great Mahjong Book. History, quirks and variants of the game with clear explanations of the many variants of the game. I use as a reference even after reading it through. I play Mahjong every Saturday with the Portland(Oregon) Mahjong Society. The book was recommended by others in our group.

I thought the book would have instructions for playing mahjong, but it doesn't, it is more of a history of mj and a description of various types of mj played around the world. Interesting book, but don't look to it for playing instruction

The author's love for the game shows in this book; the historical information is interesting and the illustrations fun. I am new to the game, and was immediately drawn into its unusual world.