On Apr 14, 2014, Vlad_77 wrote:
TL;DR: Get both but a very slight edge to Approaching Magic.

I have all of David Regal's books so there really is no "best" choice as all are simply superb. Having said that, this conversation is about two of his titles, Constant Fooling (actually this is a two volume set) and Approaching Magic.

Again, I love all of his books but if I HAD to choose between the two, I would give a slight edge to Approaching Magic. The reason is that along with a truckload of great audience tested magic, a significant portion of this massive book focuses on performance theory. In my humble estimation it's important to bear in mind that David Regal is rather unique among magicians in that he is primarily involved in big league show business as a writer and producer and as such, knows very well what works commercially and that is reflected both in the effects he creates and the theory he provides. In fact, his collection of essays could well be a stand alone book and every bit as important as Darwin Ortiz's Strong Magic and Designing Miracles.

Also, wangyufei123, I would advise you to not make the error of equating newer and "more" as a gauge for quality. You seem attracted to Approaching Magic because you state (paraphrasing) that it is more recent and seems to have a lot of effects. Yes, both statements are true but, Approaching Magic and Constant Fooling were published just a small number of years apart and when added up both volumes of Constant Fooling contain a significant number of effects; David Regal has never been skint on quantity - or quality. But, those criteria do not make Approaching Magic the "better" book.

Look through threads in The Workers and time after time you will see references to books written long before David Regal was even a glint in his dad's eyes. And these older texts are not merely resources upon which to build. Rather, they stand as great resources in their own right and should not be ignored. Gah! I wish Denny Haney was a member here as he could give you a real good homily about this subject. Should a magician avoid Tarbell or Greater Magic because they were written in the 1920s and 1930s respectively? To do so would be - again in my hack estimation - utter foolishness. I have performed Ralph Hull's Tuned Deck from Greater Magic to magicians and NONE had a clue as to method - and these were very informed "fast company" magicians. Would you dismiss Vernon, Marlo, Gardner, James, et. al, because they are not recent? I hope not. Yes, magic has advanced but there is room and I think NECESSARY room for both the classics and the "new."