Table of ContentsTIME MARCHES ONBERT REESE SECRETSBILLET SWITCHINGA QUESTION AND THE ANSWERTHE AL BAKER THREE BILLET TRICEA DAY OF YOUR LIFETHE GERMAIN GEMTERVILMENTAL HAT PINDEVIL DEVICETHE OM BILLET SWITCHING BOXTHE GHOST OF A CHANCECRYSTAL CLEARMINDREADING PUBLICITY EFFECTNEWS EVENT PREDICTIONTHE UNKNOWN SUBJECTPUBLICITY STUNTON THE WIRETHE IMPRESSION MODERNEA CUTE PUBLICITY STUNTDEATH FLIGHTIMPROMPTU VISIONA NEAT PUBLICITY TRICKTELEVISION COMPACTGRAPHOLOGYFROM BEYOND THE GRAVETWO PAPERS AND A SPECTATORMORE LIVING THAN DEADDEAD OR ALIVETHE SECRETDR. DALEY'S DEATH DIVINATIONTHE GHOST HANDDEADHADES CALLING!NYCTALOPIAENTITY ALONEBETWEEN THE LINESTHE YOGI BOOK TESTTHE PERFECT BOOK TESTWHIM OF TITUBADICE AND A BOOKTHE WORD ON THE PAGEMONKS MYSTERYTHE DOUBLE AD TESTSYMMYSTBEHIND THAT DOOR!THE 20th CENTURY NEWSPAPER TESTTHE JAIPUR JINNEE40,000 WORDSANOTHER DICTIONARY EFFECTPOCKET PROPHECIESCONSTRUCTION OF THE ANNEMANN BILLET INDEXTHE ORIGINAL EFFECTLADY AND GENTLEMANTHE OMEGA CARD PROPHECYORVILLE MEYER'S TWIN PREDICTIONTHE IMPROVED BUCKLEY METHODFINAL NOTESTOMORROW'S CARDSEFALALJIATELETHOTTHE ASTRAL SHIRTIMPROMPTU FRAME-UPSTRAVEL THOUGHTTAPSFINGER. FINGERLOCK AND KEYTELEPATHY ON THE CUFF!NUMBER THOTTHE NEW HALF AND HALFHORRORS!BLACK PIN IDEAVOODOOENCORE VOODOOTHE KRAZY KODEOPERATOR CALLINGA DIVINATION WITH MATCHESCALENDAR CONJURINGDATE SENSESHADES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES!TRIUMPH OF THE TRIUMVIRATEPROPHETIC TISSUETHE BALL OF FORTUNEMY OWN SWAMI TESTTRIPLE COERCIONMODERNIZED READINGPSEUDO-PSYCHOMETRYMODERNIZING THE "ONE AHEAD" PRINCIPLE
A book which is absolutely packed to bursting with hundreds of methods and routines of mental magic.
It's inevitably dated, as entertainment trends age rapidly, but the principles and methods are pure gold. There's nothing in this book that I - as a practising magical performer today - would perform 'as is'. But I have lifted plenty of material from it to incorporate into new, fresh routines of my own devising, which have blown people away, and I have bookmarked many more for future adaptation.
It may be a bit long in the tooth now to be a 'pick up and go' book, but it's an absolute gold mine of method and idea for the creative performer, and that's a much more satisfying thing.
The book had a lot of info for anyone aspiring to learn mentalism tricks. The language was a bit old-fashioned and not always an easy read. This made following the instructions for the tricks somewhat tricky at times. This book would would be best read as a supplement after having read other material for aspiring to learn the art of mentalism.
Originally published in 1944 this is considered an essential title for the study of mentalism routines for a reason. Because it's brilliant, that's why.
Hundreds of routines (incredibly detailed - with illustrations) provide a real wealth of how-to info.
Un libro eccellente ma si avverte la vecchiaia sull’applicazione di molti effetti, ma rimane una grandiosa fonte di conoscenza e di arricchimento culturale magico.
It's excellent and from what I gather, one if the classics in this field. It was a little difficult to read on the kindle and I think it would be more useful (or at least interesting) to have a physical copy so you can flip back and forth through it or simply browse. Some of the effects, methods and patter are dated but a surprising amount is still relevant and I can see why so many people refer to this as one of the bibles in mentalism, from which a lot of modern effects have been derived.
In some respects this classic of mental magic is dated. But it is still great value for money & it still has plenty to offer both in the way of general advice & in the way of usable effects. This plus Karl Fulves Self Working Mental Magic provide an excellent foundation for anyone interested in learning about mentalism.
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 (and 13 Steps to Mentalism) before jumping to any conclusions.