STUDIO CITY, California, March 27, 2026 — The energy level was cranked to max in the back room of The Magic Apple, Brent Geris‘ beloved Los Angeles area magic emporium, on Friday evening as John Guastaferro delivered his signature moments of enchantment at a book signing for his newly released Final Degree. The Studio City shop proved an ideal setting for an evening that would exceed expectations.
Connecting people with moments of enchantment is Guastaferro’s stated personal mission, and by all accounts Friday evening was a full delivery on that promise.
“John gave so much of himself to make the event special for everyone here,” said Ariel Shrum, a strolling magician at Hollywood supper club MainRo, who was on hand for the signing. Shrum left with a new effect headed straight for his repertoire and a firsthand tutorial in what Guastaferro refers to as degrees — the small incremental changes that produce outsized results.
Guastaferro performed several routines from the book and demonstrated how he engages with his audience through a disarmingly casual style. But that cloak that obscures methods from view is anything but casual. Each word, every move, and beat of timing are part of a carefully orchestrated symphony designed to reach a climactic moment of wonder.
“It was great to celebrate my new book in an all too rare brick and mortar shop, especially as iconic as The Magic Apple,” Guastaferro told Conjurly. “I had fun bringing some routines to life with performances, teaching, and talking about my philosophy of developing a routine all the way through adding the finishing touch in the creative process, which I call the final degree.”
Final Degree, published by Vanishing Inc. in February 2026, closes a trilogy nearly two decades in the making. The series — One Degree, The Nth Degree, and now Final Degree — is built on Guastaferro’s philosophy of incremental refinement: small, deliberate adjustments to method and presentation that compound into an exceptional magic routine.
The new volume contains 28 routines drawn from years of real-world performance, ranging from streamlined classics to original material. The book contains a mix of accessible and more challenging routines. Every piece taught is a masterwork that sits beside six essays that share his philosophy and theory.
Drawing on his background as a professional speaker, marketer, and philanthropist, Guastaferro delivers the “why” behind his performance — how to shape individual effects into a coherent professional identity. Readers need not have the earlier volumes to benefit, though those who complete the trilogy will find the progression worth the journey.
Guastaferro, a favorite performer at the Magic Castle, has a professional career outside of magic leading the Hyundai Hope on Wheels Foundation. He is a brand strategist, TEDx speaker, and award-winning nonprofit leader. In that world beyond performing magic, he is the author of Leading With Wonder: A Magical Guide to Leadership and Life. Published in 2025 just months before Final Degree and directed at an audience beyond magicians, the book follows the same path Guastaferro takes in his approach to magic — discovering how small, one-degree micro-shifts can spark extraordinary outcomes.
Beyond his passion for all those pursuits, Guastaferro is also an accomplished guitarist and composer — and his visit to The Magic Apple didn’t pass without a chance to prove it.
The evening could have ended at Guastaferro’s last signature on his book or the last handshake with an excited attendee. When asked if he had his guitar with him, Guastaferro replied that his brand new Ibanez FRH Series nylon-strung acoustic/electric flat body was in his car. Shrum — not just a magician but also an accomplished trumpet player — suggested an impromptu jam session. Guastaferro hesitated a moment, then acquiesced.
The pair headed to their cars to retrieve their instruments. Returning to the back room at The Magic Apple, Guastaferro began talking to Shrum about one of his original compositions — explaining the key, chords, and tempo. Shrum replied confidently, “It’s cool. Just play and I will hop on in with you.” When Shrum joined in, Guastaferro’s head snapped up, eyes wide. The sounds of Shrum’s muted trumpet danced with Guastaferro’s guitar as if they were long-time partners rather than friends for all of an hour.
Shrum, it turns out, is not just a strolling magician but a Grammy-nominated trumpeter and graduate of Berklee College of Music — combining a passion for both magic and music, just like Guastaferro. Shrum proved that he too can deliver a moment of wonder with a musical instrument — or a deck of cards. For the attendees who stuck around, it was something rare at a magic lecture and book signing. Guastaferro and Shrum finished the evening by delivering what can only be called a serendipitous final degree.
Final Degree and Guastaferro’s two preceding books in the trilogy are available from Vanishing Inc. at vanishingincmagic.com, The Magic Apple, and magic retailers near you. His Leading With Wonder: A Magical Guide to Leadership and Life is available on Amazon.
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