http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=762

How is this book? Cheaper than Ortiz but seemingly somewhat thin. Any opinions? Thanks.

haven't read ortiz so i can't compare, but i do have beyond secrets. basically it's a collection of short essays by jay sankey talking about the philosophies behind magic - why magic is done, how it should look like, the experiences an audience should get when exposed to magic etc.

quite an interesting read, and also gives you an insight as to how jay sankey thinks and why his methods for his effects are made in such a specific manner (i.e. super simple to do, doesn't fool any magician, but still kills laymen).

being a jay sankey fan i would personally recommend this as a good read because it really encourages you to place emphasis on presentation before method (something which everyone says but few people manage to do - myself included).

hope that helps.