Marionette Magic is magic!
this excellent tome is exactly what it purports to be. the subtitle explains it all - "From Concept to Curtain Call." A beginner or expert could learn a lot from this. i have been fooling around with puppets and puppetry for over 50 years, been a member of Puppeteers of America for almost that long, and got a great deal of info and insight from the volume. In addition to that, it's a lot of fun to read. Highly recommended.