Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90468 in Books
• Published on: 1999-05-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 310 pages

Customer Reviews

The must-have classic
The basic treatise on card magic. Though somewhat outdated, this is still the fundamental course on card sleights. Pretty good tricks in here too. Sound learning principles: learn sleight, learn tricks using the sleight, only then move on to next sleight. As this is inexpensive every magician ought to have this in his library, if only as a reference work.

Excellent sleights, but sometimes unclear
This book is designed to teach the reader how to perform a wide variety of basic sleight-of-hand card tricks. The sleights themselves are classics; I think that knowing basic sleight of hand is fundamental for performing really impressive card magic, and this book contains all of the groundwork you will need. The book includes information on the overhand shuffle, the riffle shuffle, the glimpse, the palm, the double lift, the pass, and much more.

The explanations of the sleights are quite detailed. This allows the reader to pick up fine points and refine the techniques.

That said, I think this book has some important deficiencies. (1) Many of the moves are not illustrated at all. It's very difficult to learn some sleight of hand moves with just a verbal description. More pictures would be tremendously helpful. (2) While the book contains many great tricks, especially towards the end, it also includes a number of dull ones. I personally hate any card trick that involves spelling (i.e., you count cards out as you spell some word, and the last card counted out is the chosen one), and this book includes plenty of those. Still, if you select tricks carefully from the book, you will end up with some astonishing routines.

One warning, though: sleight-of-hand magic requires a LOT of practice. If you're interested in picking up a new magic trick in five minutes, this is not the book for you! If, however, you would like to learn really deceptive card tricks - tricks that the average spectator will really be stunned by - and you are willing to devote time to daily practice, then this book is a fine option.

Surprised to find this got only 4.5 stars
This is a truly wonderful book. I can't think of a better one for Card magic. It explains the different sleights, and has excellent routines to use them. It does assume one has a basic understanding of Card magic, so I suppose someone starting out who has no background could find it frustrating. It's not the best book for a rank beginner, but for someone who has some knowledge of the basics, I think it's terrific.