talkmagic.co.uk

This book is a really good read if you want to improve the performance side of magic. It has sections that will be of interest to magicians such as:

Character Even though you may want to perform as yourself it gives you tips on how you can build on your own character traits to give a more entertaining performance.

self promotion pretty self explanetry

dealing with nerves many simple things that may get overlooked before a show.

a few points on magic in relation to stand up comedy one thing that Jay said in this book which really stuck with me was "unlike a punchline to a joke which is a sudden bringing together of things, a clarification. the end to a magic trick is often the opposite a sudden unsolvable mystery"

As a book it is very readable. I recieved it christmas day and couldnt put it down until i finished it on boxing day. Its probly a good idea to read through first then read a second time taking notes on any interesting points.
About 30% of the book is common sense things that we all know but may not think about in this context which can really jog the memory and get you in the right frame of mind for organising your set.

Ok thats my rant over.

I think you can purchase a concise version of this which applies specifically to magicians.

8/10 £14.99