Making The Mentalist

by Gerry McCambridge

Gerry McCambridge is The Mentalist. His peculiar gift sets him apart from the average magician. He reads minds, manipulates people’s thoughts and completely leaves his audience spellbound, and he does it without a magic wand, pretty show girls or elaborate props. Gerry’s incredible stage presence is what led NBC to offer him a one-hour network prime time television special which aired internationally to millions around the world in countries such as the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., South Korea, Canada, Africa, Thailand, India, the Netherlands and the Middle East. Gerry has been a professional mentalist for more than twenty-five years. He has been hired by many Fortune 500 companies. Gerry has been a Las Vegas Strip headliner since June, 2005. He is the longest running mentalist show in the history of Las Vegas. In 2014, the Las Vegas Review Journal Reader’s Poll voted Gerry as the “Best Magic Show” in Las Vegas. What makes Gerry even more endearing is his life story and why he had to learn to read people’s minds. Gerry used his newly developed magic skills to not only control his own destiny but to control the world around him. Like the Phoenix, he rose from his own ashes. Anyone who has faced adversity will gain inspiration from Gerry’s compelling story. They will be melted by his candor, amazed at his resourcefulness and goal setting ability and warmed by his magic. Through his story, they will learn to find their own inner magic.

Genres: Nonfiction

436 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book after seeing his show in Vegas and also being a participant in his show! An autobiography of how he came to be a Mentalist and some scary things he dealt with along the way. I am impressed with his hard work and dedication to get where he wanted to be and achieving all his goals by implementing small goals to reach the big goals. I also valued his candor and honesty in this book. You wouldn’t think an autobiography would keep me up past my bedtime, but this one surely did!

[Kristin Labesky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book on my way out of one Gerry’s performances in Las Vegas. His show was entertaining and mind boggling .. I couldn’t figure out how he managed to pull off some of his acts .. I was intrigued to dig further and to read something from a man that I had met .. he took my credit card in his hand and asked me questions about the markings on the card when he was running it through his scanner after his show in order to buy his book .. the book was an easy read . It was fascinating to learn about his past , present and future as both an entertainer and as a dad and grandpa. He loves his children and loves his career. That is obvious .. at times I didn’t like the man he was during certain moments in his life but of course that is normal human nature .. we are t perfect and it is great that he admits openly to the public about his flaws.. an autobiography is not a genre of books I would usually flock to but I enjoyed this one .. especially because I met him before readin this book .. I wish him many more years Of success in the entertainment business and in life.. enjoyed the show , enjoyed reading the book and enjoyed .

[Gillian Makowski · Rating 1 out of 5]

This could quite possibly be the worst book I have ever read. I bought this book after seeing Gerry’s show, which was amazing. I expected this book to be about mentalism, but instead it was an extremely ill-written god awfully boring autobiography about every mundane moment of his life from childhood to adulthood. I’m talking every little detail including the time when he was a kid riding a bike and there was a city wide black out to the time his second wife bought a pet pig. Each paragraph is randomly assembled, with little logical sequence. It’s like diarrhea of the mouth, but less interesting. And I could not wrap up this review without saying how much of a misogynistic bitter asshole Gerry is - and that’s saying a lot considering he wrote the book himself! If you want to hear Gerry tattle tale on every friend he did business with who he later parted ways with, or want to hear more about how the male DNA was coded to mate with lots of women (his words), then please read this book.

[Tess DeStefano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing read. Difficult to put down. Gerry speaks from the heart on his life and gives the reader inspiration to follow their dreams and achieve their goals. Would definitely read again and can’t wait to go see his show in Las Vegas again!

[Skylar Holiday]

this his life was amazing and i was honored to go to his show

[Robert Stout · Rating 4 out of 5]

Making the Mentalist by Gerry McCambridge examines the life and times of Gerry. Gerry had a rough life, he was abandoned by his real mother and was put up for adoption. There are also villains in the book such as one of his teachers named Mr Cuales who molested Gerry as a child. And then there's Bob Slayton who tried to sabotage Gerry's show at the Hooter's casino. Gerry discovered magic as a young boy and was determined to be an entertainer. Gerry explains how he made goals and broke them down into smaller ideas and he achieved them such as having his own show on NBC television. The book is written well and it was a joy to read.

[Peter A. Lio · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a fairly cheesy autobiography. I really thought this was something different!

I honestly feel silly. I love the television show The Mentalist (starring Simon Baker) and was mentioning it on a social media site. Someone, trying to be helpful, pointed out that this book existed and I bought it immediately assuming that it would have some direct connection to the show. It had the most tenuous connection possible! It is an earnest but somewhat boring autobiography.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really appreciate Gerry taking time to talk to me. He showed genuine interest. And, he definitely shared everything in this book. Wow.

[Deb Pinyerd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook—> {12:00} I listened to it on Audible, which was the only option unless I bought a physical copy after his Vegas show—which I was not about to do! I enjoyed the show enough that I was curious to hear a bit of his backstory, but I quickly realized this book wasn’t for me. He narrates it himself, and it’s clearly not done in a studio—there were background noises throughout, and the editing was rough with chapters ending and starting abruptly. The book is extremely detailed, especially about dates and every compliment he’s ever received. I was chuckling and rolling my eyes more than I have ever done while listening! It’s less about his journey as a mentalist and more a full life memoir. Unless you’re really curious after seeing his show, I’d skip this one.