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Rating: 
Summary: This guy should get a computer
Review: After a slow start, Mr Wetzell offers some good ideas on beginning a disciplined program of improvement. I like the flash cards he presents, and the concept behind them is worth the price of the book. He has some other odd ways of explaining how chess players think (I never figured out what "APROP" was) and uses a complicated glass plus two types of liquid to illustrate how your ability changes over time. However, I plowed through these ideas and found the whole idea of flashcards very good.
Rating: 
Summary: A former Patzer reveals how he graduated!
Review: I like Thinkers Press/Chessco Books! The publisher, Bob Long, publishes material that helps. Rolf Wetzell the player is not known to most people. Frankly, and I think he will forgive me, he just is not strong enough. But, boy, can he write! He explains his own Chess development eloquently and yet simply: what worked what didn't. He saves us mere mortals hours of useless study. One thing I have already implemented is Flash Cards. Yes, you know all about these,don't you? They are used every day in schools. Well, I am over fifty, and its not too late to learn! These have helped - I have lost only once in the last nine games since starting to use them. Great book, buy it, 'nuff said!
Rating: 
Summary: Good ideas, but not perfect
Review: In this book Rolf Wetzell basically tells the reader all the factors that he thinks make up chess "strength" (how strong of a player one is), then tells you ways that you can improve on these aspects. I thought that most of his ideas were very logical, and correct. I especially like Wetzell's thoughts on light/quality/durable images, and how they can help your chessplay. I found the book helpful, but I was a little disappointed with it in some ways. One thing I noticed is that Wetzell often repeats himself. This got annoying, and also decreased my confidence in his book and ideas. Another thing I didn't like was that I felt like Wetzell wanted me to do things exactly like he did. I would have liked it better if he had just thrown out the ideas, and let you do with them what you want. This is also a very short book, and I don't think the quality of the text is worth the [price]. I would recommend spending the money on books that are more well known that you know will be good investments.
Rating:
Summary: A Silly Book...At Any Price
Review: This book consists of effective tools in studying the game of chess and not so much on instructions. The tools the author shares (flashcards, APROP) is no joke in the effectiveness of its results. I was surprised to see how often certain positions show up in my games and how effective the use of flashcards, suggested by the author, have been. My only complaints is that the author tends to be a bit too opinionated in his approach to chess improvement and therefore I do not use all his techniques but the ones I do use has improved my game from level B to expert/candidate master (USCF) in a 13 mo. period. At a stuck rating, the question to ask yourself is "Which effective techniques have I done to get to where I am right now (considering you are a strong player)? and "Which techniques are not producing the results I want?" To consistently use what works and change the approach that doesn't. You know you are getting better when you make different mistakes. To study and to train like a "beginner", because beginners learn the quickest. This know-it-all mentally which strong players develop (and I am speaking for myself) actually makes it more difficult to absorb information. Believe me YOU WILL NOT LOSE WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW!
Rating:
Summary: Good Self-Help Book for players stuck at a rating plateau
Review: This book is very interesting to read. The first portion of the book could be skipped if you are willing to take his ideas on faith alone - I skimmed the first section and concluded that the ideas were reasonably sound. The second part of the book consists of the actual improvement methods. The main lessons from the book are that 1) most people get stuck at a certain level after a number of years of playing chess, 2) unless you study smarter (not harder) or do something drastically different in your routine, nothing will change, 3) you need to allocate some of your study time to re-inforce what you already know, 4) you MUST study your own games - especially losses very critically and honestly. In my opinion, some of the earlier reviews were unduly harsh regarding the use of computer technology or flashcards and gave the book an artificially low review. It is the method and the ideas that are important. It really doesen't matter so much whether you use hard-copy, computers, flash cards, etc. Just do what works best for you, BUT DO IT!
Rating:
Summary: A Silly Book...At Any Price
Review: Whenever an author tells me to tear up dollar bills to punish myself for my bad chess habits, I know it's time to consider tearing up his ridiculous book. The best I can say for this book is that there are plenty of worse chess books out there. I know; I've read too many of them already. I only wish that, instead of buying books like this one, I'd done something better with my money--like feeding a homeless guy, or even buying him some beer or cigarettes.
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