That's what I have been trying to say ...

and if any of them have a money back guarantee.. whaddaya got to lose?

Moving forward...

Doc

I was holding out for a free ShamWow. I'm sure that will be next...

Now you made me google "shamwow" -- Evidently, I need to watch more television instead of listening to OTR.

*jeep!
--soakable Grandpa Chet

I finished reading the Jim's book last night. For the $25 I spent on it (thanks for the Café discount Jim) it's easily the best money I've spent on magic in a long time (including my TA DVD set).

Jim's book provided me with a wealth of knowledge on restaurant magic. I feel as though I'm much better prepared to enter this field after reading this book. I've been hired by a few bars for one night gigs here and there but have wanted to get a 'steady' restaurant position.

Don't buy this book if you're just looking to learn 'tricks.' That's not what this book is about. Jim assumes you already have good material to perform. This book provides you with more of a navigational road map which attempts to save you from the pitfalls as well as provides you with tons of little nuggets of information that Jim learned first hand.

Now I'm going to use the information and techniques from the book and put them into action. Wish me luck!

p.s. I'm also going to read it again. I liked it that much. Thanks Jim!

Title: The Restaurant Magic Reader
Medium: Book, soft cover 182 pages
Arena: Restaurant magic
Available: Any shop, distributed by Murphys Magic Supplies

Jim Sisti is, perhaps, one of the best known restaurant magician based on his great former publication The Magic Menu as well as his columns in Magic Magazine. To put it simply Jim Sisti knows about working restaurants and what it takes to succeed and to make the best of the opportunities the work brings you and also problems associated with it. He is a talented communicator and he knows how to get his point across without wasting time and he makes his points very clearly and is, to be honest, a joy to read. While I have never met Jim we are kindred spirits and while he makes the statement on the back of the book that some may disagree with what he has to say I’m not among them, Jim and I think amazingly alike. This means I think he is right in everything he has ever written!

The Restaurant Magic Reader is a collection of essays written for Magic Magazine, which I’ve not read in years so I’ve not seen these essays before, put together in one very sturdy soft cover book. The paper is very tough as far as books go, a good thing because my kittens (eight six week olds who are now happily adopted out) knocked my book down and were only able to eat through the back cover and first page before I rescued it. A regular book likely would have lost many more pages. Each essay is about two or three pages at the most and so you can keep a copy in the smallest room of your home and, uh, read as you sit and relax an essay at the time. The range of essays is from getting started and picking a restaurant to dealing with other performers in other restaurants and pretty much everything else in between. There are excellent thoughts on character development and how to deal with troublesome customers. All essays have value and should be read, some read more than once.

If you want to work restaurants or do already but are still trying to resolve the whole thing then you will want to read The Restaurant Magic Reader. The information is invaluable and it will answer most of your questions about how this interesting field of magic works. There are few ‘must read’ books but I’m putting this one on that very short list, if you want to work tables. I cannot find anything to fault here and the only people who will be disappointed will be those that are only looking for tricks, you won’t find them here. There are enough tricks, you need to learn how to present them and how to find the place to perform and what you can expect so you are armed not just with your abilities but with advance knowledge of what you may expect to encounter. This is a wonderful book by one of the better writers in magic and it is going into my ‘always pick up to read’ box, and it only the second book to make the last three years.

Very well done Jim, and thank you for sharing.

Doc Eason has a mention of Jim's book in a recent newsletter:

" I recently obtained a copy of Jim Sisti's Restaurant Magic Reader. Wow. It is
so much more than a Restaurant Workers guide book. He touches on
nearly every subject about performance. This book should be
required reading for anyone who is either thinking of - or is
already-working a restaurant.

I couldn't find much to disagree with in there. Here is a guy who
has been in the trenches for more than two decades, is articulate
and insightful. It'll be on my website soon.

As one reviewer put it..."If you're a close-up worker I think you'll enjoy this book.If you're a restaurant or walk-around worker then you should
already own it."

It will be on my website and available shortly".

Thank you all for your kind words, particularly MagicSanta for taking the time to write and post such a lengthy review.

The $5.00 discount on The Restaurant Magic Reader for Café members expires in a few days - on March 31st. Until then, if you put the words "magiccafe" (no space, no quotes) in the promo code box, the discount will be taken and the total will be 25.00 (I pick up the postage). Again, I'd be happy to inscribe any copies; just indicate that in the comments box when you order. Further details and ordering information can be found at http://www.themagicmenu.com

Many thanks again!

You are welcome, I'm just glad the kittens didn't eat the whole book.

The only thing keeping me from saying this is one of the best books on restaurant work I've read (and I've read most of 'em) is the fact that Magic Menu was so dang good. Remember Magic Menu fans, besides the two main books there is a third book called The Final Four.