Yep, I have. The biggest change for me, bigger than even the change I made to the formats for my scripts, was that I'm now writing my scripts from the audience's POV. It's made a significant difference in crystallizing what it is that I want the audience to be seeing, thinking and experiencing.

I bought this book based on all the reviews here. I am going to go against the grain here and say that I was disappointed with this book. Maybe I had big expectations based on what was said here.

Here is what the book offers - bunch of scripts (which probably saw paper for the first time for this book), interviews with some names, and some analysis at beginning or end of scripts.

It doesn't discuss how one should go about scripting - which is what I expected from a title SCRIPTING magic. If you wanted to use existing scripts that are here (yes this is a book where you can find them), then this may be useful. But it does not discuss how to actually go about thinking through a presentation and how to script your magic (Here's a quote -- "I you can't get audiences to like you using this script, I don't know what you can do.") It makes the point that scripting is important - which hopefully was obvious beforehand. It falls short in teaching or evaluating good vs. bad scripts. The scripts in the book do vary in quality. I think it seems impressive that its all the big magicians offering their advice on this important topic but it doesn't quite get anywhere in my opinion. Read Darwin's book instead and learn something of value.

sumit

Sounds like you were reading a different book to the rest of us.

Sumit, me also - I can't follow you. Jan

This is by far one of the best magic books I've ever read. Peter has insight on magic that many pros don't have. I loved it.

Jimmy

I enjoyed the book. Gave me lots of ideas for tricks I already do.

I wish that Pete could have written this book 35 years ago, when I first got into card magic.

I would be a much better entertainer by now. Thank you Pete so much!!!

Jim

"Sumit, me also - I can't follow you. Jan"

really? you don't "follow"? allow me to help you out, Jan. he appears to be simply saying that while the book gives many examples of scripts, it doesn't have a point-by-point prescription for how to write them. rather, from the scripts and surrounding interviews, it seems that the book's quite deliberate intention is that the reader for the most part infer both how to write a script and what is a good or bad one. it essentially follows a "case study" method, like in business schools, which don't simply require that students commit "how to" lists to memory, on the premise that only by confronting a diverse range of real-world circumstances can useful problem-solving and critical-thinking skills be developed. while perhaps not an ultimately important criticism, and almost certainly not a fatal criticism, it's not particularly hard to follow when someone effectively asks for more in the way of "how to" lists and direction. the curt, purportedly befuddled responses suggest people are upset by the loss of unanimity and hope that by pretending that the criticism is incoherent it will vanish and we can return to the soft comfort of consensus. I find it to be an excellent book; look forward to the next iteration; and think it would have been less effective if it were more explicit in the ways suggested -- foremost were it to have described more explicitly "how one should go about scripting." for that reason, I'm quite sure he was reading precisely the same book; wrote a post about it that's not at all difficult to follow; and he simply had a different response to to the book.

A video review:
http://youtu.be/gTi4tfdP-KQ

I'm not sure why people are saying there is not concrete advice on how to write a script. True it is not spelled out as clearly as it could be, but it there. Read carefully, and you will find what you are looking for!

(Hint - start with the Max Maven interview.)

Thanks for passing along that link Kjellstrom. This is definitely one of our favorite books and we were happy to spread the word so more people know about this.

One question:

Does this book have scripts available to use for tricks I have not scripted yet?

And if so, then it is permissible for me to use the scripts in the book?

Tim

This depends on the tricks you have scripted so far;-)

As has been written before, there are many tricks in this book, and many scripts. Sometimes multiple scripts for the same (or almost same) trick. Most of the scripts can be used by you - in any case all the scripts Pete wrote by himself. He gives explicit permission to do so.

However, once you have read the book, I doubt that you want to use them 1:1 - not because they are not good or not good enough, quite the contrary. You will just realize that it is more rewarding to write your own scripts.

That said, there are definitely some inspiring pieces that will serve you well as a starting points.

To sum it up: whether you're looking for new material implement straightaway, new scripts for existing tricks, inspiration or just a great introduction to the topic of scripting: Get this book.

Best, markus

Thanks Markus, that is very helpful.

This book is great, but I learned about the importance of having a script from Eugene Burger. He's been pushing the issue for years.

Hi!
Is this book also usefull for mentalists?
thx
kiki

Yes, it is! And it is certainly one of the best books you can read regarding this important theme. It will inspire you a lot. IMHO a must read. Jan

Thx Jan!

Is this book still available from somewhere?

Pete will soon have a vol 2 out and a revised edition of the now OOP first volume.