A Fork Full Of Appetizers Vol 1 by Fechters

Eddie Fechter was one of the finest bar magicians of his time, so it comes as no surprise that the convention that bears his name would draw a line-up of registrants who share, if not a measure of his otherworldly ability to entertain an audience, at least some part of the philosophy that leads to it. This book is a collection of effects from the attendees at Fetcher's Finger Flinging Frolic (the original Close-Up Magic Convention). There are thirty-five powerful effects from Phil Goldstein, Tom Mullica, Gene Anderson, Mike O'Dowd, Tom Gagnon, Meir Yedid, Bob Follmer, and many more. They are all close-up and commercial effects which you will use. This is a great little book, which contains sixty-six pages and it is spiral bound. Compiled by Bill Miesel, it was the first of a planned series to boast contributions from these talented attendees, and since most were (and are) expert proponents of real-world magic, it contains a disproportionately high amount of practical, usable material. What it does not contain are wildly original plots or techniques - this is food for the common man, strictly meat and potatoes. But it's good food, hardy food, food you can sink your teeth into. Divided into three chapters, "Cards," "Coins" and "Miscellaneous Close-Up Magic," there are 35 items ranging from virtually self-working (Ed Eckl's excellent, "Joe's Trick") to moderately difficult (David Walker's elaborate "Progressive Blues"). Apart from the tricks themselves, this book is also full of little pearls of wisdom that may enrich your current repertoire. It's chock full of magic by savvy, working magicians, and twenty years after its initial publication, it is still well worth your attention.