A terrific book and the first in a series.

Below is a fully descriptive review which was in the MUM magazine.

Finally this month we present  STRANGE OFFERINGS, Presentations for the Storyteller, compiled and edited by Ed Solomon. Ed Solomon's name will be familiar with those of you who subscribe to The Shadow Digest, and his offerings have appeared in these pages from time to time, with more to come.

Essentially, this is bizarre magic and spooky happenings involving unique, intriguing artifacts,  and accompanied by  entertaining stories. As Ed explains, these are not for Sunday School, although there is nothing satanic about them.  What he has done is compile 29 of the best routines that DeNomolos, Sage, Mage, etc., etc., has posted on the Shadow Digest.

The book has 103 large pages, and is paper bound. What sets it apart, aside from the high quality of the presentations, are the illustrations are all full-color laser prints. This is especially important to storytelling magicians because in a very real sense props create ambience.  (Bruce Barnet says that such photos inspire him to work hard on the appearance of his own props.)

So, when the story has to do with an exotic carved hand from India that, when removed from a wooden box, mysteriously moves on its own, we can sense the entertainment value of the routine more exactly when we see a photograph of the wooden hand  and a black and white print just isn't the same. Or, how about what appears to be a blue-and-white porcelain tea cup that DeNomolos swears was once owned by Miss Jerry, that turns on its saucer, moved by unseen forces (different forces than used with the wooden hand, by the way). Or, how about a special box made from a section of a  tree limb with a hinged section that opens to reveal spaces for seven colored stones, although only six are seen.  The "blood stains"? on the box are an added bonus. This box looks so neat you are half-way home just by opening it! DeNomolos uses it for a prediction of sorts, although not with the usual 6-item force. DeNomolos set a place at his table with a rather large leather altar cloth or I guess that was what it was. I had not seen this before and I thought that I knew most of his trappings well. It was dark but I could make out a circle and several strange markings at each corner much like the decorations on the points of a compass and so the stories flow. Again quoting Bruce Barnett, "Ed's passion and dedication shine, as does his perfectionism."

To Recap:

The whole book has been nicely printed and bound, measuring 8 1/2'' x 11'', containing 29 full page and full color plates. It's a very limited edition and our advice is to get a copy while you can, it's a bargain. This wonderful collection of presentations will provide you with the opportunity to captivate your audiences for a long time to come.

Price was ......$50 plus postage