is 13 step to mentalisim the book and dvd the same thing..? do the teach the same stuff. ? and would this be a better buy than b smiths unerversal empression device.? because im not sre if i want 13 steps or the eprssion device..and the dvd does teach alot of effects right..?

Depends on how deep you wanna get into mentalism.

Impression device = A few mentalism effects.

13 Steps = Strong foundation in the art of mentalism in general and all it's techniques and secrets, and the best starting place if you plan to specialize in mentalism.

Basically, 13 Steps is for people who are really serious about mentalism.

The book spawned the DVD. It's a series that teaches some of the material in the book. It doesn't go over all of it, but enough to let you see how the book was designed.

That last line should read more along the lines of "13 steps is for people who are really serious about getting into mentalism". It is a beginners book. But still holds valuable references for a seasoned mentalist... on occasion.