This is a typical Cardoza book in that editing, proofreading, and careful production were not part of the equation. I can't understand why this publisher seems to take pride in sloppy work. That out of the way...
Schiller admittedly loves to hype the things he loves, but that's fine. He is a big fan of the Tarrasch, but he backs this with solid knowledge and extensive practice, so it all works to the good. And that's the upside of Cardoza's line of books: they brim with enthusiasm, excitement, interesting ideas, and above all a philosophy of getting out there and winning. After a couple of hours with this book, you just can't wait to get out there and play and try out your new ideas. That's no small thing--- how many chess books make you want an afternoon nap instead?
There are few full books to be found about the Tarrasch. Schiller's book fills a real hole. (The other book I know of is Aagaard and Lund's "Meeting 1. d4" which, while quite good, is more theoretical and dry.) Schiller definitely concentrates on ideas and typical plans and tactics for both sides. The writing style and presentation is cogent and easy to follow. You cannot get through this book without having a thorough conception of the flow of the Tarrasch. Enough material is presented on variants and alternatives to make the book a reasonable enough reference, though you might have to hunt around a bit; of course the book is not "theoretically complete" but it never seemed intended to be. As a good practical introduction, this book will have you playing the Tarrasch in tournament games rather quickly (as it is doing for me).
Later on if you want to become a complete Tarrasch specialist you'll need a little more material, such as a game collection. But for getting going and learning the concepts, this book will take you quite far. You just have to grin and bear it when really obvious typos appear multiple times in one line.
Overall 4 stars for content and sheer enthusiasm and energy; one star off for poor editing.
