David Regal has created more great close-up magic in the past decade than anyone else I can think of. His previous books, Star Quality, Close-Up & Personal and Constant Fooling (volumes 1 and 2) contain enough material to keep a magician practicing for a lifetime. But, Approaching Magic is twice the size of his previous efforts and it's just as good.
Regal has a penchant for creating very direct magic, which he intertwines with clever and funny presentations. He seems to effortlessly use his experience as a comedy writer to add dynamism to his script. Most of the effects are very easy to follow, with very direct methods.
The style of magic in Approaching Magic is much the same as that in his previous books. His card magic employs interesting methods to sit alongside fun, direct effects. But, there's less card magic in Approaching Magic than in his earlier works, in place of some larger parlor and stage magic. Some of these items will require a little DIY, but they're some of the best in the book. His effect "In Darkness" reminds me of "Dean's Box" in that it's an incredibly fooling and elegant sequence using a large prop (but, unlike "Dean's Box" is compact and easy-to-carry). It's a penetration of a ring and wand that would have fooled the crap out of me. Similarly, his "The Power of Love" is an hilarious, yet massively fooling stage routine utilizing a borrowed ring.
This is the biggest (506 pages) and most ecliptic David Regal production to date. If you like Regal's work (and I can't think of a single reason why you wouldn't), then you'll want to pick this one up. Just be prepared to put some time in - there's a lot of magic to read here!
