This is a lovely coffee table book. Not to be read, but just flicked thru. I don't think you would actually play the games using the book as intended, rather just to flick thru and enjoy the quality of the research and presentation by the author (Robert Charles Bell) who would seem an academic expert on traditional board games (in addition to being a plastic surgeon!). Any board gamer who sees this in a second-hand store should immediately grab (as I did). (Legacy review that is still relevant).