It's a short book, so it doesn't go very in-depth. If you have never read any similar books, you will probably pick up some insight. I bought this book as well as Secrets of the A Game and The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists. All of these books were very helpful...

I though this book was alright. I remember seeing at least 4 of the tricks when I was in elementary school and felt kinda silly for buying this book afterward. It is a quick and fun read, and I'm sure if you want to impress elementary school children this is a perfect fit =D

The first trick is supposed to be the easiest and have a decent wow factor. The author tells you it almost always works and you will never be derailed... Wrong. Even when done properly, there are things out of your control that seem to make it effective only 50% of the time...

No fancy training required a novice can perform most of the tricks in this book with little trouble and a little practice. Some of the tricks are simply mathematical in nature others require a little trickery but the author is very straight forward about how much skill is required to pull off each of the tricks.

I have just finished reading Robert Mandelberg's Easy Mind-Reading Tricks and, as there are no reviews posted, I would like to air my thoughts. I have been actively involved in magic and mentalism for over 40 years, and I have read much of the published literature in the area. For the average amateur, I firmly believe this book is the best, and most reasonably priced, source of material I have ever encountered. Authors of similar books are generally content to merely list various methods of performing effects, without any discussion of performance. This is similar to telling someone who wants to learn to play a piano solo, "Well, you could produce a nice melody using these chord progressions." Mandelberg, on the other hand, gives the reader a series of fully routined and tested effects which involve mystery, humor, and suspense. In short, each and every one of the mysteries he presents is fully routined and orchestrated such that the resulting performance will be entertaining. While the quality of the material he presents varies, as does the impact on the audience and the amount of work involved, he discusses these factors with the reader. Typically, he offers a simple presentation, then discusses extra touches which enhance the overall effect if you are willing to do the work. In summary, all of the effects presented in this book are fully routined, entertaining, and discussed in detail. Several of the effects are used by some of the top performers in mentalism. There is more usable material here than is to be found in most "professional" publications at ten times the price. If you do what he says, you will not be in danger of boring your audience with a lot of geeky tricks. You will entertain and mystify them instead. Bravo!