Background: Work doesnt permit me to play much tournament or club bridge. I have more ACBL gold and silver and red than black. I have not made life master.
Moreover I am a "book player". It was with pleasant surprise that I found myself solving 9 out of ten problems, dentist's coups, throw-ins, avoiding automatic cover, combining best chances in these slam problems. Twenty years ago, bridge literature was useless to me, as I cheated and looked at the answers. Kelsey's finer points were lost to me. Now, good techinque has come naturally, and I re-read all my books, which I have luckily not thrown away. Playing ghoulies or rubber bridge has improved the keenness of my play more than a dozen regional pair events.
About Brock's book, there is enough original material scattered, a veteran like me might have seen many themes, still consider it a good workbook, take it on a airplane ride.
(Either the play books are getting easier, -except for Pottage, Bourke and Hoffman - or I am in one those three heats mentioned by Zia =) ) ( )