The best book I have read in a long, long time!

[David Ben]

I can't recall ever posting an unsolicited testimonial for a book related to magic. But here goes.

James Hagy, well-known in magic history circles, has just written the best book I have ever read related to the performance of magic as it relates to actually making a living. It is, in essence, all the tips one needs for connecting with an audience, and staging a performance - regardless of the scale. It is particularly good for people who perform in the corporate environment and or who do keynotes where magic is used as a metaphor. (Frankly, this is the market that has been the most lucrative for magicians for the past few decades.)

I can't imagine a single person on this forum who would not benefit from reading it. I have no commercial interest in this product. Mr. Hagy has done a tremendous service for magic and I would certain make room for this book on the legendary four-foot shelve of magic books.

Seriously.

Here is the description of his book, and how to order it:

While we seldom may think of it this way, all of us perform frequently. You hope to communicate effectively and confidently to listeners every day, in formal or informal settings. You may be in a classroom, or in a business meeting, or making a presentation at a professional conference. It may be something you have carefully planned for weeks, or it may be impromptu. It could be a chat down the street from your house, or a toast at that friend’s wedding last weekend. James Hagy draws upon his three careers – law school professor, partner in a global law firm, and magician – to share secrets of building your skills in presenting yourself and your ideas to audiences large and small. The essays are informed by the world of magic, where the performer often has direct engagement with members of the audience, as participants rather than just as observers, and the magician is a listener as well as a talker. All the while, quietly also making the “magic” work. Secrets Magicians Could Tell explores the elements of creating a magical presentation for your listeners, from understanding your audience and venue, to audience engagement, to coping when things may go wrong. Whatever the circumstances, everyone deserves to be the star in their own show!

Secrets Magicians Could Tell is available for $30.00 postpaid within the United States, $60.00 to Canada, and $70.00 elsewhere in the world. It is comprised of more than 160 pages and includes more than 75 historical images. Just released, copies are available now by sending your payment one of two ways:

Via Paypal to our Reginald Scot Books account at: demodice@comcast.net

Or by addressing and mailing your payment to: James Hagy, P.O. Box 714, Glenview, IL 60025-0714

[CraigMitchell]

That's exceptionally high praise ... thank you for the recommendation! Going to check it out ...