Mick Napier's Improv-ise is for the improvisor who's heard the rules, tried all the games, and still feels like they need more. They've hit a rut and need new eyes to see with. It's an improv book packed with a lot of good notions about how to handle one's self in an improv scene, although, to really get into Improv-ise, you should have some knowledge of improv already.
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Why? Because Mick Napier's book is steeped in bitterness toward the way improv is currently being taught (ie: Truth in Comedy). He begins by listing all the familiar improv "rules" and immediately tells you to throw them out. The "rules," he says, are merely the left-brain trying to overanalyze the contents of a good scene. Thinking about all the do's and dont's will murder you in a scene, and there are easier ideas which will result in better scenework.
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Now, as you may have noticed, I only ever type "rules" in quotations. I agree with Napier a lot on this point, but I see the potential in new improvisors grasping the "rules" before moving on to deeper thinking. It's why I like Improv-ise as a supplementary book.
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If it's your first, second, third book, whatever, Improv-ise still contains some wonderful approaches to dealing with the actual mechanics of a scene. Napier teaches you how to take care of yourself at the top of a scene (a crucial moment), choose emotional states for your character, support your partner (...by supporting yourself), and how focusing on the how's of your choices instead of the why's can create a roadmap for your entire story. It's great stuff for anyone who's thinking, "I know I should say 'yes,' ...but what do I actually do?"
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The final chapters also discuss many advanced techniques (how to handle three person scenes, how to vary choices) and a lot of good tips for people seeking a future in improvisation (God help you, you wonderful fools!). If that's not enough, Napier also takes a moment to explain the Laws of Thermodynamics and how they pertain to an improv scene. It's fun stuff and a highly recommended read.
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