Review of the last 'magic' book I read.

Well maybe to start off the old review thread and to maybe include some books that often get missed out as its usually newer releases that get reviewed, how about we review the last book we read ?...

E x

Ha ha.

I like the way no-one has read lately. or at least anything they are admitting to lol..

So shall I start ?

Last thing I read was Paul Brook's underhanded.

Now its difficult to review without revealing the method, but im gonna give it a go.

It's essentially a method or rather custom gimmick for revealing a prediction.

Think billet index-esque and you can see the scope.

Now i havent actually made the gimmick, mainly because it's not something I would use and I dont currently use billets. But. I know I wouldn't have spotted the gimmick in use as the way it is used I have seen before and not spotted several times.

Is it for you ?

Well I have not made the product (its not difficult and it is a step by step photo guide) so cannot comment on its useability, but there are a few nice routines in there.

Id say anyone who does close up or walk around billet work would find this useful. Me - not so much. But it is when you read it one of the 'oooo you sneeky fing' thoughts.

Well Evie good review of something you said that you would never use!
At the risk of starting a Paul Brooks fan page. - I will pitch in with Alchemical Tools.
I buy stuff regularly, we all do. How much of it do I use? Well, none really..... i guess the ideas all go into the unconscious melting pot and will (hopefully) chuck something out into the waking brain at some point. But - my god! - there are draws full of this unwanted stuff....... does this sound familiar?

So a book like Alch Tools is something to treasure - A great book to read in the bath...and full of ideas that you can use, or at least disagree with in a useful way. Also, it really is full - no padding, no waffle (well not much). It is thick and heavy (this for me is a good sign in a book!). More importantly, it does not just rehash other peoples ideas, give them a lick of paint and flog them on. It is full of stuff I did not know, or at least stuff I had not read before.

I am getting to the point where I think most 'mentalist' books are of little use in terms of routines. I still buy stuff due to obsessive behavior - so through a medical condition really. Rarely through a genuine expectation that the stuff will be of use. Most of my inspiration comes from reading books not directly intended for the 'magician'.
So, although there are few 'tricks' Alchemy Tools is constantly thumbed.....

Christopher J Gould wrote:

Well Evie good review of something you said that you would never use!
.

I only say I wouldn't use it at present, mainly because I don't use billiets as I don't really perform 'mind reading'. lol. That was however the last book I read



E x

The last eBook I read was "Sympathy Cards" by Paul Vigil.

This is dead easy to do but so nicely layered that no one will be the wiser.

It is a very good routine if you don't mind performing with cards.

It's the classic Sympathetic cards plot, but it uses a regular deck, the spectator cuts the deck where they like, free choice ... the spectator chooses a half ... free choice, no magicians force or anything ... you demonstrate what they are about to do with their half by mixing your half ... some face up, some face down as well ... and then they do the same ... they mix it as much as they like! Then the cards are all turned over, and they match the pairs of your pile!

(This description really doesn't do the effect justice)

A normal deck of cards, no switches or any sleight of hand!

ALEXANDRE wrote:

The last eBook I read was "Sympathy Cards" by Paul Vigil.

This is dead easy to do but so nicely layered that no one will be the wiser.

It is a very good routine if you don't mind performing with cards.

It's the classic Sympathetic cards plot, but it uses a regular deck, the spectator cuts the deck where they like, free choice ... the spectator chooses a half ... free choice, no magicians force or anything ... you demonstrate what they are about to do with their half by mixing your half ... some face up, some face down as well ... and then they do the same ... they mix it as much as they like! Then the cards are all turned over, and they match the pairs of your pile!

(This description really doesn't do the effect justice)

A normal deck of cards, no switches or any sleight of hand!

intrigued am i ...

It's pretty good, though I haven't performed it yet, I'll give a performance review once I've done it.

So you use playing cards in performance, Evie?

Kind of. I use cards within the Paralab premise, so esp's, digits, pictures etc.

I have read quite a few books over the last month.. Act of Imagination...Reader of Minds... The Paranormal Entertainer.. Black Hart's Big Black Book...Runes With A View...

I will comment on them all (if people want me to!) but an interesting tome I read just before Christmas was Mind Control 101 by Dantalion Jones.

Although an amalgamation of various things, it gives quite a good overview of suggestion and mind control and the rear of the book has a few "tricks" which claim to be ones that Derren Brown has performed. I have yet to try them out.
The book itself was an interesting read and it does appear that the writer has some degree or knowledge of magic/mentalism.

All in all, if this subject appeals, you could find something of value between it's covers. There are references to some other books which I had not heard of and sound intriguing. Gaslighting anyone?

I have always wondered about the Black Hart book

is it any good?

ALEXANDRE wrote:

It's pretty good, though I haven't performed it yet, I'll give a performance review once I've done it.

So you use playing cards in performance, Evie?

This could also be done with a group of photgraphs, with the mates being rejoined together after he mixing. Maybe in a Seance setting too.

Graham Yates wrote:

I have always wondered about the Black Hart book

is it any good?

It's very good. Essentially it is three books in one with the first two detailing effects that Black Hart uses and goes into detail about his seance shows and explains them thoroughly.

Both are great reads and have a lot of solid practical advise concerning presentation and the explantions are very direct.

The third volume has some rather amusing anecdotes relating to Keith's work as a tarot reader. It also has some good solid, in-the-field advice and suggests some rather nice effects that can be added to the context of a tarot reading without making it into a 'magic show'.

So, yes, I would recommend this book if bizarre / occult magic is something that interests you. The book concentrates on the importance of atmosphere and I enjoyed reading it.

Interesting recent reads:

Monsters & Magical Sticks - great book for those interested in hypnosis and generally gaining rapport with spectators

Tyburn - Research for an effect I am working on, but plenty of background facts here for macabre routines.

Currently reading Frasers's "The Golden Bough", again for research for a witchcraft/horror show I am working on. The more 'real life' things in there the better. Clouding the gap between reality and fantasy and creating doubt!

Just bought the "20 seance tips book", will review it when i have read it

Freddie Valentine wrote:

Interesting recent reads:

Monsters & Magical Sticks - great book for those interested in hypnosis and generally gaining rapport with spectators

Currently reading Frasers's "The Golden Bough", again for research for a witchcraft/horror show I am working on. The more 'real life' things in there the better. Clouding the gap between reality and fantasy and creating doubt!

Nice man, Monsters is a great book and Frasers is DEEP!

Frazer is BIG - and repetitive, like Moby Dick without fish.

I spend some money in books. I just re-read Maven's prism (blue, red, green, yellow, viotet books mentalism). I think is inspiring to imagine his progress and working along the routines. I'm doing a version of 4th dimentional telepathy and really enjoyed reading his solution again.

I also like biographies, recommend the Dai Vernon biography.

Peek Performances by Richard Busch has been a treat so far, particularly the subtleties he includes.

Peek, is a classic.

At the moment I have reached the stage where I feel reading about routines and effects is counter-productive. So I am reading 'around the subject' - stuff to make the content and performance more interesting.
Here is an idea - a list of non-mentalist books for mentalists....

I think that's subject to personal taste. I love Philosophy and Politics- they annoy me so much- but I adore them completley. But I think it would get boring if everyone had mildly/ subtly political and philosphical routines. It is all subject to your own interests. Mentalism, or in fact any field of study, is not in iscolation: there are links to be found to maths, philosophy, science, linguistics e.t.c. Personally, George Orwell's marvelous and confusing 1984 gave me millions of ideas for routines. One of my personal favourite routines I do was inspired by Dominic O'Brien, the marvelous mnemnosist- even though the routine has nothing to do with memory. Then I also get inspiration from other magician's methods, and effects or day dreaming about this superhuman character and 'what if' I had those abilities- Stanislavski called it the magic if, and it is a great way of generating great, simple ideas for presentations and effects which fit the character. The point is, inspiration can come from anywhere. I was toying with writing a routine inspired by an international relations 1900-1939 module I have to do which I find very interesting.
But anyhow, the last book I read on mentalism/magic... I have had somewhat of a hiatus from this whole buisness, due to exams and the subsequent lack of motivation and drive to do absolutley anything. In fact even thinking about it now, I haven't bought anything magical in ages- I am finding myself reading less and less 'magically' and more broadly on other things, plus I am still working over and reworking over what it is I have already despite there still being a mountain of books I have on my wishlist.

One of the greats was quoted once saying that he only knew how to perform six to eight effects. Such a profound statement! The esteemed Max Maven has said that Mentalists only perform four using only three different techniques. After achieving a proper level, what comes next? Innovation not with effects or techniques but with in the presentation of those "six to eight". Look at Derren Brown's AN EVENING OF WONDER stage show; a show that was primarily Q&A, a table levitation, a few minor predictions, and a major one.

Derren Brown has stated that he has long since stopped reading any material. He is at a point where he has all the tools he needs (and consultants such as Andy Nyman and David Britland) and is now left with devising his patently devilish shows.

Finding inspirational material is where the real "trick" to this business is.

Sir - I could not agree with you more.
There should be far more talked about and published in the area of presentation, far more questioning of what we do and why. Tricks are for the kids. This is why I think the new book by Dr. Todd is so intersting, as it adresses these issues and gets us thinking!


BTW - welcome aboard Marcus

You were talking about Richard Buschs Peek Performance. To my knowledge there are two different versions out there, the normal one for the lay public and one exclusive for the PEA.

Thank you, Chris.

Agnostiker, I'm rather surprised by that. I didn't know that at all! I only have the copy I purchased together with the Psychological Subtleties trilogy. Is there a significant difference between the two copies?

To my knowledge there is. The PEA version is bigger and different in some points. Busch showed his to book to the PEA and the members discussed which parts not to share with "normal" magicians. That's what I have been told.
Same you find in the "Vibrations" or in the "Nailwriter forum". Some routines you read in public books are there in a different style.