Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson has always loved programming. Find out how he translated his childhood passion for writing code into a multi-million dollar career as the mind behind Minecraft!

Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and sentence highlighting to engage reluctant readers! Do you play computer games? If you do, you've probably played Minecraft. When Minecraft creator Markus Persson was young, he wasn't very interested in the games themselves. He was more interested in the programing instructions in the computer's manual. By the time Persson was eight years old, he was writing code for his own computer games. When he was eighteen, Persson landed his dream job as a video game programmer. In 2009, he designed Minecraft in a single weekend. In the game, players use blocks to build whatever they choose. Persson wanted to let players use their imaginations, and the idea paid off. Today, Minecraft is one of the most popular computer games in the world. Although Persson doubts he will ever top this success, he continues to develop games, while fans wait for what's next.

Super Mario Bros. Doom. Minecraft. It’s hard to imagine what life would be like today without video games, a creative industry that now towers over Hollywood in terms of both financial and cultural impact. The video game industry caters to everyone, with games in every genre for every conceivable electronic device--from dedicated PC gaming rigs and consoles to handhelds, mobile phones, and tablets. Successful games are produced by mega-corporations, independent studios, and even lone developers working with nothing but free tools. Some may still believe that video games are mere diversions for children, but today’s games offer sophisticated and wondrously immersive experiences that no other media can hope to match. Vintage Games 2.0 tells the story of the ultimate storytelling medium, from early examples such as Spacewar! and Pong to the mind blowing console and PC titles of today. Written in a smart and engaging style, this updated 2nd edition is far more than just a survey of the classics. Informed by hundreds of in-depth personal interviews with designers, publishers, marketers, and artists--not to mention the author’s own lifelong experience as a gamer--Vintage Games 2.0 uncovers the remarkable feats of intellectual genius, but also the inspiring personal struggles of the world’s most brilliant and celebrated game designers--figures like Shigeru Miyamoto, Will Wright, and Roberta Williams. Ideal for both beginners and professionals, Vintage Games 2.0 offers an entertaining and inspiring account of video game’s history and meteoric rise from niche market to global phenomenon. Credit for the cover belongs to Thor Thorvaldson.

Do you know all the different ways that video game fans can play Minecraft? Do you know where the inventor of Minecraft got the idea for the game? This book explores the history and culture surrounding the Minecraft games, books, toys, and more. You'll have more fun than a Minecraft player building a fortress as you learn strategies for playing the game and more fascinating facts.

For centuries, experts have argued that learning was about memorizing information: You're supposed to study facts, dates, and details; burn them into your memory; and then apply that knowledge at opportune times. But this approach to learning isn’t nearly enough for the world that we live in today, and in Learn Better journalist and education researcher Ulrich Boser demonstrates that how we learn can matter just as much as what we learn. In this brilliantly researched book, Boser maps out the new science of learning, showing how simple techniques like comprehension check-ins and making material personally relatable can help people gain expertise in dramatically better ways. He covers six key steps to help you “learn how to learn,” all illuminated with fascinating stories like how Jackson Pollock developed his unique painting style and why an ancient Japanese counting device allows kids to do math at superhuman speeds. Boser’s witty, engaging writing makes this book feel like a guilty pleasure, not homework. Learn Better will revolutionize the way students and society alike approach learning and makes the case that being smart is not an innate ability—learning is a skill everyone can master. With Boser as your guide, you will be able to fully capitalize on your brain’s remarkable ability to gain new skills and open up a whole new world of possibilities.

The incredible tale of a little game that shook the international gaming world--now with new material including a behind-the-scenes look at the sale to Microsoft. For this second edition, the story has been enriched with more Minecraft than ever--a new section describes Minecraft's sale to Microsoft, Notch's less than heartwarming last day in the office, and Mojang's final days of independence. His whole life, all Markus Persson wanted to do was create his own games. Create his own games and get rich. Then in 2009 a strange little project of his quickly grew into a worldwide phenomenon and, in just a few short years, turned its maker into an international icon. Minecraft: The Unlikely Tale of Markus "Notch" Persson and the Game that Changed Everything is a Cinderella story for the Internet age—improbable success, fast money, and the power of digital technology to shake up a rock-solid industry. It's a story about being lost and finding your way, of breaking the rules and swimming against the current. It's about how the indie gaming scene rattled the foundations of corporate empires. But, above all, this is the story of how a creative genius chased down a crazy dream: the evolution of a shy amateur programmer into a video game god.

The Minecraft universe is limitless. You can explore as far as you like, build neverending castles, and battle hordes of monsters. But once you have your base, farms, weapons, and armor, what’s next? When you're tired of the same old moves and you're hungry for new gameplay, The Unofficial Encyclopedia of Ultimate Challenges for Minecrafters will keep you busy with advanced maneuvers, thrilling new adventures, and extreme dares. You're not a true champion Minecrafter until you've . . . Collected every mob in your own zoo Played the game King of the Ladder Completed every in-game advancement Defeated the Ender Dragon in hardcore mode Survived Survival Island Bested Ultra Hardcore PVE/PVP competitions And more! With hundreds of screenshots for easy visual reference and definitions of every term that might trip a player up, this exciting book covers the A to Z of exploring the infinite possibilities of Minecraft gameplay.

Minecraft is one of the most popular video games of all time, but even avid Minecraft builders might not know the history, structure, and hidden advantages to playing their favorite game. One little-known fact about Minecraft is that it can be used to teach beginners how to code, all within the game's world. In this edifying resource, readers will get hooked on getting behind-the-scenes access to Minecraft, with tips from the experts as well as advice on how to create masterpieces with the game's building blocks.

Three years ago, 32-year-old Markus "Notch" Persson of Stockholm was an unknown and bored computer programmer. Today, he is a multi-millionaire international icon. Minecraft, the "virtual Lego" game Markus crafted in his free time, has become one of the most talked about activities since Tetris. Talked about by tens of millions of people, in fact. It is the story of unlikely success, fast money, and the power of digital technology to rattle an empire. And it is about creation, exclusion, and the feeling of not fitting in. Here Markus opens up for the first time about his life. About his old Lego-filled desk at school. About the first computer his father brought home one day. But also about growing up in a family marked by drug abuse and conflict. But above all it is the story of the fine line between seeming misfit and creative madman, and the birth of a tech visionary. Minecraft: The Unlikely Tale of Markus "Notch" Persson and the Game that Changed Everything is a Cinderella story for the Internet age.

SUPERCHARGE YOUR MINECRAFT REDSTONE SKILLS Enhance your Minecraft world by creating innovative devices and elements with Redstone. Minecraft Mastery: Build Your Own Redstone Contraptions and Mods reveals how to maximize the capabilities of this powerful, versatile red ore. Learn how to create logic gates, advanced mechanisms, and much more. You'll also find out how to host a Minecraft server, use the qCraft and Computer-Craft mods, and develop your own custom mods. Exponentially expand the dimensions of your world with help from this hands-on guide--the only limit is your imagination! Use basic Redstone items like levers, buttons, and lamps, and make an automated door Create Redstone logic gates, clocks, and T-flip-flops Build advanced contraptions--block swappers, concealed doors, a functional seven segment display, and more Use miscellaneous Redstone items such as rails, minecarts, liquids, hoppers, and command blocks Host a Minecraft server to open your world up to other players Edit Minecraft worlds offline using MCEdit Interact with Minecraft using Python on a Raspberry Pi Create quantum physics-based contraptions and special effects with qCraft Build ComputerCraft blocks and turtles and program them in Lua Set up a Minecraft modding development environment using Forge and Eclipse Make your own block-based mods and item mods All code and example worlds from the book are available for download.