Reviews of products by C. Golo Naito

The Creative Tables

reviewed by Christopher Reynolds (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 22 September, 2022)

All entertainers are on the verge of becoming obsolete. That's an enduring truth in show business. To any creative or imaginative performer, this is a relief. This wisdom implies that there will always be room for something new.

Magic is no different. It's old-fashioned and in desperate need of fresh blood.

While there may not be such a thing as an "original" magic trick, there are fresh, original ways of looking at one. The Creative Tables by C. Golo Naito isn't about sleights or routines; it's about how to think about your magic and apply innovative solutions to your creations.

He starts by listing the ten primary effects of magic: production, vanish, transformation, etc., before giving his list of 31 thought-provoking questions and exercises that will make you examine your current tricks with new eyes. Here are three of my favorite:

Ten ways to use origami Think of ten big illusions that you could make into a smaller close-up version Think of ten things that could end up in a balloon

Naito also offers clever, out-of-the-box advice on time management and motivation.

Even after creating original card tricks for decades, I still found some ideas that inspire me to think differently.

Give a man a magic trick, and you entertain him for a day; teach a man how to create his own magic effects, and you entertain him for a lifetime.

I can't recommend this book enough.