Book excerpt: Whether you are a professional, volunteer or student prop master for a play production, this book reviews what a demanding theatre tech position this is. There is a lot more to propping a show than many theatre people realise. The twelve chapters of this book provide clear definitions of the job in action. They tell how to build a props department, how to create props and how to work with the technical crew, designers, supervisors and performers. Until now there has been no comprehensive manual or guidebook like this to lead a prop master through the entire process. No prop master should work without this guide as a ready reference to solve many unexpected problems. The book is divided into twelve chapters: What Are Props?; The Prop Master; Interacting with Other People; A Successful Work Environment; The Prop Shop; Collections and Files; The First Steps of the Building Process; Start "Propping"; Rehearsals and Performances; Safety; Timeless Tips and Techniques; Basic Theatre Terminology. Amy Mussman has over ten years of experience working as prop master for professional theatre companies.