Has anyone read Back to Basics-Tactics by Dan Heisman? Is it worth the purchase for a novice? I'm also considering The Amateurs Mind by Silman. Thanks.

Heisman's book is great!  Good explainations and great exercises.  However I wished  had followed Heisman's book and read Chess Tactics for Students by John Bain BEFORE Heisman's book.

If you can't find Bain's book you might want to get

A World Champion's Guide to Chess: Step-by-step instructions for winning chess the Polgar way by Susan Polgar.

It is another good basic tactics book that will prepare you for Heisman's book.

chesstempo.com let's you do tactics for free. I'd reccomend the Amatuer's Mind, I'm reading it right now. It is not only very well written and instructional, it is also entertaining.

Do you think Heisman's book is more like the second step/level to learning and understanding tactis compared to Bain and Polgars book?

Thanks Ghostly14 for the tip. I've been on that site for a couple of weeks and I'm slowly getting better but I have trouble with the "why" on some of the problems. I'm diffinately going to get Amatuers Mind, I like how silman explains things in his endgame book (even though I've only read most of the first two chapters based on his recommendation of ratings) Thanks again

I definitely think the Heisman book should be second after the Bain or Polgar book.  (make sure to get the right Polgar book, she has two and the second is about the same level as Heisman's book)  (all are great....AND Chesstempo is great but I think the Bain or Susan Polgar's book will help you at that site as well)

Thank you both for the help