Customer Reviews

Basic Bridge in Three Weeks

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4 star:		(1)
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I have read several books aimed at novice and intermediate bridge players, but this is the most comprehensive and readable book on the subject I have seen. Play of the hand is associated with the bidding in each chapter. This is unlike "Contract Bridge Complete" by Charles Goren, and other similar books, where the reader spends the first half of the book counting cards and memorizing bids. This juxtaposition of bidding and play makes learning or reviewing the basics of Bridge dynamic and exciting!

This well diagrammed, well organized, yet extremely condensed book really can bring the beginner up to the level of basic play; but note that basic is a relatiave term and that the book is written by a master. The book assumes the beginner is a bridge player at heart, which is to say, focused and dedicated. I don't think there is any book on bridge that can teach the game to a beginner alone, even to those who are players at heart, but Truscott's book comes close and is an excellent companion and guide both to the beginner and enthusiastic teacher. It is also a valuable reference and review for the so-called basic player.

This is an excellent book. It is well organized, lucid, coherent. The format is ideal for a busy person like me: the chapters or short, to the point and can be read and absorbed in a period of 1/2-1 hour per session. Each chapter gives points about bidding followed by hand play so you always get to apply in practice what you learned in theory. I would have liked a "master chart" to which I could easly refer to review bidding responses instead of leafing back through the chapters, but this is a minor flaw. The book fulfills it's mission: after reading it one can play on a strong intermediate level. Alan J. Stein, MD