Juggler's World: Vol. 39, No. 4

Book Reviews

By Dick Franco

This book gives fine instruction in text and pictures for people wanting to learn to juggle clubs. Franco, a stage performer for more than 10 years, spends 34 pages of the 128 page volume teaching the three club cascade.

It includes some innovative tips, such as, "If you're having trouble with this, I would suggest that you have a friend help you by putting the clubs through their patterns by hand. You will throw and catch in slow motion while your friend moves the clubs slowly through the air for you. With everything slowed down you can better understand sequence of throws and catches."

The last half covers ten basic three club tricks. Beside the standard behind the back and under the leg, he covers interesting and more difficult flats, backhand dips and reverse spins.

The book is well illustrated with 48 photos of outstanding club jugglers, as well as step-by-step photos with William Lee of the instructions as they are explained in the text.

By Kit Summers

1987. Finesse Press, San Diego, Calif. ISBN 0-938981-00-5.

This book was reviewed from copied pages earlier in Juggler's World, but is now available in its paperback printed form.

It is a thoroughly illustrated guide to all basic juggling skills, including some advanced (and some impossible!) tricks. Its 251 pages include 158 photos of professional jugglers from Summer's collection. Line drawings also illustrate how the juggling tricks are completed.

Summers adopts an optimistic tone in many personal observations on what it takes to be a successful juggler and performer, including suggestions on style, technique and business.