You Are All Terrible by Harrison Greenbaum

Better late than never - I'm finally getting around to reviewing Harrison Greenbaum's You Are All Terrible (or Taribell 9). In this hilarious (if somewhat raunchy) guide, you'll learn how to improve your comedy and your art as a magician.
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⌚️ TImestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:18 - Who is Harrison Greenbaum?
0:59 - What does he mean by "terrible?"
1:40 - Physical aspects of the book
2:22 - Criss Angel, et al.
3:02 - A warning
3:58 - What is this book?
4:11 - Don's Magic & Books
5:03 - A discussion of art
6:08 - Teaching Comedy
7:42 - Some extras included
8:01 - Page count revisited
8:24 - Value proposition
9:27 - At the end of the day
10:49 - Wrap-up

[@EruditeMagic]

🪩 Can't get enough Erudite Magic on Sundays? Join my Newsletter and be part of the conversation as often as you'd like: eruditemagic.substack.com

[@DougConn]

Another masterful video / review! Thank you for what you do Jeff!

[@EruditeMagic]

Thank you, Doug! 🙏💙

[@jakelundgren2116]

I got more out of this book than any other magic book in a long time! Great review!

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks for the comment, Jake!

[@ScottRSmith1964]

I joined the newsletter. Even if you don’t think you will have time for the newsletter, pay for it just to support what Jeff is doing. I look so forward to this show every Sunday. Thank you, Jeff! I also want to thank Don of Don’s Magic and Books for his support. Don is one of the fairest book dealers out there. He loves Magic and Magic books! He does this for the love of Magic or he would be charging more. I do think Don should change the name to Don’s Books and Magic. Lol😂. Have a great Sunday.

[@EruditeMagic]

Too kind, Scott! Thanks for the comment 💙

[@christophebaixas9036]

I discovered Harisson Greenbaum at The Session convention in London in 2020. I can confirm that his stand-up was a huge hit with the audience. As a Frenchman, I remember being very interested in his talk. It lived up to my expectations on the persona of the magician, the psychology of magic, the nature of our art and our work (and it's true that the elderly Englishman next to me found it hard to get into Harrisson's light-hearted jokes). So I unreservedly ordered this book and started reading it this weekend. Everything Jeff says is right: this is a book with an unorthodox style... You have to be willing to go along with the peculiar humor. However, there's a real love of magic here, a desire to make you better, advice from an author and performer who has developed his own theory... And it's worth sharing. Many thanks to Jeff for his wonderful work, which brings so much to our community

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks for your feedback, mon ami!

[@jethro1963]

Can't say I cared for the guy and his sacrilegious "comedy" routine. He was on one comedy contest show and one of the judges was the late, great Norm MacDonald, a real comic genius. Norm didn't appreciate it either and shot him full of holes in a clip that went viral.

[@twatmunro]

Never heard of Harrison but I love the concept of riffing on Tarbell. Book sounds up my street, I have to say. Nice review too.

[@EruditeMagic]

From what I know of you, Twat, you would love this one!

[@georgeyounts9391]

Nice review. I've been reading the book. Some is good and some dirty dish water spread thin but it's got some good things.

[@EruditeMagic]

😄👍

[@donpepe9947]

Great review Jeff. Thank you.

[@EruditeMagic]

You bet! 👍

[@ScottRSmith1964]

I bought this book because it’s the funniest book I’ve ever read. What makes it funny you ask? It’s humor about the magic world. If you can’t read the humor and take it as a joke, you have no funny bone. When you are bored and it’s a rainy day, take this book out and read it. I couldn’t stop laughing during the first half of the book. We have so few real comedic magicians like this, yes we have funny magicians, not comedians that tell jokes about magicians and magic. That’s why i love it!

[@EruditeMagic]

Great insights Scott! I agree that we need to learn to take a joke. I laughed - 💯

[@dougclark4146]

Another magicians whose books are very funny is Steve Beam. I have laughed and thoroughly enjoyed his books, especially the Semi-Automatic Card Tricks series.

[@ScottRSmith1964]

@@dougclark4146 so is Marty Kane’s book.

[@StoneColdMagic]

I read this last year, and I keep it on my shelf as the 9th volume of Tarbell next to the 8 real Tarbells just to mess with my magic buddies when they come over. I loved the book, and there were some serious laugh out loud moments. The Venn diagrams were hilarious, etc. The only issue I had is that I've not been able to find a clip of Harrison online that proves that he practices what he preaches. While his writing is quite funny, I didn't find his stand up all that funny. I know that kind of stuff is subjective, but it felt like a different person wrote the book. Either way, it was worth the cost for me. :0]

[@EruditeMagic]

His humor isn't for everyone, that's for sure. I laughed really hard the very first time I saw his State of the Magic Union, but subsequent shows were less funny to me. Humor is very subjective, I find

[@StoneColdMagic]

@@EruditeMagic Agreed. Humor is certainly subjective. But it just felt like the guy doing the stand up clips on KZbin wasn't the same guy, personality, etc. of the guy who wrote the book.

[@EruditeMagic]

@StoneColdMagic fair enough!

[@toddduff508]

Thanks Jeff!

[@EruditeMagic]

You bet, Todd!

[@Dimitris.Papastamatis]

u have gotten me inspired to start my own book review series , in my youtube channel . NEVER would have realized how time consuming it would be. I hope i get to your level at some point. I have given it a spin and i actually perform some stuff from the books , i dont really see anybody else do that. What are your thoughts about it?

[@EruditeMagic]

Congrats! It's a great way to learn and develop. 👍 Dan Trix almost always performs from the books, so check him out if you haven't already.

[@Dimitris.Papastamatis]

@@EruditeMagic oh , of course i will :) , thank you

[@donpepe9947]

Just finished this book. Its awesome, entertaining, insightful and fun. I really like it.

[@EruditeMagic]

Glad to hear that you like it!

[@jonahberg9280]

Is mnemonica a good book why do people like it so much? Are there any good effects in there ?

[@whatever_it_takes6691]

What are your thoughts on the Oofy Doofy Theory?

[@EruditeMagic]

Don't have one, and I'm not sure what that has to do with this subject

[@chridmeister]

This is a superb book, but pay close attention to this review before you buy!!! It might not suit you!

[@EruditeMagic]

💯

[@tommarquette9706]

Was going to give this a hard pass. Your review has changed my mind. After reading will return with over all impression

[@EruditeMagic]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@jerrycaddie838]

I don't think Harrison is addressing the right problem "Be more original" We've heard that since the 80s. The problem is our teachers. Ammar, Close, McBride, Burger and slightly Harris (Harris gets a pass for his creativity) but these guys gave birth to the Lazy magician. Boring ,shallow at times embarrassing delivery and NO misdirection. How can you be a magician without misdirection????? Its just "Bs, bs, bs, bs, EFFECT bs, bs, bs, EFFECT" David Blain is the big celebrity product of this lost and shallow community from the 80s. David Blain is our Donald Trump of magicians. Meaning the standards in our community are what made him. What we need is writers but most importantly, students of misdirection. Your not chasing "the next great effect" your chasing moments when misdirection truly works. RELY THINK ABOUT THAT LAST SENTENCE. Our "Teachers" growing up were not magicians. They were businessmen.