I've been doing Tarot readings for many years. If I had to choose one book that influenced me dramatically in my reading career, it is the book that you have in your hands right now. This book changed my professional reading life from one that got several readings a month for a few dollars each to one that now has several full length readings a week at a very high price per reading. Add to that a few home parties a month and some corporate gigs, and I have become one of the busiest and highest paid readers in the NYC area. It was following the advice in The Tarot Reader's Notebook that led me to this point.

I first met Ron Martin at a gathering of mentalists/psychic entertainers on the East Coast back in the '90s. Since I had read The Tarot Reader's Notebook some years before, I was looking forward to meeting Ron in person. I was not disappointed. I also saw him again in Reston, VA in the summer of 2003 while he was giving readings in a semi-private setting. Absolutely amazing. His charm and natural ability shone through. A true gentleman, Ron also has a plethora of knowledge about the art of giving readings. Honed through decades of real world experience, the reading skills that Ron has make him a master of the art of psychic/spiritual/entertainment readings. The benefit of that experience is now yours.

No matter if you are strictly a cold reader, read for real or anything in-between, there is a lot in this book for you. Every conceivable aspect of a Tarot reading is covered, including areas that are neglected or never even thought of by most readers. As most performers know, presentation is 80% of the performance. Setting the stage for a reading and presenting it in a way that the sitter(s) is psychologically and emotionally brought in as a partner in the reading makes a big difference. That is only one area covered of dozens in this book.

This is a comprehensive tome that has something for everyone. Excellent cold reading tips, how to learn the meanings of Tarot cards if you are a beginner, layouts and the reason behind them, checking questions, general and specific lines, should you include negatives, and on and on. What would you do as a reader if someone asked a gravely serious question about a real life decision she must make? Ron has excellent suggestions for this which have really made a difference for me and those of my clients who needed it. Ron also goes into the pendulum and psychometry that can be used to enhance readings. No stone is left unturned in this book.

The updates in this new edition are very valuable. I love the "People Add What They Lack" advice, especially for cold readers. There is also a nice effect using emotions based on an Ormond McGill "game" and a great deal more, such as how Ron "convinces" skeptics (hint: it's in his opening remarks to the sitter). Very well thought-out and constructed. A great deal more new ideas and philosophies are included.

My personal favorite sections of the book are Ron's philosophies about Tarot reading and each aspect of the art. These are throughout the book and make us think and reflect, and that is of great value. Any artist needs to constantly reevaluate himself and his art.

This can be looked at as a "how-to" book, but it is so much more than that. Reading The Tarot Reader's Notebook is like sitting down over a cup of coffee with one of the great reading artists of our time and getting his best advice based on a lifetime of learning.

Don't just read the book, but savor it. Take notes. Go back and re-read sections a few times. Ron Martin's experience is now yours to mold, shape and tailor to your own readings and persona.

Learn and Enjoy!!!

Tony Razzano
April 2007