Gladstone's Games to Go: Verbal Volleys, Coin Contests, Dot Duels, and Other Games for Boredom-Free Days (Paperback)

by Jim Gladstone (Author) "To memorize a string of alphabetically ordered words that gets longer each time a player takes a turn..." (more)
Key Phrases: play alternates, sample game, secret word, Golden Rule, Launch Word, Target Word (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
No cards, no dice, no spinners -- no board! Join the fun as you learn to play more than 50 of the best word games, puzzle games, coin games, and more. Gladstone's Games to Go can be enjoyed with just a pencil, paper, and some commonly found objects (coins usually do the trick). Old classics like Battleship and Connect Four have been updated for more challenging play, while newer games like Doublet Racing and Initialist will test the skills of even the most experienced gamers. Whether you're on a transcontinental plane ride, waiting for a movie to start, lounging on a beach, or sitting with friends in the coffeehouse, you're guaranteed to find the cure for boredom in these pages. Start playing today!

About the Author
Jim Gladstone is the author of the award-winning novel The Big Book of Misunderstanding. His writing has also appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Billboard, and The Chicago Tribune. He lives in Philadelphia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Quirk Books (May 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931686963
• ISBN-13: 978-1931686969
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 4.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #825,748 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No boredom--and your brain will thank you!, May 13, 2004

By	M. Borum "michael13218" (Arlington, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In this day and age of constant visual and aural stimulation--marketing and advertising messages, music of all sorts, cellphones, PDAs, you name it--it's SO refreshing to see that not everyone has given up hope. Jim Gladstone is obviously someone who values the grey cells, and puts his talent as a writer where his quirky interests are. Not only is this book FULL of original and updated games that often require nothing more than what many of us had on-hand in first grade: a pencil, some paper, a little extra time and a sense of playfulness (okay, and maybe a little competitiveness, too), it's also beautifully designed, durable and very portable. Buy this book and keep it in your backpack, briefcase--whatever you drag your stuff around in. Next time you're stuck on a plane, bus or even your own car and your sick of listening to the garbage on the radio or watching the fluff on TV, pull out Gladstone's Games to Go and give your brain a much-needed workout. For parents who've had enough of GameBoys and giant headphones that keep your kids as alienated from you in the car or on a plane as they are at home, Gladstone offers some fun ways to interact that won't cramp the style of even the most jaded teen or tween. And for the rest of us who just like a good, challenging game now and then (and hate it when dinner party conversation starts to wane), you're CRAZY not to have this book at arm's reach.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly Smart, May 12, 2004

By	Jim Tyler (Menlo Park, CA) - See all my reviews

I decided to check out this book after reading an interview with the author at UsedWigs.com. I thought it sounded like fun for 10 bucks. Turns out that while some of the games are easy standards that I already new (Password, Ghost), the most interesting stuff here is brand new and really involving. The last board game I bought was Scattergories, which cost like $30...well, this tells you how to play that one without buying any special equipment (its obvious, but I never thought of it), so you end up getting dozens of games for less than what a single one costs when you buy the boxed version. Good deal. Smart stuff.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great games. An instruction book that is also fun to read., December 2, 2005

By	M. Lowe (So. Utah) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book after listening to a segment on NPR's Weekend Edition with Scott Simon. After listening to Jim Gladstone and Scott Simon play some of the verbal games over the air, I was interested. I wrote the name of the book, purchased from Amazon.com, and have now played nearly all of the games in the past 3 or 4 years.

I have three children under the age of 4 and they are intrigued by the games, but they are much much too young for any of the games listed, but someday... someday.

I'm also the coordinator for the gifted and talented education program at my elementary school. These games are EXCELLENT for gifted students. Some of their parents report that my GATE students would rather play Sprouts or some of the games from this book than watch tv or play video games. Victory!

I look forward to nights, after my three girls are asleep for the night, when my wife and I can sit in the living room and playing "free" versions of Boggle or Scatergories. I love this book.

Buy it. For $10, you can't go wrong. (And it also makes a pretty good Christmas gift.)