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13 Steps to Mentalism
Corinda reveals the most effective methods and techniques to unlock the art of mindreading in 13 escalones del mentalismo. You will learn how to read minds and predict headlines. Techniques include pen reading, lip reading, predictions, blindfolds, telepathy, and many others. In this extensive study of memory systems, you’ll find the keys needed to read spectator’s past, present, and future.
424 pages
First published January 1, 1958
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3997 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 22, 2020
That book is a real gem.
Lots of good reviews here but let's make a proper one:
Book covers 13 chapters:
i) Swami Gimmick
ii) Pencil, Lip, Sound, Touch and Muscle Reading
iii) Mnemonics and Mental Systems
iv) Predictions
v) Blindfolds and X-Ray Eyes
vi) Billets
vii) Book Tests
viii) Two Person Telepathy
ix) Mediumistic Stunts
x) Card Tricks
xi) Question and Answer
xii) Publicity Stunts
xiii) Patter and Presentation
As pointed out in many reviews, mentalism isn't implying any kind of supernatural stunts (or necromancy for that matter), it's just stage magic. Some chapters fully dedicated to stage acts, filled with nice effects and methods. Some takes it one step ahead (like chapter 12) and gives advice only for professional magicians. On the other hand, most of the book are packed with information which can be quite useful magicians and laymen alike.
For instance the mnemonics chapter can teach you some neat memory tricks (similar to Cicero's Memory Palace/Method of loci) you can use anywhere, anytime. Two person telepathy opens up new possibilities to interact with a close friend or even invent a new internal language tailored for your spesific needs (a fun weekend activity with your significant other, i suppose). Question and answer, akin to Ray Hyman's marvelous work "Cold Reading: How to convince strangers that you know all about them", teaches you to principles and techniques for reading people by visual cues, statistical variabilities and other devious mechanisms.
Really fun book, even for someone who has no interest in performing stage magic.
Lots of good reviews here but let's make a proper one:
Book covers 13 chapters:
i) Swami Gimmick
ii) Pencil, Lip, Sound, Touch and Muscle Reading
iii) Mnemonics and Mental Systems
iv) Predictions
v) Blindfolds and X-Ray Eyes
vi) Billets
vii) Book Tests
viii) Two Person Telepathy
ix) Mediumistic Stunts
x) Card Tricks
xi) Question and Answer
xii) Publicity Stunts
xiii) Patter and Presentation
As pointed out in many reviews, mentalism isn't implying any kind of supernatural stunts (or necromancy for that matter), it's just stage magic. Some chapters fully dedicated to stage acts, filled with nice effects and methods. Some takes it one step ahead (like chapter 12) and gives advice only for professional magicians. On the other hand, most of the book are packed with information which can be quite useful magicians and laymen alike.
For instance the mnemonics chapter can teach you some neat memory tricks (similar to Cicero's Memory Palace/Method of loci) you can use anywhere, anytime. Two person telepathy opens up new possibilities to interact with a close friend or even invent a new internal language tailored for your spesific needs (a fun weekend activity with your significant other, i suppose). Question and answer, akin to Ray Hyman's marvelous work "Cold Reading: How to convince strangers that you know all about them", teaches you to principles and techniques for reading people by visual cues, statistical variabilities and other devious mechanisms.
Really fun book, even for someone who has no interest in performing stage magic.
February 21, 2019
This book was originally written as a series of pamphlets for sale in “magic shops” all over the English-speaking world. I should point out here, to avoid confusion, that in this case “magic” refers exclusively to stage magic and not such Magic (or Magick) as people like Aleister Crowley discuss. The book explains, mostly in very practical terms, the array or “tricks,” “gimmicks” or “swindles” (!) one can perform on stage in order to appear to be a mind reader in order to entertain an audience. Most of these pamphlets were originally written in the late 1950s or early 1960s, and as the author is British, there are some interesting (at times confusing) anachronisms or foreign terms to grapple with, for example when he speaks of any trick involving currency. There are also many typos and writing errors of various kinds, although the editors have done a good job of making page references consistent to the book’s pagination, instead of for example referring you to “page 8 of step three.”
Probably because of its history as a series of booklets, the front end of the book is heavily weighted toward practical advice, and the back is where most of the theory is covered. If you’re not interested in the history of stage magic, this book still has a few interesting sections, especially those in which he reveals how “phony mediums” put on their performances. It’s also interesting, from an ethical standpoint, how disapproving he is of “phony mediums” and others who use these techniques to rip people off instead of entertain them. It’s interesting in part, because the whole conceit of his act, and everyone else involved in this business, is to pretend that mind reading really is possible, and that these staged tricks demonstrate it, while throughout the book he is clearly telling you it isn’t, and how you can guess a card or number without being a real mind reader. The last two chapters are also interesting, in terms of the advice he gives on publicity and self-promotion, though of course he is dealing with a different level of communications technology than is normal today.
More broadly, what is interesting about this book is the ways it demonstrates how easily people can be fooled, how ready they are to be fooled, and how a smart individual can take advantage of that. The ethics of such knowledge, and how to use it, is largely left up to the individual reader.
Probably because of its history as a series of booklets, the front end of the book is heavily weighted toward practical advice, and the back is where most of the theory is covered. If you’re not interested in the history of stage magic, this book still has a few interesting sections, especially those in which he reveals how “phony mediums” put on their performances. It’s also interesting, from an ethical standpoint, how disapproving he is of “phony mediums” and others who use these techniques to rip people off instead of entertain them. It’s interesting in part, because the whole conceit of his act, and everyone else involved in this business, is to pretend that mind reading really is possible, and that these staged tricks demonstrate it, while throughout the book he is clearly telling you it isn’t, and how you can guess a card or number without being a real mind reader. The last two chapters are also interesting, in terms of the advice he gives on publicity and self-promotion, though of course he is dealing with a different level of communications technology than is normal today.
More broadly, what is interesting about this book is the ways it demonstrates how easily people can be fooled, how ready they are to be fooled, and how a smart individual can take advantage of that. The ethics of such knowledge, and how to use it, is largely left up to the individual reader.
August 3, 2015
I used to read a lot of books like this one when I was a lot younger, and I love this sort of thing. I'm curious how it might read to someone who isn't already accustomed to (and accepting of) the style and tone. It's all about mentalism, and even though most of its references are several decades old and out-of-date, the effects and the psychology behind them are still current (as far as I can tell, anyway, not being a professional mentalist).
November 5, 2019
The book has some interesting things to be learnt. However, many topics and tricks are outdated. Though the books seems to be outdated, the basic psychology in the tricks are relevant even today. This book does not give a complete picture but it's a good place to start. However the idea of writing such a book 1968 by Corinda is surprising and should be appreciated.
October 12, 2017
For the purpose of curiosity I picked this one and I started believing that I will become Mentalist, Like Patrik Jane, end up becoming reader of such books only. I think expecting to be a mentalist just by reading book is of no use, even if you try it on people ,you may learn little. It needs proper coaching. anyways, It added some knowledge in me.
July 28, 2018
This book taught me so many tricks useful for an upcoming job interview. The memory system is the bee's knees!
March 30, 2025
El Corinda es un libro hecho por y para mentalistas, pero de verdad.
Este libro fue en su momento la introducción para cualquier persona que se quisiera dedicar profesionalmente al mentalismo y por tanto es tan completo como complejo (lo menciono en tiempo pasado porque es verdad que se nota un poco que en la actualidad hay cosas que ya se hacen de otra manera pese a que todo lo que aquí se comenta es viable a día de hoy).
Por su propia condición no puedo dar una descripción más detallada de los efectos y técnicas que aquí se comparten, algo así como la primera regla del club de la lucha.
“Es paradójico que en el espectador se intenta siempre crear fantasía y que la fantasía de este arte es la realidad”.
Este libro fue en su momento la introducción para cualquier persona que se quisiera dedicar profesionalmente al mentalismo y por tanto es tan completo como complejo (lo menciono en tiempo pasado porque es verdad que se nota un poco que en la actualidad hay cosas que ya se hacen de otra manera pese a que todo lo que aquí se comenta es viable a día de hoy).
Por su propia condición no puedo dar una descripción más detallada de los efectos y técnicas que aquí se comparten, algo así como la primera regla del club de la lucha.
“Es paradójico que en el espectador se intenta siempre crear fantasía y que la fantasía de este arte es la realidad”.
June 18, 2018
An absolutely fascinating book for everyone who wants to step inside the mentalism world. This is a must read!
This classical text on mentalism was originally published in 1961. It has been reprinted number of times so the mental effects and the psychology behind them are still relevant today.
The book has grown over the years into one of the most famous books about mentalism. Instead of all sorts of theories about mentalism it presents mentalism more from a practical point of view.
With a number of secrets revealed by professionals and through a step-by-step plan you can easily perform mentalism tricks yourself.
This classical text on mentalism was originally published in 1961. It has been reprinted number of times so the mental effects and the psychology behind them are still relevant today.
The book has grown over the years into one of the most famous books about mentalism. Instead of all sorts of theories about mentalism it presents mentalism more from a practical point of view.
With a number of secrets revealed by professionals and through a step-by-step plan you can easily perform mentalism tricks yourself.
January 10, 2019
This was the perfect book for me, and will be a valuable resource in the future. My one fair warning about this read is that not only does it pull back the curtain on mentalism acts and magic itself, it practically blows the entire stage that magic rests on apart. Basically, this book unearthed most of if not all secrets behind classic mentalism and magic. So if you enjoy the feelings of bewilderment while watching a magician perform and wish not to taint that wonderful feeling than do not read this title, if you want to discover how seemingly impossible acts are performed and learn to them yourself then this resource book is for you!
August 31, 2018
Great book all about the side of mentalism and the methods too the madness.
November 29, 2018
The literal bible of mentalism
Read
October 16, 2019Good
Book
Book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2020
This isn't known as the bible of mentalism for nothing. Fantastic book. I get something new from it every time I reread it.
October 16, 2022
good book to learn mentalism
Read
December 6, 2022Padhenge tab na
October 21, 2023
Book exilent very good
November 17, 2024
I want to read
October 19, 2025
This is a great book about mentalism more about show then reading the people in real life
June 18, 2021
A good reference book for Mental Magic tricks.
This book is written for performers.
It has very few concepts that are practical outside of the stage.
I reviewed the book having no idea what it was when I got it.
If you want to see the review:
https://youtu.be/LFZEc6h8FBM
I give some psychological insights that I gathered in the videos in the description.
This book is written for performers.
It has very few concepts that are practical outside of the stage.
I reviewed the book having no idea what it was when I got it.
If you want to see the review:
https://youtu.be/LFZEc6h8FBM
I give some psychological insights that I gathered in the videos in the description.
May 6, 2017
I picked up this book hoping it would cover the human reading, manipulation and behavior aspects of mentalist. Things like cold reading, muscle reading and subliminal messages. While it did touch on some topics of that nature, it primarily covered slight of hand tricks for performances.
As it turns out, this was fascinating in its own right. I found it mind boggling to see how deception can be achieved through taking advantage of people's fundamental assumptions--especially if given lots of time, practice and dedication.
No, I have no interest in learning mentalist and you won't see me with a deck of cards at parties. But as long as you're not the sort that is disappointed when the magic is "ruined", it's a fun read.
As it turns out, this was fascinating in its own right. I found it mind boggling to see how deception can be achieved through taking advantage of people's fundamental assumptions--especially if given lots of time, practice and dedication.
No, I have no interest in learning mentalist and you won't see me with a deck of cards at parties. But as long as you're not the sort that is disappointed when the magic is "ruined", it's a fun read.
April 25, 2009
I can't tell you much about this book for fear of giving anything away. You just have to read it. The one major drawback to this book is that it was clearly written in a different time. Corinda makes lots of references to performing in drawing rooms and using visitor cards for effects and things of that nature which are now obsolete. Of course, this is considered a classic in its field and it takes time to become a classic so all is forgiven. I just loved how detailed and step-by-step it is. In this one book I learned so much about so much! A fun read.
July 9, 2013
This is a secret kind of book. I enjoyed reading about the things within because it gave me some interesting ideas and inspiration. Overall, this book is good because of Corinda's voice. He is both to the point (which is something often evaded in modern day effects) and quite funny. There are moments, for example, where he tells you to keep the attention off certain things and not "wave it around like a flag on coronation day," - he is witty and engaging and this book is certainly comprehensive.
January 12, 2015
Like an old fashioned builders yard this book has enough information laying around in it to build a dozen houses in different styles.
This book may not appeal to non magicians, but for those wanting to know about the art of mentalism this is still a great place to start. As once you start to learn you will realise the true value of what is contained within.
This book may not appeal to non magicians, but for those wanting to know about the art of mentalism this is still a great place to start. As once you start to learn you will realise the true value of what is contained within.
December 26, 2021
Want to learn how palm readers work? How people can seemingly read your mind?
It seems like magic. It isn’t. Some of the most clever tricks and mental manipulation imaginable.
I’ve already used a couple tricks at parties and people are completely amazed. Tons of fun, but also nice to know to explain how it all works when people see “aura readers” and other nonsense.
It seems like magic. It isn’t. Some of the most clever tricks and mental manipulation imaginable.
I’ve already used a couple tricks at parties and people are completely amazed. Tons of fun, but also nice to know to explain how it all works when people see “aura readers” and other nonsense.
August 9, 2016
Okay, so the assessment I got of this book from a practicing mentalist was pretty correct: it's quite dated, and it's very much trickery based as opposed to NLP based. That being said, I learned a lot from reading it, and I think it was a very valuable starting point.
July 18, 2016
Absolutely fascinating book for whoever want to step inside mentalism world. Any basic material and knowledge provide in this book. And i think most professional still use trick from this book for their shows.
August 2, 2018
Many of these classic illusions can easily be adapted and updated to fit modern audiences. I would suggest that anyone involved in paranormal research (ESP, psychics, etc.) read this book before jumping to any conclusions.
March 24, 2013
mnnm
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews