The June 2001  issue of Computer Gaming World featured an enthusiastic and positive review of Game Design:  Theory & Practice, written by then editor in chief George Jones. Here's an excerpt: 

"At 584 pages, Game Design: Theory & Practice is a veritable tome. But both burgeoning game designers and devoted gamers should consider it an essential read. Not only does author Richard Rouse cover the building blocks of game design, the book also features a treasure trove of interviews with the industry's finest designers." 

• The July 2001 issue of Next Generation Magazine featured an amusing and favorable review of the book as well, written by Greg Orlando.  Here's one of the better bits:

"Game Designer/Writer/Programmer Rouse has crafted a weighty work, one that probably should be read by anyone who seeks insight into the creation and design of videogames... In both theory and practice, Rouse's Game Design bible gets the job done." 

• The August 2001 issue of the UK game development magazine Develop, ran an excerpt from Chapter 7:  The Elements of Gameplay.  Check them out on the web at www.developmag.com, though to read the excerpt you'll need to buy the magazine, available primarily in the UK. 

• The always informative Gamasutra.com web site published two exceprts from the Second Edition. One from Chapter 18 (Jordan Mechner Interview) and one from Chapter 19 (which discusses "The Design Document"). From the First Edition, they ran an excerpt from Chapter 7:  The Elements of Gameplay.

• GameDev.net published an excerpt from Chapter 1 (What Players Want) of the second edition. Read it here.

• Long ago, the consistently interesting and unique MyVideoGames.com web site ran an excerpt of the Ed Logg interview from Chpater 6.  Sadly, since then the site has ceased to be.  A moment of silence, please...