Ian Rowland

I picked this up because it was described as THE definitive book on the art of cold reading. (Cold reading is figuring out everything you can about someone by carefully guaging how they respond to what you say. It's usually done by fake psychics and stage magicians, but Rowland has built a career on teaching people to use it in business settings.) Since I work in a setting where connecting with people is important, I thought it would be interesting.

This is an excellent guide. It's written in a very clear, conversational tone, and lays out the basics of the technique. Rowland's years of teaching show here, as he has figured out the different types of statements used, their variations, and how they work together. (He also gives a few asides on how to keep someone from doing cold reading on you.)

This book is self-published. That's usually a bad idea, but this is one of the situations where it makes sense - a niche audience not likely to be enough to attract the sales numbers a commercial publisher needs. Because of that, Rowland asks readers to recommend this book to others, which I am more than happy to do. Anyone who has ever thought that "there's something to it" when watching a TV "psychic" should read and study this book. In addition, it is very helpful for anyone who needs to connect with people quickly.… (more)

This is a very clearly and concisely written book. For legal reasons (I imagine), Rowland peppers the text with disclaimers as to whether he believes in psychics or not and whether he thinks all psychics are cold readers. The chapters and text are all well laid out, allowing you to move smoothly from one piece of information to the next.

I would recommend this to anyone who wishes to become a psychic (though I'll have no respect for you!) or anyone who wishes to use cold reading/psychic arts in their magic act.

Apparently, this is the book that Derren Brown used to teach himself the tricks of the trade for his first big show.… (more)