Product Description

The Great Mahjong Book is a perfect resource for the beginning or experienced mahjong player. This comprehensive book covers the entire history of mahjong as it spread around the globe, on the equipment and accessories used in the game, the basic rules, how and where the game first developed and all the international variants of mahjong—including China, the U.S., Holland, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Hong Kong. Filled with hints, fun facts and numerous illustrations of memorabilia and artifacts, this authoritative and thoroughly enjoyable book is a perfect gift for anyone interested in this ancient and beguiling game.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #78896 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780804837194
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review

From the Inside Flap

About the Author
Author Jelte Rep is a passionate proponent of the Game of the Thousand Miracles, researching its history, equipment, playing variants and cultural artifacts. In addition to teaching mahjong and organizing mahjong tournaments, Rep spends his time filming documentaries and writing dramas for television.

Customer Reviews

Enthusiastically recommended
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.

A great mahjong book, indeed
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.

Mahjong explained..
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!