Introduction Magic has been a part of my life for well over 25 years, since I received my first magic kit when I was four years old. I have been performing it since then and performing it professionally (getting paid for it) since the age of 15. I have been giving lessons as well to young aspiring magicians for the last eleven years. I feel like I have a lot of knowledge to offer about the field of magic, and quite a few tips to offer as far as public speaking and performing in general. Throughout this book you will read about my own personal experiences as well as things that I've witnessed, as well as an array of tips that will help you if you're serious about pursuing magic as a career or even just as a hobby. I will give you ways to avoid negativity and get the most out of all your experiences so that you can learn and grow and be the best performer you can be. I will go into detail and explore the other side of magic that people don't normally talk about. When you shop for magic, tricks and secrets are what usually pops up and it's also what a budding magician usually wants to know. With so many new websites popping up and new tricks being "created" every day; it's sometimes hard not to get sucked up into the flashy world of "new effects". There are thousands of magicians trying to create and sell new magic every day. They come up with a new handling on an old concept, shoot a deceiving video, put it on a website with a hefty price tag and they think they're "inventors". I don't want to sound like a crazy old man yelling at kids to get off his lawn, so I will admit that some definitely are, however, most are not. I will go more into that later. There is more to magic than just secrets. There is more to magic than just the stuff you see on television and the internet. There is a whole other world behind the scenes that takes years to learn through experience after experience. My goal is to give you a jump start to all that so maybe you can benefit and learn from my experiences and possibly save yourself some headaches, time, and yes- money. So, this book is geared toward beginners. Of course a person with any level of experience is welcome to read it. To this day I still try to read anything about magic I can get my hands on. It was written, however, with the novice in mind. If you are just beginning your journey into the world of magic, you are about to embark on a fantastic fun-filled journey worth every minute of your time spent on seemingly endless practice alone in your room. Magic is a worthwhile and relatively uncommon talent these days. It's more than just a novelty act at a child's birthday party. Adults are partaking in the enjoyment more than ever. You'll soon be known as "the magic guy" or girl. People will always request you to display your talent and you'll be more than happy to accommodate. You will no doubt search daily for more and more tricks to perform, but before you do I will offer you the opportunity to learn more than secrets. More than tricks. I will give you tips and tools about the "other stuff" you would normally only get with years of experience and bits and pieces here and there in chat rooms, message boards, conversations, lectures, and most of all, trial and error. Others have briefly touched on some of this material before, but I will dig much deeper and go further in depth. So without any further delay, here is, The Back of the Deck!