The Ideal Book Theme

[KenAbbott]

OK. I love to read books from various magicians. But, what I seem to get is a long series of tricks and explanations. Maybe some essays along the way. When I am finished, I always ask myself how this person could perform, let alone create this many tricks.

While it may never occur for several reasons, I would love to buy a book from one magician or a compilation of several top magicians which describes and teaches the top five or so tricks that the magician performs on a daily basis. I want to understand why he has chosen those tricks. I want to know in what order he performs them and why. I want to know why the first trick is his chosen opener or his chosen closer.

Maybe they won't end up being my five tricks. But, it would be great to get some insight as to how and why I should make my selections and how to organize them.

What do you think???

[Jim Maloney_dup1]

Check out Dai Vernon's Tribute to Nate Leipzig. Among other things, it describes Nate's stage act from beginning to end.

Peter Samelson's book, Theatrical Close-up, also goes a bit into his routining of some of the effects therein. I know that, almost twenty years after the book was published, he still uses some of the material regularly. (The ring & rope effects make up the opening of his stand-up act, which I've seen at Monday Night Magic several times, and I'd be very surprised if he isn't using the Cigarette and Thimble routine, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and NY Transpo.)

-Jim