I was actually there to try to resolve a technical issue with my account, but thought I’d see what was happening in the Magical Equations forum while I was there, that being the home of magic squares related discussions.

A few threads piqued my interest, but I struck gold in one called Magic Square Question Using The Same Square But Disguising It.

I know, it doesn’t sound that enticing, but something drew me to it.

What caught my eye, however, when I was scanning down the conversation, was mention of my own name by a gentleman called Mike Daniels.

He wrote that he has published his own magic square routine, under the name Mostly Perfect.

Being a bit of a magic squares addict, I therefore felt compelled to buy a copy.

So, what exactly is Mostly Perfect?

In essence, it’s a method for creating a 4 x 4 magic square that adds up to any number required.

Like several other methods that are available, it can be performed anywhere, anytime – either close-up or on stage.

However, it does differ from many of the so-called “instant” magic squares that are on the market, and I’m delighted it does, as it turns out that Mike, like myself, doesn’t like the unbalanced nature of the squares created by these other methods.

While there are many who claim this isn’t a problem, when you have a square containing the numbers 1 through 12, and then there’s a giant gap before the next four numbers, then I can’t help thinking that even reasonably-astute spectators will find this suspicious. And these methods also mean that you can’t repeat the performance for the same people.

The good news is that Mostly Perfect creates the most well-balanced magic square I’ve ever seen – even better than the one I’ve used for over 35 years!

And it’s not even hard to do.

So, before you get to Mike’s main method, there is a brief history and explanation of what magic squares are, and several popular variations.

Next, Mike explains what “most perfect” magic squares are, and then details how to create one of three most perfect squares using a few simple steps, which are illustrated to make sure everything is clear.

This is followed by a diagram of 52 different summation patterns, which are similar in nature to the ones I created for my own Magic Squares book.

We then come to the meat of the book – how to create a magic square using Mike’s method.

First off, he presents the base magic square which you have to learn by heart, as this is the foundation for his method.

It’s really not that hard – after all, it’s only 16 numbers – and he even gives you some helpful memory aids to assist you.

Once you’ve got that down, you will learn the two simple calculations that have to be performed that let you transform this “base” magic square into one that adds up to any number required (as long as it’s 34 or greater).

Again, there are worked examples to help you understand what’s going on.

This is followed by four more examples that show you how the basic formula is varied slightly, depending on the required magic total.

Additional thoughts, presentational ideas and more are then offered, before Mike moves on to the second part of his Mostly Perfect package – the learning tool.

I have long been a fan of writing simple programs to help me learn things (e.g. the Knight’s Tour), and Mike obviously is too, as the learning tool is a program that runs in all popular web browsers (no Internet connection needed) that will help you to perfect the easy calculations and construction method, to give you the confidence to perform this routine for other people.

The book concludes with a useful list of resources, including books and websites where you can learn more, and some blank magic square templates you can print and copy for your own use.

So, what did I like about Mostly Perfect? Well:

• it’s well-written and well-presented
• the method is simple to learn and apply
• you can start filling in the magic square almost immediately
• it creates a really well-balanced magic square
• it comes with a learning tool so you can practise it as often as you like until you perfect it.

Is there anything I didn’t like about it?

In all honesty, no!

Most Perfect is a great contribution to the world of magic squares literature, and I highly recommend it if you have any interest in magic squares whatsoever.

You can buy a copy from Lybrary.com for the grand sum of just $6, and be learning how you to can perform this miracle routine just minutes later as the book is a downloadable PDF document.

Chris has come up with a really novel application of the well-known Reversible Magic Square, which I first saw in Royal Vale Heath’s book, Mathemagic.

He calls his routine the Dual Magic Square, and when you read it, you’ll understand why.

To the best of my knowledge, this is an original creation that I’m sure many will find intriguing.

Anyway, it’s very ingenious and well worth a look, whether you’re a magician with an interest in magic squares, or a mathematical enthusiast.

As I said before, this adventure features a unique and unusual magic square but you’ll have to read the book to find out more.

Check out the Ring Of Daggers website to find out more and to see how you can order your copy today.

This full-length, 400+ page story features David Nelson, a maths teacher from a little-known boarding school in the north-west of England.

Our hero discovers an odd-looking, ancient artefact while in Paris, which leads him on a dangerous quest to try to solve the mystery of the Doomsday Calendar and prevent a disaster of untold proportions.

Unusually, this adventure features a magic square but that’s all I’ll say for now.

What I can tell you is that Ring Of Daggers includes:

• globe-trotting
• adventure
• murder
• mystery
• centuries-old legend
• and a bit of romance, for good measure.

The book will be available shortly, from suppliers such as Amazon.com, so if you would like to be notified as soon as it’s available, then please sign up to our R&M Publishing Newsletter (see the subscription form, to the right of the page, although there is a similar form on the Ring Of Daggers website too).

I’m also twisting the arm of a friend of mine to write some guest posts, so I’m sure, between us, we’ll find a few things that will entertain and amaze you.

So, a bit of history then.

Back in 1994, or thereabouts, I eventually got around to applying for Membership of The Magic Circle, arguably the most famous magic club in the world, having already been an amateur magician for 18 years.

Now, although they prefer people to audition for membership in front of an audience and judges, I was never the performing type, and this scared me witless, so I asked if I could write a thesis instead, which they will accept, not that many people take this route.

That replaced one problem with another – what on earth could I write about?

Well, shortly after first becoming interested in magic, my mentor, the late, great and unfortunately largely-unknown Joe Riding, introduced me to a small pamphlet called “The Amazing Magic Square And Master Memory Demonstration”, by Orville Meyer.

Having long been a fan of mnemonics (I started using these techniques when I was just eight years old), I found this really easy, and this combination magic squares and memory demonstration became my “party piece” of choice for many years.

So, why not write a thesis on magic squares, as I really didn’t know what else I could really cover with any degree of expertise?

Luckily, this topic was accepted, and I then had six months to write and submit my work – I seem to recall they only required about 2,500 words.

I got to work – with more enthusiasm and focus than I think I’d ever demonstrated in my life, did tons of research, bought, read and borrowed loads of books, and with too little time to spare, submitted my finished thesis (which had grown to a massive 100 pages or so!).

On tenterhooks, I waited for it to be reviewed by the appropriate members (one of whom was Professor Eddie Dawes, one of magic’s most knowledgeable historians), and, after what seemed like an eternity, was accepted as a Member of The Magic Circle.

Over the coming months, I received all sorts of compliments about my book, and one person even commented that I should have applied for Associate of The Inner Magic Circle instead.

I’d not known (nor had anybody told me) that this was even an option, so I made a few changes, added a bit more material, and re-submitted it to see if they would accept it again, but this time, for the next level of membership.

It was coming up to our annual President’s Dinner in Northampton, where I was (and still am) a member, and another of my magical mentors, the late Richard Stupple, managed to get this re-review processed through The Magic Circle’s Council really quickly so that our Guest of Honour at the dinner, the then President of The Magic Circle, world-renowned David Berglas, could present me with my AIMC certificate in person.

I finally breathed a sigh of relief, having finally accomplished what I’d first thought about when I was just 17 – it just took me about 20 years to get around to it.

Not to mention that very few magicians reach AIMC on the strength of written submissions.

Since then, I thought that there was no point in letting my thesis gather dust in The Magic Circle library, so I decided to offer it for sale, to interested magicians and mathematicians the world over – why not let them benefit from those months of research.

Initially, I fulfilled orders myself, which was far from onerous, given it’s not exactly on everybody’s list of must-have books, and I managed to sell just over 100 copies over the next ten years or so.

Not a blockbuster, but a moderate success, as magic squares is a minority specialty within a fairly narrow hobby/profession.

I would have continued to sell copies myself, but on moving to the USA, to a very remote location with almost zero mail services, I decided to make Magic Squares available via Amazon.com instead, so the burden of fulfillment has finally been removed.

I do have plans for a second book about magic squares, but I cannot make any promises about when it might be available – I just have too many balls to juggle these days, including running an online organic pet health business, with my wife, for which we provide 24 x 7 support to our customers, and that gets to be very time-consuming and tiring, believe me!

Anyway, if you’ve made it this far, congratulations, the history lesson is over, and I hope you enjoy this blog.