Books by Nick Smith

A humorous yet honest look at the education system, from trainee teacher to headmaster across an extraordinary thirty-year career.

Nick Smith’s first book, Bridge Literature, was originally published by Cadogan Books in 1993 and has since been acclaimed as one of the quirky classics of the game. More Bridge Literature takes a similar form, as a set of parodies of well-known works of English literature.King Lear finds himself playing for France, Winnie-the-Pooh makes his first slam and Lady Bracknell proves hard to impress. Sherlock Holmes’ deductive skills fail him for once, Robinson Crusoe takes drastic action and there’s a lot of fumbling under the table at Cold Comfort Farm. More Bridge Literature is an irreverent and humorous take on much-loved literary classics.Most of the deals are also presented in quiz-form. Readers are encouraged to attempt these declarer-play problems before reading the stories in which the deals are located. But be warned — these may be the toughest single-dummy problems ever published! If you solve even half of these, you are a current or future international player.

Parody is the Sincerest Form of FlatteryBridge Literature was first published by Cadogan Books in 1993 and has since been acclaimed as one of the quirky classics of the game. Most of the stories in Bridge Literature originally appeared in English Bridge, International Popular Bridge Monthly and other periodicals.Readers may be inspired to turn to the original works upon which these stories are based. Most of the original stories are well-known, at least as far as the plot and major characters are concerned, but more pleasure may be derived from the stories if read in conjunction with the original.This new edition has been updated and extended to precede the publication of More Bridge Literature.

The Battle of Fyfield tells the story of a small village's struggle to prevent a new town being built on adjacent farmland owned by an Oxford college. Giles Debbage, the play's focal character, lives in the village's old schoolhouse or, more specifically, in a cellar-office, thanks to marital difficulties. In a vain bid to impress his wife Alice and two teenage daughters, he and a neighbour hatch a plot to kidnap a celebrity don from the college in question. They hope to blackmail the college into abandoning its plans to sell the farmland for development. The kidnap goes ahead but there are a number of surprising revelations and tragi-comic consequences.The Battle of Fyfield is perfect for a smallish, mixed-age cast. All the action takes place on a single, simple set and there are no special costume requirements. It is a mixture of comedy, history and contemporary satire, but it asks important questions about change within rural communities, the role of academic institutions, the power of social media and the future of family life. The play is based on real-life events and, although no such kidnap was ever attempted, the publicity for the play in the local press contributed to the eventual shelving of plans for the new town to be built. It will be an inspiration to any villages and towns faced with unwanted developments.

June 1822. P.B. Shelley is planning a new bridge book. It will feature the most dazzling, difficult deals ever published, the bridge of the gods. It will also be his manifesto – a defence of bridge...But before Shelley leaves on his ill-fated trip to Livorno, he only has time to send his publisher a short "Declarer Play Problems" pamphlet. Nick Smith, however, has unearthed a series of hitherto unchronicled episodes in the poet's life, which demonstrate where the deals first arose, and what actually happened at the bridge table in each case. Historically accurate and beautifully illustrated, this is a book for fans of classic literature as well as bridge players.

In the style of Raymond Chandler, this is hard-boiled detective fiction set in the city of Nub; What are the links between these murders and will Straight and his bug loving side-kick Natasha survive to discover the answers before the edible Inspector Bix Mortis?

Digital Marketing In A Week is a simple and straightforward guide to brilliant digital marketing, giving you everything you need to know in just seven short chapters. From social marketing and search engine optimization, to 'paid' advertising, mobile marketing and creating the perfect website for driving sales, you'll discover the perfect toolkit to drive your successful digital marketing.This book introduces you to the main themes and ideas of digital marketing, giving you a knowledge and understanding of the key concepts, together with practical and thought-provoking exercises. Whether you choose to read it in a week or in a single sitting, NLP In A Week is your fastest route to success:- Sunday: Building the ultimate sales website- Monday: SEO: The backbone of any digital marketing strategy- Tuesday: Social media marketing madness- Wednesday: Pay per click (PPC) simplified and explained- Thursday: Mobile optimization and getting mobile users- Friday: Email marketing - why you should do it no matter what- Saturday: Other marketing tricks and tips in the modern worldABOUT THE SERIESIn A Week books are for managers, leaders, and business executives who want to succeed at work. From negotiating and content marketing to finance and social media, the In A Week series covers the business topics that really matter and that will help you make a difference today. Written in straightforward English, each book is structured as a seven-day course so that with just a little work each day, you will quickly master the subject. In a fast-changing world, this series enables readers not just to get up to speed, but to get ahead.

Glen is as dead as a dodo's doornail, and what's more he has just lost his job. How he became a differently-alive ex-employee is a mystery and extremely inconvenient, in fact it's a bit of a downer. But one thing is certain - he'll stop at nothing to find out how he became a morbid member of the ungrateful undead.