I had never heard of Raymond Crow, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was surprisingly delightful. Raymond Crow is a professional magician living in Idaho. This work is a collection of his tried-and-true routines, coupled with some excellent advice for those wanting to start working professionally.

The book is broken into "shows". Each show includes three effects (beginning, middle, end… good!) and is geared towards a particular type of audience and setting ("Adult Set, Family Set, etc.).

In my opinion, Crow has a knack for devising interesting themes to match his routines. Most of them are about something (other than a card trick). "Terrible with Names" takes a problem most magicians have and turns it into a magical routine. "The Mother-in-Law Who Would Not Die" is a wicked twist on the ambitious card plot (though there are a few lines I wouldn't use). There's also a very clever signed torn & restored card with an (optional) wedding/anniversary script.

There was only one routine, "Tasteful Coins Across", that I wasn't sure about. It involves putting coins in your mouth. I’m just not sure it's something I want my clientele to see me doing in public.

The material ranges in difficulty from very easy to somewhat challenging. Crow relies on a pinky count for a number of the routines (Ortiz fans will love this).

In addition to the routines, you'll find a number of well-written, insightful essays on restaurant magic. Of particular interest is his handling of children in restaurants without resorting to "children's magic". In fact, this single essay may be worth the price of the book to magicians who work family restaurants.