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The book opens with one of his most dangerous demonstrations ever, being attached to four fishhooks and being raised by a helicopter over one thousand feet in the air. It continues with his early days, where he was known as Christopher Sarantakos, and how he was inspired to get into magic, thanks to his Aunt Stella, who had taught him a card trick at the age of six and ever since, the rest is history.
Angel discusses other precarious demonstrations, such as being “Burned Alive,” being locked in a wine barrel, and “Submerged,” the latter of which he performed in 2002, where he trapped himself in water for a 24-hour time period.
Aside from magic, Angel opens up about his other passions in life, which include martial arts with Bruce Lee as his biggest inspiration, recording music, and riding motorcycles.
It includes heart-warming quotes from his brothers, J.D. and Costa Sarantakos, his mother, Dimitra, his cousin George, Penn Jillette from Penn and Teller, master magician Johnny Thompson, his manager Dave Baram, magician Lance Burton, mentalist Banachek, Luxor Las Vegas Casino Hotel president Felix Rappaport, among others.
To achieve the success that he has had, and to earn industry respect, he was willing to work around the clock, and he had high expectations set early on. While his mother wanted him to become either a lawyer or a doctor, she stood by his side the moment he told her he wanted to be a professional magician.
In “Chapter 9: Don’t Believe Your Eyes,” Angel defines the following terms, paranormal, mentalism, intuition, hypnosis and illusion in his own words.
Most impressive about this book is that Angel pays homage to his late father, John Sarantakos, and he described the impact that he has made on his life, and his brothers’ lives in an entire section, “Chapter 4: My Dad.” His father was described as the “main link in their family,” and while his death may have been painful for everybody, it truly unified them as a family, since they had to support one another afterwards. Based on this book, it is evident that Harry Houdini and his father were his two greatest role models in life.
As an added bonus, Secret Revelations includes 40 “Mindfreak” tricks that any amateur or aspiring magician can master, thanks to Angel’s step-by-step instructions. It also features some neat and vibrant photos from his Mindfreak seasons. He also pays homage to his fan-base, which are affectionately known as “Loyal.”
The Verdict
Overall, Criss Angel’s Mindfreak: Secret Revelations is an exceptional book about a man with a hard work ethic, relentlessness, will power and perseverance. He underscores the importance of family, and how it was an imperative part of all of his accomplishments in his personal and professional life. This book is a must for any fans of Criss Angel, magic, or anybody who is interesting in reading about a man who was able to go beyond the means and redefine the ordinary. It earns two giant thumbs up.
