Reviews: Read What Others Are Saying: page 7
216 ★★★★★ reviews
150 ★★★★★ reviews
93 ★★★★★ reviews
138 ★★★★★ reviews
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.
The Professional Smoking Thumb Gimmick (Instructions)
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Allard Robichaud (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Wednesday 19 March, 2025)
Excellent!!! Fast service! Works all fine!
Double Cross ACAAN
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Kevin Needham (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 18 March, 2025)
Another great effect from a brilliant creator! An impromptu twist of his effect called “Duplicity”. It can be performed over video or in person. There is an explanation on how to do the effect with one deck as well. Highly Recommended!!
The Holy Dixie Cup
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Jacob Johnson (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 14 March, 2025)
This is a fun and clever effect! The explanation is clear and concise. The move will not take long to learn and will be quite an effective tool in your toolbox. I only gave it 4 stars because the link in the PDF to a YouTube video demonstrating the "move" was dead. The video isn't necessary but would have been the icing on the cake.
Magic no Mystery
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by jordan Byrd (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 14 March, 2025)
A beautiful read with many hidden wonders waiting to be rediscovered.
Napkin Folding
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by jordan Byrd (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 14 March, 2025)
Could maybe use an update, but still a clever, workable routine similar to Chapeaugraphy.
2 As 4 Count
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Barrett Sweet (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 13 March, 2025)
Excellent!
Wayne Dobson: The Definitive Collection
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Gregg Webb
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 13 March, 2025)
A friend loaned me this book to read, and I'd like to say that it is one of the best magic books I've ever read. Before his unfortunate handicap, he was a working pro, so he knew what worked in the real world, and he had the knack of making something catchy and his patter ideas were perfect. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in magic as one of the only books you need to own and study. Gregg Webb
The AI Magician's Handbook
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by John Kauth (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 11 March, 2025)
Marko's book description is accurate. AI is the latest buzzword on the internet. AI apps start off with a description of what the AI is supposed to produce. These descriptions are called "prompts". There is an old computer programming adage, "Garbage in, garbage out." Bad prompts produce bad AI results. That is the value of Marco's book. He uses several magic tricks as examples that are copied into an AI app to create original presentations. He describes how to modify the prompts for various audiences. As with any presentation created by a human or AI the final result will need to be edited. Marco supplies links to two excellent AI apps to create presentations. This is the first AI book I have found that explicitly applies to magic. Marko's book is an excellent introduction to the topic.
The book falls short on music creation. It is only two pages long, and the prompts are brief and not as detailed as the performance prompts. Only one AI app is listed, and Marco stresses that most AI music apps cost money. There is an invaluable link to the legalities of using AI music in performances.
Chris Wasshuber runs a wonderful website with tons of useful information. In his review guidelines, he suggests leaving some brief bio information in the magic reviews. I am 76 years old. Five years ago, a cruise ship had a magic show. I purchased his promotional kit with a few tricks. The magic bug bit hard. I now own the Tarbell books, 13 Steps to Mentalism, and many, many books and videos on Magic and Mentalism, which I have studied. I lean toward Mentalism as fancy sleight of hand is difficult with arthritis. I mainly do thirty-minute shows for senior citizens living in my area.
Twisting Version 50
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Daniel Vicars (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 08 March, 2025)
Pure Pellikaan Prestidigitation! I'm gonna love frying folks' brains with this.
Another Roadside Attraction
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Frank Machniak (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Saturday 08 March, 2025)
The work of Jon Racerbuamer is legendary. And to have it in this form is just wonderful. The quality and service are first rate.
Lucky Card: a hands-off ACAAN miracle
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Kevin Needham (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 06 March, 2025)
A powerful effect with a personal meaning for the spectator. Much thought and time was spent in order to make this possible!
Yet ANOTHER HIT for this author. Be on the lookout for his work…HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
The Ultimate ACAAN: the holy grail of card magic
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Kevin Needham (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Tuesday 04 March, 2025)
This really seems impossible! The spectator not only FREELY selects a card but also a position and the card appears in that position. Easy to perform and the method is absolutely brilliant! Highly recommend.
ACAAN Time
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Kevin Needham (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Monday 03 March, 2025)
Excellent effect! Brilliant method!! Highly recommended!!!
Generate: a new era of ACAAN
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by Kevin Needham (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 27 February, 2025)
Very cool effect. Simple and easy to perform.
Clever Card Conjuring
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by jordan Byrd (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 23 February, 2025)
Can’t beat 6 bucks. Lay out is a bit funky, but still accessible. Get closer to your local stripper.
On Thin Air: Levitation
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by jordan Byrd (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Sunday 23 February, 2025)
The build is definitely a build. As a machinist, I doubt I’ll ever take the time to build this, let alone perform it. BUUUUUUT, still an interesting take on a strolling levitation.
Bath Towel Mentalism: on steroids
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by hal barlow (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Thursday 20 February, 2025)
The ad copy should tell you that you need to buy 2 gimmicked decks and one regular deck. [Lybrary.com: Strictly speaking one can get the necessary cards in one particular gimmicked deck plus one regular deck.]
Balloon Comedy and Magic
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by jordan Byrd (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 14 February, 2025)
Well written, a nice little addition to any ballon worker's book shelf.
Mathematical Three Card Monte
Overall customer rating: ★★★★★reviewed by jordan Byrd (confirmed purchase)
Rating: ★★★★★ (Date Added: Friday 14 February, 2025)
Nice little bit with many possibilities.