Just got it today. This book is without a doubt Kaufman's finest effort ever. The printing quality alone makes it worth the wait in decades. In the introduction you learn that Jennings wanted this to be a new version of the classic beginner book, The Royal Road to Card Magic. But don't be misled by the book's title.. The effects (that I'm only just beginning to mine in the book's prodigious 580 pages festooned with fantastic black and white photographs) are, like the book he wished to emulate presented as examples of effects that utilize the various sleights that are described. They will require practice.

The "Takes It Easy" part means there are no culls, passes, or palms. In fact, Kaufman (and Jennings) emphasize the fact that while the more difficult sleights like those (which will be included in the third of Kaufman's Jennings trilogy (and I may be six feet under when that opus appears) the ones in this tome are, in many cases, substitutes. And while I haven't gotten there yet, Kaufman, however, does say that in parts of the book there will be mentions and possibly minor handlings of more difficult albeit "alternative" sleights that may be used for some of the effects described in what he calls "microscopic detail".

You'll almost relearn all the basics like double lifts, turnovers, ATFUS, double undercuts, ghost counts and so much more. (And, boy, is there a lot to take in.) All compiled from apparently a steamer trunk of audio cassettes prepared by Jennings as well as years of meetings between Jennings and Kaufman in writing this book so it would pass muster with Jennings, himself, who wanted it to be a legacy no less than perfect.
In my humble opinion, Kaufman has indeed succeeded beyond all doubt. The book is gem.

While guys like myself have enjoyed the early efforts featuring Jennings' work like "The. Card Magic of Larry Jennings" (which Kaufman has frequently reminded his fans like myself could have been written a lot better -- take, for example, the "optical add-on" which is now more completely described in this book in tremendous detail as opposed to the one you may have had to struggle with in Maxwell's), this effort will no doubt be regarded as a seminal classic on card magic that will join the pantheon of other great works we all know.

Anyway, this is an initial take.

Sorry for lack of details. This book is simply enormous beyond words.

One of the best book purchases I’ve made in many years.

I’ll most likely purchase this book soon to round out my collection, but are there more detailed reviews available? I’ll be interested in seeing how credits are given for certain handlings of the sleights. Larry brought quite a bit of knowledge from here in Michigan to California. I am happy to say that I had a phone conversation with Larry (and BJ.....she was compelled to tell me what the initials stood for) many years ago when he was selling his VHS Thoughts on Cards set. I mentioned some of my Michigan mentors at the time: Bob Stencel, Milt Kort, and Ron Bauer. Many have heard the story of Larry showing Stencel’s Aces to Vernon.....he told me to say hello to Bob. For Milt and Ron, he became strangely quiet??

Review by Steve Bryant at his Little Egypt Magic website:

http://littleegyptmagic.com/magic_april2021.html

Thanks Tim!