I can usually tell within the first twenty pages of a book whether I’m going to enjoy it.

If it’s a non-fiction book, it will only take me until the end of chapter two before I figure out whether the book will be brimming with thoughtful ideas… or just the same idea re-hashed over and over to fulfill a word count quota by the publisher.

On both accounts, if by page fifty my intuition was right, it determines whether I continue reading.

I subscribe to the New York Times, despite living in the capital city of Canada. I’ve learned that most news organizations riff off bigger ones, or just make stories up.

Case in point — I bought a physical copy of a major Canadian newspaper today and the headline was identical to the one from the Times… and was even about the U.S. President. Seventy percent of the stories in the front section were a duplication of my morning subscription.

In other words: nothing new.

I can tell within seconds whether I will enjoy a magician and if I’ll find that person to be unique. This will determine whether I become a fan and try to catch one of their shows.

All of the above comes from my experience as a dedicated reader, my experience with following the media and my experience with magic.

In other areas, I turn towards those who have the experience behind them to act as a guide.

Trust your experience on something you know and if you don’t have enough experience, trust those that do.