Osmosis
by Paul A. Lelekis

Outstanding material, wisdom, and simple, simple, simple effects. So much advice...So affordable! Paul L. is amazing! Really something for everyone. "Simplicity Itself" is so clever, clean, Easy and worth $20 by itself. And the gag section will not disappoint. Thank you Lybrary.com -The Wonderment Conjurer, Billy Jamez.

My review will not do this work justice but those who have already contributed their thought's example Rick Carruth from magic road show fame and Magic Tips and Tricks which can be purchased from Amazon in paperback and kindle, Rick knows the quality of this author's work which can quite often be found in issues of the road show so don't let the lemon float by give the work some purchase and reading and practice time you will not be sorry.

With tricks based on the works of Marlo, Skinner, Elmsley, Jennings, Vernon, Fechter, Altman and Lorayne, Lelekis can do no wrong with his choices of ‘star’ material. With his extensive years of performing ‘in the trenches’, Paul has acquired his impeccable skills of sleight of hand, masterful spectator control, application of contemporary and relevant patter – each one a Worker and he passes it on to you in his penetrating style of writing!

This being his 35th book – the body of Lelekis's professional restaurant and close-up magic shows no loss in momentum. Enjoy the transfer of his knowledge to you with a wide range of effects, media and audience. The Bernard Billis Switch and Bro. John Hamman’s Count Switch can be assessed by video download from this ebook. You can appreciate how Paul clearly teaches these sleights in his assuring style.

I like ‘Combo Bill Penetration & Bill Switch Routine’, which explains the Koslowski Switch (with Roger Klause handling), and final ditch/switch. Also, ‘Reaping the Aces’ (where the spectator cuts to four piles), and, interestingly ‘Water-proof Hanky’. The chapter on ‘Professional Misdirection’ should be read first. I also enjoyed the additional ideas on card handling, and revision of properly–executed coin sleights. Enjoy OSMOSIS!

Paul’s new ebook “Osmosis” is one of those books that if you wanted to pick up just one book this year, this is the one you want! This ambitious collection of very practical effects has lots to offer for everyone. Cards, Paper Money (I loved the Bill Penetration ideas), Coins, Mental, Funny Gags, Cool Trick Ideas (a book in itself), Science Tricks and even a terrific chapter on useful Professional Misdirection ideas. You can’t go wrong with this book. Paul’s take on some of the very best tricks from some of the greatest minds in magic written in his easy to understand hands on manner. Paul does the work of streamlining these effects for you by elimination many of the difficult moves yet the effects are not diminished in the least. Brilliantly written and all moves very clearly explained, and in many cases illustrated as well. For those new to coin magic, the chapter “Coin Magic Sleights” is worth the price of the book in itself. Throughout the book Paul gives great advice and presentation ideas that will really help bring your magic up to a new level. Focus is always on making the magic look relaxed and real! Do yourself a favor and get this one today!

Paul is a worker's performer. This is real world, entertaining magic he does to astonish & entertain his clients & customers. Some great variety of magic with color photos & a video included. The streamlined simplicity of his work is the real magic.

OSMOSIS.. A Renaissance Ebook from Paul A. Lelekis

It's funny.. Each month I publish one of Paul's many effects in The Magic Roadshow. Each month I put in the footer " Paul now has 31 ebooks on the Lybrary.com site..". Each month Paul emails me to gently inform me that should be '32' instead of '31'... or '24' instead of '23'... I can't keep up! I am constantly changing the footer to include a new ebook, and Paul is constantly writing a new one.

Well, assuming I can publish this review quick enough, THIS is Paul's latest... and definitely one of my favorites. It reminds me of my favorite magic books - those that include a little of this.. and a little of that. I love diversity, and I am not firmly tied to any one particular form of magic. Every audience is different, and every performance differs based on many factors.. not the least of which is my mood. Paul and I both work restaurants, and believe me, you have to perform for as diverse a crowd as imaginable. What works for one table may fall flat at the next. That's why having an arsenal of 'weapons' is so important.. and why I enjoy this ebook so much..

OSMOSIS begins with two very different effects.. both well within reach of the beginner to intermediate performer.

"2002 Simplicity Aces - Aces jump to ANY packet chosen by spectator." and " Combo Bill Penetration and Bill Switch Routine - A hilarious double-revelation routine with a borrowed bill"

Alex Elmsley created a classic Ace effect called '1002 Aces'. Larry Jennings did him one better with '2002 Aces'. Paul introduces us to his version.. '2002 Simplicity Aces', which is definitely the most simple of the three, but with the same killer ending.

The Combo Bill Penetration & Switch combines comedy and magic to provide the spectators with a complete performance piece, utilizing one of magic's most powerful weapons... the thumb tip. The thumb tip isn't the trick.. but a utility device to allow you to perform the effect with lots of laughs and applause.

"Mindreader - A brilliant Marlo double revelation ESP effect!" OK, I'll tell you straight-up, this is not for the beginner. On the other hand, it doesn't contain and knuckle-busting moves either. It DOES contain a number of moves that, fortunately, are in direct proportion to the number of eyes that pop out of sockets. You'll really like this one...

The next two, "Reaping the Aces" and "Easy 4 Ace Cutting" are both 'cutting the Aces' effects. Reaping the Aces may be my favorite effect in the entire ebook. Originally published by Larry Jennings, this effect allows the spectator to cut to all four Aces. I judge every effect in my repertoire based on the effect it has on a lay audience... and cutting the Aces is far and away one of the most impressive sleights in a magician's arsenal. Reaping the Aces looks so cool you can't help but really, really like it. Even a beginning level magician can do this with a little practice. If you can hold a punky break and slip a card onto the bottom of the deck while taking one off the top.. you can easily do this effect. 'Easy 4 Ace Cutting' again allows the spectator to be the one finding the Aces. Based on the Balducci Cut-Deeper force, this is super easy to perform. It requires a small set-up on top of the deck, but you can false shuffle or shuffle around it to make it look totally impromptu.

The next effect is not an effect... it's a technique to improve your magic. Paul describes it as.. "Professional Misdirection - Read this! Learn a little-known secret about misdirection that will revolutionize your card magic!" Once you know the secret, you'll think back to all the times you've seen top pros do this, but had no idea it was a scripted part of their effect. Nuff said...

"Simplicity Itself" uses a classic effect, combined with Paul's comedy patter, to create one of the centerpiece effects of this ebook. To quote Osmosis.. "The performer shuffles a deck of cards which may be borrowed. A card is freely selected and freely returned to the deck. With a “snap!” a card turns face up…however it’s not the selection! After the performer “explains” why, the face-up card is used to count down to another card…this is the selection!" Paul goes to great length to explain his comedy patter, line by line, and then explains why the patter works. You really can't be prompted more than this..!

"Coin Magic Sleights". Next, Paul includes 5 of his favorite, and most critical, coin sleights. Each sleight includes an array of photos to help you get the proper feel. Remember, sleights practiced badly only produce bad sleights. If you want to learn a good matrix routine, or simply want a convincing vanish, these five sleights will serve you well.

"Some Cool Ideas and Routines From Skinner and Others" cover twelve different ideas and effects. Most are either less-detailed effects or well-explained suggestions. Paul's Comedy Card Mis-Call is classic, and includes, like most of his effects, the comedy patter along with the moves. Others are Skinner's Four Ace Reverse, Harry Lorayne's Invisible Pass, Skinner's Double Triumph, Fetchter's Explain Trick, and Dai Vernon's Fortune Telling.. among others. It would take you years to find all this ' magic stuff' on your own..

Now, I'm not sure how to approach this.. but Paul got a Science bug up his... sleeve, and brought Osmosis to my kind of end.. interesting and off-the-wall. I have a soft spot for things I should have learned in school, had I been a good student, and both science and mathematics often find their way into my writings at a time in my life when one wouldn't expect it. Thanks to Big Bang Theory, science is once again cool, and Paul has concluded OSMOSIS with two science effects.. disguised as bar tricks. The first is called Floating Lemon Slice, and shows you how to 'float' a lemon slice, in mid-air, inside an upside down glass. The second is called Water-Proof Hanky.. and gives you a great excuse to scare the dickens out of a perfectly well-behaved young man who is making your table-hopping a pure pleasure.. (right).

I recommend OSMOSIS to anyone familiar with Paul's enormous volume of work on Lybrary.com, 34 total ebooks at the moment, and to anyone totally unfamiliar with Paul's work. Either way, Osmosis is a great outlet for the magician looking for a really good read. You can do this... You will be teaching your buddies at the next meeting some of the effects in this ebook.. And you will be kicking yourself for some of the high dollar purchases you've made, and garnered not a single thing from its righteous pages. I love a good deal.. and at ten bucks, you absolutely can't beat it.. (This ebook included 35 pages, numerous photos, and a video..) Rick Carruth