Reviews: Read What Ronald M Levy Is Saying: page 2
Psychic Money Sense
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 08 November, 2016)
I have to say that this is easy to do, without slights, and it can be done as soon as you have the proper coins and envelopes. This is a good one that will not end up in a drawer.
Psychic Money Sense
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 07 November, 2016)
Money Sense allows you to show that the spectator has paranormal powers in relation to money. To prove this, the magician presents the spectator with a test where the spectator needs to put certain coins into specific envelopes. There is a correct arrangement, and the single prediction put on the table when it is read at the end, foretells the arrangement that the spectator made, and proves that he has psychic powers. This is actually a good put-in-your-pocket trick, because you could do it anywhere. While the spectator is arranging coins and envelopes, there is a lot of suspense before the prediction is read.
How To Move A Mountain
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 07 November, 2016)
Understanding how this effect is accomplished will add to your cleverness as a magician. This is clearly written and is a good read.
Aqua-Coin Flight
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 20 October, 2016)
By cleverly dovetailing illusions of coins in water, and using the meanings of sounds heard by the participants, Devin Knight is able to build an effect that can fill a stage, and that can seem like real magic to an audience. Each step in this illusion and each sound, is so cleverly thought out, that the audience will be taken step-by-step to the conclusion of the trick before they realize their amazement at this effect's surprising finish.
Massive Fire Bowl Production
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 10 October, 2016)
Devin Knight has made available to us a captivating collection of three effects which share aspects of their methods. There is "U.F. Grant's Massive Fire Bowl Production," which is absolutely spectacular. It is presented with a version of this Trick that produces "A Goblet of Fire," which is themed from "Harry Potter," and also a delightful trick for the Halloween "Trick or Treats" which first produces a candy container, and then offers the child a treat. This is entertaining, charming, and mysterious magic with fire that will surely grab the attention of your audiences.
UF Grant's Lost Card Secrets
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 27 September, 2016)
The amount of careful research and scholarship Devin Knight has applied to this excellent group of surprising card spelling effects, together with a stunning card transposition, presents the legendary magic of UF Grant so that there are valuable secrets here that are of use by the magician of today. Grant speaks to us once again through the dedication of Devin Knight.
The Great Apple Heist
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 17 August, 2016)
This is Devin Knight's brilliant elaboration and original adaptation of an old coin trick into a hilarious and entertaining attempt by a couple from the audience to work together to make an apple pie, and in addition, Devin has also created two ingenious children's magic show tricks that work in a similar way with candy bars instead of apples. What makes these three tricks different from many other effects is that they do not revolve around a central magical appearance or disappearance, and each of the three effects have suspense, excitement, and offer an entertaining good time.
Psychic Match Divination
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 06 August, 2016)
An Astounding mentalism effect on a small personal scale. They will never figure out how the mentalist knew what color they picked. A classy pocket trick. Don't let the inexpensive props cause you to think that this is anything but very clever amazement. Devin has put together a good trick at a bargain basement price.
The Skeleton of Jekyll and Hyde
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 06 August, 2016)
This is a baffling effect where the performer and the participant, while separated choose the same word from the same page of dictionary, under conditions that should make this impossible. This uses a secret method that is old enough that today’s spectators would never think of it. This is an excellent effect for a house party or other small gathering when you want them to say: “How did you do that?”
The Ultimate Page Force
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 01 August, 2016)
I have always wanted to learn a way to force a page from an ordinary book by riffling the pages and having the participant call: “Stop!” All of the methods I had tried either looked contrived, or were not what a real mindreader would do, like throw dice to get a page number. Then I read Devin Knight’s “The Ultimate Page Force “ and finally found what I had been searching for. This is easy, (although like good magic, practice in front of a mirror is needed), and it looks natural, does not appear contrived, and looks like what a real mindreader would do. The excellent photographs that illustrate the step-by-step performance of the method are priceless, and complement the clarity of his explanation.
Devin Knight has given a true Utility that opens the door to the performance of many baffling and entertaining effects.
Production from Any Ungimmicked Magazine
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 01 August, 2016)
How often have you watched magicians amaze you by producing something substantial, seemingly out of empty space. Devin Knight explains how you can produce a glass of spring flowers or silks from what is shown to the audience as a flat everyday magazine. The magazine is unprepared and there are no body loads. Merely tear off the back cover, forming it into a tube, and right there on your hand you can raise the tube and amazingly produce a variety of items.
This is well written and clearly explained with Devin’s helpful diagrams. The audience will be amazed that so much could be mysteriously tucked somehow in a flat ordinary magazine.
The Milky Way
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 20 July, 2016)
These three entertaining effects with real drinkable milk ( Yes: real fresh cold milk! ) - in a real glass - have been revived and modernized from a lost U.F. Grant description. They can be performed for adults and children, and two of them are made for using at least two participants at a magic show. They are baffling. Devin explains how to inexpensively make the props yourself, and has figured out how to always keep the milk fresh and cold. His instructions for performance are clear and well written. This really is a lost and unattainable manuscript, and you will enjoy performing Devin’s updated versions of these three effects. Don’t pass this up. These effects could be the hit of your magic show.
The Best Short Change Scam Ever
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 11 July, 2016)
This is really very well done. Devin first explains this scam in a way that that he plays the part of a scammer, and Devin’s writing fooled me and several other people - we would have lost money. Then he gives a clear unambiguous explanation of how the scam works, and Devin, in addition, gives good instruction on how to defend yourself from the scam by detecting that someone is attempting to pull it on you. This is necessary because several former storekeepers told me that they were once swindled by it, and that it is still practiced by scammers today. Good reading, and worth knowing.
Just Think
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 07 July, 2016)
This is one of the most spectacular descriptions of a method of performing mentalism I have ever read because the participant only thinks of their question, and does not write anything down, and the mentalist has no gimmicks at all. The mentalist writes answers to questions on an ungimmicked pad. Devin Knight has experience performing this act, and offers very worthwhile guidance. This act is a piece of magic history, having been created by a now forgotten mentalist, Walter G. Magnuson, and Devin has revived Magnuson's writing to bring us the present work. To succeed with this act requires a strong personality and audience management experience, although Devin has made it possible, by the work he has put in on reviving this manuscript, for all mentalists to enjoy and learn from this now remembered master of the craft.
The Secret Edge For Children's Entertainers
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 28 June, 2016)
Devin Knight has focused his lens on an absolutely important and yet sorrily neglected issue that will make a huge difference to all those who aspire to be considered as performers for children. This will definitely determine whether a given performer receives a contract to do a gig. He gives good advice on this, and it could help all child performers who heed his advice. If you want to perform for kids, put down that magic wand right now, and take the time to read Devin's brief and helpful book.
Novel Publicity Ideas For Magicians
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 21 June, 2016)
This is a useful book because Devin Knight explores ways to create publicity that other books do not go into, making these areas "novel" by comparison. In addition, these ideas have all been tested by Devin, except for the White House Easter Egg Roll. Devin names the magicians who have used this avenue, and magicians who have benefited by using the other "novel" publicity ideas. I knew little about some of these methods and knew nothing about the others. Devin has educated me, and in his easy and careful teaching style, there are, no doubt, many other magicians who can benefit from this well written book.
Sight Unseen Revelations
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 13 June, 2016)
Sight Unseen Revelations is a well thought out, well written, and helpfully illustrated book of instructions for doing a stepwise series of four card revelations that build to a climactic fourth revelation. All four need not be done at the same performance. What is amazing is that they are all meant to be done while the performer's eyes are securely covered from behind by a spectator, so that the performer cannot see! It is if the performer does the card revelations while being blind!
These card revelations are interesting enough that they would be entertaining even if the performer could see. Devin has choreographed them into an astounding blindfold card routine, that has a young woman standing behind him covering his eyes at every step, (which is a more secure method of rendering the performer sightless than any blindfold.)
The Assistant Test
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 09 May, 2016)
This is a very clever performance piece that strongly attracts and holds the interest of spectators through the brilliant application of the experienced magician’s ability to direct and manipulate a spectator’s attention. Devin Knight shares with all of us this distillation of his performer’s experience. Although math facts, and also the calendar are utilized, this entertaining piece pivots on the magician’s knowledge of what people will typically notice, and what they usually don’t take notice of. The math facts and calendar facts are treated as everyday life without snobbery, and this is a handy performance piece that can occupy those moments in the performer’s act that do not need him to do an effect. Like tying your shoes, you will have numerous uses for this. Well written and illustrated, Devin Knight has given us a gem.
Tarot Reading Master Class
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald Levy (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 07 May, 2016)
After the many tarot books I have read, always finding these books unclear about how to actually read a card for a querent, I was truly pleased to find Jesse's "Tarot Reading Master Class", because, at long last, I had found an approach to reading the cards that was practical and would make sense to both the reader and the querent. Without plunging deep into the depths of the symbolism of ancient mysticism in every tarot card, The "Tarot Reading Master Class" smoothly gives the reading from Jesse's unique method, which is as functional as it is fun, and for reading the cards is all you need for the job and is an indispensable tool for the mentalist.
Roly-Poly
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 06 May, 2016)
Roly-Poly is a charming effect where the magician begins by bending a quarter repeatedly in order to soften the metal and then rolls the metal in his hand to form a metallic ball that is then given out to a spectator. This is an entertaining exhibition of conjuring with a delightful conclusion, and can amaze both children and adults. Every performer will be able to deliver an impressive experience of magic with Roly-Poly. Devin Knight's instructions are easy to follow and have helpful illustrations. Don't allow the price to mislead you: This is a gem
Streamlined Newspaper Prediction
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Ronald M Levy
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 26 April, 2016)
There have been numerous instructors who explained how to tear a newspaper page so that it yielded a piece of newspaper that bore words that had been already predicted by the performer from the beginning, and where its place in the stack of newspaper pieces corresponds to a number chosen at the beginning by the spectator. Devin Knight has actually streamlined the performance of this effect and made it easier for the mentalist to learn and easier to perform. The other versions of this effect have been surpassed and outdone by Devin's ingenuity and by his crystal-clear instructions that are to the point, and which at every step focus on how the effect looks to the mentalist, guiding the reader to giving an applause-worthy performance. This is, now, the best way to achieve the full entertainment value and the full mystery inherent in this effect. Devin Knight has taken this classic effect and both modernized it and simplified it, bringing it within the abilities of today's performer.