Customer Reviews

Bridge, Zia ...and Me

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Are there new things to say about the game of bridge that can be articulated and of practical use to the aspiring player? Michael Rosenberg proves there are. He resolutely refuses to tackle the mundane or already said; his ideas bristle with verve and originality. This from one of the few who can lay claim to being the world's greatest card-player. Whether he is discussing ethics, reminiscing, or laying bare the raw but brilliant deductive technique with which he plays the game, Rosenberg is scintillating. I urge you to buy this book, then look at his series of articles on his thought processes during the World Par Tournament, published in the US magazine, Bridge Today. You will be astonished.

This book is rather heavy on the theory and "interesting" hands and light on the biography and interesting stories. A great deal of space is given to an exceedingly dry discussion of Rosenberg's view on the ethics of (among other things) not taking advantage of your partner bidding in proper tempo (!).

It should be noted that this book is pitched at a higher level than most other bridge books (the hands which are interesting to a par contest champion tend to be much more complicated than the usual). Also, Rosenberg's explanations of some concepts can get confusing at times (the phrase "always play the nine unless you must" never made sense to me until I read Zia's book).