"Gregg Webb has written an unvarnished, tell-it-like-it-is memoir of his life within and on the fringes of New York City's subculture of magic and magicians. If you want to know what it was like growing up for over half a century with David Roth, Charles Reynolds, Jeff McBride and other magic luminaries of New York, Gregg lays it all out, frankly, as he saw it." - Stephen Minch
"Gregg Webb is one of the Zen Masters of close up and parlor magic. He is a master of minimalism. His effects and streamlined thinking inspire me to do more with less!" - Jeff McBride, Las Vegas Headliner
"To begin, I feel full disclosure is in order: although Gregg mentions me in this ebook, I was not involved in its writing or publication. Neither do I have anything to gain from its purchase. Joe McKay, a long-time fan of Gregg Webb, provides an introduction to this book. Here, amidst his praise, McKay slyly takes the opportunity to slip in working details for his favorite underground effect by Gregg Webb, an "elevator card assembly" that Gregg distributed as a freebie years before. And although Gregg explains one of his sneaky new Poker Deal effects in the final chapter, this book is not a how-to guide on Gregg Webb's many tricks and techniques: rather, it serves as a guided stroll though his memories, his personal opinions, and his involvement in the New York City magic scene over five decades. Gregg's definitely been around the NYC magic scene and he has a lot of anecdotes and observations and philosophy to share in this, his latest, ebook. - Doug MacGeorge
From the introduction by Joe McKay:
I have been a fan of Gregg Webb for a number of years now. I love the homemade feel to his publications and the drawings that pop off the page. And I love the curiosity he displays in exploring different historical areas tangentially related to magic. But most of all I love the ingenuity he brings to his magic.
He has a way of finding the subtlety or cunning move that makes a trick both easier to do and more deceptive. In fact - it was his work with coins that first made me want to learn coin tricks. Gregg has so many lovely ideas for the C/S gaff that they are hard to resist. Even for a (former) card guy like me.
He also has a passion for magic that reminds you how much fun magic should be to both learn and perform. If the magician is not having fun then neither will the audience. And a good way to make your performance fun is not to perform material that is a struggle to master. Gregg's KISS principle is an easy way to improve your performing style. Since magic that does not feel effortless is never going to feel very magical.
1st edition 2016, 51 pages.
word count: 22576 which is equivalent to 90 standard pages of text