$15(1 review, 9 customer ratings) ★★★★★
I have studied personally for almost two years with Shigeo Futagawa in Yokohama, Japan. He is without a doubt one of the top coin workers living today. A humble man who would have all the right in the world to be not quite so humble. Introduction to Coin Magic is a wonderful book. It is not just for the beginning coin student but for anybody who would like to brush up on some basic moves and learn several new outstanding routines.
Another interesting feature of this book is the several short bios of famous magicians inserted throughout the book. You will find people like Slydini, Han Ping Chien, Ross Bertram, John Scarne, Dai Vernon, Tenkai, ...
From the back cover:
Coin magic offers a great many opportunities to the young magician as there is a minimum expense for the articles used and very often the coins can be borrowed for the various tricks. The ability to handle the coins and manipulate them for magical effects is a skill which until recently was acquired only by instruction from a professional coin magician. Today, instruction from leading coin magicians like Dai Vernon and Slydini will cost upwards of $60.00 an hour. This book contains most careful and detailed instructions for the basic moves and techniques of coin magic. In addition, several effects are included for each of the basic sleights as well as exercises designed to help the beginner gain ability and self confidence. Ten basic sleights and twenty two tricks, some published for the first time, are described in 199 pages of text with 505 drawings by one of Japan's finest young magicians.
- Inside Dust Jacket
- Shigeo Futagawa
- Dedication To Shigeo Takagi
- Forward
- 1. The Close Up Mat
- 2. Tricks Without Sleights
- Handkerchief And Coin
- Coin Thru Bottom Of Glass
- Ring And Coin Freed From Handkerchief
- 3. The Finger Palm
- Coin Into Pants Pocket
- Vanishing Coin
- 4. The Coin Vanish
- Coins Across
- Coin And Fountain Pen Routine
- 5. The Tunnel Vanish
- Dollar Changed Into Four Quarters
- Coins Across (Version No. 2)
- 6. The Thumb Palm
- Coin Vanish
- Coin Passes Through Handkerchief
- Han Ping Chien
- 7. Han Ping Chien Coin Move
- Coins Pass From One Hand To Another
- Coin Passing From Hand To Hand
- Dai Vernon
- 8. The Classic Palm
- The Click Pass
- Coins Across (Version No. 3)
- John Scarne
- 9. The Coin Change
- John Scarne's Copper And Silver
- T. Nelson Downs
- 10. The T. Nelson Downs Palm
- Handkerchief And Coin (Version No. 2)
- Production Of Four Coins
- Slydini
- 11. The French Drop
- Silver And Copper
- Tenkai
- 12. Coin And Playing Card
- How To Hide Coin Behind Playing Card
- Coins Produced From Playing Cards
- Coins Passing Through Handkerchief
- Gerald Kosky
- Ross Bertram
- Ormond McGill
- Jerry Andrus
- Pete Biro
- Daniel Cros
1st edition, 1978, Arnold Furst, 199 pages; PDF 194 pages.word count: 17611 which is equivalent to 70 standard pages of text
Reviewed by Chet Cox (confirmed purchase)
★★★★★ Date Added: Friday 05 August, 2016This may be a classic example of "That's too simple to fool anyone" - but it does. It will fool your own self as you watch yourself practice.
The best part of the lessons is probably the lesson you learn almost unconsciously: you learn to enjoy practicing, and you see real improvement as you consistently practice.
It's not knuckle-busting - but it IS darned good magic.