Rating: 
Summary: Takes advantage of naive but well meaning amateurs...
Review: The problem with these books is that they are tailored to what beginers think they should know,and not what they really do need to learn. As a beginer,I to was initialy enamoured with this series-but looking back now as a more experienced player, I believe the author is most likely more interested in churning out low quality books than in improving the novice players game.
Rating: 
Summary: This is a very instructive book for novice players.
Review: There are a lot of tactical themes which can be learned from this book which a beginner or a novice player can benefit. Also, this book gives some traps which a novice player may encounter when playing 1.e4 e5 openings. Also includes quotations to inspire the beginning player.
Rating:
Summary: Not for absolute beginners, but full of useful information.
Review: This book and its sequel contain many short games which illustrate pitfalls in chess openings. From these books it is clear that the outcomes of many--and on the beginner level, most--chess games are decided within the first twenty moves.
For beginners it would probably be more important to learn the recommended lines before studying these traps and zaps. For those seeking to expand their base of knowledge these books contain much useful information.
Rating:
Summary: a very good book
Review: This book helped me choose a particular opening, play it over and over, and master it. With this book, I have no problem in the openings and now focus on my middle game tactics. This is not a tutorial book for learning to play, but a great reference book and my personal favorite. The only down fall is it does not go beyond the King Pawn Openings (1. e4 e5)
Rating:
Summary: Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps
Review: This book is practically useless. The positions that appear in this book only occur if your opponent is just terrible. These positions do not occur as the result of an opening trap that one may commonly fall into. Instead they are the product of (often multiple) random and erroneous opening moves. The positions really are too specific to be helpful to any chess player. It could only be used as a book of tactical positions. However, even if this book was used as such, it would still be very poor in regards to improving a player's tactical ability because the positions all occur in the opening, instead of the middlegame when most combinations are possible. For tacical training, one is better off buying a book of tactical positions. In order to learn about the traps in an opening, one has to study a book on that specific opening. If you want to learn an opening with a lot of traps, maybe you should try the Smith-Morra Gambit: 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 (for example: ...dxc3 4.Nxc3 d6 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.Bc4 Nf6! 7.e5! Nxe5? (...PxP 8.Qxd8+ Nxd8 {taking with the knight is better than the king because of 9.Ng5, threatening Nxf7+ forking the king and rook} 9.Nb5 Rb8 10.Nxe5 {threatening mate} ...e6 11.Nxa7 When white has regained his material and has an advantage due to his queenside pawn majority) 8.NxN PxN? 9.Bxf7+! Kxf7 10.QxQ white wins)
Rating: 
Summary: For the novice user
Review: This book is written for the novice user. It presents the e4-e5 openings rather well, and shows you how to play the openings. More accurately, it describes common mistakes in judgement and demonstrates why they are bad. More advanced users, or serious students of chess, may want more details on the openings...variations, etc. than are presented in this book. It's worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: It Is a ok Book
Review: This book is, how can i put it......... well its only ok. All the openings are e4. Nothing else. That surprised me. It gives each opening as a chart with 1 paragrah to explain it. If you are looking for indepth anylasis this is not the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: As it Claims
Review: This book teaches what it claims. As stated, it does not promise opening repertoire studies but more traps in the openings. I found that this books works best when I utilize it to study the different ideas and patterns of traps and look for common grounds of various positions as oppose to studying each individual move explicitly. I may not go as far as to say that this is a necessity to a chess player's library but it does consist of good information.
Rating:
Summary: As it Claims
Review: This book teaches what it claims. As stated, it does not promise opening repertoire studies but more traps in the openings. I found that this books works best when I utilize it to study the different ideas and patterns of traps and look for common grounds of various positions as oppose to studying each individual move explicitly. I may not go as far as to say that this is a necessity to a chess player's library but it does consist of good information.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun way to study openings
Review: This delightful little book is best read side-by-side with an openings reference. The reference shows you all the strong lines. Pandolfini then steps in to show you what's wrong with a bunch of lines you won't find in the reference but which, if you're of a certain level, you'll be wondering about. Or you could start with Pandolfini and then go to the openings reference to find some sensible alternatives (besides the ones Pandolfini offers up), for the side that got "zapped". Either way, you'll end up studying the openings reference in a purposeful way, which is great for retention.
The companion volume (which covers openings other than e4-e4) is very noticeably easier in the sense that the zaps there are easier to find, if you're reading the book, as you should, actively.
If you think this book is too ridiculously easy, then bully for you. Maybe you should look at Steve Giddins' very nice _101 Chess Opening Traps_, where the bad moves are much more subtle.
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