Reviews: Read What Others Are Saying: page 4
213 ★★★★★ reviews
145 ★★★★★ reviews
90 ★★★★★ reviews
130 ★★★★★ reviews
Number Nonsense
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Brad Smithart (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 11 May, 2025)
These are not magic tricks, but tricks in the sense of stunts or puzzles. Nevertheless, they are entertaining. The inclusion of the PowerPoint file makes it easy to present the first surprising demonstration.
Haunted
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Brad Smithart (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 11 May, 2025)
This video provides a clear explanation for handling for a Haunted Deck effect based on a variation of one of the standard methods. It was easy to follow and would be especially useful for a beginner wanting to perform this classic.
I do wish it contained a little more on the actual presentation, and not just the method.
Easy Lift: no get ready double lift
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Brad Smithart (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 11 May, 2025)
This is a short video, but it provides a technique that might be useful who have trouble with double lifts or are just interested in learning alternative handlings.
It's similar to a technique that I have occasionally used, but I don't recall seeing it published elsewhere.
The Book Test Book
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Mauro Rapinesi
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 11 May, 2025)
Jim Kleefeld’s book is the Library of Babel of the book test. It’s an indispensable resource if your goal is a thorough exploration of book test methods; a stimulating one if you're searching for your own presentation style, inspired by the 500 examples included—though described only in broad strokes. The only real risk? You might not be able to stop reading...
The book is rounded off with three extremely useful indexes (by effect, by method, and by author), which will always help you find your way through this vast terrain. As if that weren’t enough, the book itself is an incredible forcing book you can actually use in your performances.
Ted Lesley's Working Performer's Marked Deck Manual
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Roberto De Gesu (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 09 May, 2025)
Really interesting and enjoyable book to read.
The Möbius Strip in Magic: A treatise on the Afghan Bands
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Dan Cogliano (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 09 May, 2025)
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Afghan Bands is here. This was well researched and a great reference guide in the bibliography to other publications mentioning the Afghan Bands.
It's Better Than Digging Roads
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Michael Brooke (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 08 May, 2025)
It was great to hear my Dad’s voice again after so many years. The transcript was also very welcome as it felt like Dad had left this conversation for me. He never really talked about his early life and his parents died before I was born so I didn’t have a chance to meet them.
Chris was very helpful and responded to questions very promptly - the download was very easy to access.
Principles and Deceptions
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Gregg Webb
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 08 May, 2025)
I recently read a short review of this great book, and revisited it. I read it several times long ago, but this time through I felt compelled to mention how good it really is. I performed professionally for about 16 years, but on and off many more. Even when not performing, I am involved with writing about the art. The main reason I've taken a new interest is the inclusion of billiard ball magic explained in a wonderful way. While the other items are covered with interesting writings, the work on billiard balls interested me the most because it is probably my favorite branch of magic. While I often mention Gaultier and Hull in regard to B. Balls, I must remember to include this book in the group to study if fascinated by this field. The price is surprisingly low in this downloadable version.
Ireland's Year Book 1960
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Philip Heckman (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 30 April, 2025)
Love this yearbook 1960 because of the Walt Rollins segment and of course the cover artwork
Smooth Honeycutter
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by hal barlow (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 29 April, 2025)
Smooth indeed! Well worth the $8.
Entropy Hack
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Kevin Needham (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 28 April, 2025)
This is 100% pure awesomeness! I was surprised how well this works. Prepare to fool yourself as well as your spectators!!
Magical Adventures and Fairy Tales
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Virginia Hankins (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 22 April, 2025)
Whimsical, enchanting, nostalgic. This is a key, historical, book in magical story telling and scripting that incorporates tricks rather than being a book about tricks that incorporates some patter. The writing in this book is reminiscent of the the style that Walt Disney himself used to use when he was alive. It's tight, vibrant, and an amazing example of what story telling can be like. It doesn't talk down to the audience in its scripting but is also non-pretentious. The printed work is around 103 total pages and has an easy to follow flow. Everything in it is well organized with the name of the effect, the script, and then the description of the trick / methods used. By following that repeatable format you can easily flip around in the book to the content of interest, read it, and then use the explanation to study and think about the use of words and scripting. The manuscript is right for a person who has a working knowledge of magic and can easily follow the "directions" that the writing provides. There are limited photos in it - you'll need to have a solid mental picture for context or be able to do YouTube etc. research to really break stuff apart to play with it. As an example, one section states "use the Slydini newspaper tear" or another sentence in a different part reads "You must have recognized our immortal Four Ace Trick immediately. For this presentation you need jumbo cards." Statements like that show that the author assumes that (a) you have a working knowledge of the body of magic, much like a proficient cook would know how to interpret a directive like "start with a white sponge cake" in a recipe and (b) you also know what the materials he's using are (like jumbo cards). As long as you are a well-read person of magic then you will be able to easily read and understand the contents. The English translation, while beautiful, isn't overly wordy and is succinct where it needs to be. Notes on why you need certain things or to say certain things are mentioned where they are needed. Keep in mind that this is a book of its own time in history that is reminiscent of beliefs, opinions, fables, and fairy tales from another time in history - such as the years during and around World War 2. Some of the stories / effects pull from Wales, England, Germany, India, Scotland, and China. Nothing in this book is modern, but it isn't intended to be.
The Master Code
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Jeffrey Whiting (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 16 April, 2025)
Robert Nelson was one of the most prolific, and knowledgeable, writers in the field of Mentalism.
As an aficionado of two person telepathy acts, I bought this book to add to my collection.
Nelson has produced a carefully graduated course for anyone wishing to learn this specialist act, and brings the benefit of experience to the course as well.
There are certain parts of the code that may appear quite “stiff” to modern audiences. Times change, and the detailed footnotes in the text reflect this and offer the reader additional information or resources to personalise and modernise their act!
I especially liked the section on coding questions to the medium; Nelson has drawn on the pioneering works of C A Conlin to give you a list of 99 most common questions, and useful subdivisions for further elucidation.
Even if you never perform a Q&A act this way, the list of probabilities will help your Cold Reading!
Despite its generous 150+ page length, and encyclopaedic tone, Nelson’s book does not cover certain “positional” codes or silent ones. However there’s more than enough information here to create your own.
I’d throughly recommend the book for both the collector/archivist and the serious mentalist.
Dorny's Comedy Blackouts
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by jordan Byrd (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 15 April, 2025)
Not really magic, but if your putting a show together, learning to utilize blackouts is a well worthwhile adventure.
Principles and Deceptions
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by jordan Byrd (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 15 April, 2025)
A classic. Easily worth the purchase. Hidden wonders galore.
Hand Shadows
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by jordan Byrd (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 15 April, 2025)
Beautiful little treatise on shadows. Nice artwork. Nothing to groundbreaking, but still worth picking up
Potter & Potter #13
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Paul Budd (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 08 April, 2025)
I'm one of the last 38 people in the world who loves magic catalogs. Technically, this is an 'auction' catalog -- but it's filled with magic stuff. In terms of Potter & Potter auctions -- this is one of my favorites!
Psychabulary
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Brad Smithart (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 02 April, 2025)
Psychabulary is a simple system for constructing scientific-sounding phrases to fake expertise in Psychology.
The generated phrases could be used to add some credibility to your patter. The document also gives a handful of hints and tips for using the phrases.
Scientific Cold Reading Intro
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Brad Smithart (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 02 April, 2025)
This video was not at all what I expected.
Dave Arch, rather than being a mentalist, has a background as a pastor, an executive coach, and a magician. So he approaches cold-reading skills from the perspective of making everyday connections, rather than as entertainment.
As an introductory video, it doesn't actually get into cold reading, but rather provides an overview of additional products.
Abraca-Poof December 2017
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Brad Smithart (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 02 April, 2025)
The article "Do As I Do - Not As I Say" makes the intriguing argument that the real offense in copying another magician's presentation is not primarily in the physical actions (which in some ways is limited by the effects) but by stealing the patter.
This issue also contains an interesting article about humility and taking criticism.
Abraca-Poof December 2016
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Brad Smithart (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 02 April, 2025)
Since this is a December issue, it focuses primarily on wrapping up the year and beginning a new one. In addition to the standard articles about organization and planning, this issue includes a fun gag by Aldo Colombini, the "Failed Card Trick."
Duplicity
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Kevin Needham (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 31 March, 2025)
Wow! This seems impossible. The magician selects a card and number FIRST. This is ANOTHER great effect from the mind of Tommaso Guglielmi. Highly Recommended!! If you’re not following his works….you should!
An Offering
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Elliot Gorton (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 26 March, 2025)
This is my first look into Mr. Hildebrandt. I am sufficiently flabbergasted. This is dangerous material. I hope I'm brave enough to try some of it.
The DWS Principle
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Richard Weber
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 25 March, 2025)
I used the DWS Principle as the method for my closing effect in my audition act for The Magic Circle yesterday evening. It fooled a room full of magicians. I have been fooling magicians with this method for the past five months. Only once has a magician returned to tell me a close guess.
You can have a lot of fun with this. As I presented it, each of two spectators chose a card from a small packet. These cards were replaced in the deck in such a way that ruled out any possibility that I could have been using any standard methods, such as breaks, crimps, marks, etc. Then each of the spectators shuffled and cut the cards. The quality of my spectators' shuffles were varied. I spread the cards face up, and in about 5 seconds, I had cut the cards back into my hands with the spectators' cards top and bottom. I then produced them as I tossed the deck from one hand to the other. This was all wrapped up in a story about a trick I might have shown Queen Elizabeth II when I sat next to her at lunch. The cards were horses from Her Majesty's stable and we were simulating The Grand National steeplechase.
The Unnamed Magician was kind enough to share this creation with me and involve me in helping him to investigate its workings by computer simulation of shuffling.
Samuel Cox Hooker and his Rising Cards
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Nick Black (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 23 March, 2025)
This ebook is written like a good mystery that you'll be thinking about long after you've finished reading it. Chris has compiled an amazing study of Hooker's rising cards, and threw in a wealth of information of similar effects. The only downside I found to this publication is that it made me aware of my shortcomings as a long-time student of magic.