The Effect
Imagine being able to go into a pub/room/performance and being able to start writing out accurate impressions before even saying a word. Or even spicing up your book tests making them more impromptu, or just giving yourself more of an air of a Mind Reader. That is what this book is about. It is not just a set of 'tools' (infact, I would loosely call it 'tools' anyway) but more like the modern manual for the serious mentalist/psychic.
Cost
$45
www.wonderwizards.com
Difficulty
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)
It is hard to guage the difficulty of this book. I would say that there are multiple levels to the information, alot of it is definately a 1, but some of it would get up to 4. So... 1-4.
Review
This is probably one of the better books I have read on this style of magic in a while. Kenton and his team have alot of great ideas on how to build your image as a Mind Reader. The material can be applied across the board for ALL areas of mentalism and even straight into magic. If you want to be able to go into a room and claim to read minds, whether you want to take a mystic or a psychological point of view you will impress. Even if you just want to make your card tricks a little more impressive by adding a few tidbits of readings here and there.
This information is not cold reading. Though in a way it is a bit like Wonder Words meets Cold Reading. (Ala completely cold / wonder readings) But a large step further. This information is very bold and takes a 'pair' to attempt to pull off some of the suggestions given. In either case the book is built full of outs anyway so it makes missing fun. The material is far away enough from Cold Reading that alot of people familure with the methods of Cold Reading would be completely fooled.
I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to build their act. It is full of information from little tips on the microcosmic aspects your act to full processes of making very specific readings and 'Knowing' everything about your audience.
Remember kids, Kentons stuff is not for everyone. It is for risk takers. I can remember when I first read his stuff and saying to myself, 'Now way. what knob would fall for this.". This is definately one of those publications. It is one of those books I can see alot of people getting, and putting in their drawer feeling slightly cheated. Then, 6 months to a year later being bored, maybe slightly drunk, and pulling out the book and flipping through it. Finding the gems, and then ultimately realizing the whole book is a gem of wonderful knowledge and applying it into their complete act.
Overall
I give this book a [9.5/10].