Reviews of products by George B. Anderson
Magic Digest
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Charles Mahenski (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 09 June, 2024)
In my opinion, this is one of the best if not the best beginning book for anyone interested in magic. In fact, forget 'beginning'. This is simply a wonderful book for anyone at any level. It contains something for everyone. I love it.
My Favorite Easy Mental Card Magic
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Christopher M. Reynolds (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 22 January, 2024)
I need another book on card tricks like JFK needs another hole in his head. They're my wife, my lover, my lady, my obsession, especially the mentalism variety.
With ten dollars burning a hole in my pocket, MY FAVORITE EASY MENTAL CARD MAGIC by George G. Anderson satisfied my craving for all things pasteboard.
While not a household name, George G. Anderson worked as a mentalist after a long career in newspaper and radio. He earned the trust of famous performers, including Howard Thurston and Blackstone Sr., and published several books on magic.
Clocking in at a hair over twenty-one pages, Anderson walks the reader (in detail) through eleven of his favorite mind-reading effects, using straightforward techniques like the Si Stebbins set-up or sneaky gimmicks like Wite-Out or paraffin wax.
Simple while not simplistic, the tricks included in MY FAVORITE EASY MENTAL CARD MAGIC are a refreshing change of pace from practicing technically complicated sleight-of-hand (and failing miserably).
Will you learn anything new or revelatory? Probably not. Although this is not a MUST-HAVE ebook, it gave me hours of pleasure while sitting at home on a rainy afternoon playing around with my cards.
This pamphlet is for you if that's your idea of a good time (like I do).
Magic Digest
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Peter Vattimo (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 10 April, 2023)
One of my favorite books in any genre !!! I got my paperback copy in the 1970's and this ebook is my reading copy that I can read anytime I have my tablet. Solid magic ... Cards, rope, coins, mentalism - actual illusions - and for the old timers there are catalog samples from years ago, as well as historical entries on magic and magicians. This is the book I go to as a "feel good" read !!!
It Must Be Mindreading
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Alexander Wolf (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 25 June, 2020)
This is a very very interesting read. Amazingly good ideas. The thinking of George B. Anderson is interesting. This book I will read often.
Magic Digest
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Michael Lyth
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 12 October, 2016)
This George Anderson knew his magic.
He also knew what was enjoyed by audiences I recommend this purchase for the serious interested in magic plus history side. I have a printed original copy in my working library, for a new unused copy you could pay up to £140.00 +£2.80 prices vary from international sellers so $15.00 a wise investment no pages to get drink spilt on or chewed by cat/dog /children and easy on the eyes excellent foundation building block for any new magician or memory jog for the old ones like me
If that is not enough there are two really entertaining bonus sections. One reprints the bizarre tricks of the ancients and the other a runs a cross-section of honestly amazing advertisements for tricks sold by dealers in magic equipment. Most of these items were 'the latest' when the book came out in the early 1960s, but almost all of them are either white hot collectable now or displayed as museum pieces.
The Magic Pendulum
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Chris Somerville (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 12 March, 2015)
There are a surprising number of books purporting to show how to use a dowsing pendulum for magic and mindreading effects. As an enthusiast over 50 years I think I have read them all and this is the best. It is also the cheapest, an absolute bargain. In fact most of the others are very highly priced, yet they contain less meat and a great deal more padding. Anderson's book is very well written, which isn't surprising since he was a journalist, and contains a great number of straightforward, well routined and professional quality effects, which is surprising since George was an Armchair Mentalist as opposed to the professional performer status of many of the authors dealing offering similar material.
This is a complete package for anyone interested in presenting an act based upon the Pendulum. There is an introductory spiel and each of the tricks offered will blend smoothly into the next. In addition to the modus operandi George gives presentation and patter ideas for each effect. The book also contains variations and additional material from other magicians. If I have any criticism it is that the act as outlined does not move to a proper climax. Nevertheless, with this book alone I am sure that many people will be able to create a very workable sequence to great effect. This is a very interesting angle from which to tackle mentalism which can be made very plausible to the layman.
I suggest that any mentalist is search of a novel approach should consider the Pendulum, and to any so inclined I strongly recommend this book.
The Magic Pendulum
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Phil Reda (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 11 March, 2015)
This is a great little book. Shows you how to take standard Mentalism effects and incorporate a pendulum. The effects build one onto the other though I would not perform all of them in one sitting.