Having been to Derren Brown's Enigma show a couple of weeks ago, I was sufficiently intrigued to buy his Tricks of the Mind book. Some intelligent friends suggested I may have been hypnotised into buying it. Which is just as well, because Tricks of the Mind is a very entertaining and intriguing book. Having nearly finished it after only getting it yesterday, the book is funny and intelligent. The memory methods, which I fully participated in, had me giggling away in very public places (such as a coffee shop) from sheer pleasure at actually remembering a list of some 20 unrelated words. I even managed to recite them backwards! I can even do it now: walnut-paintbrush- bed-kiwi-baby-wigwam-key-athlete-Christmas-ferry-cardboard-stomach-mouse-glass-cabbage-book-button-monkey-sausage-telephone. No cheating. I have to say you do need a fairly active imagination to keep this up on your own, and I'm guessing a lot of practice to be able to do it fast. Nonetheless, walking down the street reciting backwards and forwards a list of 20 things you wouldn't have to think of in your daily endeavours, having learnt it with minimal effort, is exhilarating. A strange concept, to be that happy because you managed to memorise a list, but there it is.
Another extremely pleasing aspect of the book is the fact that whilst I was reading it, I felt like I was actually having a conversation with Mr. Brown. Unusual, as I don't remember something like that happening with other books and I have read my fair share. For example, I am in the middle of reading Stephen Fry's Moab is my Washpot, and whereas I shouldn't be comparing the two books, I inevitably do. Both authors refer to the reader frequently (eg. 'you'), but I am guessing because Mr. Brown's book is more interactive, it feels like you're having a conversation (or the book alone makes you hallucinate conversations with Mr.Brown - I don't know). Even though Mr. Fry's book is entertaining and wittily written, every now then it drones on and on about something that doesn't have much to do with anything. Intially entertaining because it's quirky, it did wear me down eventually, and although I am nearing the end of the book, it took me ages to get there. And I do take particular pride in finishing books quickly.
Anyway, the point of this is, if you come across Tricks of the Mind, do get it. Because if nothing else, you'll get to memorise a list and feel proud of doing so.
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