Magic Tricks

You should read this book! The first section of the book is essential reading for all mentalists or aspiring mentalists and there are important gems throughout. At its best, it lays out a philosophy of mentalism, including why mentalism is appealing to people, the posture of the performer, and the importance of uncertainty, tension, surprise, and elation. Osterlind is a master and a genius and it shows in this brief book. I have three points of disagreement, but nothing that detracts from the overall impact of the book. My first disagreement is he is very dismissive and negative about "electronic devices." This feels dated and unhelpful. I doubt he had seen Mental Dice or the PITATA White Board or a bunch of other devices where the electronic nature is impossibly disguised. (The book was written twelve years ago.) Second, he does something I find frustrating, which is the "kids these days" criticisms. The young mentalists are taken with fads, they rely on self-working tricks, they don't move around enough, etc. I've been working at magic and mentalism for over thirty years and there are many young performers who are much more talented than me, both in raw talent and the time they put into crafting their routines. Criticizing young talent is grating. Finally, the book is exceedingly brief, coming in at 86 pages. The final sections don't have the heft of the openers either. Still, consider this a great review (a 4.5 star review), even with these objections. Anyone who wants to think well about mentalism should read this important work.