I had never heard of German mentalist Florian Severin, but the free sample of this book from Vanishing Inc convinced me to buy his book. Unfortunately, I was a little late to the party, and I had to find a copy. (It remains, at this writing, out of print.)
Admittedly, part of what attracted me to the book was its innovative design and layout. (For a magic book, anyway.) To me, this indicates a level of beyond-common care and attention to detail. (As is typical of books published by Vanishing Inc.)
But once I started reading it, I was very satisfied by the discussion of the material. The performance pieces themselves have all the hallmarks of a true professional — there are no pipe dreams, unreliable methods, or armchair inventions. This is practical, performable stuff.
But the best part is the lengthy and insightful discussion about all the choices he has made in putting these pieces together. This is where the “real work” lies, and it’s fantastic. As Ken Weber says in the book’s introduction, “Details, details, it’s all about the details.” All the details are seemingly here, wrapped in just the right amount of humor and personality — which at times reminded me of the great Paul Harris books from the 1980s.
Were there things about the book I didn’t enjoy? Sure. The lengthy discussion of pre-show was interesting to a point, but not relevant to me personally, so it became a bit of a slog. For you, however, it might very well be the very best part of the book.
Finally, I have to mention and praise the “Easter eggs” that Severin has included. Cryptograms, puzzles, and even a BASIC program listing. So much fun!
Comments