After playing many of the F1 games available for the second generation consoles and the PC, F1-2004 for the PS2 is by far the best overall "experience" so far, and for one main reason - the "Career" mode.

While you have the normal options of Arcade, Simulation and TimeTrial modes (where you can make up whatever races and/or weekends you like), the Career mode is a whole different concept.

In career mode you have to make your way up through the ranks from test driver to a race seat, and then negotiate contracts, and of course do well in the races. Do well and the big teams will come knocking - do badly for long enough and even Minardi might fire you.

The cars of the various teams perform pretty much as you expect, but the makers of the game have kept them sufficiently close that you really can make the difference with a bad car once you get good at the game. The temptation to beat Schumacher around Spa in a lesser car is immense :)

The graphics are very good - fantastic tarmac, trackside scenery, shiny cars, clouds of brake dust and sand, and of course clumps of grass when you lose it. The sound is also very good - although not immediately outstanding. You hear a lot of ambient sounds around the track such as wind, and the PA system from the grandstands floating across the field...

Gameplay is probably the most important thing in a F1 game, and it doesn't disappoint here. The car setup can be changed right down to things like bump damping and wheel camber - and it all makes pretty obvious differences to the "feel".

While racing, the game (thankfully) isn't a total simulation - you can get away with a fair amount of wheel-banging before anything breaks or gets ripped off. In my opinion this is a good thing.

So there you have it - the best F1 game on the PS2, and probably one of the best games full stop.

This book takes the form of a series of "flash card" style lessons, where every couple of pages an idea is discussed, then a real world example of that idea is shown.

The problem with this approach is that you only ever get one diagram of the board to show the example - so unless you are great at reading algebraic notation, you're going to need a chess set to work through the example.

In my mind, they have tried to put too many examples in the book. Instead of 75 ideas, why not just go for "20 things you should do", and explain the examples much more thoroughly.

Having said that though, it's still a fine book and great to have in your bag to pick at if you're on the train...

This is quite an unusual book about chess - it concentrates on the human story, and not the games played. Although Fischer is the title character of the book, there is far more coverage of Spassky than I have seen before; portraying him as something of a victim of both Fischer and of the soviet chess machine.

The closing chapters are interesting in that they expose a number of investigations that went on during the match by the Russian authorities to discover how the US team was "getting at" Spassky - they were almost certain that he was being drugged in some way.

Like I said - it's an interesting book, but ultimately rather slow and tedious for long sections.

It's difficult to write an objective review of this book, because Karpov and Korchnoi never got on in real life, so a lot of time is wasted by Karpov trying to Korchnoi in a bad light (the simple reason behind this is that Karpov was very much the Communist central committee's "poster boy" throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, and being a dutiful comrade, he did as he was told... Korchnoi on the other hand was not, eventually defecting to the west).

So - the book. It's a pretty interesting account of the matches leading up to, and the world championship match between Karpov and Korchnoi. At times it's very difficult to read - probably due to the transation of Russian to English - but offers a very good fly on the wall to the inner machinations of a world title match.

The coverage of the games is very good, with lots of readable discussion and comment by Karpov and his coach Baturinski throughout.

All we need now is a book by Korchnoi on the same event to get the other side of the story...

Sorry, I had to say this book was interesting (anybody who knows who Steve Davis is will get it).

Anybody who plays chess at home or is just starting out playing at a club will enjoy this book immensely. It basically follows Steve as he is given some one-on-one coaching by Grandmaster David Norwood, and then on to his first visit to the local chess club, and a first visit to a tournament.

The whole attitude of the book is very relaxed, written in a conversational style between Davis and Norwood - it's even possible for beginners like myself to follow the illustrated chess games with the almost comedic comments by Davis littered throughout.

Anybody who has wondered "will a computer make me better at chess" will have their question answered too - as like most of us, Davis has bought no end of chess computers or software, and has no idea if they really do help.

If you find yourself looking for readable chess books (not just reams of technical looking move lists), this is a great choice.

This is one of those books that you will find yourself going back to again and again, either to do some of the exercises, or to read about strategy and tactical stuff.

It pays to get an up-to-date copy for the internet section, but other than that it's fantastic. Can't recommend it enough.

The fifth Harry Potter book is way too long for the story it tells. I very nearly gave up on the book about a third of the way in because it just wasn't going anywhere. The last third of the book started to get interesting (and hold my interest), but otherwise this was the first Harry Potter book that I really struggled to be bothered with.

I guess if I were to rate it against the others, book 3 is way out in front, followed by book 4, then book 2, then this one... (just in terms of a really great read).

I have owned all the Studio Liverpool F1 games on PS2 - and Formula One 2003 is by far the best so far.

The graphics and sound are awesome, and the gameplay is very good indeed.

There are a couple of things that do get on my nerves though...

1. The computer cars are following "rails". You only have to watch the cars crab around the tighter corners at Monaco to see this. Okay, they steer intelligently when you are fighting with them, but they are not using the same physics model as you.

2. It is virtually impossible to push computer drivers off the track - because of point 1, which is kind of unfair when they cut you up, and you spin but they magically use the force to stay put...

Other than the two points above, it's a fantastic game.... remember I said "game", not "simulator".

Fascinating and interesting account of the origins of the internet. You would probably need a pretty keen interest in the subject before you start reading it, but it always remains accessible and never delves too deeply into dry theory. It tells the human story of the internet - who was where, what they were working on, and the series of chance events that led to Arpanet and eventually to the Internet we know today.

Did you know that if NASA had not been created we might not have the internet now - and not because NASA had anything to do with it? You will after reading this...

This game reminds me of the first time I played F1GP on the PC. The first few goes were met with frustration, but after repeatedly walking away and coming back to it, you get better and better at it.

The graphics are top notch, and the physics of the bikes is great (not too realistic, but then not too easy either). You can either opt for "Arcade" mode, where you can't really fall off other than slamming into somebody, or "Simulation" mode where you can suddenly do high-sides, loose the front end, or do complete tank slappers.

The benefit of the simulation mode (other than the game punishing mistakes), is that you have the capability to go FASTER. If you can control it, you can slide both under braking and under power. In other words - you can make up for a slower bike through ability.

The AI of the computer bikes is great too - on Normal level, they really do put up a fight when you're in amongst the leaders, and it seems if you can break them with a few fast laps, they will give up the chase - just like in real life.

Legends mode adds the ability to race some of the famous champions of the past - Doohan, Rainey, Schwantz, etc... and they really do fight to stay with you.

In summary, it's a great game that is good to pick up and play. There is lasting interest through the season mode (kind of a career mode), and the full race weekends are great. It's worth pointing out that more of the game opens up when you play the season at normal level or above. It's worth doing it because you get to fight for pole on the grid :)

Jonathan
kafooey@yahoo.co.uk