Only read the sections on Chinese mahjong as I am not interested in the American version, but it lays out a very approachable rules explanation along with beginner through advanced strategy guides. The history sections were also very interesting! ( )

I love Mah Jongg so when I saw this book I knew I needed to read it. However, I think it would have been better as two separate books instead of one. This book details the tiles that are used for both American Mah Jongg and Chinese Mahjong as well as the differences in the play and scoring.

Having played American Mah Jongg for many years I was interested in seeing how to play Chinese Mahjong. Knowing nothing about Chinese Mahjong, this book should have been more helpful, but it wasn't. The specifics of how to play Chinese Mahjong as laid out in the book were very heavy (the only word I can think to use) never really clearly stating what you needed to do to score the points needed to win. The explanations were so complicated I couldn't figure them out.

I think that a group of Mahjong players would be needed to aid in the education of a novice, not this book. ( )

Tom Sloper is a well-known name amongst online mahjong fans. His site is the best source of mahjong information in English. Thus his book carries some authority. He covers two important and wildly different styles of mahjong, the American style and the new official Chinese mahjong.

The book has about 90 pages on both of them, covering rules in detail and some beginner strategy. There's some information on mahjong in general as well. The book is written well, and Sloper's style survives the leap from his web writing to more formal book writing.

For me the American style is just a strange curiosity, but the official Chinese game is my favourite mahjong style. Thus, this book is highly relevant for me. Fans of the American-style mahjong might feel the same, but those who aren't interested in either will find little in this book.

However, the Chinese game is played in the World Championships and other high-level tournaments, so knowing it is a must for all mahjong aficionados - and this book helps there. So, this book is highly recommended! ( )