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Description
Master Of Deception by John Ivan Palmer - BookThe Master of Deception tells of a son's search for his father amid the fabric of family, guilt, renunciation, and hidden history in the borderlands of 1950s stage show and trailer park culture. In the tradition of Geoffrey Wolf's The Duke of Deception and Jeanette Walls' The Glass Castle, John Ivan Palmer's The Master of Deception takes readers on the road with his magician father and his mother, the lovely assistant, as they travel from Elks Lodges
The Master of Deception tells of a son's search for his father amid the fabric of family, guilt, renunciation, and hidden history in the borderlands of 1950s stage show and trailer park culture.In the tradition of Geoffrey Wolf's The Duke of Deception and Jeanette Walls' The Glass Castle, John-Ivan Palmer's The Master of Deception takes readers on the road with his magician father and his mother, the lovely assistant, as they travel from Elks Lodges to County Fairs, performing alongside contortionists, ventriloquists, and every manner of screwball act that passed for variety entertainment before television drove us all indoors and away from one another. From dressing rooms across America, John learned to stay invisible among other acts while his parents performed, making friends with janitors, night watchmen, elevator operators, and cooks who gave him leftover tortes and parfaits. They were as exotic to him as the Master of Deception was to them. When they were in one place long enough for John to attend to school he was instructed to follow the other kids and just sit down at a desk. Before they knew who John was, his family would be gone. But even at home (in their trailer), his father remained aloof and unknowable. "Growing up confined to the back seat had allowed me to study every wave of my father's hair, the arch of his ears, the stubble on his jaw, but nothing of what was beneath. It was only after he vanished from worldly existence that it occurred to me that whatever was beneath might be something I could know. And I would soon learn there was a reason for his silence, which in turn became a reason for mine as an invisible dressing room kid."
Palmer's depiction of his upbringing is a brilliant and atmospheric evocation of a disappeared America paired with the emotional gravity of a son's search for who is father really is. At the center of it is the story of his unusual family, who were themselves part of a much larger and more unusual community of variety performers, most of them more at home among each other than the non-performing world. The questions of Palmer's young life defined the path of his adult life, and, as he proceeded to find his own way in this world, he began to find unexpected answers about his father's and what made him who he was.
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4.7 ★★★★★
Based on 30 reviews
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
Good fun and entertaining!
Color: Orange
A really fun interactive toy for your dog! It's pretty erratic and really gets him chasing it. The included soft cover was kinda hard to install and then it's hard to turn it off and on with the cover on, I feel like the cover didn't really improve it at all, sure it's louder without the cover but I feel like dog also likes it that way, he likes loud squeaky toys and this thing making a bunch of noise is appealing to him. We have mostly hardwood floors so it really gets moving, I'm sure on carpet it would be a bit quieter and maybe even a bit slower to move around but on hard smooth surfaces this things can really get zipping around abd get some speed to make him chase it. Overall a fun and entertaining toy.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Awesome
Color: Orange
Awesome Toy . My Jack is crazy over it. She usually get bored with others, but this toy still has her attention after a couple of weeks Runs a long time on a short charge. 👍🏻
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Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2026
★★★★★ 2
Not the Fetch-Fest I Hoped For
Color: Orange
I had high hopes for the PetDroid Interactive Dog Ball, especially with the newly upgraded features and promises of durable, motion-activated fun. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to expectations for my furry friend. Here’s why I’m giving it 2 stars.
Promising Features, Lackluster Results
The idea behind this toy is fantastic: a durable, motion-activated ball that would entertain my dog without much effort on my part. The ball is supposed to roll around on its own, keeping my dog engaged and active. However, in practice, it just didn’t capture my dog’s interest.
Durability
I will give credit where it’s due: the ball is well-made and seems durable. It can withstand some rough handling, which is great for more aggressive chewers. Unfortunately, durability doesn’t mean much if your dog won’t play with it in the first place.
Motion Activation
The motion activation feature is hit or miss. While the ball does move around as advertised, it didn’t seem to move in a way that intrigued my dog. He gave it a sniff, watched it for a minute, and then walked away, unimpressed. I tried multiple times to get him interested, but he simply wasn’t having it.
Lack of Engagement
The biggest issue is that the ball just didn’t engage my dog at all. It might be more suitable for a different personality type or breed, but for my pooch, it was a total flop. He’s usually quite playful and curious, so I was surprised by his lack of interest.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the PetDroid Interactive Dog Ball might work for some dogs, but it was a miss for mine. If your dog is easily entertained by automated toys, it might be worth a try. However, based on my experience, I can’t wholeheartedly recommend it.
Pros:
Durable construction
Motion-activated as advertised
Cons:
Did not engage my dog
Motion activation wasn’t intriguing enough
Might be more suitable for specific dog types or personalities
If you decide to give it a shot, just be prepared for the possibility that your dog might not find it as entertaining as you hope. For us, it’s back to the drawing board for a more engaging toy.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2024
★★★★★ 4
Pup Loves It, Some Other Notes
Color: Orange
We've had this for about six months and my 75 lb, 14-month-old German Shepherd pup LOVES IT. Her favorite is "Crazy Bouncing Mode." In fact, she doesn't care much for the normal mode. She chews it a lot - even drops it in her water bowl at times - and it's still going strong.
This is a great purchase. It's nice hands-off entertainment.
Do know that it is heavy compared to a normal ball - if your pup likes dropping it on the ground like mine does, it will land with a hard "thud," even with the included sleeve. Hopefully you don't have downstairs neighbors.
Also know that the cover that goes over the charging port is removable and your dog may choke on it if they chew it in just the right manner. Definitely only let the pup play with it while supervised.
All in all, great toy.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Great dog birthday gift
Love it. Is it the best ball ever? No. I love it because my dog can find it if he lost track of it while I was poorly throwing the ball. Also, if it starta getting dark out and he has it in his mouth, I know exactly where he is.
The glow is great! Pretty bright, changes colors, activatws after a hard bounce.
Changing the battery is easy and just takes a screwdriver.
Bounce is pretty good.
Dog really likes it. He likes things that glow.
It has held up so far, and one of the other dogs, who likes to destroy things, got ahold of it. He is working on not wrecking things, but I know he tried for a little bit and there has been no damage.
The ball does have quite a bit of heft to it, so a small-ish dog isn't going to like the size or weight, likely.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2026