"If defence is the hardest part of playing bridge (and it is!) then defending at matchpoint scoring is the toughest challenge a player can face. Every trick matters, irrespective of the contract, and every decision is potentially critical. In his previous book, "Thinking on Defence", Jim Priebe introduced the idea of visualization, picturing likely hands for declarer and basing defensive strategy on those. In this book, he show how to apply the same methods when playing in matchpoint events, which means essentially every pairs competition."--Publisher description.
Lovably troublesome Gladie Burger runs into sizzling danger and a fiery love triangle in the second installment of Elise Sax’s hilarious and sexy Matchmaker romance series. Since joining the family matchmaking business run by her eccentric Grandma Zelda, Gladie is always looking for love. But when an unbearable toothache knocks her out of commission and into the dentist’s chair, she prays only for relief. No such luck. Emerging from an anesthetic haze, Gladie awakes to find that not only is her tooth still throbbing, but her dentist is dead—and the lead suspect in the murder, office receptionist Belinda, just so happens to be Gladie’s first real client. Now it’s up to Gladie to find Belinda a man and keep her from being locked up behind bars. As if that weren’t enough distraction, two gorgeous men are vying for Gladie’s attention: Spencer, the playboy chief of police, and Holden, Gladie’s secretive, gorgeously muscled neighbor. Still, Gladie’s not complaining about having a helping hand or two when the case leads her to a dangerously bizarre cult. She may have met her match—and if she’s not careful, it could be her last. Praise for Elise Sax and Matchpoint “Elise Sax will win your heart.”—New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis “With quirky characters reminiscent of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series and a small-town heroine redolent of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse, Sax’s second Matchmaker novel will no doubt delight fans and new readers alike. With its charming cast and an intriguing mystery, this fast-paced, zany story provides great fun and features some impressive ingenuity. The love triangle woven into the plot adds an amusing diversion to the main story and will keep readers gleefully trying to guess whodunit.”—RT Book Reviews “Sax’s second novel is a fun, funny romp of a mystery mixed with a sexy love triangle. Gladie is an endearing mess of a character, and the book is fast-paced and amusing, with a large cast of quirky, small-town characters that flesh out a well-crafted, entertaining storyline. A lighthearted and amusing caper with a sexy side order of romance.”—Kirkus Reviews “A cheeky series that has plenty of romantic complications, danger and humor to keep pages going!”—The Parkersburg News and Sentinel “Elise Sax will make you laugh. Her larger-than-life characters jump off the page and make crazy seem like a fun place to hang out.”—New York Times bestselling author Christie Craig From the Paperback edition.
A collection of declarer play problems in matchpoint pairs. How do you manufacture that vital overtrick, or, just as importantly, give the defenders a chance to go wrong? A book for all duplicate players.
After giving up her Grand Slam dream for love five years ago, Jodi Richards is ready to make a comeback. Her heart is broken but her mind is clear: tennis is her only true love. Hoping to earn the wild card entry for the US Open, she rehires her coach and starts the grueling work of getting back on the pro-circuit. It’s a long shot but she’s more determined than ever… A successful Juniors coach, Miranda Ciccone jumps at the chance to join Team Richards as Jodi’s assistant coach. Thrown together constantly as they travel to major tournaments, the two women fight their growing attraction. When Miranda realizes she can no longer ignore her feelings for Jodi, she must choose: stay at the risk of distracting Jodi from her biggest professional opportunity, or silently turn her back on the possibility of love. Either way—she could end up destroying Jodi’s dream. Settling for either love or tennis would be easy—but having both seems nearly impossible. Will Jodi and Miranda play it safe or step up their game for the chance to win it all?
Anyone for tennis? Much loved photographer Martin Parr's unique and evocative pictures capture the spectacle of a year at the Grand Slam tournaments through 85 stunning images Since 2014, Martin Parr, one of Britain's best-loved photographers, has been granted exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the most prestigious Grand Slam tennis tournaments - followed by over 3 million fans each year - from the Australian and French Opens to Wimbledon and the US Open. Parr's vivid shots, sometimes poignant, often hilarious, provide a unique overview of life on and off the court, from players to picnickers, sun-hats, and visors to rain-stopped-play. With 85 photographs from a brand new body of work, many published here for the first time, this is an ace gift for all tennis fanatics, collectors, and fans of pop-culture photography.
From award-winning higher education journalist and New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Selingo comes a revealing look from inside the admissions office—one that identifies surprising strategies that will aid in the college search. Getting into a top-ranked college has never seemed more impossible, with acceptance rates at some elite universities dipping into the single digits. In Who Gets In and Why, journalist and higher education expert Jeffrey Selingo dispels entrenched notions of how to compete and win at the admissions game, and reveals that teenagers and parents have much to gain by broadening their notion of what qualifies as a “good college.” Hint: it’s not all about the sticker on the car window. Selingo, who was embedded in three different admissions offices—a selective private university, a leading liberal arts college, and a flagship public campus—closely observed gatekeepers as they made their often agonizing and sometimes life-changing decisions. He also followed select students and their parents, and he traveled around the country meeting with high school counselors, marketers, behind-the-scenes consultants, and college rankers. While many have long believed that admissions is merit-based, rewarding the best students, Who Gets In and Why presents a more complicated truth, showing that “who gets in” is frequently more about the college’s agenda than the applicant. In a world where thousands of equally qualified students vie for a fixed number of spots at elite institutions, admissions officers often make split-second decisions based on a variety of factors—like diversity, money, and, ultimately, whether a student will enroll if accepted. One of the most insightful books ever about “getting in” and what higher education has become, Who Gets In and Why not only provides an unusually intimate look at how admissions decisions get made, but guides prospective students on how to honestly assess their strengths and match with the schools that will best serve their interests.
