mayhem in the morra

Ignore the naysayers and whoop it up with the Morra. Beginners need to learn about tactics, initiative, and attacking like a berzerker, and this is a good opening for that. 

As for the book being too advanced, just because a student doesn't understand everything doesn't mean a book can't be of value. 

Sooner or later any 1.e4 player will need a good line against the Sicilian. Amateur players should avoid the main lines at all costs, so the Morra Gambit (and its cousin 2.c3) are as good as anything else, and certainly more fun than the currently popular lines with 3.Bb5.

   I don't think there are a lot of beginners who are drawn to chess by the beauties of 'positional' play. Maybe the prodigies. For most of us, it's the tactics that get us hooked.....

    In additional to the previous ideas, look at the games of other players. Most that you'll find in DBs are at least master level, and very instructive. 

   Check out Milan Matulovic, a controversial Yugoslav GM who played the Smith-Morra a bunch of times in back the 1950s.

i drew with one of the top dozen players in the United States with the Smith Morra accepted but that was back in 1973.  Now i think the gambit is dubious at the highest levels.

If you're about to play Kramnik, you might want to have second thoughts about using the Morra. If you're about to play an average opponent, bash away!

I guess I must have been the exception back in 1995.

First two openings that interested me:  French Defense.  Queen's Gambit Declined - Exchange Variation, specifically the Minority Attack approach! (A very "positional" idea, going for the backwards c-pawn).