Cards and Book
I'm not sure what the notepad is for, but the book and decks of cards provide a good starter kit for magicians that is reasonably priced at $12.95. Of course, a beginner's course is only as good as the instructional material, and here, "Easy Card Tricks" generally delivers.The 176-page book is clear and easy to read, and well written and organized. It's a full fledged introduction to card magic with first rate illustrations. I found many of the usual tricks that are found in beginning magic books and a few that I was surprised to see - I consider these beyond the capabilities for most beginners.
Despite the "easy" in the title, Arnold not only offers easy self-workers, but also teaches some fundamental sleight of hand and tricks that require the moves.
Bad Start?
I disagree with Arnold's approach. He starts off the book by teaching fundamental sleight-of-hand. But I think he burdens the beginner with these at the very start. I feel that it's best to teach a beginner a few simple tricks so they can immediately learn and perform them.I think that most kids won't be able to adequately master the sleight of hand based on the instructions give here. While the kit says that it's for kids 9 through 12, I would suggest that the target reader would be more like 11 through adult.
My only other observation is that while the book is great at explaining and teaching tricks, it's weak on providing advice on presenting magic and making it entertaining. But other than that, "The Easy Card Tricks Set" is reasonably priced for what you get.
