Greetings all,
First, I am delighted to see the interest out there in our books on Aleks. Second, I apologize for all the grief and pain I have caused you for the delays. I can assure you that the third manuscript is being typeset at this very moment and will be printed and shipped as soon as possible.
Those who know me well know that I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease, at the beginning of my freshman year of college, around November of 2009. (See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myasthenia_gravis). For those chess history buffs out there, yes, this is the same disease that forced GM Henrique Mecking to withdraw from the 1979 Interzonal in Rio de Janeiro. (He did not return to competitive chess until after over a decade of treatment.)
The illness has at times disrupted my education, not to mention my chess writing. A lot of people don't realize that I suffer sporadic problems with motor control and am in constant pain, which can sometimes make writing challenging. Unlike other works, chess books cannot easily be dictated. That said, I have had some successes. I managed to write all three Wojo books, a total of well over 1100 pages, in a period of about four years, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA, studying abroad six times, managing my illness, learning three foreign languages, and continuing my volunteer work on
pro bono immigration and asylum cases.
I do realize that some of the material on the first book may already be a bit dated by the time Volume III is in your hands. That said, I do not think our theory is that far behind the times. Many IMs and GMs have come up to Dean and me to express how pleased they were with the caliber of our analysis. In reality, our lines are holding up to the test of theory--and they are still winning tournaments. In most of our analysis (in all three volumes), Dean and I have been ahead of the curve. This means that many of the ideas in Vol. 1 are just now gaining recognition. Hence, the books are still quite topical, even four years later.
That said, if anyone has an outdated line from the book that they would like for Dean and me to take a look at, we'd be happy to see about publishing some new analysis online. Consider it a "theory warranty." If our recommendation is behind the curve, contact us about it, and we'll do our best to find you something else to play.
Best regards,
Jonathan Hilton