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Geoffrey Durham Professional Secrets: A Life in Magic
7" x 10" (178mm x 255mm), 272 pages, 20 photographs, numerous line drawings
Hardbound with dust jacket
Foreword by Wayne Dobson
Reviewed
by Duncan Trillo/MagicWeek
Professional
Secrets is roughly divided between the in-depth study of magic secrets and
routines, and the in-depth study of performance secrets, without which there is
no magic. Throughout, Geoffrey will cause you to stop and reflect on your own
performance style, and your whole approach to the art of magic. This is a book
that will make you think.
The 'trick' content is excellent. Highlights for me being Durham's Prediction Box (fantastic!), The Blocks, The Gold Medallion and the brilliant 'The Celebrity Floats'. I'm not going to go into detail and list all the others, suffice to say the trick content scores a very solid 10 out of 10 and if you are wanting to make the transition from table to stage then this is the book for you.
But really it is the performance side that stands out for me, simply because there are so few 'magic' books that cover the performance of magic properly, and more often than not those that do attempt to cover it shouldn't have! Chapters on performance include: People Like You, Rhythm In Magic, Sweet Talk, Practice and Rehearsal, Where The Magic Happens, A Volunteer From The Audience, On Television, The Right Stuff, In Praise Of White, Fear, Bravado and Lies and more. The contents of these chapters are simply strewn with nuggets of pure gold.
Professional Secrets ticks all the right boxes. It is really two books in one. First, it's a collection of top-flight perfectly crafted material for the professional magician, and secondly it's a masterclass on performance.
Beautifully produced, you must treat yourself to a copy of this book.
To order visit www.geoffreydurham.com
© Duncan Trillo, February 2008