"Brainstorm In My Pajamas" by Ronald Dayton
Suggested Retail $39.95
Available from Leaping Lizards Magic
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"Brainstorm In My Pajamas", a book by Ronald "Kotah" Dayton, is a quirky book with a quirky title that demonstrates, once and for all, why Dayton is regarded as the creative genius he truly is.

I'll come clean first: Ronald Dayton -- known throughout the community as "Kotah" (a title given him by Gene Poinc) -- is one of my own personal driving influences. He's been both an inspiration to my work and a kick to my groin ever since I've known him, depending on which I needed at the time, and that's my way of saying he's a good and true friend.

'Course I don't let that color my judgment; personal integrity, truth between friends, and all of that come to play. Besides, "Brainstorm In My Pajamas" is the perfect example of why I feel truly honored to know Dayton and to share more than a few brainstorms with him.

It also shows a deep glimpse into Dayton's mind, in more ways than one.

The first thing you'll notice about the book is that there's no consistent theme throughout. This is not a book of "bizarre" magic -- though there are some of Dayton's trademark dark stories present -- and it's not a book of tricks -- but you'll find several greats ones inside -- and it's not a book of principles and ideas -- though the hundreds of them present may have you think otherwise. No, "Brainstorm In My Pajamas" isn't one to be pigeon-holed into any category... Like Dayton himself, this book is a multi-personalitied, eclectic gathering of simply wicked thinking.

You have to think of "Brainstorm" this way: it's a collection of thoughts, presented as short essays, about tricks and how to twist them just enough to make them new again through a liberal application of creativity. That's a popular thing nowadays, but the way Dayton does it... Man, it's just good stuff (and you can check out a sample of the book here).

Take for example his essay on that magic set standard, the card box. Ron doesn't worry about the workings; he wants to come up with new ideas for it, new premises, and he wants us to work toward the same goal. So Dayton thinks about what the box could be: a box to hold a journal, whose haunted, missing pages return; a jewelry box whose tune matches a selected object; a tackle box, a card-collector's box (for old baseball cards or new Yu-gi-Oh cards), a cigar box... and the list goes on, each thought there for the taking and for the tinkering.

There are countless multitudes of ideas like that for things we don't think much about but probably should. Egg bags, ball-and-vases, Chinese Sticks, coin pails... all of them get what I call the "Dayton Treatment"; something gets touched and twiddled and comes out totally different than what originally went into his head (much like Dayton's ideas for -- and I can't believe I'm typing this -- "The Rabbit Wringer").

But don't get the idea that all Dayton is doing here is giving new ideas for old stuff. This is an open-house into Dayton's thoughts, and those thoughts are brilliant. For example, there's one essay (which I won't name for reasons that will be obvious) that solves a problem I was having with a brand-spanking new routine I saw on a DVD released earlier this month. Another essay led me to solve an issue I was having with one of my own routines (something so blasted obvious when Dayton mentioned it I was brought to suitable cursing). These essays, on everything from shiners to rubber cement to Bic pens, are, to me, the real gold in "Brainstorm", but then that's like say it's 24-karat gold and the rest of Dayton's work is 18-karat; it's all brilliant stuff.

Speaking of which... the tricks. Dayton has included a few of his fill-blown routines here, complete with presentations and methods and the like. I'll spare you all of the details except to say they are good, powerful things. But there is one I have to mention: "The Dayton Razor Blade Miracle". This was released long ago, went out of print, and never saw the light of day again. This is "worth the price of the book" stuff, right here. It's the old "razors and thread" plot, but it's been "Dayton-ized": gone are the weird stands, the all-too-often closed handling, the mechanisms, and the switching. That's right: no switching of anything. If you've ever thought about doing this routine, you need to see Dayton's version; the thinking is bold and elegant and different.

And that pretty much describes "Brainstorm In My Pajamas": bold, elegant, and different. It also describes the man himself, as any good work should.

Now the single caveat: don't get this thinking it's full of things you'll use. Dayton's thinking is all over the place and the result is that some things simply won't be your bowl of noodles. Other things you'll like, but you'll need to tinker with them yourself, make them work. So if you're into instant and complete gratification, this one ain't for you.

If you're like me, and love things that get the juices flowing, maybe address a problem or two, or just get you to look at things differently, then, brother, is "Brainstorm In My Pajamas" for you.

"Brainstorm In My Pajamas" by Ronald Dayton
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Material: 10
A wandering, ambling tour through the mind of one of magic's greatest creative geniuses, the stuff here ranges from biographical snippets to strange uses for old props to gimmicky to full-blown routines. Scatter-shot with brilliant pieces throughout, this is one book for anyone who wants or needs new ideas (which should be all of us).

Quality: 10
Dayton's writing is superb here; he cuts to the chase quickly in some cases, shifting gears later to dive into in-depth discussions of ideas and thoughts. Dayton did a masterful job here.

Illustrations: 10
There are many illustrations -- some black-and-white photos of Dayton throughout his life, others line drawings to get the material across better.

Presentation: 10
While the meat here is in Dayton's ideas, his presentational pieces are remarkable, strong and unique as they always are.


Shane