Consider this:
What if when you sat down at your computer and began to read this week's blog, you opened it up and found that it was all about you - even though we've never met. Ever. Imagine reading on and finding out that I knew all about you. Very personal things. Some things even that you have never communicated to another soul! Things like self-doubt or concern for your future, or feelings of depression?
What would you think if you read that?
And then went on to read some very encouraging things about your strengths and virtues - things that conveyed a sense of calm and well-being? Things that gave you some hope?
Corinda contended that the ultimate goal of every mentalist was too become a reader. Some thing that can be done up close and with out any preparation with any party that you find their in front of you.
The best bits of Luke Jermay's "From the Notebooks Volume 1 - Mystical Readings" are those bits of thinking that will advance your ability to perform these readings in a very credible fashion - and the book is full of them.
As a number of other reviewer's have stated, The Mind Museum is an extremely clever concept, that allows, you too zero in on a person's core interests without appearing to have done anything suspicious. It is probably the cleverest piece in the whole book and is worth the price of admission of you are a reader or trying to be - though it must be said that it is a piece that works best if your approached by some one who wants to be shown some thing.
Whenever I pay for a book, I consider value for money when determining how happy I am with my purchase. Hear, you are paying $30 for seven effects - so $4.50 per effect. Thats not to bad! In my mind, The Mind Museum alone is worth the $30 even with it's limitations on the ideal situation for performing. The remaining six effects are, in my opinion, worth at least what you pay for them.
Overall, I'd recommend this book...
...especially if you read through all of the above grammatical mistakes without grimacing. If you could accomplish that, it means that you are looking for substance and not style and Luke's book is for you.
If what you saw above bugged you to bits, then you are like me and what you will see on paper will drive you mad - the book is fraught with punctuation and grammatical mistakes that makes it very difficult to read. Some proofreading would make this book a gem, but as it is, it was very difficult for me to get through.
It may just be me, but I am always concerned when I crack open a book on mentalism and instantly spot grammatical and spelling errors that would make a kindergarten teacher cringe. The part of me that reasons logically immediately thinks "The term 'mentalist' immediately suggests to others that your brain is somehow more advanced than those around you - this guy can't teach me anything!" Most of the time, this is the case and I will finish the book and blacklist the author.
Still, I contend that this book is worth your time as, unlike the works of other authors, the mistakes in the book do not lead to the conclusion that the author is a dimwit posing as a mentalist - Luke's work is VERY different.
Yes, it was a pain for my orderly mind to read, BUT as I got deeper into the book, my perspective changed and I could tell that I was dealing with a savant of sorts. If Luke has some difficulty with grammar and spelling, the same thing cannot be said about his subject matter - mentalism and readings - he knows this area like the back of his hand and the ideas he shares demonstrate a masterful understanding of the human spirit, our basic needs and desires, and the drive to be understood and appreciated. The man is an emotive genius.
I genuinely believe that if Luke struggles somewhat to communicate perfectly on paper, the same cannot be said of him in a direct performance. What he shares has clearly been tested repeatedly through countless performances and it is, in my opinion, well worth your time and money - especially if you plan to give readings.
Best,
Atlas