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Tricks to Freak Out Your Friends - Pete Firman

Available from http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/explorer/184 ... 95-8785240?

Price: £9.99...or even less you lucky people!

Magic book

Difficulty: 1-3 out of 5

They say:

If you're interested in magic because on your ninth birthday Mummy and Daddy booked the ruddy faced Uncle Fiddlesticks who made sweets appear from pockets he'd forced you to verify were empty, and you now want to know how it was done, then this isn't the book for you. "Tricks To Freak Out Your Friends" doesn't contain trivial and forgettable tricks.

The material in this book is 'grab you by the balls and twist 'em' stuff. It's sick and it's rude, and it'll blow their minds. If someone bent a spoon under your nose, had it melt in your hand and then floated six inches off the ground you'd take notice, wouldn't you? If they'd followed that up by resurrecting a dead fly, swallowing a knife and making a message mysteriously appear on their forearm you'd be right to be well impressed, and it's all in "Tricks To Freak Out Your Friends", and more.

This natty full-colour magic-manual takes you through each trick in detail, and colour photos demonstrate just how to perform them. It's guaranteed to make your friends choke on their pints. The book contains a foreword from Pete’s friend and ex-roommate Derren Brown.

I say:

Pete Firman is (in case you have been in a self induced coma for the past 5+ years) a vibrant and talented magician from the North of England….but let’s not hold that against him, he‘s pretty darned good anyway.

Pete hit the scene in big style on Monkey Magic in 2002 and has been a regular face on TV based magic here in the UK ever since. Imagine the love child of Frodo Baggins and Brian May and you’ll pretty much have Mr. Firman pegged.

This book sports a forward by superstar “melon twister” Derren Brown and that introduction pretty much sets the tone for the entire thing. This is a humerous and irreverent take on good ‘ol conjuring classics, sight gags, sick jokes and jaw dropping party tricks for the mal-adjusted!

Every page will remind you of a 70’s Blue Peter annual seen through the eyes of a twisted class clown. Petes humour is woven into every paragraph as he clearly outlines the nuances of each of the 50+ tricks in this charming, colourful and generally yummy looking A4, soft back book.

Wanna’ stab a fork in your eye, put cigarettes out on your tongue, levitate, cut your thumb off, break your own nose or throw a card through a plate glass window? Me too! Pete Firman will show you how and then some!

This is a charming collection of really cool effects ranging from self-working illusions and gags to traditional card tricks and sleight of hand classics with an emphasis on an edgy presentation. The book is designed to inspire the young (or young at heart) readership to perform cool magic and perhaps get them the occasional free pint in the process! Who knows, it could even help you pull the chicks… hasn’t for Pete, but you never know!

Now Firman…I want those photos AND the negatives…

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Sounds great! I had my eye on this book a while back, and will probably get it soon. I really do like Pete Firman.
Thanks for the brilliant review

My pleasure...I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

Tom Lauten wrote:Every page will remind you of a 70’s Blue Peter annual seen through the eyes of a twisted class clown.

I saw this book in Waterstones, you're right it does look like one of those annuals you (well, me) used to get at Christmas. It's very nicely illustrated with lots of full colour pictures and nicely written instructions. Perfect for anyone wanting to get into magic.