The Comedy World of Stan Laurel/Centennial Edition

Customer Reviews:

A must for all comedy fans.......1998-08-11

The main thing that makes this book invaluable is the Stan Laurel-authored scripts to live Laurel & Hardy stage shows, and Laurel & Hardy radio performances. It also included an assortment of great gag ideas Laurel had for films that were never used.

This book also helps set the record straight that Stan Laurel was the real creative force behind his best movies, even though others always got writing and directing screen credit.

Historical interest aside, the Laurel & Hardy scripts are great reading for sheer entertainment value.

Even if you've seen every Laurel & Hardy film made, realize that the Laurel & Hardy characters had a handful of other adventures which were not filmed. This book is a priceless way to access these great scripts.

If you haven't seen many Laurel & Hardy films, rent some. I can recommend almost every Laurel & Hardy film from before 1941. (Their post-1940 films were mediocre at best, mainly because Laurel had very little creative input to his films of that period.)

After you've seen enough Laurel & Hardy films to become a fan, read this book. You're sure to love it.

By the way, this is author/compiler John McCabe's _third_ book on the subject of Laurel and Hardy. His first book was a concise but excellent biography of Laurel and Hardy in the early 1960's, called "Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy." McCabe had met Laurel & Hard in person when he first started that project, and he wrote that meeting L&H in person, and finding them to be such nice people in real life, was "like finding out Santa Claus actually existed."

McCabe also co-authored a 1975 pictorial filmography called "Laurel and Hardy."

Average customer rating:

I love this book...

Tony Soprano on Management: Leadership Lessons Inspired by America's Favorite Mobster

Nuggets of Management Wisdom

Soundview Executive Book Summaries

Corporate Counsel Magazine

Tony Soprano on Management: Leadership Lessons Inspired By America's Favorite Mobst
Anthony Schneider
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Leadership Sopranos Style: How to Become a More Effective Boss

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ASIN: 0425194949
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Book Description

Changing economies. Employee loyalty. Power struggles. Deal making. Tony Soprano has to deal with management problems just like any CEO-and except for resorting to the occasional whacking (a definite no-no in corporate environments), he usually succeeds. Now readers can learn what makes him such a strong leader in this offbeat guide. Includes advice on:

€ Sit-downs, stand-ups, and other meetings
€ Behind the Bada Bing: managing people
€ Hey, break it up: conflict resolution
€ Deal Time: effective negotiation
€ Cigar Time: performance evaluation

...and more

With case studies, worksheets, tips on "managing up" from Carmela and Silvio-and a special chapter on what Tony does wrong-this is a business book like none you've ever read. Readers can use it to gain new insight-and find street-smart ways to manage their own workplace family.

Customer Reviews:

I love this book..........2006-08-16

I really enjoyed this book about leadership. The comparison to Tony Soprano's management and leadership ability makes it worth reading and it is not boring.

I had some leadership classes and the fundamentals are there, the style is authentic...Tony Soprano makes leadership more interesting.

Tony Soprano on Management: Leadership Lessons Inspired by America's Favorite Mobster.......2005-10-07

If you like the TV series, and Tony's Management, this is a book for you. Leadership and effective management. I know Tony Soprano is not exactly a "Role Model", but leave his business aside and just explore "the chain of command".

Well written, easy reading.

Nuggets of Management Wisdom.......2005-06-18

Schneider has mined nuggets of management wisdom from the first four seasons of Sopranos episodes, and he cleverly uses quotes, anecdotes, and vignettes from the show to illustrate his lessons about management skills such as delegating, negotiating, and giving praise.

Tony Soprano on Management has additional attractions, if you're not a Sopranos fan. The book includes an excellent chapter offering advice on how to manage up (that is, how to influence people in management positions above you). There are also plenty of case studies and traditional advice on good management practices, along with worksheets to help readers identify their hot buttons or concerns and plan future corrective actions.

Kathy Graden
Society for Technical Communication
November, 2004

Soundview Executive Book Summaries.......2004-07-06

By focusing on what Tony Soprano does right and wrong, Schneider reveals marketing strategies that can help leaders in the real world become more effective. He also presents case studies, worksheets and tactics that can improve business.

- Soundview Executive Book Summaries

Corporate Counsel Magazine.......2004-06-13

From Corporate Counsel magazine...

Tony Soprano on Management is a fun read. Many business how-tos come spiked with New Age blather and silly diagrams breathlessly illustrating glorious new paradigms. Schneider avoids such nonsense. Instead, he uses vignettes from the series to make his points... Schneider notes that like most effective CEOs, Soprano works with a close, handpicked executive team... they have been chosen by Tony because their abilities complement one another... Schneider shows how Soprano carefully doles out perks to keep his team performing.

http://www.law.com/jsp/cc/pubarticleCC.jsp?id=1080681918901

- - (...)

Average customer rating:

I Love Mobster Stuff

A book of errors with pictures

Fun to Browse

Mobsters and Gangsters: Organized Crime in America, from Al Capone to Tony Soprano
Editors of Life Magazine
Manufacturer: Life
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1929049846

Book Description

Gangsters. The Mob. The Mafia. John Dillinger. Lucky Lucchese. Al Capone. The Untouchables. John Gotti. The Chin. Don Corleone. Tony Soprano. In real life, in literature, in movies and television, no saga has so gripped the American consciousness and imagination as gangsters and the war on crime. On the streets and on the big and small screens, the mob world has made for vivid pictures and unimaginable stories, and for nearly 70 years, LIFE has been there to chronicle all the action and mayhem. From the all-too-real Naked City photography of the legendary Weegee to the brilliant depictions of Francis Ford Coppola's films, the story of the Mafia will be revealed in this exciting, gripping book. Note the infamous photographs from inside the speakeasies, from inside the cells, from inside the government's investigations and from the backlots of productions ranging from Cagney's "Public Enemy" to HBO's "Sopranos". LIFE takes on the mafia and brings it to you in this stunning pictorial hardcover as no other publisher can.

Customer Reviews:

I Love Mobster Stuff.......2005-10-27

Even though I haven't read this book in it's entirety yet, I'm fascinated by it. I've always had a sick fascination with the mobster world. It's a thoroughly comprehensive book.

A book of errors with pictures.......2003-02-04

I bought this book for a research project for school, and ended up having to redo my research. This book provides nice prohibition era photos and other such pictures, but the information is purely faulty. First off, when they were talking about Capone, they were totally off. Capone had a stand-in son who he took out in public, he never killed "thousands of people", and the St. Valentine's day massacre was headed by Jack McGurn, (not Jake), and involved 4 men (not 5). The rest of the magazine was the same. Also, i sensed a very biased few, they worshipped Eliot Ness and called Capone basically a brute. Maybe Life should have researched this a little before printing, eh?

Fun to Browse.......2002-11-10

What we have here is a typical Time-Life pop-history book. Poorly researched, strewn with errors and superficial commentary but tons of great photos. The picture of the James gang is bogus, however. It's fun to look at but little more.

Average customer rating:

Are David Simon's Personal Politics and Values Important to You?
Tony Soprano Would Take Action
Where's Tony?
An Argument from Fantasy

Tony Soprano's America

Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000H2N2TW

Book Description

With his life of crime and heart of gold, Tony Soprano compels us to examine our moral code - and to ponder the contradictions of the American Dream.

Hit Man. Family Man. Drug Dealer. Devoted Dad. Meet Tony Soprano - the chilling yet cheerful boss and father of the popular HBO series "The Sopranos." To millions of viewers, Tony is the "good guy," the solid provider who nevertheless commits nearly every crime conceivable - all while maintaining a loyal fan following. Tony has defined for us an entirely new moral code. Tony Soprano's America looks at the relationship between the American Dream and the manner in which we pursue it. Can we, like Tony, do the effectively expedient thing without sacrificing honor? Must we be held accountable for our behavior? In this fascinating look at the social and family dynamics of Tony's life and at the societal problems that surround it - crime, drugs, infidelity, gambling, corruption, and their wide-reaching effects - writer and criminologist David Simon invites us to hold up a mirror to ourselves, to make better sense of our fascination and worship of those like Tony who not only take shortcuts to the American Dream, but also get away with it.

Customer Reviews:

Are David Simon's Personal Politics and Values Important to You?.......2006-03-22

If David Simon's personal values and political orientation are crucial to your life, don't miss this book by any means. If you aren't aware of what his personal values and politics are, just watch the editorial columns of your local newspaper for 3 or 4 days, focusing on the writers of whom you've never heard or cared. If you don't want to spend even that much time, I'll mention that Simon appears fascinated by redistributionist cant and utopian (read as impractical and impossible) social democracy. He doesn't care much for any of the national administrations in recent years, including that of the Clintons and seems to wish we'd have something along the lines of a French or German polity of the last half dozen years. None of that is illegal, although I tend to think that the concepts are foolish and impractical. What did offend me (more than my lost $15 or 20 purchase price) was the shameless appropriation of David Chase's and James Gandolfini's work to sell social and political ideas that are barely relevant to it, if at all. If you don't know or care who David Simon is or what his personal critiques of America are (and he ain't Tocqueville by a long shot) save your money and effort and avoid this dime a dozen rant.

Tony Soprano Would Take Action.......2005-04-23

This is an awful book. It purports to be some kind of sociological analysis of the cultural forces shaping the Sopranos.

It is, instead, a slanted political diatribe, essentially blaming all our ills on a loss of collective social sensibility and retreat from political liberalism.

That's rank B.S. I consider myself a liberal (believe it or not) but do not blame the forces of social disintegration solely on a recent shift in our political winds.

I don't know that I even agree with one of the author's key assumptions: that we care less about one another now. Some communities and neighborhoods are more tightly knit together than ever before. We move steadily toward a more orderly, efficient and respectful society, despite our mistaken retreat from social liberalism.

Where's Tony?.......2003-01-08

While this book is heavily promoted as an analyis of contemporary America in light of the Sopranos, it is awfully light on the Sopranos side. Basically, a snippet of plot description from "The Sopranos" is used as a lead-in to each chapter, which then heads into dry sociological analysis.

Why is it I have the suspicion that this book originally lacked any mention of the Sopranos, but then received the snippets, the title, and the heavy promotion to get some portion of the Soprano fan market? I guess it worked, I bought it without taking too much of a look at it.

It isn't even very good sociology. It makes all sorts of claims and statements without citing statistics or having footnotes.

Not really worth it. Browse it in the bookstore and decide for yourself, but there really isn't much here.

An Argument from Fantasy.......2003-01-01

The author claims this TV drama portrays contemporary culture. What about 'Father Knows Best', or 'Mayberry RFD', or 'All in the Family'? Weren't they all hit shows in their day? Is 'The Sopranos' a modern dress version of 'I, Claudius'? Would the plots be usable for 'At Home with Cesare Borgia'? Can a work of fiction ever be a measure of society? Perhaps its popularity is due to its dealing with usually unreported facts (like 'The Untouchables'). Or the fantasy of a strong and powerful man who can do as he pleases (think of James Bond or a John Wayne film).

I wonder how reliable are its statements? Page 9 claims the murder rate of America is "ten times higher than Europe, Canada, and Japan combined". But the rate of violent deaths in America is less than in many European countries or Japan, and just above Canada's! Page 11 claims poverty was not a social problem before JFK! That would be news to FDR or Truman. Simon uses his sociological imagination to analyze this show as a case study. This would be a better book if it was based on a real "Middletown" rather than a fantasy TV drama.

Page 14 talks about the pursuit of financial success as if this was strange, but De Tocqueville said the same thing around 1835. Did they have today's problems then? Simon then says America is "anti-intellectual" because success involves making money, not education! But what about Europe and its history? Is there much difference? Page 16 talks about putting businessmen into government. Was it different under King James II, Louis XIV, or the Caesars? Page 157 says people can "keep only $1 in every $2 they earn over $5000"; he needs to do better research.

Chapter 6 compares crime in America to a department store of many levels, from the bottom to the top. Street gangs, organized crime, white-collar crime, banks and major corporations, the criminal justice system, and, crime in Government Intelligence Agencies. I found this the most interesting section of the book. Are we doomed? Chapter 8 contrasts the realities of everyday life to what we learned in Civics Class. Simon claims a bewildered and disillusioned public react with skepticism and cynicism. And this keeps people from acting to correct their problems.

Chapter 9 proposes solutions to the many problems of today's America. Simon correctly states that nothing worthwhile can be achieved without collective action. I think the same history tells us that his solution is worthless ("join a local church ... oppose environmental destruction ..."). If the problems are caused by the corporate control of politicians since the 1860s, then the solution is to rebuild democracy by eliminating corporate power on the state and national level. Other books have made this point ("Wealth and Democracy" by Kevin Phillips). You must start with a new political party that is NOT controlled by the "two party system". It won't be easy. Corporate power, like hell, is not easily conquered.

Average customer rating:
Like America, Tony Soprano made world love, hate him.(Focus): An article from: Winnipeg Free Press
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RW3QZW
Release Date: 2007-06-11

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Winnipeg Free Press, published by Thomson Gale on June 10, 2007. The length of the article is 896 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Like America, Tony Soprano made world love, hate him.(Focus)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Winnipeg Free Press (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 10, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: b4

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

Tony Soprano's America

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0641581475

Product Description

FROM THE PUBLISHER Tony Soprano's America looks at the relationship between the American Dream and the manner in which we pursue it. Like Tony, can we do the effectively expedient thing without sacrificing honor? Must we be held accountable for our behaviour? In this fascinating look at the social and family dynamics of Tony's life and at the societal problems that surround it - crime, drugs, infidelity, gambling, corruption, and their wide-reaching effects - writer and criminologist David Simon takes the reader through all aspects of crime in America: from the streets to the boardroom, and from the local hood to far-reaching international syndicates. With insight, Simon challenges us to hold up a mirror to ourselves, to make better sense of our fascination and worship of those like Tony who not only use criminal acts to take shortcuts to the American Dream, but who also get away with it.

Average customer rating:
New Ideas in the Sveshnikov Sicilian (Batsford Chess Library)
Valery Neverov , Peter Marushenko , and Petr Vladimirovich Marusenko
Manufacturer: Holt Rinehart & Winston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0805047212

Average customer rating:

A fine chess book on the Sveshnikov Sicilian

Essential Reading for Sveshnikov Players

What this book is about

A very good book

The best sveshnikov sicilian book so far

The Complete Sveshnikov Sicilian
Yuri Yakovich
Manufacturer: Gambit Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1901983714

Book Description

The Sveshnikov Variation is one of the most uncompromising lines of the Sicilian Defence. Black accepts an apparently loose pawn-structure in return for a great deal of piece activity. Decades of experience have shown that it is far from easy for White to neutralize Black's active play, and the Sveshnikov is now firmly established as a favourite weapon for players who wish to win games as Black. Leading grandmasters who have relied on the Sveshnikov include John Nunn, Michal Krasenkow, Joel Lautier, Miguel Illescas, Alexei Shirov, Peter Leko and, most notably, BGN World Champion Vladimir Kramnik.

Customer Reviews:

A fine chess book on the Sveshnikov Sicilian.......2005-12-12

This is a very good book on the Sveshnikov variation of the Sicilian Defence. In this defence, Black plays ...e5, weakening her d6 pawn and her d5 square, but by doing so gets more time to develop her pieces. And for those who want to turn the tables on White, this is a perfect variation for Black if she likes launching King-side attacks!

While this book does describe the Sveshnikov from both sides of the table, it does have more of a focus on Black than I'd like. You see, I do not play the Sveshnikov for Black. Instead, I play it for White, sacrificing a piece on move 11, which gives me some tactical threats, as well as a strategic threat to Queen my a-pawn.

Well, what advice does this book have on how to play White?

1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 e5 6 Ndb5 d6 (6...h6?! 7 Nd6+) 7 Bg5 a6 (7...Be6? 8 Nd5) 8 Na3 (This looks ugly positionally, but it's best) 8...b5! (The Sveshnikov; 8...Be6 9 Nc4 Rc8 10 Nd5 Bxd5 11 Bxf6 is Bird's variation) 9 Bxf6 (Yakovich has over 75 pages on 9 Nd5, but he thinks 9 Bxf6 is best for White here, and I certainly agree) 9...gxf6 (9...Qxf6 10 Nd5 Qd8 11 c4) 10 Nd5 f5 (obviously not 10 ...Ne7 11 Nf6 mate. 10...Bg7 11 Bd3 Ne7 12 Nxe7 Qxe7 13 c4 f5 14 0-0 0-0 is the Novosibirsk variation, and Yakovich recommends 15 Qf3 or 15 Qh5 for White here).

White now has a bunch of options, which the book devotes 96 pages to. 11 Bxb5, 11 exf5, and 11 Bd3 are the most popular. The author considers 11 Bd3 the most natural move, but does say that 11 Bxb5 is good too, and I now think that 11 Bxb5 is the best try for White. After 11 Bxb5 axb5 12 Nxb5 Ra7, Yakovich advises 13 Nxa7 Nxa7 14 exf5 Nb5 15 a4. But Black generally plays 12...Ra4, giving White the choice of 13 Nbc7+ (which seems okay) or 13 b4 (which may be better).

After 13 b4, Yakovich explains that Black can try for an immediate draw with 13...Qh4 14 0-0 Rg8 15 c3 f4 16 Qxa4 Rxg2+ 17 Kxg2 Qg4+. That's fine if White wants a draw, but I wish Yakovich had given some advice here in case White wants more than this. He does mention 16 Nf6+ (instead of 16 Qxa4), but I feel that Black has at least a draw here. In 2002, as the author says, Shirov tried 15 f4 Kd8 16 c3 Ra6 17 a4 fxe4 against Kasparov. Kasparov won easily after that. But I think White ought to look for something better than this! In my next skittles game in this line, maybe I'll try something like 15 f4 Kd8 16 c3 Ra6 17 exf5, with the idea of answering 17...Bxf5 with 18 Ne3 Bd7 19 Nxd6 Bxd6 20 Qxd6. Wish me luck!

Of course, Black may not be satisfied with a draw in the position after 13...Qh4. Yakovich tells us what Black can do instead, namely 13 ...Rxb4 14 Nbc7+ Kd7 15 0-0 Rb7 (15...Rg8 16 Qh5 is unclear) 16 Qh5 Ne7 17 Qxf7 Rxc7 18 Nb6+ Kc6 19 Rab1. Here, the author indicates that White is doing fine after 19...Ba6 20 Qb3, so he has two possible recommendations for Black, 19...Ra7 and 19...Kb7. Um, if anyone tries 19...Ra7 against me, they'll be in for a shock: 20 Qc4+ Kb7 21 Nd7+ Qb6 22 Rxb6+ Ka8 23 Rb8 mate. That leaves 19...Kb7. Once again, I wish Yakovich had given us some more advice here. White could try putting both Rooks and maybe the Queen on that b-file, or try 20 Nd5+ Ka7 21 Nxc7, or both, and my wild guess is that White ought to be able to get at least a draw that way. By the way, this whole line can lead to an endgame where White has, say, a Queen and 5 pawns against a Rook, Bishop, Knight, and 3 pawns, so if you want to get into all this, learn that endgame!

As a Candidate Master, I played a Sveshnikov game with White against a Master. But I played 11 Nxb5 (which Yakovich says loses for White) instead of 11 Bxb5. One problem is that one is left with a Bishop, which doesn't cooperate as well with one's Queen as a Knight.

My game went 11 Nxb5?! axb5 12 Bxb5 Bd7 (12...Bb7 is probably better) 13 exf5 Bg7. My strategic threat is to Queen my a-pawn, and I now think White's best chance is 14 0-0 0-0 15 c3. Then my threat of a4 is real (if 15...Rb8 16 a4). I'm also threatening to play Nb6 or Nc7 if Black moves his Queen away.

However, not liking 14 0-0 Nd4, I played 14 a4? Nd4 15 Bxd7+ Qxd7 16 c3 Qxf5? (After 16...Ra5?! 17 Ne3 Nxf5 18 Qg4 Nxe3 19 Qxg7 Nxg2+ 20 Qxg2 Rxa4, White is okay. But 16...Qb7 17 Ne3 0-0 18 0-0 Nb3 is better for Black. Even here, I might have survived with a line such as 19 Ra3 Rfb8 20 Qg4 Kh8 21 Rd1. Black's actual move simply loses, so I said a silent prayer of thanks to Caissa and castled.) 17 0-0 e4 (I expected 17...Ne6 18 a5, but Black figured that this was hopeless and chose to try a desperate cheapo.) 18 Ne3 (I feared that 18 Nc7+ would get me mated, so I settled for something that I was sure would win.) 18...Qc5 19 cxd4 Bxd4 20 Qg4 Kf8 21 Rac1 Qa7? (makes it even easier for me) 22 Rc8+ Rxc8 23 Qxc8+ Kg7 24 Qg4+ Kf8 25 Rc1 Black Resigns

I highly recommend this book.

Essential Reading for Sveshnikov Players.......2005-06-06

I have nearly every Sveshnikov book written in English as well as some software programs that cover it. If you play the Sveshnikov you must have this book. It is better than all the rest, including Sveshnikov's original work. The author plays the Sveshnikov, he covers all the variations with his own new ideas revealed and gives verbal explanations for players new to the Sveshnikov, or to give the reader a deeper understanding. When I first saw it I immediately bought it at full price plus sales tax. I can't think of any other chess book in the last 5 years that got me so excited. If you are below 1800 USCF the opening is probably too difficult for you to play, but it leads to entertaining and instructive play. Yakovich has written the definitive work for years to come! All chess books should be so well done. Bravo Grand Master!

What this book is about.......2005-04-13

Let me describe what this book is and isnt.

This book is an examination of practicaly every possible variation that can occur in the sveshnikov. Yuri then gives very accurate assesments of moves which are based on his experience playing this opening for many years. The analysis is dead on, I havent found any mistakes and I have looked.

This book is not a book where you can get ideas about where to search for an advantage against the sveshnikov. Its clear Yuri believes black is fine in every single main line. It is moderatly verbose for a chess book.

Conclusion: This book is the authority on the sveshnikov hands down.

A very good book.......2003-07-14

This is a very good book, written by a GM who has played the defence for years. Compared to Aagaard's work on the Sveshnikov, Yakovich provides more variations and obviously knows a great deal more about this variation of the Sicilian than does Aagaard. On the other hand the latter does a better job explaining basic ideas for white and black.
Excellent books on openings use that opening as a medium to teach about chess in general. The Sveshnikov variation is a fascinating learning tool because of the tension between pawn-structure and dynamic piece-play. Yakovich does not discuss this much and four stars is therefore enough.
If you are a medium rated player (above at least 1800) who have not played this variation before - buy Aagard first, then Yakovich.

The best sveshnikov sicilian book so far.......2003-06-27

Since sveshnikov sicilian wass played by Kasparov, Kramnik, Leko and other players in high-level tournaments, Its popularity has raised the number of book titles based on this sharp opening. People like me are beginning to get bored with the same type of presentation in these books over the past few years.
Fortunately, this book is a bit different. The author managed to present the point of each variation in a comprehensive manner, suitable for intermediate and advanced players. You will see a lot of helpful comments in this book explaining black's problems in most of variations. He is not shy of his opinion either. He boldly stated the positional 9.Nd5 could not present a significant advantage for white compared with the 9.Bxf6 variation. A statement which I tend to agree with him. The discussion on piece sacrifice variations show that white's chance is not worse, a fact that is not often mentioned in other sveshnikov sicilian books.
On the negative side, Some critical variations are not lengthy enough, the author seems to concentrate on popular variations. It may not be the book for beginners to play sveshnikov sicilian, but it is recommended for those who want to study it further with some basic knowledges.

Average customer rating:

Probably the best Sveshnikov book.
Very good reference for key variations
good book, strange format.

Sveshnikov Sicilian
Mikhail Krasenkov
Manufacturer: Everyman Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1857441230

Customer Reviews:

Probably the best Sveshnikov book........2000-07-13

This is an excellent book. The author says that he loves this opening and it shows. Special features of this book include a separate chapter at the back with 40 important annotated games (see Brodsky-Kramnik 1991 for a violent treat), comments in the introduction on strategies and piece placement, etc, and a two-page index of variations with assessments right there. The only minor problem I have is that the lines contain so many sublines and variants I can almost get lost. You can't play this opening with NCO alone. There are just too many savage alternatives for each side. Which brings me to my last point - are you considering taking up this opening but are not too sure about it? Then be warned, this is not the opening for those who believe in weak squares! You need to be an aggressive player who loves piece activity and despises draws.

Very good reference for key variations.......1998-06-07

The Sveshnikov Sicillian is an extremely dynamic agressive opening which has been used by top grandmasters including Kramnik, Shirov and Nunn. Black sacrifices pawn structure for dynamic piece play, and the middle game strategies can be very rich and complex as a result. White usually tries to get a grip on the light squares, to try and reduce black's counterplay, whilst black will try and exploit piece play, usually by trying for a violent king attack. This book by Krasenkov who is a loyal exponent of this opening, provides up to date coverage of this defence, and can increase the black player's confidence in playing this opening. Indeed it is the possibility of such as razor sharp defences like this, that is prompting White players to chicken out with moves such as 2. c3 :-)

good book, strange format........1998-02-18

The book is written in a format of mass variations, followed in the last chapter with annotated instructive games. the lines are well detailed and complete. All you need to buy to learn the opening. For a reference book I recommend The Pelikan Sicilian, by Sveshnikov himself.

Easy Guide to the Sveshnikov Sicilian (Easy Guide)

Average customer rating:

Review from Mexico
A worthy successor
How a book about chess openings should be written...
Clear and up-to-date Coverage
Very impressed.

Easy Guide to the Sveshnikov Sicilian (Easy Guide)
Jacob Aagaard
Manufacturer: Everyman Chess
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1857442806

Book Description

All chess players need a reliable defense to 1 e4, preferably one that is fun to play and provides real winning chances. The Sveshnikov Sicilian fits the bill perfectly. Black's active piece-play compensates for his damaged pawn-structure, making for an exciting battle. To play the Sveshnikov well requires a good understanding of the themes, and a moderate amount of concrete knowledge. This Easy Guide supplies just that. Once you have read this book you will be ready to start playing and winning with the Sveshnikov. This guide, which is part of Everyman's Easy Guide series, includes enough information and understanding to enable the reader to play the Sveshnikov with confidence. It provides a sound and dynamic system, supported at the highest levels by Kramnik and Shirov and a complete repertoire for Black in the mainline Sicilian.

Customer Reviews:

Review from Mexico.......2002-11-17

Having gone through most of the book, I find the way it's set out very easy-going.
Nice intro explaining the ideas behind the moves for both Black and White. All variations can be found through the index but they are laid out in a very logical manner.
The author keeps things simple and straight forward.
If you're interested in playing an active game, this variation is your pick and this book can help you out.
My experience has been that White will try to avoid the Sveshnikov unless he has studied it (typically I encounter: 1.e4,c5;2.Nf3,Nc6;3.Bb5 or Bc4 or d3, etc.)thoroughly.

A worthy successor.......2001-11-06

This book is a worthy successor to Krasenkov's 6-year-old book. It is not as "complete", especially when it comes to early divergences, but has all the latest moves (of course) and is much easier to find your way around. To the credit of a young writer, Aagaard lays his opinions on the line with plenty of exclamation marks, so that one doesn't have to get right to the end of lines to see which one is preferred. This is better than the usual run of opening books.

How a book about chess openings should be written..........2000-09-15

This book pefectly illustrates how a chess opening book should be written. It starts with a chapter that explains typical plans and structures arising from the Sveshnikov. The best part of this introductory chapter is the explanation by the author on where the different pieces are best placed ,what piece exchange to be avoided and what piece exchange is favorable. For example, the chapter states that black should generally avoid an opposite colored bishop positions; and it si favorable for black to exchange her dark colored bishop for a knight. Needless to say, reading this chapter alone will significantly improve your knowledge of the Sveshnikov.

The next chapters give enough theories and grandmaster games. If you read the introductory chapter and grasp the ideas, memorizing the variations becomes a lot easier. Of course, the author continues to give the ideas behind the variations which also help a lot to retain the variations in your head.

If you feel that you are comfortable playing positions with structures like f7,f6,e5,d6, with the king uncastled, then Sveshnikov may be a good opening choice to be added to your opening repertoire, and if you do decide to play the Sveshnikov, this book is a must. This is better than the chessbase training program with the same subject.

Clear and up-to-date Coverage.......2000-09-05

This up-to-date treatment of the Sveshnikov includes a well-written 19-page introduction to the ideas and plans for both sides in this opening. The coverage is comprehensive, balanced and easy to digest, and all this in the space of 144 pages.

Another recent book on the Sveshnikov is the one by McDonald. McDonald has more coverage of the Bird/Larsen line while Aagaard has more coverage of the 7.Nd5 line. In their coverage of the main lines, however, the two books seem to be comparable in detail and references to contemporary games. Aagaard perhaps gives more game refernces and analysis since he save on space that would otherwise go on notes to complete games. However some players prefer complete games to be cited (as McDonald does) to see the course games employing a particular opening are likely to follow. The book by Aagaard has to be used in conjunction with a database and/or Informants. My opinion is a player should have both books, though I slightly prefer Aagaard because of the structure and format.

Very impressed........2000-07-16

I can't say enough great things about this book. Superior and complete. Thorough in a way no other writers are. It feels like he truly cares deeply about what goes into his works. I truly hope he continues to provide us with more works.

Average customer rating:

Intense effort
Coul have been fleshed out a bit more

The Sveshnikov Sicilian
Neil McDonald
Manufacturer: Batsford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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The Sveshnikov Reloaded

ASIN: 0713485817

Book Description

A favorite of leading players such as Vladimir Kramnik and Valery Salov, the Sveshnikov Sicilian is arguably the most dynamic and controversial line in the whole Sicilian Defense. Even though Black takes on potentially serious structural weaknesses, it gains fierce piece play as compensation. This state-of-the-art coverage of a razor-sharp line, shows how to take advantage of a winning maneuver.

Intermediate

Customer Reviews:

Intense effort.......2003-06-10

What I like about Neil McDonald is that when he writes a chess book, he WRITES a chess book. I was inspired to throw in my two cents based on the three-star review which faulted the book for having sparse coverage of certain lines. I don't agree with that review, as 21 pages in this book is still a lot of coverage. McDOnald packs the book with text and variations, so one feels one can follow what is going on, even in this most "dynamic" (e.g. confusing) of variations. He is constantly striving to point out strategic "signposts" to help the reader follow the action. I find this very helpful for my general understanding of chess, as even in hair-raising lines like the Sveshnikov, the tactics somehow are based on the strategic elements. McDonald does a great job keeping this in mind and in never forgetting that he has an audience that might need help comprehending what is going on. The font is fairly small, meaning that each page is loaded with material. I think this is in fact the best book on the Sveshnikov that I have seen, and I have the ones by Krasnekow, Aagaard, and Sveshnikov.

Coul have been fleshed out a bit more.......2000-05-05

This is not a bad book; it's just not a very good one. There is a need for a monograph on the Sveshnikov. The books by Krasenkov (The Sveshnikov Sicilian) and by Neverov and Marusenko (New Ideas in the Sveshnikov Sicilian), though very good, were published in 1996.

Some of the games in McDonald's book have been taken from Neverov and Marusenko. This is legitimate since the games are of theoretical importance. Other games seem to have been taken from Chess Informant. Again legitimate. The notes McDonald provides are instructive. Quite a few of the games annotated were played subsequent to 1996 and therefore won't be found in the earlier books. All fine so far. But why only one chapter for the 9.Nd5 line? It merits more than 21 pages.The coverage is a bit too sparse. Perhaps the publisher put a limit on the number of pages.

In summary, an OK book, and one to add to your shelf if you're a Sveshnikov player. Pity it doesn't have more coverage.

Average customer rating:
Starting Out: Sicilian Sveshnikov (Starting Out)
John Cox
Manufacturer: Everyman Chess
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chess | Board Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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Play the Caro-Kann: A Complete Chess Opening Repertoire Against 1e4 (Everyman Chess)

ASIN: 1857444310

Book Description

No opening in recent times has captured the imagination of the chess public more than the Sicilian Sveshnikov. Initially popularized in the 1970s, the Sveshnikov has exploded onto the chess scene at the highest levels and is now regarded by many experts as one of Black’s most promising answers to 1 e4. One of its major attractions is that more often than not the opening leads to incredibly sharp and complex play. In such situations both sides must play with extreme accuracy just to stay on the board as a single slip may lead to disaster!

Developments in the Sicilian : Sveshnikov 1985 - 88

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Developments in the Sicilian : Sveshnikov 1985 - 88
Joe Gallagher
Manufacturer: Quadrant Marketing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MFQ6QK

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Developments in the Sicilian: (Sveshnikov)

Manufacturer: Quadrant Marketing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GYURYE

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Developments in the Sicilian: Sveshnikov 1985 - 88
Joe Gallagher
Manufacturer: Quadran Marketing Ltd
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The Sicilian Pelikan (Macmillan Chess Library)

Average customer rating:

A historic piece of magnificent understanding and chess wit.

The Sicilian Pelikan (Macmillan Chess Library)
Evgenny Sveshnikov
Manufacturer: Collier Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0020298218

Customer Reviews:

A historic piece of magnificent understanding and chess wit........1999-03-09

After having played the Sveshnikov variation since 1980, I finally came across this book a few months ago. It didn't look much at first. The binding is tacky, typographically so-so. It had its fair portion of wear and tear as well. If the sayings about judging a book by its cover etc were all gobbledegook they are true now. It turned out to be an incredible work of knowledge, far exceeding any other book on openings in historical value. The way Evgeny Sveshnikov searches for truth in dazzling variations, never losing sight of the big picture, is most instructive. This book is obviously the fruit of enormous creativity, hard work, and a large dosis of perfectionism. If anybody is thinking about a reprint and thinks I may be of help, contact me by e-mail. I think this is the best opening book in existence and it will stand out in chess history.

Product Description

Microsoft Office Visio 2003 - Inside Out - reference book - CD

Customer Reviews:

As always - the Inside Out series is outstanding.......2007-05-10

I am always satified with the Inside Out Series, this book is very helpful for every level.

an almost GREAT book.......2007-01-11

good detail, nice glossary and defs. Easy to use and the quality of info is great.

MS Office Visio 2003 Inside Out.......2005-09-09

Very good general reference. Met my expectations and meets my needs.

Reference help book.......2004-03-28

This book is what used to be called a "manual" that came "free" after you spent a few hundred dollars on software. If you are looking for a manual, this is a good choice, but if you want to learn how to use the program with this, please don't. The examples it showed were not consistent within the chapter, so you could not follow along by trying to try out the concepts after reading easily.
I'll keep the book as a reference, but I'm a bit upset about spending money for it. I'll try the "Step by Step" book, but those are generally not very in-depth.

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