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Now i feel all good inside. A few small errors are being corrected and new PDF versions will hit people's inboxes soon. Printed copy delayed for 2 weeks max.

I've been meaning to write up a review for this for a while but haven't found the time until now...

One of the most commonly asked questions on the magic forums is ‘how do I go about putting together an act and performing it?’. Well, this is the book which answers that question.

Performing Magic to the Public is a 227 page book by Stephen Ward and is available as either a PDF or a printed paperback. The book aims to take someone through the stages of creating their act from choosing the effects and developing a character right the way through to that first paid performance.

Stephen’s writing style is always a pleasure to read and this book is no exception, everything here is explained in a clear, concise and easy to understand way.

The book starts off looking at how to go about starting to create your act. Stephen covers, what in my opinion are two very important subjects, those are, ‘are you ready to start performing?’ and the subject of originality, both of these sections contain some very interesting points that even some experienced performers would do well to read.

Next, the book looks at how to go about creating your routines. It looks at effects to choose, how long you should be performing for as well as including some very good dos and dont’s. I love the fact that Stephen as spoken about the differences in types of performances, from wedding sets to corporate and restaurant acts. The book also contains a very good section looking at creating your character, giving plenty of food for thought and some great advice on about how to best present yourself.

The second part of the book, looks at actually getting out there and performing for the great unwashed. Stephen goes into some brilliant detail on the sorts of people that you’re likely to meet and how to best handle them. This section also give a supurb and detailed look at the various different types of performances that you may do, what would be expected of you in each of these and some of the situations that you might find yourself in.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s chock full of some brilliant advice from someone who really does know the business. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to either the beginner or more experienced performer.

Deceptiveness – n\a

Quality 8/10

A nicely presented PDF, easy to read and well laid out. (I’ve not seen the printed version so can’t comment on that but as it’s produced by Lulu, I’ve got no doubt that the quality would be good)

Teaching 9/10

Stephen’s writing style is clear, easy to understand as well as entertaining. If it hadn’t been for my daughters deciding that they needed some attention, I’d happily have read it cover to cover in one go.

Value 9/10

At £20 for the PDF and £25 for the printed book, I’d say that you’d be silly not to grab yourself a copy of this.

Overall 9/10

An excellent book that is full of valuable information for both the beginner and experienced performer.

Thank you! My internet connection is not working at the moment (using my blackberry) the price will be lowered once I get back online and the pdf errors will be corrected