The principle of the auction is not unique to bridge, but it is what separates bridge from most other card games. This book is aimed at people who are deterred from learning to play, as it all seems too complicated. The world-class player Zia Mahmood explains that, if you can bid for a piece of china at an auction, by learning the language you can learn to bid for a contract in a bridge auction. The book lays out in straightforward steps the rules, conventions and peculiarities of bridge, with examples of the best and worst ways to play a hand.