On Bidding: Albert Morehead's Classic Work on the Principles of Bidding Judgment

This is mandatory reading for any bridge teacher, and highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand not just Standard American, but how a bidding system in general should work. It might be a little too heavy to be a "first book" for someone wanting to learn, but it's an essential part of any bridge player's library. Here's one example: Truscott's explanation of when to open 2 clubs? When you're worried that if you open 1 of a suit, the auction will be passed out. Too many explanations look at total points without considering defensive strength, or the practicalities of modern bidding. As Truscott points out, if you have a hand like S --, H AKQxxx, D AKxx, C KQx, you can safely open 1 heart, because somebody's going to bid spades. But change the suits to AKQxxx/AKxx/--/KQx, and it's a different story. A 2 club opener is mandatory. Put simply, you open 2 clubs because you have to, not because you can. In 30 years as a player and student of the game, I've never seen a better explanation of the bid than that. This book is filled with that kind of concise, sharp insight.