Off topic a bit, but...Salsa, lovely web site...

Thank you tc, web design is my day job. If you want one I do a very good rate

Review coming up but firstly it's worth pointing out where I'm coming from on this, as an occasional performer and someone who loves to play with ideas in mentalism. Not that my review is any less valid for that, but my perceptions about this work are perhaps different from someone making a living out of mentalism. Anyway, having read good and bad, and read the 'banter' on this thread with interest, I was curious to see what Daniel had cooked up.

First off the download went very smoothly from Magic Notes. Debited my PayPal account and sent me an email with a password to download the e-book. I then had a password to open the .pdf file.

Now to the work itself.

20 Questions
Heavens, I remember the radio show. "Isobel Barnett, can you take it?" And if that rings a bell that dates you as much as me. Animal, Mineral, Vegetable.
We're in Mental Yarn territory here and although I don't have that, I listened to one of our Café members, Andrew Gerard, perform this on the radio, and so got the gist immediately of how it works. I mention that because I felt, and posted, that to me it carries an inherent weakness ( asking someone to pick an object, thus a number, and then to word associate. Why not reveal the first selection? ), and so with that in mind it possibly clouds my judgement on Daniel's first offering. The psychological force may be as old as the hills but I hadn't come across it before ( unlike Danish elephants ) and so I think it's a reasonable choice to base an effect on. Personally I just find the word association bit somewhat woolly. As Daniel points out a lot of his stuff is not 100%, so you do need experience in spectator management if it starts to go pear shaped, and this is an effect where they might not go down the road you want. Overall it's an OK effect but not for me in that format.

Prime Machine
As Daniel points, out the basic force here is very simple ( "It's almost embarrassing" ) but it's not the simplicity that concerns me so much as locating the right selection of magazines. After reading this for the first time I took a cursory glance through the contents of our magazine rack and couldn't find a single image I needed. Lifestyle magazines may prove a better bet, but it must take some time ( pun intended ) for the spectator to hunt through his free choice to find one. Although the performer has time on his hands ( yep ) to sort out the second part of the effect. Regarding the wallet, I can't see a problem with it and it doesn't have to be gaffed. I do feel that when the spectator signs the card it doesn't have to be hidden away again. It could be poked halfway into the wallet and left in view. The spectator can then remove it himself at the end and I think the revelation would be that much stronger. Sorry, Daniel, I'm not convinced by this one. I'd be inclined to make the magazine bit stronger by also describing the image they select in more detail. You can do this by remembering which images are in which magazines and where they are placed as there won't be hundreds of them.

Psycholibri
Yes, I'm another book test nut so I was interested to see what approach Daniel had adopted. Number forcing. Again I'm not convinced. It is at least impromptu, but I greatly favour the very direct approaches and this seems a bit off track. Again there's a risk of failure but, as he rightly points out, with book tests there are several 'outs' available from a quick Hoy to a Busch Peek. I'm convinced that with a little more thought the risk in Psycholibri could be reduced by mathematically setting the numbers. By that I mean whichever number the spectator chooses there is a method to still arrive at the chosen page. Aside from all that, this didn't do it for me alas.

Magic Unriddle
Finally this two spectator mind reading effect, al la Derren, with pre-show thrown in. I can actually see this could prove a stonking effect, and Daniel says he's got great reactions when he's performed it, so at least we are looking at something that's been tried with some success. As he says, you would need to be very confident of your pre-show abilities, and this could go horribly wrong if that aspect is handled badly. However, this would play strongly from an audience point of view, and whether Derren Brown has done something similar or not, that's no reason to ignore an effect that can get a strong reaction.

There we are, "In League With The Devil". $20 worth? I make no comment on that other than I don't begrudge it in this case. I love getting ideas from books and I've got some from this. For example, although I was unconvinced by Prime Machine, it's got me thinking about a magazine effect and I've started delving already.

Unfortunately, Daniel, I can't hold my hand on my heart and say "Wow! These four are great!" They didn't strike me in the way other effects have. Having said that, your book has given me food for thought, and that's always the bottom line for me.

Thank you.

I'd like to offer my review of Daniels new book.
Firstly let me say I really enjoyed the thinking behind Dream Signs and was very much looking forward to more of the same in -In League with Devil-

The first thing I noticed about the book was the great looking cover and cool name, but that's not really relevant in a mentalism publication, still it made for a nice change to have good presentation , felt like effort had been taken into the production.

I skimmed through the book and noticed that on a first glance the effects looked good and that they were of a different style to Dream Signs.

After further reading I noticed all kinds of really useful ideas in each effect that could be applied to all sorts of things I do already, subtleties and ploys, these in thmeselves made the book worth buying. The effects themselves are all very good and I cannot see why salsa had such a problem with them, more than worth the money and all very good.
The force that has been discussed already was new to me also and very clever!

I'll write a more intensive review at a later date as havn't time right now.
My opinion is that this is a very worthwhile addition to anyones collection if only for the little ploys involved in the effects, and at $20 it's a bargin I think it's arrogant and selfish to expect the authors of these works to spend time and energy into creating these things and then expect them to sell them nothing. This gets my thumbs up just as Dream Signs did. Thanks Daniel bravo on the good work!!

Monkey

I'd love to hear about your magazine effect when it's finished Dr.C
Thanks for the review!
And you too Monkey!

Daniel

Maybe a little cranky today so please excuse me. I love dream signs, thought it was a terrific extension of Grismar's "what's my sign" and took it in a whole new direction, well thought out.

Now for the Cranky Not sure what is meant by the comparison that advertising for PK touches being misleading in any way. It does what it says. So not sure why the comparison.

Next, really makes me cranky, is the "it's as old as the hills" excuse used by so many ebook enthusiasts to rip of PK touches or PK time.

If it is "as old as the hills" how come no one was doing it prior to my work on it? Yes Melbourne was the first to come across this type of space time effect as I mention in my book, but it was not until I put it to practical use that it became an effect. If it is so "old as the hills' why did it take 60 years before anyone did anything with it? And why do these rip of artists feel they have to use my name to sell their product, or Derren's name or anyone else's name for that matter. They are making money off our names and this is just plain wrong.

The "old as the hills" excuse is one that all people who are unethical" use to justify the fact they can't come up with something original by themselves. It is self deluding and an insult. Want to be thought of as original, then at least give credit.

This is not directed to anyone in particular here but I did see my name used to justify an argument and I did see the term "Old as the Hills", it is not. The concept may be, the actual use of it, the methodology and pacing is not, the routine"S" I use are not. There is a major difference. At least one should give credit if nothing else for influence. So can we please step away from the use of "it's old as the hills" and not embrace this and encourage this kind of thought

Okay, as said, Cranky today, had to sift through 800 emails, had to book 22 flights, rental cars, hotels and so on, so please forgive me.

Now back to Dream Signs, a brilliant piece of work, well thought out and certainly a miracle if used in the right situation with the right people.

Quick, someone make Banachek a coffee!

Good points Banachek, it must be frustrating for you.

Not sure about Dream Signs being a miracle though

Frankly while I'm sure dream signs can be made work, let me rephrase that I know it can work but,there are much much much easier ways to get a persons star sign as well as birth date with no nw's or ct's fishing etc though I would find a ct or nw also much easier.Maybe I'm just lazy but I always opt for the easy option compared to the complex.

H.W

I still prefer the PA version of this effect. More surefire, time tested, and well thought out by a number of professional performers. Works for me too..

Oh Dear,

Sounds like you're having a bad day Banachek, I must say "rather you than me" with that lot to get on with!

I would fully agree that your Psychokinetic touches is yours and yours alone.
I also agree completely that excuses such as "old as the hills" are pathetic attempts by the ebay ripp-off hoards to cash in on others work.
However I think it may have been my post itself that contained the phrase "as old as the hills" and I can assure you it was not meant in this sense AT ALL!
So very sorry if it was poorly worded!
Rereading my post it would appear that I myself was having a pretty poor day making myself clear!

I'm really glad you enjoyed Dream Signs!
It's really very rewarding to have a performer as experienced as yourself (in both publishing and performing) to appreciate ones work. Thank alot!!

Just dropping a quick line. I was out last night performing one of my regulars and I thought I would give dream signs a go. Oh my merry god! All night they talked about it and already they have booked me to double my frequency at this place. What is so funny is the way the spectators retell the stroy, this pretty much word for word what a stunning young woman said when her mate came and sat with her after I had just doen dream signs on her:

"This guy is weird," Thanks alot! "he just asked me to think of my star sign and imagine it filling a bubble in the air and he told me what I was thinking, its F****** freaky!"

so that was fun, must run.

Kind regards,
Kennedy

That's great Kennedy,
It's great to get reactions like that isn't it.

As for beautiful women calling you weird, don't worry... I get this all the time - mostly in the bedroom,

It's normally something along the lines of...

"Your weird, no really you are, I never knew they could come THAT big!...
It's FREAKY"


I really should get a smaller bed!