Derren Brown

Derren on mieletön esiintyjä. Hän on näköjään myös hauska kirjoittaja, ateisti, tiedeuskovainen ja fiksu mies. Hän valottaa kirjassa mentalismin ja mielenhallinan saloja ja samalla kritisoi humpuukitohtoreita, vaihtoehtohoitoja ja meedioita. Kunpa useammat tajuaisivat, että meedioissa ja enkeliterapioissa sun muissa homepatioissa on kyse lähinnä vetoamisesta ihmisten tunteisiin ja alitajuntaan, todellisuuden kanssa niillä ei ole mitään tekemistä. Niin monet ihmiset luulevat show more pääsevänsä elämästä helpolla turvautumalla yliluonnollisiin voimiin. Well folks, nobody said it was easy. Jos haluat muuttaa elämääsi tai ajatteluasi, niin sen eteen täytyy nähdä vaivaa, ei rukoilla enkeleitä tai juosta spritisti-istunnoissa. show less

Confessions of a Conjuror is, while in parts autobiographical, by no means a traditional autobiography. Structured around the performance of a card trick by his younger self in a Bristol restaurant, the book delights in veering off at tangents as and when something strikes Mr. Brown as worth expounding upon.

Thus we are steered through the quite fascinating recesses of Brown's mind. On the way we get philosophy, childhood memories, ticks and self loathing, the history of magic and the best show more recipe for Eggs Benedict. This makes for a very entertaining read.

Brown's style is conversational and he's never less than readable. Indeed at times he is quite profound, but always punctures any sense of self-import with a self-deprecating put down. Some of the anecdotes are laugh out loud funny.

Brown is never self-important and he comes across as a likeable, if eccentric, raconteur. show less

The mighty Mr Brown gives us an introduction into his techniques and opinions on a wide range of subjects, from magic to NLP to fake mediums.

A witty and inviting writer he never talks down to you. The book has some cracking anecdotes from his times as a student and happy-clapper evangelical Christian (yes, I was amazed too).

There are also very interesting sections on memory techniques, over coming phobias, hypnosis and other tools of his trade. But what comes over most of all is that he is a show more sceptic of the Dawkin's school, and that's no bad thing. Fake mediums, creationists, New Agers and all the others who deny rational thought and scientific evidence are put to the sword with wit and passion.

Thought provoking and thoroughly recommended. show less

The cover makes this look like fluff, but it is anything but. An honest examination of hypnosis and hocus-pocus, with a lot of behind-the-scenes this-is-how-it-works revelations. A companion piece to anything Dawkins has written, actually.