The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pool & Billiards [Mass Market Paperback]

Ewa Mataya Laurance (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998 | Series: Complete Idiot's Guide to

You're no idiot, of course. You know that "English" isn't just the name of a language, it's also the type of spin you use to control the cue ball in pool. But when it comes to racking them up, making a break shot, and sinking balls in the corner pocket, you feel like "English" is your second language. Don't hang up your cue stick yet! In her comprehensive book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pool & Billiards, Ewa Mataya Laurance--one of the world,s most accomplished and mesmerizing players--gives you:

Editorial Reviews

Review

To get a good overview of the basics, take a look at The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pool and Billiards. -- Newsday New York, May 3, 2003

From the Back Cover

You're no idiot, of course. You know that "English" isn't just the name of a language, it's also the type of spin you use to control the cue ball in pool. But when it comes to racking them up, making a break shot, and sinking balls in the corner pocket, you feel like "English" is your second language. Don't hang up your cue stick yet! In her comprehensive book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pool & Billiards, Ewa Mataya Laurance--one of the world,s most accomplished and mesmerizing players--gives you:

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Alpha; 1 edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028626451
• ISBN-13: 978-0028626451
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,056,285 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, from Soup to Nuts, June 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pool & Billiards (Mass Market Paperback)

I have loved the game of billiards for some time, but only recently decided to get serious about improving my game. I have read other books including "The 99 Critical Shots in Pool" by Ray Martin. This is simply the best book that I have read on the subject.

The book's scope is ambitious. The authors give essential information on all the equipment you need, everything from choosing a cue to play with when you go to play at your local pool hall to setting up a billiard room at home. The critical aspects of pool etiquette are also covered. The book gives detailed instructions on how to develop the fundamentals of the game, from the rules (which are explained clearly) to how to hold the cue, stand at the table, and so forth.

Furthermore, for an experienced player who may have a handle on the fundamentals, the book explains the principles of position play, English, and even explains several trick shots, not to mention important tips on how to spot a hustle.

The book is exceptionally well-written and I can't recommend it highly enough for anyone interested in billiards. For the beginner, it provides easy-to-follow instructions on the fundamentals of the game. For the accomplished player, it can help you get to the next level.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good, but Best for Beginners, March 8, 2001

By 

richard_t "richard_t" (Overseas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pool & Billiards (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a useful book, but beginners will probably get more out of it than intermediates. It does cover some useful intermediate material, like buying your own cue or table, how to apply english, and some useful practice drills. But it is a curious mix of material for beginners also. It spends too much time explaining things (for idiots, I suppose). Explaining that balls are round and what 'cue' and 'scratch' mean. This may be useful for someone who's never ever played a game of pool before and decides to buy a book to learn, but most readers will have to flip over lots of rudimentary explanations to get to something useful. So, it's got all the really basic material that intermediates don't need, and lots of good intermediate material that beginners can't use. It's also a bit repetitive, you'll find identical explanations of 8-ball and 9-ball breaks in two different chapters. And sometimes it's contradictory, Mataya explains twice that if you miscue on the break that you can grab the cueball because the game doesn't start till the cueball hits the rack. But in the official rules in the appendix, it seems that the game starts when your stick hits the cueball. I couldn't figure this out.

Having said all this, it's not a bad book at all. It's simple, the layout is engaging. You can read a few pages and come back later. You can flip around easily, the index is ample so you can quickly find what you need. So it may be a bit schizophrenic, and it could seriously use some re-organization in the next edition, but it's not too bad at all.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, November 28, 1999

By 

Juan Pablo Ahues-V. - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pool & Billiards (Mass Market Paperback)

I have been playing pool for sometime, and I can hold my own to most people. This book is a lot of fun to read, and offers you clear, useful and very practical advice about every aspect of the game and the sport.

The book covers everything from how to play, to how to select the equipment, jokes and even the history of billidards. Its extremly easy and fun to read, and once you pick it up, you can't put it down.

Had I known half of the stuff the book covers, I would have save a lot of time "discovering" the right technics, and wasted no money in the wrong equipment.

Even if you are an intermediate player, this book will be helpfull (it definitely has helped me to play better). Its a must to anyone who are interested in pool and/or wants to play better.