Now my main weapon against e4
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I am a 1600 to 1700 ranked correspondence (web based) chess player who opens with c4 and D4 with white. Developing a reply to black's e4 has been a bit of a challenge for me. I have tried the sicilian, but there is so much theory to learn, both on your chosen variety, and the anti-sicilians.
The modern is a terrific alternative. Statistically it achieves results almost as good as the sicilian, but more importantly for me, most e4 players at my level don't spend time learning it (unlike the sicilian, which is played as much as 50% of the time against e4). Another thought I had when considering the modern was that unlike D4 players, most e4 players haven't spent as much time learning to defeat a fianchettoed kings bishop (D4 players have to due to the popularity of the kings indian).
I purchased Tiger's book as a backup to my sicilian - another option to try. Well, I have now been converted, and use Tigers modern as my main weapon. This is a beautiful book, which really highlights in the introduction to each chapter the key plans for black and white. I have been amazed how often white players fall for simple traps (like advancing the b pawn to challenge knight on c3, allowing capture of e4 pawn), mainly because white is just not familiar with the idea.
I love the chapter on the Hippopotamus, which can be used as an alternative with some of Tiger's lines. Tiger is a fun author to read, his use of a quote by Talking Heads in this chapter (nothing happens in heaven) is for me almost worth the price of the book!
The chapter on c4 is probably not the strongest, but in fairness, it is not that common for an e4 player to play c4 in the first few moves, as this is a D4 opening (c4 can also often be prevented by Nf6 if not played quickly). I don't currently have the confidence to try the modern against a D4 or C4 opening due to this, but this isn't an issue for me. Tiger is very honest about this chapter, and for me, it is enough for the odd situation when C4 does arise soon after e4. The ideas are still very well presented, and accordingly, quick to learn.
This book and the modern may not suit everyone (this isn't orthodox chess), but it has been a godsend for me, resulting in a lot of fun trying to "blow up" white's centre.
Treasure trove of ideas
Customer Rating: 
What an interesting opening book. Tiger Hillarp Persson has really put together a treasure trove of games and analysis of the modern. Many of the games are his own and he is not afraid to include his losses and his flawed gems.
First of all, beware. This is not a book which provides complete coverage of the modern. In that respect, it is more like a repertoire book.
From a strict point of view, it is quite likely that some of the analysis in this book is also flawed. The games are full of queen sacrifices and piece sacrifices and they are not to everyone's taste. But then if you want a safe opening, don't play the modern...play the caro-kann instead.
The modern really defies analysis and opening books struggle to deal with its great flexibility. That is why you will find very little theory on the modern. There are so many possibilities for transpositions. The opening is not for everyone. If you are an attacking player who likes open positions, then this opening is not for you. The modern is a slippery opening that avoids contact between the forces in the first few moves. Any opening up of the position has to be carefully weighed, particularly by the player of the black pieces who usually suffers from less space. That said, the modern is like a coiled spring and in the hands of a practititioner who knows what he is doing, weaker players who play the white pieces may suffer rapid self destruction at the hands of this opening.
The book is nicely presented and I have found no typographical errors (yet), which is always a good sign. The glossy front cover is attractive and the diagrams clear. The games are really worth close analysis. Don't read this book with the aim of memorizing some opening variations. The modern is not like that.
But working through the various ideas and transpositions should be beneficial.
The only reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the coverage of the Averbakh variation of the modern. I really felt that this section was there to provide complete coverage. I am not sure that the author's heart and soul are written into this section to the same extent as they are in the e4 variation sections. Playing 4...e5 against the Averbakh may not be be everyone's taste and those who like the middle game conflicts of the 1. e4 modern may not like the endgame that results from the variation 4 ... e5 5. dxe dxe 6. Qxd8+ Kxd8 7. f4.
All in all, this is undoubtedly the most interesting of all the books I own on the modern.
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