The Complete Games Trainers Play, Volume II (ISBN 0070466076)

Not Impressed:
Although there is a lot of information packed into this book, I was very unimpressed with the layout and visual design. It looks like it was typed up in 1970. The graphics are ancient and the layout is just one big binder with no cross-referencing or indexing available. To find a useful game, you have to sift through hundreds of pages. It really is a shame, as there are some clever games here to loosen up an audience. Frankly for this price, I expected something a bit flashier and filled with reproducibles that I would want to copy and hand out. The way it looks now, and with it's unwieldy format, it's going to sit on my shelf. If I hadn't spilled water on it, I would have sent it back for a refund.

Lots of games here:
People love playing games a lot more than listening to lectures; this is indisputable. I didn't like all of the games listed here, but so what. Several I found helpful and intend to use.

Helpful resource that could be improved:
The best thing about The Complete Games Trainers Play is its sheer size. Actually, it isn't nearly as big as some reviews imply. It is really around 1000 pages, not 2000+. And for some reason, a significant percentage of those pages are left blank. But even with that caveat, this is still a sizable resource. If you are willing to devote 30+ minutes to finding an activity, you are sure to find one (or five) that are ideal for your training event. The fact that individual "games" can be removed from the ring binder is also helpful. This allows you to use the activities without carrying the whole book around, and to easily photocopy sheets for individual participants as some activities require. However, there are some significant downsides. There is no real way to find appropriate activities without flipping through virtually the entire book. A large number of the activities aren't very good. And, most of the book is in a strange "typewriter" typeface that makes it look like it came from 1972. (Oddly, there are some pages which are randomly sprinkled through the book that use a different, more recent-looking typeface.) To really upgrade its usefulness, Games . . . would benefit from taking a leap into the computer age. In other words, along with the printed book, a computer CD should be included. This could feature a good, searchable index, which is now lacking. It would also make it possible to print out games, and modify handouts on the computer to your organization's needs. I've never bought any other resources like this, so I can't say if this is better or worse than others. I can say that in spite of the steep price and the drawbacks, I'm definitely glad I purchased it. It was very useful to me, and will be again in the future. However, there are a few simple steps the authors and publishers could take to greatly improve it.

Trainers Dream:
This is a great tool of Trainers. Keeping your trainees engaged throughout the training is always a challenge. This tool give creative ways to assess retention of information. The games are great and the administrative forms and suggestions are wonderful.

Fun, Fun, Fun:
Since I work with a wide variety of ages, upper elementary through adult, I found this book to be a valuable resource. A lot of the activities are geared more toward the adult side, but I have very successfully adapted several of the activities to the younger aduience. The section at the beginning of the book with the How-To's for facilitators presents some excellent advice. The activities are categorized very nicely, and the lay-out of the activities themselves is very similar to an educator's lesson plan, which I also think is a big plus.