Intended for any bridge player interested in defensive card-play, whether in theory or in practice, this book has two interwoven parts. The first consists of a wide-ranging description and evaluation of currently-used methods, accompanied by brief coverage of some obscure and out-of-date ones. Each method is judged according to pre-established standards, and the author's preferences emerge. The second part contains examples - both in the descriptions, showing the strong and weak points of different agreements, and in quiz form, enabling the reader to practise using and interpreting different signals.