Take a look at our book reviews. You should always read up on what other people think of books available for purchase. You don't want to spend money on a book that your not going to enjoy. Do you have this product and want to add your two cents? Send your comments to David@newmagicsource.com or contact us on MySpace.com.
Product by name:
Art and Artifice, Jim Steinmeyer
Secret Revelations, Criss Angel
The Magician and the Cardsharp, Karl Johnson
Freak Out Your Friends, Pete Firman
Idiot's Guide to Street Magic, Tom Ogden
Carter Beats the Devil, Glen David Gold
The Secret Life of Houdini, Kalush and Sloman
The hottest magician in years takes us behind–the–scenes of his hit A&E show and offers secret tips to 25 illusions you won't see anywhere else. Criss Angel is poised to take the magic world by storm. He had his first 1–hour special on ABC in '01, headlined Madison Square Garden's annual Halloween special a year later to an audience of 60,000, performed in front of 75,000 people in Times Square, had two subsequent 1–hour specials on the Sci–Fi channel, he's received countless magician awards, and he currently has a groundbreaking show on A&E called CRISS ANGEL MINDFREAK, the first weekly magic show in over 40 years, that consistently wins its timeslot. MINDFREAK – the book – will be an extention of the show, which uses a specific topic each week – like 'Buried Alive', 'Bullet Catch', 'Building Walk', or 'Levitation' – to delve into the history of each subject, and see if Criss can't break new ground by doing something no one has done before. |
Review of Criss Angel's Secret Revelations
This is an objective reaction to the book, Secret Revalations by Criss Angel. If you are one of The Loyal, you may not want to read on. We will raise several issues with the book that are not for the faint at heart. Ok, you've been sufficiently warned.
Let us begin with the cover of the book. On the back you will find nothing but glowing, inflating reviews. Apparently, "Criss Angel is the postmodern Houdini and the man in whose hands the future of magic lies" -MTV. Nevermind the other hundreds of magicians, who earn their paycheck through performance. But we don't want to get off topic. We're talking about the contents of the book.
The book almost turned me off from the start. The ego pours out of the pages in drowning amounts. I noticed plugs for Korn and iPod. Just one chapter in I was ready to put the book down and forget about it. I couldn't be bothered to count how many times Criss said,"mind, body and spirit." I could sum up the first three chapters, give or take, by saying,"I'm great, it's all about mind, body and spirit, and did I mention, I'm great?"
Inbetween moments of questionable grammar, he shared the story of his dad, and other topics in his life that seemed to bring it down to earth. It was these moments that kept me interested in reading. He seemed like a real person... with only the occasional mind, body and spirit. There were a few standouts I'd also like to mention. The two pictures he decided to include, at Houdini's grave, were the most disrespectful pictures I've seen in a while. In one photo, he is STANDING ON TOP OF HOUDINI'S GRAVE. Not only that, he's doing his Jesus pose, an issue we can discuss another time. Disgusting. The other photo at Houdini's plot, is a shot of Criss shirtless, eyes closed in deep reflection. The words that come to mind? 'Man I looked awesome standing on top of your gravestone'. He's got a bad Pocahontas hairdo, he's half naked and he's lounging on another man's grave. It takes a special kind, I guess.
Hang tight, we're almost done. In this book, you'll learn the saaaaame tricks that are taught everywhere. I can't tell you how many places you can find the glass through table/ shaker through table/ dissolving glass. And it's not a mindfreak, it's a magic trick; you won't find any other magician using the word 'mindfreak'. With a little effort you could find the originators of the other 33 tricks taught in the book. Or atleast, more than seven.
He was buried alive for a week in Times Square, encased in ice for three days, also in Times Square, and stood atop an 83-foot pillar in Manhattan's Bryant Park for 36 hours-and received national TV coverage for all these feats. Often touted as the new Houdini, Blaine is a consummate magician as well as endurance artist and an important force in the field for his advocacy of "street magic." In this spirited book, his first, Blaine offers readers a magical extravaganza on paper, a mix of autobiography, history of magic, how-to (do magic), interactive magic tricks and self-help advice. Blaine begins with intimations of stage magic's power, with an account of legendary 19th-century magician Robert-Houdin traveling to Algeria on orders of the French government to quell an uprising by showing that his magic was greater than that of the rebels. He ends with a knuckle-whitening account of his pillar stunt, a "dream manifesto" ("Read. Observe.... Our minds have no limits") and suggested resources including books of general interest (at the top: The Brothers Karamazov |
). This is a very personal volume, with Blaine's passionate, playful, opinionated, determined personality evident on nearly every page. Magic buffs will find much here that's familiar, like the recaps of magicians past and present, but even serious hobbyists will pick up tips from the tricks and explanations scattered throughout, and the final chapters, devoted to Blaine's endurance challenges, are pure gold. 
