It's funny how we often judge things before we even look at them. If we've seen a terrible movie by a particular director, we will probably be a bit tentative before going to another movie of his/hers. If we read several bad books by a particular publishing house, we might simply refuse to buy anything with their logo on it.

In the present case, I had three psychological hits associated with this new book. The first concerned Thinkers' Press. I've had personal trouble with its owner, Bob Long, in the past and, as is all too human (though perhaps not realistic), it has colored my opinion of the books that he does. The second problem is the simple fact that Mr. Long picks (some might say courageously) titles that others would consider suspect or bizarre. Though these books always get my attention (while most books from other companies are better ignored), more often than not I find that they contain major flaws that severely limit the book's usefulness or appeal.

My third mental glitch centered around the author of this book, Andrew Soltis. Mr. Soltis is capable of writing total rubbish ("quick-buck" editions) or putting together something of truly lasting value (which most chess "writers" don't have the talent to do). His columns in Chess Life are always entertaining, his book on Marshall is great, his books on Defense and on Pawn Structure are well worth owning, but many of his opening books leave a bit to be desired.

So now the "on again/off again" Soltis teams up with the quirky Thinkers' Press and what do we end up with? Well...to be brutally honest, one of the most instructive endgame books I have ever seen (and I've seen them all).

Most endgame books are over the heads of the normal tournament player. Most are boring. Most are completely useless. Soltis' book, however, is a rare mixture of entertainment, deep instruction, and grand design. The typesetting is excellent, the layout shows lots of care, the many drawings (by Rob Long, Bob's son) are absolutely wonderful, and the actual print is easy on the eye.

The subtitle of this book is "Everything you need to know about the endgame," and Soltis tries very hard to make good on this promise. In my opinion, this is one the best endgame books ever written for the (stronger) amateur player. A must buy!

Congratulations are in order for Andy Soltis (who once again shows that he is a great chess writer) and the whole creative team that put this wonderful book together.