We give each student a double-page spread (4 problems) to solve without marking up the book: we cover the answers, then students must point out the checkmate to an adult or a stronger player. This way the book can be used again and again. Solving 4 puzzles or 8 in the course of a club meeting is a nice short exercise for even the most hyper students.
Students start out with the 1-move puzzles and move on to 2-moves as they get stronger. This practical, repeated exposure to basic mates starts showing up in their own games.
I've seen a 10th grader improve his skills by regular practice with the book, but have also used it successfully with my 6-year-old daughter (who plays USCF tournaments). I definitely see a correlation in beginners who use these puzzles often and their growing skill in tournament chess. Of course, as the other reviewers have pointed out, this is only one element of chess training.
If you're new to chess, a casual player, or just one who likes running through chess problems quickly, this is a good book. The answers are at the bottom of the pages, so there's no flipping between two different sections of the book. A slip of paper or a bookmark and you can keep the answer hidden until you've made your guess. I would prefer all puzzle books to be written this way.
