If you're looking for a book with a mind shattering new magical paradigm, this is not that book. It is also not a handbook for beginning magicians. This is the book you're looking for if you're a magician in need of fresh inspiration in a bleak and self-destructive society.

If you've established a magical practice but are wondering "OK, I'm a magician, now what?" or feel there's just "something" missing from your practice, this book is for you. If these essays have an overarching theme, it's what it feels like to be a magician.

One of the criticisms leveled at this book is that there is a lack of diversity in voices. I have to agree. Despite many of the contributors saying "I'm not a chaos magician," most of the essays in this book come from a Western, chaos-influenced perspective. The majority of the contributors are male, and all but one lives in North America.

The problem with anthologies is always consistency. There were a few articles that I just did not like. But Stephen Grasso's essays, and Chris Arkenberg's article "My Love War with Fox News" are worth the price of admission on their own.

I'm hesitant to recommend this book to beginners, though I think with some work even the most basic beginner would take something away from this book. I recommend this book to all practicing magicians. Even if you think your practice is fine the way it is, I suspect you'll find something of value in this collection.

Finally, a book about magic from someone other than the usual suspects, saying something other than the usual. My only complaint is that the book is sometimes difficult to read because I find myself stopping after individual essays to go for long walks and digest. Some essays, I find myself stopping after almost every sentence to think about what I've just read. I particularly like Louv's writing and ideas; there's a deep-down freshness to his writing and "oh gosh!" enthusiasm that I can't stop loving.