Ive seen many book tests for sale ranging from $20 to $200. I really like the effect but if theres such a range of costs for the different versions. Obviously, some are not going to be as effective. Please reply with any input you have.

In general the expensive tests use carefully printed boks with clever sutle, ways to produce several different effects or ways to find a word or meaning.

The cheap ones are usually basic.

Its a case of reading the adverts.
Also, of course, a simple method may work as well as a clever, compicated one.

BINGO. I love your last line that you stated Eddie. For me a lot of magicians fall in love with methods and clever technique. We do so because we see the behind the scenes look at what it is we are doing. We learn to appreciate a fine move or a clever method. But this too often becomes a hinderance to us as magicians and manipulators.

If we really stop and think about it, the methods we use are supposed to be invisible to the audience if what we are trying to convey is an illusion of soemthing that can not be done. If the idea is that we are there to entertain our audiences and NOT ourselves, then method and technique become an issue of which one works best to obtain our entertainment goal.

In a lot of times, I tend to go back to a very easy method or technique because my thought is why make something more comoplicated then it needs to be. If I have a choice of a harder method and an easier one but they both generate thesame over all affect, then I am going with the easier method every single time. I do so because I want to work smart. It allows me more time to focus on the entertainment aspect of the performance and that is what is important to me.

Kyle

A disadvantage of buying one of the expensive book tests is that you always have to use the book that comes with it. Better to buy a less expensive "method oriented" book test that can make use of any book at all. My own "Better Book Test" published in The Wizards' Journal #6 (on my site) was designed to work with any book, and not only any book, but the spectator can freely select from a bunch of books, if you wish. The example given in the article makes use of the Harry Potter Book series (so far there are five of them) and has the spectator pick up his or her favorite book. My method also involves several spectators which makes the randomization of the choice even more effective- one person chooses a book, another sticks a bookmark into the chosen book, a third calls out a number from one to 20 or so to indicate which line will be used for selecting the word, and the last person opens the book to the bookmarked page and counts down to the randomly numbered line to read the word. The magician then can not only identify which word was chosen, but can give the entire sentence in context in which the word appears.

Meanwhile if some other book series becomes popular, you can use the same method with other books.

Not to push my own preferred method on anyone, I would suggest that you check the literature, mostly by Annemann and seek out other book test methods before you spring big bucks for an expensive one-book book test.

Bill Palmer helped me to find, what for my needs was the "perfect" solution, to the booktest quest.

It is almost impromptu, looks like pure mind reading, is clever enough to be deceptive even to mentalists.

I suggest you contact Bill (all over the Café) and see if he has copies for sale. It sure beats an expensive option with limitations of use!

Magically,
Walt

Check out the books at http://www.outlaw-effects.com for a twist.
Ken

Speaking of book tests has anyone tried out the Dracula book test

I own the Dracula book test and have used it many times with great resulting reactions. The gimmicky part is clever and the book is 100% examinable. This is a great effect for any magician that wants to put a spark of mentalism into their act. If you have any further questions on it just PM me it. Thanks

Thanks canteego,

I'll have to look in to getting one of those and se if it suits my style.

Sam

I love the manipulation aspect of book tests.

Yes, if you try using paperbacks the shell isn't stiff enough to manipulate properly, so I upgraded my book test to hardbound.