“I didn’t lose the weight in order to write a book. I didn’t train myself to eat healthy in order to share my techniques with the world. I didn’t do it because the trips to the hospital scared me skinny. I did it because I wanted to give myself a few more chances to die from the Bullet Catch.”
-Penn Jillette (from Presto! How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales)
I have been a follower of Penn & Teller from the first time I saw them on Late Night with David Letterman back in the ‘80’s. The uniqueness of their stage personas and their amazing act immediately captured my imagination. Recently when I saw Penn, the more verbose of the duo, on TV he was so incredibly gaunt I feared he was fatally ill. (In 2012 I met him after a show at the Rio Hotel and he was huge, which means something coming from me.) It turns out he has never been healthier. The radical new diet that changed his life is the main subject of his latest book, Presto! How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales.
Early on Penn discloses that his book is not meant to be instructional, but rather a chronicle of how and why he decided to embrace a healthier lifestyle, with numerous anecdotes and personal opinions mixed in, exactly like the title promises.
The book is similar in style to God, No!, the only other Penn Jillette title I’ve ever read. He keeps his sentences short and direct, and never tries to overachieve. You could hear the author’s voice with every word, and like his previous effort Presto! is poorly organized and doesn’t have a conclusion or ending as much as it just ends, as though he runs out of things to say and just gives up.
But the most annoying thing about Presto! is its repetitiveness. On several occasions I thought I was re-reading a chapter. Okay, we get it, you are an atheist, you don’t drink or do drugs, you love Bob Dylan and loathe Don Johnson, and once burned your privates on a hair dryer. No need to pound this into our skulls. I’m not exaggerating when I say if all the redundancies were removed, the book, like its author, would reduce in size by a third.
All things considered, Penn’s story is far from a waste of time and paper. I love books that introduce me to original ideas and fresh perspectives, and Presto! has a new, fascinating take on dieting (although it isn’t created by the author), intriguing recipes that I can’t wait to try, and it’s peppered with his libertarian views, all of which held my attention.
I’m afraid I’m going to have to call out Penn on something, though. On page 24 he says:
“…and after every show I’ll pose for pictures, sign anything…and talk about anything with anyone who was at the show and wants to talk to me.”
The aforementioned time I went to see P & T live I got my autographs and photos, but when I tried to engage Penn in discussion he totally blew me off. (Regardless I remain a fan, and still have the framed picture of them with the ticket stub they signed hanging on my wall.)
I can recommend Presto! How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales only to die-hard admirers of Penn & Teller. If you want to try the program, wait for a “how-to” book from its originator, Ray Cronise. And if you’re in Las Vegas check out their show the experience is unforgettable.
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