Customer Reviews (1)

Very good introduction
Vera covers the Semi-Slav (1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6) from White's point of view after 5. e3. Especially the Meran variation (5...Nbd7 6. Bd3 d×c4 7. B×c4 b5) is covered in chapters 1 to 4 (without black deviations on the sixth move) but also modern Anti-Meran systems after 5...Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 in chapters 5 and 6 got analysed (incl. the Shirov-Shabalov-Attack). In addition chapter 7 covers 5...a6. A very nice chapter is chapter 8 where Vera discusses several move order problems.
Analysis looks honest to me and although it's not an encyclopaedic work all important ideas are explained sufficiently. I can recommend this book for everyone you want to learn the Meran (like me who want to understand the queen's pawn openings).
Have fun
Ulrich (FIDE master) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Thick book with good material well presented.
This is a great book. Its thick and heavy and has that professional, academic look. Kind of like a library book for jazz guitar. It bases everything on the CAGED (or EDCAG as the author prefers) system, as all serious books on guitar should, especially jazz guitar. It presents the concepts from a perspective most guitarists entering the world of jazz are coming from, which is the blues. The minor pentatonic is a great entry-level point to begin with since it is something that most guitarists are familiar with.

What makes this book different is that it bases it's theoretical concepts on the minor scale, as opposed to explaining fingering from the point of view of the major scale. The book starts with Dorian, a minor scale with a raised 6th. But what the author wants to get across is the sound of the Dorian mode (or mood), not just the fingering. The CD has 16 extended tracks that let you listen to the sounds of Dorian, Mixolydian, Altered chords, and II-V-I progressions with the author playing tastey, but not overly complicated solos, then allowing you to play along. The fact that the solos are simple is a great asset. Plus the tempos aren't 220 bpm uptempo bebop so yes you actually CAN play along, unlike other play-along jazz tracks in play-along books.

The explanations are very clear and good visual diagrams clarify the written explanations. At the end of each chapter a summary, or "checkpoint" is given to make sure the reader understands the point the writer was trying to get across.

O.K., now the downside and thus a 4-star rating and not 5. Unfortunately not all the books examples are on the CD. It is helpful to hear the scale over the chord which the printed page doesn't do, so when there is an example wriitten out on a page (129) that shows a G Phrygian and G7b9, that example should be played back on the CD so the listener can relate to the sound of "colour tones."

Also, there are a lot of pages with stock photos that are simply filler, which is pretty cheesy for an expensive book like this. Jazz newbies be warned there is little prerequisite jazz theory presented so study chordal harmony basics before buying this book. Since the book is thick and heavy with a library binding, it won't lay flat on a music stand. You'll have to have the spine cut and spiral binding attached which will cost another 5 bucks. Otherwise the author really knows his subject matter and performs it great on the CD so if you're serious about your jazz studies you'll want to look into picking this one up for study. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Wines & Vines, published by Hiaring Company on August 1, 1991. The length of the article is 470 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: Phil Posson: 1992 Wineman of the Year. (recipient of the Leon D. Adams Award) (Brief Article)
Publication: Wines & Vines (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 1, 1991
Publisher: Hiaring Company
Volume: v72Issue: n8Page: p7(1)

Article Type: Brief Article

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Business North Carolina, published by Business North Carolina on March 1, 1999. The length of the article is 3553 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: The XXX files: Adam & Eve plans to stay on top as the nation's no. 1 purveyor of mail-order erotica by controlling content.
Author: Tim Gray
Publication: Business North Carolina (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 1999
Publisher: Business North Carolina
Volume: 19Issue: 3Page: 40(8)

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Academic Exchange Quarterly, published by Thomson Gale on September 22, 2005. The length of the article is 3108 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: Teachers' efficacy in preparation and retention.
Author: Susan Wegmann
Publication: Academic Exchange Quarterly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 9Issue: 3Page: 235(5)

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Semana, published by Spanish Publications, Inc. on December 21, 2001. The length of the article is 1224 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: [Pantalla Grande].(TT: Big screen.)(Reseña)
Publication: Semana (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 21, 2001
Publisher: Spanish Publications, Inc.
Volume: 7Issue: 460Page: 39

Article Type: Reseña

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Book Description
Anything you've ever wanted to know about the characters in Invincible, but were afraid to ask. Power levels, hometowns, relatives, origins, shoe sizes... it's all here. Written in the tradition of that other famous handbook, The Official Handbook of the Invincible Universe features drawings from some of the top talents in comics and animation. ... Read more