Enjoying read - Rated 
Excellent read, dont expect to become any kind of a mentalist but it will give you a clearer insight into Derrens tricks
Great book - Rated
This is an excellent book in the way it brings together his wealth of research over the years into the different facets of the mind. It's also very funny and well written. There are obviously many secrets that he does not reveal (which is understandable), but it gives us a taste of how he performs his feats on his TV programmes/shows, even if we couldn't exactly replicate them ourselves!
The memory palace works! - Rated
Highly intelligent, and ferociously honest about the failings of his fellow-practitioners, and his own deceits, Derren Brown is also witty and often rather clever. What he sets out in this book is more like a potted philosophy, interspersed with tips about improving the memory, simple conjuring tricks and a devastating condemnation of Spiritualism.
Those who have seen his TV programmes for Channel 4 will recognise the sheer mouthiness and brio of his delivery - he writes like he performs, a mile a minute with naughty asides. It's captivating to watch, but it can be a little overwhelming to read. Luckily, however, he calms down for the really serious subjects, such as religion, which he does not have much time for, especially as he admits to being a teenage Christian fundamentalist, until he read Bertrand Russell. He writes very ably and very persuasively about science versus the New Age (Reiki, Homeopathy, Crystals, Tarot, Chakra etc.). He makes the point that when tested against placebos homeopathic remedies consistently show no superiority in efficacy, and yet homeopathologists insist that they work. But since they do not work any better than a placebo, why pay for them?
He saves his deepest scorn for Spiritualism, the crooks and delusionists who practice it and the harm that they do to the credulous and bereaved. He is also scathing about Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), although he is careful not to dismiss it entirely, since it is current rather than original formats that have brought it into disrepute.
A lively and thought-provoking read - I particularly enjoyed his writing on reading unconscious behaviour, detecting lies and deceits, etc., which is much more complex than just watching faces or eyes; and his memory system (using a `memory palace') works too.
I didn't like it - Rated 
I've always liked Derren Brown having seen his performances on TV (and his artwork). So when this came out I wanted to read it. But I was disappointed. Not because he didn't reveal enough - I think he did actually. He revealed that a lot of what he does is based on his enormous intellect and sheer hard work. There is no issue with revealing your tactics when the bar to entry is high. Most people are too lazy and anyway - he has many years head start. No - the problem for me was that he just came across as not terribly likeable.
Great Read - Rated 
Tricks of the Mind is an outstanding book. Derren has taken some classic concepts, that are frequently too involved, and has made them enjoyable to learn and easy to understand. A 'Must Read' for anyone new to magic or entertaining as Derren describes how to make the most basic of magic tricks into an experience for your audience. The memory skills learned in this book are simple yet highly effective for anyone in any occupation or social situation. Overall, this is just an entertaining and engaging book that is well presented. It won't, obviously, give all the secrets to Derren's work but it certainly shows how hard he works at his craft to keep us entertained.
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