Bridges Books

A Bridge for Grandma This is a very beautiful book that is so needed in our time of pervasive fear and denial of death. We were pleased with the reaction of our 7 year old grandchild who has often talked about her fear of dying. The wonderful pictures and reassuring story gave her a new view of death and relieved some of her fears while also giving her, and us, something more to think about. I highly recommend this book for parents and grandparents as well as schools, hospitals, and clinics. It is a gift for kids of all ages!
Elizabeth Tempel

A friend of mine gave me this book many years ago when I was in college. This book is a wonderful resource book for someone learning bridge with little or no background in the game. Based on the advice that I was given which I found to be be quite useful, the book works best if read from cover to cover initially, to get the feel of the game. It is only about 75 pages of actual text, and even then it is an easy, quick and quite entertaining read and catches your interest. Then you can go back and work your way through the meatier aspects of playing the game. After a couple of times through the book, a novice can literally sit down, with understanding friends, and play bridge. The book is very helpful in bidding your hands and in playing. It is quite useful in its hints, and I made notes on what to look for in my hands to enable me to bid somewhat intelligently and enjoy the game.
I would recommend this book be in every rec center and library in the reference section. It would make a wonderful text book. I had attempted to learn bridge with other books labelled bridge for beginners, but the complexity of the game and the strategies lost me. This book cuts through to the core basics to get you started, without the panic of "what do I do now?" The cartoon illustrations and humor keep your interest, serve to explain the concepts, and focus on the reason why people would play to begin with-- for their enjoyment and the social interaction with their friends. Great book.

There are a number of good books about duplicate bridge. But I'm glad that this one, one of the first really good such books, is still available.

As the authors point out, in duplicate bridge, one routinely risks one's contract to get an overtrick, because the margin by which one beats the other pairs in one's direction does not matter as long as one beats them. Your +630 at 3 NT making 4 may be fine, beating the +620 scores for 4 of a major, while +600 (which you get by making a safety play) may well get you a zero. On the other hand, in competitive auctions, while +200 beats all part scores, you only need to double if you feel that most pairs your way will indeed get a plus score.

Those who play Acol will enjoy the recommendations made to modify it for duplicate bridge. Of course, you may already play many of them. These include a variety of competitive doubles. There are some "old" conventions, such as Swiss, Lightner doubles, and Unusual notrumps. These conventions were around for some time when the book was written (1968), but the way the authors use them is a little different from what you might expect. And some "new" (1968) conventions are suggested, such as Aspro over opponent's 1 NT opening in second or fourth position (bid 2D with spades and a minor, bid 2C with hearts and any other suit).

The book includes a discussion of relay bidding systems and gives an example of a "futuristic" system, namely the "Little Major." I think you may not want to take up this particular system, even if your tournament director allows it, but it makes for interesting reading. And the book then has a discussion of leads and signals.

Oh yes, there is a final chapter about the personal factor. Reese and Dormer give a great example. What blind lead do you make against 3 NT from:

Spades K J 6 3 Hearts Q 7 5 Diamonds J 6 4 2 Clubs 10 9

Anything could be right, so just lead something quickly and smoothly. A player who hesitates over this lead "is not cogitating" but dithering. "Meanwhile, an astute declarer will be thinking" that you do not have a five-card suit, that your four-card suits are unattractive, and that the suit you finally lead may well be short.

And a final piece of good advice has to do with your opponents. When they make a mistake, tend to be silent about it. Good manners are the same as good tactics here.

It's a good book that is well worth reading for tournament players

"Everyone was against me," writes Mr. Blackwood, "except the people." Shunned by the experts when it was first published, the Blackwood Convention spread by word-of-mouth and is used by every bridge player from the newest to the top pros. First published in 1949, you will find its applicability in ANY card game, including poker. "Bridge Humanics" may be 60 years old, but it reads like it's 60 years ahead in game theory. Without having to increase your technical ability, you WILL win more hands, more often, just by listening and understanding "your friends, the opponents." If you find youself thinking, "What would the expert do in this situation?" STOP IT. Forget the expert. He or she isn't up against the people you are. Buy this book and make, not the right move, but the winning move.

This wonderful little book is definely at the top of my list of favorites. "Bridge Into Light" approaches estoeric information in a very simple easy to read style. This book is full of information on such subjects as connecting with your higher self and your spiritual quides, and how to build your light body. There are also many channeled messages and meditations to help you achieve these goals. If you would like to learn more about the role of light on your spiritual journey to ascension, then I can not recommend this book highly enough.

Jeanne Randolph LIGHTHORIZONS.COM

Borkowski had me glued to my seat from page one. Not only a fantastic mystery, but also contains some very good recipes. I am looking forward to her next book! Borkowski will soon become a mainstay in contemporary thrillers.

This is a well written documentary of behind the scenes scientific efforts during World War II. It is written with heart, intelligence, and humor. The reader is drawn into the story, though it is a documentary, autobiographical in reality and in essence. Thinking men/women will appreciate the thought process needed by the author when he was confronted with problems to solve, sometimes in spite of assignments. He and his group spare hundreds with a special odiferous skunk smell instead of carrying out chemical testing, first. If that part of the story is is the only portion read, chuckles followed by the realization of the serious consequences will occur. At that point, the reader realizes this is not small story. It is real.

In this book, Frederick H. Frost has assembled and correlated the work of the three top international bridge mathematician-players from Africa, Great Britian and the USA. Most of the 35 probability tables offered are based on Table XX. Colonel Telfer's original cornerstone frequency table of high-card points.

As a result vital improvements in modern bidding and play have been developed, especially the precision club system for imp-type play and the natural big club for match-pointed pairs.

This fundamental reference book belongs in the library of every bridge buff throughout the world.
--- from book's back cover

For me this book is a page turner and I never tire of re-reading it. I'm so glad someone has chronicled the story of Vedanta in America in the early days. Very inspiring!!

"Bridge of Dreams" combines two formidable strengths, the visual appeal of the stunning Mary Griggs Burke Collection of Japanese art and the meticulous, distinguished scholarship of Miyeko Murase, who edited this catalogue for a Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition. With objects drawn from the prehistoric period to the nineteenth century and representing every major art medium, the book serves as an excellent survey of Japanese art through the ages. The catalogue describes in satisfying detail each of the 168 objects pictured and provides as well short background essays on different genres of Japanese art. The prose is always accessible and precise, meeting the needs of both beginning art history students and the most demanding of specialists. The book concludes with an excellent glossary, list of suggested readings on Japanese art, and carefully prepared index.