|
|
Go to page 1~2 [Next] | ||||||||||
crossroader New user 78 Posts |
What's your opinion about this book?We
all expected it but I haven't seen any reviews at this forum(or elsewhere). The same for Stunners Plus.Many critisize Larry Becker about the new edition but I haven't seen a review regarding its material (besides a review at Visions Online magazine) |
|||||||||
AllThumbs Veteran user UK 375 Posts |
Here is a short review I wrote last month:
The format of this book is fairly novel with it more or less reading as a life story with details of his various effects. Whilst there is plenty of inspiration to be had from the book (this is enough to justify getting it IMO) the effects described are mainly his. It is not a recipe book to follow, if you want that kind of book of others like that around. His various publicity stunts that are described and explained make you wonder why the publicity stunt is not used as a tool more often by performers today. Andy Leviss is correct about the 'Berglas effect' in his review. Most mentalists will find it disappointing. It is of course workable, but imo tedious. But this wasn't the reason I bought the book...if it is your reason, forget it, Barrie Richardson's versions are far more elegant and workable. It is starting to sound like I didn't like this book. This is not true. I would recommend it to anybody. It certainly got me thinking and it was far from being a dreary read that some books can be. As well as being inspirational it is also great when you find you need to be pushed back onto the 'keep it simple' rail again. Some people have complained about the 'performance only' sections: The Levitating Table The full presentation is given in the book (8 pages of it). I saw a bit of this being performed on "50 greatest magic tricks" which was repeated on television here in the UK last Sunday. If you want to strip it down to its bare basics I could explain what I saw in that particular performance and thus a possible solution. But I doubt anyone would be satisfied because my solution is not guaranteed to be the way he does it. This illustrates a point I think... Pulse stopping Doesn't really explain the method David uses, but there are a number out there that everyone is familiar with - gimmicked and ungimmicked versions. Chair routine Which one...they all seem to be explicit enough to me?! Any more I've missed out? Anyway if anyone is disappointed these few things aren't detailed (think creatively in the same vein as the rest of the book and you really don't need the full details) there is plenty of other stuff in the book to keep you happy. My only real complaint is: No, not missing explanations, but the cover. Its beautifully done, but I don't want to feel I need to scrub up like a surgeon every time I pick it up. As there is no dust jacket, a nicely made book box would have been welcome. Four and half stars out of five from me
The above is all rubbish, except that which you chose to believe
|
|||||||||
Gardinski New user UK 66 Posts |
Hi Christos,
There was a huge discussion in the Café about the Berglas book a few weeks ago, around the time that it came out. Try searching under "Berglas". In addition, Andy Leviss wrote a great review of the book, which can be found here: http://www.kjmagic.com/board/reviews/ (I'm sure Andy won't mind me reposting the link). Ii is exquisitely produced, but if you're looking for effects to add to your repertoire, then the Berglas book may not be the most cost-effective route, and you'd be much better off looking at Becker's remarkable "Stunners Plus" (further details of which should also be here somewhere if you'd care to use the 'search' button). Or, if you want to do yourself a massive favour, just order both of them before they go out of print. They're both utterly fabulous, and as an added bonus, once you've finished reading them you can glue them to your arms and use them as dumbbells. Tony G. Quote:
On 2002-12-17 10:59, AllThumbs wrote: Kris is absolutely right about the cover. It's so luxurious that I feel slightly guilty everytime I lift it off the shelf in case I besmirch its purity with my ungodly aura (or get peanut butter on it). TG |
|||||||||
MrX Regular user Los Angeles 139 Posts |
I'm in the middle of reading the terrific but costly Berglas book - and yes, I too feel like I need to put on surgical gloves every time I take it off the shelf. I actually used a box cover from an art book to store it in now.
I'm just into the first 4 - 5 chapters and already give it a 100% for inspiration. |
|||||||||
Julien Regular user 108 Posts |
Think big
Think in terms of effect These are the two lessons from the book, and how Berglas applied them to his magic. You'll learn a lot ! (too bad, the purity of my cover is already tarnished, don't ask me how, I have no idea how this hgezhjgezfj appeared on the back ) |
|||||||||
James Lee New user 11 Posts |
Wonderful book. Take your time and think as you read.
|
|||||||||
Menetekel Loyal user 273 Posts |
Quote:
On 2002-12-17 11:36, Julien wrote: I agree with Julien here. I would just add "think lateral!" since some of the effects by Mr. Berglas sometimes are achieved by very bold ruses that have nothing to do with "classical methods", so to speak. All in al is a really great book. I'm also reading STUNNERS PLUS by Larry Becker and it always amazes me how in Larry's work you always discover something new or re-discover something old that you have long forgotten. Max |
|||||||||
sandman690 Loyal user 230 Posts |
Great book for history and bound like a work of art, but not my first choice if you are looking for effects you will actually perform.
|
|||||||||
wiggys Regular user UK 104 Posts |
I hear DB isn't too popular with the magic circle at the moment...
|
|||||||||
David Numen Inner circle 2070 Posts |
The Berglas book ranks at the moment as my favourite book on magic/mentalism. The vast majority of the effects are useless but they all provide insight and clues into how far you should be prepared to go in order to be a miracle worker.
I disagree that the "Berglas Effect" handling is tedious. Much has been said about whether this is THE method he uses. He may indeed have more secrets up his sleeve but the method revealed is workable and, with modification, could be used effectively in a mentalism routine. If you are after effects this is not the book but the Newspaper Prediction and Magician's Choice sections are worth the price of admission in showing you how far you can take basic principles. My understanding is that there are only a very few copies left so I would advise you to act quickly if you are at all interested. Regards, David. |
|||||||||
Gardinski New user UK 66 Posts |
From what I hear, you'd be extremely lucky to still be able to find a copy, (at least in the UK).
Interestingly, the latest newsletter from one major UK dealer mentions that there "may be a reprint and if you want to go on the waiting list, let me know". Has anyone heard about this, or is it just speculation? I was under the impression it was a once-in-a-lifetime, never-to-be-repeated limited edition of 1000 copies. (I probably just got the wrong end of the stick as usual). Tony G. Quote:
On 2002-12-18 02:59, bartlewizard wrote: |
|||||||||
Menetekel Loyal user 273 Posts |
Quote:
On 2002-12-18 10:00, Gardinski wrote: Well Tony, if you got the wrong end of the stick, you were not the only one. I too have read that it was a 1000 copies opportunity and STOP... but then again, remember what Madonna sings: "We're living in a material world..." and it is already happened in the past that the classic claim "ONLY X COPIES LEFT!" to psychologically lead people to buy (Robert Cialdini: Scarcity principle) Of course, in this specific case, it could have been just a gossip with no basis at all... If we stay tuned... we will find out! Max |
|||||||||
AllThumbs Veteran user UK 375 Posts |
'Limited edition' can mean just about anything nowadays. Saying 'limited' can mean "umm well we're only printing a thousand this time around but in a couple of weeks we're going to print 5000 more with a slightly different cover.
I don't know what will be happening with this book as this is the first I've heard about a possible reprint. I don't really care however personally I'd like publishers to be more upfront about their publishing intentions as it tends to annoy people and make them them feel 'had' when one day they're told they're buying a limited edition and six months down the line the market is flooded with reprints. Regards, Kris Sheglova
The above is all rubbish, except that which you chose to believe
|
|||||||||
David Numen Inner circle 2070 Posts |
I acted quickly in order to get a copy of this book before stocks ran out so I would be very annoyed if there is a reprint...unless, of course, the price was significantly increased
Having said that, I've heard nothing about a reprint and would be very surprised if one happened in the near future. Regards, David. |
|||||||||
Gary Veteran user Market Harborough, UK 367 Posts |
Any comments on the odd choice of Geller and Daniels for the introduction?
"I can see clearly now, the brain has gone"
- Anon |
|||||||||
Ian Rowland Special user London 889 Posts |
Short review: BUY!
Slightly lengthier version: 'The Mind and Magic of David Berglas' is a superb achievement, and if you're lucky enough to still have a chance of getting a copy then I suggest you do so. Now. This beautifully-produced volume is a fitting tribute to an incredible life of rare achievements, a glittering compendium of stunning effects which were created for real audiences using methods both traditional and outlandishly creative, and a rare insight into the mind and work of an inimitable talent. Neither you nr I can emulate the talent, but at least we can take notes, try to learn, and find ourselves spurred to new achievements. Long after many 'must have' books have attained an enduring and thoroughly warranted obscurity, this book will be talked about, discussed, analysed, referred to and sought. It is already on course tobe one of the fastest sell-outs in magic history, and I do not find this surprising at all. Some self-appointed 'criticis' have chosen to focus on one or two things which they wanted to be in the book and which they claim have been left out. I assume these same people complain about the oft-noted absence of dinosaur scenes in 'Gone With The Wind', or the startling failure of Da Vinci to include a cool-looking fight scene in his 'Last Supper'. The truth is, any and all such criticisms fill a much needed gap. What IS in this book is far more significant than what some people, as myopic as they are misguided, imagine isn't. David Britland is one of magic's foremost writers and commentators, and he has excelled himself here in terms of organisation, writing and clarity. He provides detail but always within the composition of the larger canvas, and provides scope without forgetting that small points are often the most telling. To condense a few years of weekly interview sessions into such a readable work is no mean feat, and he should be rightly proud of his accomplishment. As for the material itself, there is every object lesson you could ever want in terms of achieving a strong, lasting impact with practical, workable methods. It is an addictive read, on a par with caramel-coated crack, and serves up example after example of how to create effects which will be remembered and talked about for, oh, let's say a generation or two. Secrets? Plenty, and many revealed for the first time. Advice? By the truckload, and all of it from solid, working, need-to-pay-the-mortgage experience in front of real audiences all around the world. Creative tips? For sure. Think big (with examples and notes). Think sideways (ditto). Think different (more ditto). Think memorable (and once again with the ditto). In short, a joy. Do I have a major criticism? Yes, I do. That it couldn't be twice the size and four times the price. - - - 'Limited edition', in this case or any other, does not mean the content will never be available for purchase again. It means that this presentation of the content is limited to however many copies the publisher says, in this case 1000, and that further copies of this material, presented in this form, are not going to be manufactured. The only time you are entitled to assume that the content will never be available for purchase again is if the author says so.
www.ianrowland.com . Working Magic.
|
|||||||||
Andy Leviss Inner circle NYC 1179 Posts |
I was going to stay in lurk mode, but I couldn't let this go by without a comment.
Can we please stop being incredibly irresponsible and jumping to conclusions based on what is, to my knowlege, a weak and unfounded rumor from an uninformed source, and stop starting to castigate Steinmeyer (the publisher of the book) for something that, as far as we know, he never said? There's no need to sit here debating, arguing, etc. based on the word of one dealer, without knowing the truth from Mr. Steinmeyer, who I believe in the past has released limited editions that truly were limited (in the sense of never being reprinted)--who has proven himself in the past to be a man of his word (somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly sure he's released booklets and/or books in the past that were limited). I've forwarded a link to this thread to Mr. Steinmeyer, and I'd suggest that the responsible and respectful thing to do is to wait until he comments on this before having any further debate, complaint, or discussion on the matter of the book being reprinted. Until he posts the real story, from the source, there's no basis for said conversation, since it's ALL speculation based on hearsay from a party completely uninvolved with the production of the book. [sigh] Sometimes you people amaze me.
Note: I have PMs turned off; if you want to reach me, please e-mail [email]Andy.MagicCafe@DucksEcho.com[/email]!
|
|||||||||
David Numen Inner circle 2070 Posts |
And Leviss said "[sigh] Sometimes you people amaze me."
Andy, I think you're being a wee bit harsh. Whilst it is obviously pure speculation I don't think at any stage that this thread has been carried into the realms of the unreasonable. One person suggested they'd heard a rumour and a few other people commented, quite reasonably, on the rumour. Most agreeing that there was nothing to say it couldn't be reprinted. I'm sure the field is way open for the book to be reprinted in the future. My main comment was concerning whether or not it would happen in the near future...and if it did I'm sure a lot of people would be unhappy. But that's a big IF and I'm sure if it is ever reprinted in another format it will be some time away. Meanwhile I agree with Ian's post entirely - a terrific review which sums up the book perfectly. You may find the odd dealer has a copy left so if you want one act quickly. Regards, David. |
|||||||||
Gardinski New user UK 66 Posts |
Quote:
On 2002-12-19 02:19, Andy Leviss wrote: Andy, mate... Speaking as the person who inadvertently caused this thread to veer towards the irresponsible (and you don't get much more weak and uninformed than me...), could I just apologise, and reiterate that I was just asking if anyone had 'heard' any more about this. A couple of days ago I received a mailshot from the splendid Keith Bennett, a highly respected UK dealer, which stated that he was out of stock of the Berglas book, and that (I quote) "there may be a reprint and if you want to go on the waiting list, let me know". I suspect that Keith was simply doing the gentlemanly thing and offering to take the names of people who had been disappointed by not being able to get a copy ON THE OFFCHANCE that there was a reprint, as a service to his clients. But I also wondered (in my folly) whether anyone had heard of any concrete plans to reissue the book. For the record, I really don't see any harm whatsoever in reprinting this or any other title. The fuss over "Stunners Plus" was preposterous, and I for one am delighted that Larry Becker saw fit to reissue the material, as I was far too young and stupid to have bought it the first time round, and hadn't even heard of mentalism when the original came out. As Ian points out, "limited edition" is generally taken to refer to the initial print run of the book, in a slightly souped up presentation for the serious connoisseur, and that (probably) is as it should be. Let's get things in perspective: The Berglas book is a biography. It is a biography of a variety entertainer. It is a rags-to-riches (or textiles to tables) bit of showbiz shmatter. It is a beautiful and wonderful thing, and the story it tells is inspiring and of exceptional interest to those of us with an obsessive fondness for deceiving nice ladies and gentlemen. But it is not the holy grail. It's not a repository of forbidden knowledge that must be sequestered away in the hands of an elite few for fear that the arcane secrets contained therein might find their way into the hands of power-crazed fiends bent on world domination. Anyway, enough waffling. I just wondered if there was any substance to the rumour. Sorry. I never intended to cast nasturtiums upon Mr Steinmeyer and his merry band of burgundy-satined helpers. I'll shut up now. Tony G. So, um, is there any truth to this rumour that they're reissuing Houdini in a limited-edition of 1000 doppelgangers cloned from his DNA? TG |
|||||||||
David Numen Inner circle 2070 Posts |
These Chinese Whispers are so pesky!!! You say on this board that Houdini is getting cloned and by the time the gossip gets to be it's transformed into the Vatican cloning Jesus!
Moving back on topic, I was about 14 when the Mind of David Berglas series came out on Channel 4. I'd already been hooked on magic and watched Paul Daniels religiously every week. In fact, I used to see my Grandad on a Sunday and he would tape Paul Daniels on a Saturday for us to watch it together. I would watch the show when it was broadcast and try to work out a couple of his tricks and then show them to my Grandad before we watched the show...them were the days. Anyway, I recall being very excited at this Berglas fellow. Little snippets in the press revealed him to be a much more mysterious figure than Daniels. My dad described him as a Super-magician in comparison to Daniels. By and large his series was very impressive to me at the time. I don't have it on tape and wish I could see it again in a new light. Anyway, I recall him doing some metal beinding and there was a switch of a fork from an ordinary one to one bent sideways and my memory is that this switch was pretty obvious. In fact, my Grandad commented on it. My father had a wonderful theory re the table levitation and the bending of metal bars. He assured me it was powerful magnets in the studio ceiling. I didn't know much but I knew that such magnets would surely muck around with the electronics of the cameras!!! His gift of a paperweight with prediction engraved on it for each celeb guest has stayed in my mind for many years and it's fascinating now to see the methods he used. He was probably the man that started me down the slippery mentalism path such was the impression made by that series. As I matured and joined a local magic society I mentioned this guy who had one really impressive series then vanished. I was assured by those more experienced than I that Berglas was fairly incompetent!!! They had seen him at lectures and said his sleight of hand was awful, that all his work relied on stooges and that he was an arrogant son of a gun to boot. Who was I to argue, I had never seen him live and had only the memories from a time when I was very impressionable. I'm glad to say that I still managed to keep my faith in Berglas despite the criticisms I heard and had I listened to what these "experience" guys had said then I wouldn't have bought the book. I'm profoundly glad I did. Regards, David. |
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Penny for your thoughts » » Mind and magic of David Berglas:review needed (0 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page 1~2 [Next] |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.07 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |