There are lots of really bad books about Minecraft out there that I think are a waste of money, so I’m glad to bring you a review of a book that is much much better than the ones I’ve seen before.

Minecraft for Dummies, Portable Edition written by Jacob Cordeiro is much thinner than the usual Dummies books you see (that, I assume, is what the “portable edition” part is about) and that makes it just the right size for anyone who wants to have enough information to dive into the game without reading 500 pages of waffle.

The book’s main sections take you through getting hold of the game, surviving your first night and thriving in the longer term, and taking on the game’s bosses, the Wither and the Enderdragon. There are also ideas for what to do after that, as well as introductions to multiplayer games and other game modes.

The author’s writing style is clear and the many full-colour screen shots are well-reproduced. In a lot of ways the book is very similar to what I try to do on this website, presenting a lot of useful information for beginning and intermediate players without getting too technical. However, the book will give you longer, more complete descriptions in a number of places where I focus more on giving just the information you really need to know. There is definitely room for both in your life!

There is one weakness that all books share, however, that can’t be got around: once they are published, their contents are fixed, whereas Minecraft is frequently updated! This means that Jacob’s excellent explanation of enchanting in Chapter 6 is already out of date, as the experience system has changed and it doesn’t mention Lapis Lazuli. The way around this is for the publishers to provide a companion website, and so they have, although updates for the changes in Minecraft 1.8 are not there (yet!).

However, most of the game does not change all that often, so the information in this book is mostly correct and will be so for a long time. If you would prefer a book to my website (how dare you!) or you are looking to buy a book for somebody who is new to Minecraft, Minecraft for Dummies, Portable Edition is the best one I have seen so far and I heartily recommend it.

Minecraft For Dummies, Portable Edition
by Jacob Cordeiro
Wiley, 160pp