Minecraft for Dummies

As much as my son’s obsession with Minecraft drives me insane at times, I am trying to take an interest as it is something that is important to him.  When he talks about it, rather than glazing over and thinking about what to cook for tea, I try to chat to him about it and find out what he has been up to.  This can be rather challenging.  As I said in my post a few weeks ago, it is a bit like he is speaking a whole new language. Luckily, someone  was listening and I have been sent a copy of Minecraft for Dummies which couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

I have a couple of the ‘for Dummies’ range on my bookshelves already and they are perfect books to give you an overview on a topic, whether you want to read them from cover to cover or just dip in and out.  There are more than 1600 of these amazing reference books, all easily recognisable by their predominantly yellow and black covers.

Minecraft for Dummies is a great book for both fans of Minecraft and also people like me, who just want to know a little bit more about it and I have read parts of the book and asked my son to have a read too, to get both perspectives and I am pleased to report that it covers all of the angles. It has been written predominantly by a father and son; Jesse Stay and his 12-year-old son Thomas, so you know that this is a book that really does cover both perspectives of the game.

It starts off with the absolute basics and talks you through the process of registering an account and purchasing and installing the game, how to start playing with a table of the default controls and lots of screenshot images so that you can understand exactly which stage of the game you are in.  Each part of the book builds on the basics and gives the player a really detailed insight into every aspect of the game and you go from learning basic skills to mastering techniques and expanding your Minecraft experience.

The way the book is structured, it is really easy to find information on any particular topic and I have seen my son picking the book up to find out specific information and he said it was like having a Minecraft dictionary.  It is also written in a way that is easy to understand, in small manageable chunks which appeal to readers of any age.

Chapter 17 is entitled; Understanding What Every Parent Needs to Know about Minecraft which was my starting point in the book.  This chapter includes teaching with Minecraft, understanding how to keep kid safe while playing Minecraft, learning proper Minecraft etiquette and playing with children.  I found this really interesting to read as it taught me a lot of the basic information about the game and I was able to have a chat with my son about some of the elements of the game which he liked as he can talk about Minecraft forever.

It reassures you of how educational the game is and highlights all of the different skills that players are using and learning.  It also offers a few reminds about safety and how important it is to talk to your children about what they are doing on the game and even joining in as it can give you a reason to bond but also give you a greater understanding of the game too.

Whether you are a family of Minecraft players or like me; you are a parent of a Minecraft addict and you want to know a little more information, then this book is a worthwhile investment.  Our copy has been picked up a lot already and I know that it will be a good reference point for us all.

I was sent a copy of this book for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are my own.