I just finished reading "The Ostrich Factor, A Practice Guide for Magicians" by Gerald Edmundson. My first thought was do we need a practice guide. Of course we do. Practice and the steps to routining are what will make or break a routine when you present it to the public. It's been my experience that the way I first present a routine tends to stick. So it makes sense to hone the routine as much as possible before putting it before the public.

One problem with printed text is you can't hear the voice behind the words. It's easy to read a text like this and "hear" the author "talking down" to you. I've seen similar criticisms of other works. But I had an advantage. You see I personally know Gerald. I've seen him perform and have heard him speak about these concepts. His passion for the art of magic and a love of good conjuring drives his efforts to see our art elevated. This passion comes through when he performs, when he speaks, and when he writes.

I particularly enjoyed his detailed explanation of story boarding your effects. Just thinking about how to story board an effect carries your thought in the right direction.

The descriptions of how to apply pacing and beats was useful to me. Gerald applies his extensive music background to the pacing of magic. Many of us have heard you should keep a basic rhythm but how fast or slow should that rhythm be? Gerald tells you. Even better he tells you why. Beyond pacing Gerald explores your personal energy both on and off stage. He establishes a scale of energy and shows you where on that scale you should be. Useful information if you haven't explored it before.

Are you someone who can't learn sleights from books? Read and apply Chapter Two of "The Ostrich Factor". You'll find new life in all those books. Gerald will show you how to extract and apply that knowledge to your magic.

I also enjoyed the quotes sprinkled throughout the book. They brought magical "thought" expressed over more than century in to focus.

Obviously I can't go into all the details. What I've described so far only consumes a fraction of this 81 page book.

In reality it would take some time to make Gerald's method a part of your practice. So get the book, run through the steps with your pet routine. It will go quickly since you are already familiar with where you are headed. You may be surprised to find spots you've overlooked or not thought through thoroughly. The good news is Gerald doesn't leave you stranded. He tells you how to systematically work through those spots and integrate the results with your routine. It could save you a lot of trial and error in the process.

In summary, I enjoyed this book. If you want to improve your magic get Gerald's book, try his techniques, and see the results.

~ Dan

Where Can this be purchased?

Thanks
Gene

Gene,

You can get it by PM'ing Gerald here on the Café'

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/bb_pr......user=729

I wish I could write a review as well as Dan, but I'll have to just say,"Yeah, what he said!" It is an excellent book by one of my favorite magicians.

Ronnie~

Thanks Dan for your excellent review and Mars for your kind words about The Ostrich Factor. I also appreciate the inquiries and interest from The Magic Café members. Information about The Ostrich Factor practice guide for magicians is at my web site.

Thanks again!

All the best,

Gerald

Gerald, you are welcome. I enjoyed reading the book and think it would help anyone wanting to make their magic more "magical".

~ Dan

Great review, Dan! Like you, I've known Gerald for a long time, (can it be?) over 30 years. He was my first (and still my favorite) magic teacher, and I can still remember the first time he saw me do Vernon's Cups & Balls routine. In fact, when I read some of the pages in "The Ostrich Factor", I think they must have come from those sessions! (Yes, Gerald, I'm still working on making it more magical and less puzzling...)

I've read a lot of magic books over the years, probably more than any sane individual should. Of particular interest to me have always been those that dealt with the non-mechanical aspects of magic (routining, psychology, stage presence, etc.). I have read books that contain snippets here and there on practicing, but they always left me wanting more.

So, when I read "The Ostrich Factor", I was almost woozy from the content. Imagine a book entirely about practicing and the applied act of practice. Frankly, I'm a little miffed he didn't teach this stuff to me all those years ago, but perhaps he thought my head would explode from having all that knowledge. Perhaps it may even now!

Chapters 3 and 4 (Attention Control and Misdirection respectively) are, for me, the heart of the book. I can't tell you how many times I've seen Gerald perform, often in the worst possible conditions, and wonder "How the heck does he keep the audience engaged?" More importantly, he has fooled me badly so many times, and I can only assume he misdirected me quite artfully -- the only other explanation is that he truly is bewitched!

The craft has long needed a book like this to collect, distill, and document all the bits and pieces from our progenitors. Gerald has gone a step further by adding observations that both clarify and amplify those that have gone before us.

Bravo, Gerald, for a long-overdue job well done. Now, about that second- and bottom-dealing book...

Kent

I am going to agree, "The Ostrich Factor" is indeed a unique publication in the field of magic. So many aspects of magic have been published and re-published. The idea of a practice guide for magicians is unusual and should be in the library of every serious student of magic. I can tell you I have a copy in my collection, right next to my copy of Showmanship for Magicians and The Trick Brain.

Kent-
Was that over 30 years ago? Good grief! So that’s how old geezers are made.

Great to hear from you and welcome to the forum! There are some nice folks here!

Thank you for your comments about The Ostrich Factor. I deeply appreciate the compliments. I am humbled and honored.

Thanks again and best wishes,

Gerald

Chevrie,
Thanks for the agreement! The Ostrich Factor resides beside the Fitzkee books? Man, it is in good company!

Thanks again!

Gerald

Just read your review dan, excellent, thanks for that. You should write a book yourself !!

I posted pretty much this same review on another thread, so my apologies to those who read both.

I bought this book because I wanted to know how to practice more effectively. What I got was so much more.

Gerald Edmundson not only shows how to practice, but how to perform. Of course, you have to practice what and how you'll perform, and this book shows how to do it. It teaches how to create, practice, and perform every aspect of a routine.

The first chapter has great ideas on forming the mental images necessary. The storyboard idea is great, and I find it very helpful.

I also found the section on learning the sleights to be right on the money (I'm into coin magic)and I started using the advice from the book immediately to help me through a sleight I was having difficulty with.

This book was an excellent investment, and one I'll use every time I begin work on a new effect.

Thanks to everyone who turned me onto this fantastic book.

Gene Plampin

I, too have just finished reading this book. I wish I'd had it 35 years ago. It would have saved me a lot of trouble. It tells you what you need to know about practicing, scripting, writing patter, misdirection, staging and a host of other aspects of magic.

If you don't have it, buy it.

Looks like someone talked me into Buy ing it and I'm sure the person knows who they are.

Just a note to let those who are interested know that H&R Books is sold out of The Ostrich Factor, but it is being reprinted. H&R will have the book back in stock in the next week or so. Other than getting the book from me directly, H&R is the only seller that has them. I still have five or six copies left.

I appreciate your patronage, your interest in and your comments about The Ostrich Factor. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.

Thanks again!

Gerald

Many of you have emailed me asking if THE OSTRICH FACTOR covers methods of constructing a complete act. Although many of the principles in the book can be applied to complete act construction, the focus of the book is on how to construct one effect. It covers systematic practice and rehearsal methods of how to learn sleights, gain and retain attention, patter construction, movement, misdirection and other elements of artistic performance.

I appreciate everyone’s interest in THE OSTRICH FACTOR. PM or email me if you have further questions.

All the best,

Gerald

I heard this was reviewed in the current "Magic" magazine. I haven't seen the mag can anyone who has comment on the review?

Thanks.

~ Dan

I posted my opinion somewhere in the Caf'e already about this wonderful book. This book is a real WORKER. I have been in the magic game now for over 38 years and this book alone has me praticing in a new and pratical way. Some of my routines that I have been performing for years have now taken on a new look and feel. My magic has improved by following the outlining of an effect learned in the book. Thanks so much for taking the time and the EXPERIENCE to share with everyone. The book was recommended to me by Mike Close and I am so happy that he did so. GET THIS BOOK! You will find something in it that will IMPROVE your magic!
Magically,
KW

Just got this book today from Gerald. All I can say is that this book deserves a hardback edition. This is a gem. At first glance, I know I didn't regret buying it. This book will worth much more than many of your magic tricks books that you have on your shelf. And with Gerald's excellent service, I receive the book in less than one wk all the way from Texas to Singapore!

Dan,
Michael Close's review in the March MAGIC Magazine is included at my web site.

Thank you all for the great comments. I appreciate your enthusiasm for THE OSTRICH FACTOR.

Regards,

Gerald

I just received "The Ostrich Factor" from Gerald and it is excellent. I'm reading it through first then going to go back and get to work on those storyboards. Thank you to Gerald for your work and the quickness of your response to my order.