Cold Reading Resources

This essay presents a briefly annotated list of publications

that pertain to the art, the science, the craft, and/or the
business of cold reading. It is of necessity one person’s
perspective, and consequently limited in scope. With a
sprinkling of obvious exceptions (such as Corinda’s Thirteen
Steps), it is constrained to publications that deal primarily
with cold reading. There are, of course, many more general
books on mentalism and allied arts that contain
contributions to this area; I have made no attempt to
include such references here.

Also excluded (for the most part) are countless books for the general public on
the broad topic of fortunetelling, most of which focus on one or more specific
divinatory “oracles” (palmistry, cards, numerology, astrology, runes, crystals, tea
leaves, etc.). Many would argue — with some justification — that such books are,
in several ways, more helpful than those that specifically target cold reading for
the “magician” trade.

And there’s not much here on the classic Question and Answer (“Q&A”) act, a
very effective demonstration long used by top-flight mentalists, whose efficacy is
almost entirely dependent on the ability to give good cold readings. Most written
works on this topic focus on the methodology of obtaining the questions in
surreptitious fashion, though many classical performers scoffed at this practice,
and simply read them openly!

Is it “cold reading” or “stock reading”? Such questions proffer a false dichotomy,

as these terms refer to two quite different aspects of the reading process. A “cold
reading” is simply a reading (“a personal interpretation or appraisal”) delivered
cold (“without advance preparation”), using no previously-obtained information
about the client. This contrasts with a “hot reading”, which exploits prior — often
secretly obtained — information (there is also “warm reading”, which makes use of
verbal feedback obtained from the client during the reading).

“Stock phrases” are pre-formulated statements of a general nature, designed to

be applicable to broad classes of people; they are often — sometimes derogatorily
— termed Barnum or Forer statements (see the Ray Hyman references for more
on this). A reading that consists primarily of such statements is termed a “stock
reading”. Although these can unquestionably be effective, they are rarely as
compelling as a truly personalized (and well-delivered) reading. The latter is a
much more interactive process, rooted deeply in careful observation of — and
feedback (both overt and covert) from — the person being read. Skilled cold
readers commonly make selective — even extensive — use of stock phrases, but
not indiscriminately so: they choose carefully from an extensive repertoire, and
tailor each comment to the specific client/situation. Thus does a stock phrase
become an effective cold reading line.

From the moment that I first published this list, I have received enquiries
about “how to become a cold reader”, so offer here a few opinions on the
subject …

First, and most important, there is no book that will teach you how to
become an accomplished cold reader. In fact, reading too many books on
the subject (searching for some sort of “holy grail”?) can be tremendously
counterproductive, as you have no personal context within which to appreciate
(or even understand) much of the information being presented. Cold reading is
a skill that comes from one source, and one source only: giving readings.
Many of the world’s best cold readers have never studied a “cold reading” book
in their lives (and may well be unaware that such things even exist). But if
they are any good at all, they have given a lot of readings.

That’s not to say that books on the topic are unhelpful (were this the case, I
would not have taken the trouble to compile this resource list). Quite the
contrary, they offer information that can significantly elevate your game. But
— unlike what many purveyors of products for magicians would like you to
believe — they will not make you a good cold reader: that is something you
must do on your own. And that is why it’s such an uncommon, valuable skill
(one that can earn you a living in good times and bad: read Richard Webster’s
delightful essay, Instant Cash: The Story of Bill, if you need convincing) …
because most would-be readers just study (too many) books, and never quite
manage to get up the courage to begin doing actual readings.

“You will learn more from [giving] ten readings

than from any book about readings.”
— John Wellington Wells

Cold reading can be viewed as — simultaneously — a science, an art, and a

craft. For the science, there is no better book than Ian Rowland’s exhaustive
The Full Facts Book of Cold Reading. For the art, turn to studies like Brad
Henderson’s The Dance. For the craft, choose an oracle that appeals to you,
and learn a traditional/proven set of rules for interpreting that oracle (Richard
Webster’s Quick & Effective Cold Reading is a classic in this category).

But mostly, go out and do readings. Do them for free at first; let sitters know
that you are just learning, and they will be forgiving. (It’s unnecessary at this
stage to have completely mastered your chosen oracle; begin with the basics.)
When you start getting requests for longer readings, you will know that you
are becoming competent. From here, proceed as your interests direct you.
Read further; now is when those books will become useful (and make much
more sense than they could have at the beginning).

Appreciate that cold reading involves the crafting of stories. The oracle
supplies the clues, but the reader must construct a compelling narrative: a
good cold reader is a good storyteller. Some will certainly have a greater
innate talent for all this than others, but anyone with a sincere interest in
people, and a desire to help them (even if that help is simply a diverting
entertainment), can become an effective reader.

[ Ian Rowland also proffers — in promotion of his (excellent) book —

his own take on this issue, one that is definitely worth reading. ]

A final note: in my experience, most magicians/mentalists are woefully

uninformed about cold reading (although they are quick to proclaim otherwise,
and post dubious suggestions to beginners), unable even to offer a credible
definition of the term. Since the turn of the century, there has been a rather
unfortunate blossoming of books — often absurdly high in price — by such folks,
offering “improved” reading systems, usually with a focus on ease of learning,
which entirely misses the point. If an oracular system is not robust, deep, and
exhaustively tested, it will never suffice for anything more than superficial
readings. There’s a reason why the popular systems — tarot, palmistry,
numerology, I Ching, etc. — are the ones with centuries of evolution! As John
Wells wisely observed, “Life is complex; the oracle must be also.” So, in this and
all other areas, choose your information sources carefully, and wisely.

I welcome any suggestions that readers of this list may care to contribute.

Albright, Howard. Forbidden Wisdom. Colon, MI: Abbott’s Magic, 1948. Not so
much a reference on cold reading (although the book does include a useful
“Psychic System” for such purposes), but an excellent crash course on a variety of
traditional oracles: palmistry, graphology, numerology, astrology, etc. It is a
particularly good reference on several techniques for fortune-telling by playing
cards.

Anderson, George B. It Must Be Mindreading. Chicago: Ireland Magic, 1949.

Though primarily a mentalism text, there is a considerable amount of Q&A
material here, with associated good ideas for the reader.

. Dynamite Mentalism. Chicago: Magic, Inc., 1979. A one-man question-

answering act based entirely on cold reading (i.e., using no props, gimmicks,
written questions, etc.). Successful acts have been performed based solely on this
methodology.

Anonymous. Tradecraft. Chicago: Trickshop.com Inc., 2003. A basic introduction

to cold reading, providing an overview of the major elements of the craft.
Published in e-book format.

Arcane, Peter (aka Trevor McCombie). The Elucidator. Edinburgh: Arcane

Magick, 2005. A collection of cold reading approaches that correspond to various
commonly-drawn figures (such as might be seen when asking someone to “draw
something”), these allow a performer to elucidate the possible meanings of such
visual expressions.

Boarde, C.L. (aka Warren Schoonmaker). Mainly Mental, Volume I: Billet

Reading. New York: privately published, 1947. Section three of this book (pp. 39–
50), entitled “The Spiel”, deals with the answering of questions, and incorporates
a considerable amount of useful cold reading advice.

Cain, Ron. The Secret to Reading Cards and Clients. Albuquerque: Flora & Co.,
1991. A method for integrating aspects of astrology, palmistry, numerology, and
colours in cold readings, including scripts and a complete sample reading,
transcribed from an actual session.

Corinda, Tony. Thirteen Steps to Mentalism. New York: Tannen Magic, 1968.
This seminal text of the mentalists’ art is often overlooked by cold readers, but its
coverage of the topic — in Step Eleven: Question and Answer (Readings) — is as
thorough and incisive as everything else in this masterwork. A must read.

Crouter, Fred L. Inner Secrets of Cold Reading Experts. 2000. Twenty-seven

pages of cold reading ideas, including body type analysis, colour reference, and a
system of combining an alphabetic key word with body type characterization
reading.

de Courcy, Ken. The Systematic Seer: A Simplified System of Fortune Telling.

Bideford, England: Supreme Magic, 1976. A four-page manuscript, offering the
original concept of using the letters of a person’s name as keys to specific cold
reading topics. This technique has subsequently been more fully explored by
others, including Ron Martin, Mark Sherman, William Thomas, and Richard
Webster.

. Simple Numerology. privately published, 19??. A four-page pamphlet on

simplified numerology readings; comes with a small laminated card used to
present the readings.

Dewey, Herb & Thomas K. Saville. Red Hot Cold Reading. Denver, CO: In
Visible Print, 1984. The first volume in what is commonly considered a trilogy by
the lengendary Herb Dewey (dubbed “King of the Cold Readers” by Bascom
Jones), arguably the twentieth century’s most accomplished cold reader. This, the
most structured of the three books, is an advanced course in cold reading. That
said, these books are primarily interpretations by others of how Herb worked; his
technique was much more intuitive than these writings imply. Recommended.

Dewey, Herb [uncredited] & Bascom Jones. King of the Cold Readers.
Bakersfield, CA: Bascom Jones, 1989. Though he is not directly credited (at his
request, for personal reasons explained in the third volume), this is actually the
second volume of the Herb Dewey trilogy. Its eighteen chapters cover a diverse
set of specific cold reading topics, with Herb’s take on each. Recommended.

Dewey, Herb. Psycho-Babble. Edited by Roy Miller. privately published, 1996.

The final volume in the trilogy, this is a sort of “wrap-up” of various topics and
ideas that did not find expression in the earlier books. Recommended.

. Mind-Blowing Psychic Readings. Edited by Marc Sky. Woodbridge, NY:

Mindreaders, 1997. This book, which completes the Dewey œuvre, is a collection
of scripted readings categorized by gender, age, & other particulars; it offers
great examples of how to weave a narrative from tidbits of garnered information.
As with all of Herb’s works, one needs to be careful of generalized observations
that may have been true for his particular location and clients, but are not
necessarily universal.

Dunford, Iain. aeiou. England: Iain Dunford, 2011. The system detailed in this
booklet is (yet another) offshoot of Ken de Courcy’s Systematic Seer, this time
with a focus on the vowels alone. What distinguishes it (and warrants inclusion
here) is the attention to detail evidenced by Mr. Dunford, making his approach
(oriented toward briefer, character-style readings) truly easy to learn, and very
effective in its results. A beginning reader will find this a productive starting point,
and there is much fodder for the experienced practitioner as well. Recommended.

. Thought Paths. England: Iain Dunford, 2011. What Iain’s aeiou booklet
did for vowels, this one does for numerical digits (though it’s less a complete
reading system than an innovative interpretive approach). If you want to do
readings with a numerological component, and don’t want to learn a full-blown,
complex system, this would be the place to begin.

Dyment, Doug. Zenermancy. San Francisco: www.deceptionary.com, 2011. A

monograph on cold reading using Zener (“ESP”) card symbology, suitable for both
beginning and advanced readers. Richard Webster called this “an essential work
for anyone involved in giving readings”.

. Cold Front. San Francisco: www.deceptionary.com, 2004. A study tool,

designed to help one learn Richard Webster’s palmistry method.

Earle, Lee. The Gentle Art of Cold Reading. Phoenix: Lee Earle, 2003. An audio
CD revision and updating of the author’s earlier (1989) The Classic Reading, this
stock reading is well constructed for a contemporary audience, and presented in
Lee’s typical entertaining fashion.

Goldstine, Daniel et al. The Dance-Away Lover. New York: William Morrow,
1977. Not as well-known as Sheehy’s Passages, this book offers a simpler, more
casual approach to the notion of population stereotypes, with a focus on roles in
love, sex, and marriage.

Gresham, William Lindsay. Monster Midway. New York: Rinehart & Company,
1953. This book on the carnival trade (by the author of Nightmare Alley) includes
a better explanation of cold reading than can be found in many books directed to
magicians and mentalists. You’ll find it in chapter seven, “The Romany Trade”.
Recommended.

Henderson, Brad. The Dance. Austin, TX: Henderson Productions, 2003. A

modern classic, this slim, limited (1000 copies) edition, hardcover volume is
arguably the best description of the art (as opposed to craft) of cold reading
written to date. This book will make you a better reader. (A softcover reprint
appeared in December 2007.) A must read.

Hester, Rose & Walt Hudson. Psychic Character Analysis: The Technique of
Cold Reading Updated. Baltimore, MD: Magic Media Ltd., 1977. A slim,
introductory book on cold reading, based on the use of a stock reading,
augmented with observations on observation, body language, and presentation.

Hobrin (aka Brian Howard). Gem-Stone Reading for Profit. Auckland: Brookfield
Press, 1988.

. Money-Making Cold Reading. Sheffield, England: Magick Enterprises,

1987.

. Tales from the Tarot. Sheffield, England: Magick Enterprises, 1990. Both
a learning method and cold reading suggestions for Tarot, this book offers a
memorable “story” for each of the Rider-Waite cards.

Howard, Pierce J. The Owner’s Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from
Mind-Brain Research. Second edition. Austin, TX: Bard Press, 1999. A veritable
goldmine of information for the cold reader, based on serious research. The
chapter on personality traits, which covers The Big Five Personality Model and its
predecessors, is especially useful.

Hunter, Rudy T. 101 Cold Reading Lines You Can Use To Make Money Now!
Delta, PA: Martini’s Magic Co., 1997. A succinct collection of cold reading “one-
liners”, organized into ten basic categories.

. Mind & Money. Delta, PA: Martini’s Magic Co., 1996. Workbook for a one-
day seminar/workshop for mentalists and private readers. The emphasis is
primarily on business issues, but there is a basic introduction to cold reading
methodology.

Hyman, Ray. Cold Reading: How to Convince Strangers That You Know All About
Them. The Zetetic (now The Skeptical Inquirer) Vol. I, No. 2, 1977 pp. 18–37.
One of the earliest and best known of Professor Hyman’s many writings on the
techniques of cold reading. This is also reprinted in his later book, The Elusive
Quarry: A Scientific Appraisal of Psychical Research (Buffalo, NY: Prometheus
Books, 1989), along with two anthologies: Kendrick Frazier, ed. Paranormal
Borderlands of Science (Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1981), pp. 79–96; and
Karr, Barry et al, ed. The Outer Edge: Classic Investigations of the Paranormal
(Amherst, NY: CSICOP, 1996). Though there are many brief on-line summaries of
key points from this essay, the original paper is the one to study. A must read.

. How To Do Cold Readings. Oostende, Belgium: Syllabus for Workshop on

Cold Reading, Annual Euroskeptics Conference, 1994. A forty-page distillation of
Dr. Hyman’s more recent thinking on the topic, prepared for a skeptical audience.
Believe what you choose about the opinions of skeptics, there is no denying
Hyman’s expertise on the mechanical aspects of cold reading, and his literate
writings invariably make for worthwhile reading.

Jones, Bascom, editor. The Compleat Magick, Vols. I, II, III, & IV. Collector’s
Workshop, 1986-88. If Corinda wrote the bible of mentalism, Bascom
masterminded the new testament. Contemporary ideas, thinking, and
presentations for every type of mystery entertainer, including the cold reader.
Recommended.

Knepper, Kenton. Readings for the Magician. Phoenix: Wonder Wizards, 2002.
This nineteen-page book exhibits strong philosophical ties to the author’s (with
Rex Steven Sikes) Wonder Readings system; it could equally be considered a
subset or supplemental piece. Like most of Kenton’s products, it is notably NLP-
oriented. Mr. Knepper is something of a polarizing author: readers tend to be
either wildly enthusiastic about, or highly skeptical of, his theories.

Knepper, Kenton & J. Tank. Completely Cold. Phoenix: Wonder Wizards, 1998.
There have been mixed reviews of this slim monograph on an unconventional
approach to cold reading, extolling the use of language structure to give the
impression of psychic skills. It could certainly be useful to know if (as the title
suggests) you have no information on which to base a traditional cold reading.

. SAR: Subconscious Analysis & Reprogramming. Phoenix: Wonder

Wizards, 2001. An NLP-related therapeutic system, using a form of doodle
analysis, and geared more to the practitioner who wishes to do
counseling/therapy than the entertainer. Produced in CD-ROM format.

Knepper, Kenton & Rex Steven Sikes. Wonder Readings. 2002. This heavily
NLP-based “packaged” reading system joins the philosophy of Mr. Knepper with
that of Mr. Sikes.

Korem, Danny. Powers: Testing the Psychic & Supernatural. Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 1988. Korem, an investigative journalist and magician (who
also believes in the supernatural), learned how to do effective cold readings, and
reveals his methods in this book.

Kross, Ford. Out of the Deep Freeze. Kross, 1978. Another talented and skilled
professional reader offers a variety of good suggestions and advice to the mystery
entertainer. This set of notes is sometimes combined with the author’s later From
the Back of the Deep Freeze.

. Kross on Cold Reading. Psychic Entertainers Association, 1981. This audio

cassette tape, #4 in the PEA’s Restricted Tape Release series, incorporates an
actual cold reading by Ford, along with his analysis of the techniques in play.

Larsen, William Jr. The Mental Mysteries and Other Writings of William W.
Larsen, Sr. Los Angeles: The Genii Publishing Co., 1977. An excellent collection of
stock readings, coupled with a creative variety of money-making ideas, all from
an experienced practitioner.

Lees, David. The Leath Technique. Lees, 2001. Subtitled “An Invaluable Course
for Private Readers”, this book offers a basic introduction to reading (with a focus
on stock readings), and describes two techniques for ascertaining the principal
area of interest: a (so-called) branching anagram method (an approach pioneered
in Richard Mark’s 1992 Mindbending Meltdown, later anthologized in his 1998
Mind Warp book, and also explored in Richard Busch’s 1992 Instant Q & A), plus
one using a set of seven Tarot cards.

Longman, Millard. Psychic Readings for Groups. Coral Springs, FL: Longman
Publishing, 2000. This e-book focuses on the Q&A presentation, using a
combination of colours, drawings, and numerology as the oracles.

Lyon, Sheila & Mark Sherman. The Book of Roving. Seattle: privately
published, 2003. Group-oriented approaches to cold reading, particularly
applicable to situations where one is expected to give readings to large audiences.

. Gypsies Go Roving: Walk-Around Palmistry and Fortune-Telling for

Groups. Seattle: privately published, 2003. Additional thinking on the topic of
reading for large groups of people, from two folks who have done lots of it.

. Stand-Up Divination: The Incredible Confessions of Diva & Professor

Marconi. Seattle: privately published, 2008. The third in this loose “trilogy”,
delivering hard-to-find advice on the specialized topic of group divination.

Magnuson, Walter G. “Del Ardo” & Anthony “Nelmar” Albino. The Twentieth
Century Mindreading Act: The Modern Spiritualist Medium’s Act. Reprint, Jeff
Busby Magic, 1988. Originally marketed to spiritualists in 1935 as The Nelmar
System (and thus containing some dated material), this classic text still provides
one of the best treatises on the principles and many aspects of cold reading.

Mann, Al. Al Mann on Mentalism. London: Martin Breese, 19??. A two-tape audio
cassette package containing a discussion of reading methods. Though not a
notable performer, Al was a great distiller of the works of others, and his
contributions to mentalism are the stuff of legend.

. High Domain: A Method for the Private Reader. Freehold, NJ: Al Mann
Exclusives, 1985. This extends the material in the audio cassette set above,
including one of the only works on “tree reading” in print. This book is one of Al’s
more consistently good publications, and several excellent cold reading ideas are
to be found here.

Martin, Ron. The Tarot Reader’s Notebook. Albuquerque: Flora & Company,
1990. Subtitled “A detailed course in giving satisfying and profitable Tarot card
readings”, and written by a master reader, this massive book is widely considered
the best treatise on professional Tarot reading. And title aside, it’s a superb work
on the many aspects of cold reading as well.

. Reading the Runes. Albuquerque: Flora & Company, 1992. Unlike his
earlier book on the Tarot, this hefty book on the use of Runes was written for a
lay audience. It is, however, distributed privately with a “Confidential
Supplement” section that contains addition information for the mystery
entertainer.

. The Palm Reader’s Notebook. Revised edition. Manassas, VA: privately

published, 1997. On a par with The Tarot Reader’s Notebook, this wide-ranging
book covers aura reading as well, and incorporates a description of Ron’s KEN
system (also published separately).

. The KEN System. privately published, 1992. Similar in concept to Ken

(hence the title!) de Courcy’s Systematic Seer, this is a system for giving
individual readings that “you can remember, repeat, and refer to a year later!”.

Maven, Max. Max Maven’s Book of Fortunetelling. New York: Prentice Hall, 1992.
Originally published in Japan (1989) by Tokyodo as MAKKUSU MAIJIN-NO SEKAI-
NO URANAI in a somewhat different format. Although this list generally omits
trade books (i.e., for the general consumer) on fortunetelling, I have made an
exception in this case, due to the author, a gifted contributor to the magical
literature who validates his reputation in this excellent compendium of divinatory
methodologies.

Moore, Julian. The James Bond Classic Reading. Portchester, UK: The Cold
Reading Company, 2007. This e-book, which comes with a print-it-yourself set of
24 flashcards, proposes a narrative-based way to learn twelve classic cold reading
statements. Although the book evolved from a set of stock reading lines, it
encourages a departure from this literal approach, and offers a useful mnemonic
tool that associates the concepts with the fictional James Bond character.

Nelson, Robert Alan. The Private Medium’s Secret Guide. Nelson Enterprises,
1942. Interesting comments on the private reader, along with various scams that
have been perpetrated on the public.

. The Art of Cold Reading. revised edition. Nelson Enterprises, 1968. From
its original publication in 1951, this has long been a staple of the cold reading
library. Although many of Nelson’s observations and language are now dated, the
work still offers more than historic value.

. Dante’s System of Life Span Reading. Nelson Enterprises, 19??. A stock

cradle-to-grave reading, more useful to the historian than the contemporary
reader.

. Psychological Reading. Nelson Enterprises, 19??.

. Pages from a Medium’s Notebook. Calgary, Canada: Micky Hades

Enterprises, 1971.

. A Sequel to the Art of Cold Reading. Calgary: Micky Hades Enterprises,

1971. A worthwhile sequel.

. Technique of the Private Reader. revised edition. Calgary: Micky Hades

Enterprises, 1971.

Nielsen, Gene. The Gene Nielsen Tapes, Vol. I. Albuquerque: Flora & Company,
1988. This set of four audio cassette tapes covers a wide range of topics, from
mentalism to conjuring, but the attentive listener will learn several useful ideas
from this experienced reader.

. Cool Reading. Santa Barbara, CA: privately published, 1989. An “instant

Q&A” methodology, with nothing written or collected, informed by a guy who’s
been performing successful readings for a long time.

. Counseling Techniques for the Private Reader. Santa Barbara, CA:

privately published, 2003. As the title suggests, this is oriented to the
counseling/therapy side of reading. It is in essence a short course in Rogerian
client-centered therapy, geared to the needs of the psychic reader.

Nielsen, Gene et al. Questions & Answers. Albuquerque: Flora & Company,
1988. This set of two audio cassette tapes covers Q&A, which of course is closely
coupled to cold reading. On the second tape, Gene gives details on non-directive
counseling techniques, a way to answer questions without actually answering
them.

O’Connell, Bill. Cold Reading Flash Cards. St. Charles, IL: Hypnosis Secrets,
2003. A set of 56 single-sided cards (4.25 x 5.5"), eight of which contain a very
simple introduction to cold reading. Each of the remaining 48 cards contains a
single, (mostly) brief stock reading phrase; these can be memorized and then
strung together as desired.

. Discover the Secrets of Cold Reading. St. Charles, IL: Hypnosis Secrets,
2004. A two-volume (each sold separately) audio CD course in cold reading, by a
skilled hypnotist and NLP practitioner.

Riding, Joe. The Tarot Made Easy. privately published, 19??. A one-week course
in the Tarot, the goal being to master the (somewhat unconventional) meanings
of all seventy-eight cards in seven days.

. Advanced Cold Reading. privately published, 19??. An introduction to cold

reading. Both this and the above were made available beginning in 2001 on CD-
ROM, as parts of Joe’s more extensive “Psychic Course” (which additionally
includes sections on numerology, hand analysis, and business matters).

Robertson, Blair. How To Give Fun And Amazing Psychic Readings Volume 1.
Orleans, Canada: Blair Robertson Productions, 2004. A DVD release outlining the
use of numerology to give short readings; Blair uses Richard Webster’s
methodology. Included are recordings of public performances using this approach.

Roe, Chris A. Cold Reading Strategies. unpublished, University College

Northampton (UK): Psychology Division. An excellent academic paper on cold
reading in many forms, drawing upon material from wide-ranging sources. It
incorporates a very helpful “process hierarchy” analysis, linking the several facets
of what is commonly called “cold reading”. An early version of this paper was
presented at the 1991 Parapsychological Association Convention.

Rowland, Ian. The Full Facts Book of Cold Reading. 5th edition. London: Ian
Rowland Limited, 2012. This comprehensive, near-encyclopedic text is the most
thorough exposition of the "science" of cold reading published to date. A must
read.

Ruthchild, Myriam. Cashing in on the Psychic. Pomeroy, OH: Lee Jacobs

Productions, 1978. This is book sixteen in the Lee Jacobs Productions “Publicity
and Promotion” series, and Ruthchild’s first book on the psychic business. She
discusses a wide variety of oracles and reading methods, in conjunction with the
practical aspects of obtaining remuneration for same.

. Cyclescope Instruction Manual. Pomeroy, OH: Lee Jacobs Productions,

1979. A “tick sheet” reading method, with a numerological premise.

. Psychotechnics: Advanced Psychic Methods. Pomeroy, OH: Lee Jacobs

Productions, 1981. A rarely sung classic: although written for a lay audience,
there is excellent information here for those willing to read “between the lines”.
Recommended.

. Psychotechnics Meditation Tape. Lee Jacobs Productions, 1981. Audio

cassette companion piece to the Ruthchild Psychotechnics book.

Ruthchild, Myriam & Clettis Musson. Crystal Gazing: Then & Now. Pomeroy,
OH: Lee Jacobs Productions, 1982. A wide-ranging exploration of the use of
crystal balls, perhaps the finest discussion of this infrequently-used oracle, by two
extremely skilled practitioners.

Saville, Thomas K. & Herb Dewey. The Tarot as a Counseling Tool. Denver:
privately published, 1994. An excellent treatise on the use of cold reading in a
counseling context, using Tarot as the oracle.

Sheehy, Gail. Passages. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1976. Although this is not
specifically a book on cold reading per se, it is the classic text on population
stereotypes, and its study will yield great benefits as a consequence of
understanding the life story that is common to us all. Sheehy has subsequently
written some more specialized books on this topic, including Pathfinders, The
Silent Passage, New Passages, and Understanding Men’s Passages. A must read
(bearing in mind that it it is somewhat parochial in its details).

Stagnaro, Angelo. Something from Nothing. Lalling, Germany: Zauberhandlung

Manipulix, 2004. This book proffers a curious admixture, consisting of a basic
introduction to cold reading (viewed from the perspective that, to quote the
author, "Most people are gullible.") plus a variety of mentalism effects that are
not particularly related to same. Originally published in German.

Thomas, Alexander. Initiations: A Viewpoint on the Art of Cold Reading.

Albuquerque: Flora & Co, 1989. Book and accompanying audio cassette tape of
two actual readings, from a successful full-time professional cold reader.

Vanderbeck, Philemon, editor. The Collected OORT. Seattle: Philemon

Vanderbeck, 2002. A collection of twenty essays on the subject of cold reading, by
a variety of real-world practitioners, taken from the quarterly OORT: A Newsletter
for the Professional Cold Reader.

. The Supplemental OORT. Renton, Washington: Philemon Vanderbeck,

2004. A further collection of nineteen essays from the quarterly OORT.

Webster, Richard. Quick & Effective Cold Reading. Auckland: Brookfield Press,
1985; revised edition 2008. Richard Webster, New Zealand’s master cold reader,
has written a copious quantity of books for the cold reader, most of which are
excellent, and all of which are worthwhile. This first one is a classic introduction to
cold reading, using palmistry as the vehicle. Recommended.

. Commercial Cold Reading. London: Martin Breese International, 1986.

Originally release on audio tape cassette, this was digitally remastered and
rereleased on CD-ROM in 2000. A wonderful opportunity to hear the voice of a
cold reading master, discussing his philosophies, techniques, and actual readings.

. Further Commercial Cold Reading. London: Martin Breese International,

2001. A follow-up to the original, this time only available in CD-ROM format. It
includes material on how to integrate cold reading technique with other
performance material, and offers a full routine employing a pack of playing cards
as an oracle.

. Mastering Cold Reading. London: Martin Breese International, 2004. This

third release in Richard’s CD-ROM series for Mr. Breese features more of the same
authoritive material, including readings based on numerology and (star sign)
astrology.

. Cold Reading for Profit. London: Martin Breese International, 2005. The
fourth of Richard’s CD-ROM releases for Mr. Breese, this one brings a focus on the
commercial aspects: how to make a good living anywhere in the world, using cold
reading skills.

. How to Build Up a Psychic Practice with Full Length Cold Readings.

Auckland: Brookfield Press, 1986. As the title suggests, this covers the topic of
moving from brief readings to extended ones, an important skill for the full-time
reader.

. Psychometry from A to Z. Auckland: Brookfield Press, 1987. Using

psychometry as an oracle, this book offers a well constructed and much more
extensive application of a fundamental principle (introduced in Ken de Courcy’s
Systematic Seer) used by cold readers to introduce personalized — yet varied —
elements into readings. Many readers have built successful practices based almost
entirely on the information in this book. Recommended.

. Quick Readings with Numerology. Auckland: Brookfield Press, 1987. A

system for giving short readings based on date of birth.

. Aura Reading for Fun & Profit. Auckland: Brookfield Press, 1988. Richard
explores auras as an oracle, a nicely “portable” methodology that one can use
anywhere.

. The Richard Webster Video: Techniques for Psychics. Albuquerque: Flora

& Co., 1988. A video tape recording of Richard doing several types of readings; an
excellent study tool.

. The Mail Order Psychic. Auckland: Brookfield Press, 1990. More on the
business of cold reading than the art or craft, this typically thorough Webster
book describes the setup and operation of a mail-order cold reading business.

. Divination Systems: How to Choose the Right Oracle for You. Auckland:
Brookfield Press, 2012; revised edition 2017. A rich overview of the many
oracular systems available to the cold reader, with a careful analysis of the
benefits and disadvantages of each.

. Cold Reading for the Magician. Auckland: Brookfield Press, 1991.

As a small reward for those who have made it to the end of this lengthy list of
cold reading resources, I offer my own simple mnemonic — “MR CHEAT” — for
remembering the seven principal psychic reading topics. Of course, not all
topics need be visited in a single reading (bearing in mind that the initial four
are the most important).

Money (income, investments, possessions)

Relationships (love, sex, partnerships, family, responsibilities)
Career (changes, advancement, business, hobbies, other work)
Health (status, influences)
Education (learning opportunities)
Aspirations (ambitions, expectations, dreams)
Travel (journeys, revisiting past)

The above resource list is, by its nature, a work in progress. Clearly, it reflects
only material of which I have useful knowledge; those wishing to have additional
items included are welcome to send them to me for review (including sufficient
postage if you would like them returned). Please direct suggestions, comments,
corrections, or queries to Doug Dyment:

last revised: 2018-02-02