Swami and Mantra
by Sam Dalal

This is a wonderful resource, full of many excellent tricks and some fun thinking on all sorts of topics. For the price, it's hard to beat.

This is a steal at this price. I own the hard cover edition. There is so much usable material between the covers. I am amazed at the contributors - they were the movers and shakers of that time period. I am on my third read through and each time I am coming across new ideas for plots or something that can be updated. A little imagination and some updating and you a treasure trove of material. For example There is a numerology effect on page 34 that if performed today would blow people away - it is just begging for a good presentation. The mathematical principle is so well hidden I smiled as I read through the effect and method. Also on page 30 there is an improved Brainwave deck - this deck can be fanned and shown front and back before you start - any card thought of and it appears face up in a face down deck and again the deck can be fanned and shown front and back with the reversed card. Full instructions are given on how to make the deck. Those are just two effects. I also enjoy reading the Indian Faker routines - though I would never attempt them - like eating glass or razor blades - but they are very interesting. When you first see the layout it looks rough and Richard Kaufman in the publishers note of the hard cover edition even states that this was a low budget newsletter and the intent was to preserve it's originality . I highly recommend this combined set and should be on any serious students reference shelf - again this is low price to pay for the wealth of material between the covers