On Second Thought... Mentalism, Meaning, and Performance

On Second Thought... Magic, Meaning, and Performance starting as a Kickstarter project, quickly proved there was real demand for Paul Draper’s thinking on magic, mentalism, and performance by raising over $30,000 with just a $7500 goal.

This book collects the first eight years of Paul Draper’s column from M-U-M, the magazine of The Society of American Magicians. Across these essays, Paul explores the craft of magic and mentalism from the perspective of someone who has spent his life performing for real audiences, in real venues, under real pressure.

This is not just a collection of routines, although you will find strong, practical material inside. It is a book about performance, meaning, audience connection, theatrical thinking, and the choices that turn a method into an experience your audiences will remember.

Paul Draper is one of magic’s most thoughtful working performers. On Second Thought.. moves between practical advice, personal stories, historical context, theatrical structure, mentalism, scripting, psychology, and the small details that make a performance land harder. Each piece gives you something useful to think about, whether that is a new routine, a better way to frame an effect, or a deeper understanding of why audiences care in the first place.

The columns are presented chronologically, following Paul’s thoughts, experiences, and discoveries over eight years of performing, teaching, studying, and refining his work. You get to see how his thinking develops over time, while each essay still stands on its own as a complete and useful piece.

There are also guest contributions from respected experts, offering additional insights, sources, and perspectives that expand the ideas even further.

What makes this book especially valuable is that it comes from someone who has both studied magic deeply and performed it professionally. Paul does not write from theory alone. He writes from years of standing in front of paying audiences, discovering what gets laughs, what creates mystery, what builds trust, and what makes a moment meaningful.

That is why so many respected names in magic have praised this book.

"Paul Draper guides us through a wealth of information that's all over the mentalist's map. Peppered throughout are useful tips, tricks, and full routines worth your time and attention. One of the first techniques I read, I know I'm going to be putting to work immediately! What will you find? These pages are waiting for you to discover them." Patrick G. Redford

"Paul Draper is one of the most thoughtful and insightful voices in magic today. He also has a mountain of real-world experience. That is exactly who we should listen to, someone who has thought deeply about magic and has also done it in front of paying customers!" Lance Burton

"From the first time I saw Paul Draper perform, I always felt that he had a special connection with his audience. There are a lot of performers running around, but only a few who truly connect and raise our art to a higher level. Paul Draper is one of those!" Richard Osterlind

On Second Thought.. will not simply add more material to your repertoire. It will help you make the material you already know even stronger. It will sharpen your thinking, strengthen your presentations, and give you practical tools for making your magic more meaningful, more memorable, and more powerful.

If you care about becoming a better performer, not just learning another secret, On Second Thought... Magic, Meaning, and Performance is the kind of book you will return to again and again.