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Bill Brunelle Regular user 192 Posts |
Now that this book has actually started shipping and posts will start appearing from people who've actually read the book, I thought I'd start a fresh thread with the correct book title "The Principles of Mentalism"---not "The Principles of Magic" as a previous thread was mistakenly named and which was the title of an older Osterlind book.
Briefly I have to say the range of "principles" covered is impressive. As usual, Richard's writing immediately draws you in, and he somehow manages to cover things concisely yet thoroughly. Did I agree with everything he said? I don't think that's even the point. What is the point is that he raises all the right questions in an extremely accessible and clear manner that assists the reader in coming up with their own answers. While reading I kept thinking of all the chapters on performing and routining in the "Tarbell Course in Magic," a set of books which Richard has always referenced as something he often returns to. If Tarbell were writing about mentalism today, I think he would address a lot of the same issues that Richard does here. And he does it with similar Tarbell-like doses of pithy thoughtfulness, insight, provocativeness, and inspiration. Here's one example. While discussing simplicity and boldness in mentalism Richard brings up the old chestnut of what buried treasures there are in books from 50-70 years ago. He then analyzes why the material then was so superior, shows how the items that seem "so barefaced as to be unworkable" may actually be some of the greatest gems, and then, in a single incredibly compact paragraph, lays out a complete step-by-step procedure for mining and making them work. So much for the supposed "out-datedness" of older mentalism books. I don't want to say more, but the nuts and bolts in that one paragraph are inspired and, as they say, worth the price of admission. And there are over 80 pages of paragraphs that are just as useful. Some of the material will be reminders of things you know and hopefully do all the time; some will be fresh thoughts. I think the book is equally useful for those starting out in mentalism and for seasoned pros, especially if you're rethinking old routines or creating new material. When you're comprehensively discussing the basics in any field, then that discussion is useful at different levels of experience. But then, even after decades of full time performing, I'm a lover of basics. And the basics are what Richard Osterlind writes about so beautifully in "The Principles of Mentalism." I hope these rather hurriedly written thoughts are useful. Perhaps I'll write more after my next reading of the book. |
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Dick Christian Inner circle Northern Virginia (Metro DC) 2619 Posts |
I received my copy of Richard's book yesterday and am now reading it from cover to cover -- FOR THE SECOND TIME. Like Bill Brunelle has said, whether or not one agrees with everything Richard says, IMO "The Principles of Mentalism" is a "must read" for anyone who takes our art seriously. It reinforces my own opinions as well as the philosophy espoused by Bob Cassidy so I'm adding it to Bob's "Fundamentals" and the other "required reading" listed in the perennial advice I post to newcomers to mentalism.
Dick Christian
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David Thiel Inner circle Western Canada...where all that oil is 4005 Posts |
I keep hearing great things about this book.
Thanks for your reviews. David
Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Except bears. Bears will kill you.
My books are here: www.magicpendulums.com www.MidnightMagicAndMentalism.com |
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DrTodd Inner circle 1976 Posts |
A few years back, I was in hospital and had the good fortune to read Scott Grossberg's wonderful book Bauta, which helped to no end in getting through my ailment and recovering.
Presently, I am recovering from a little operation and again had the good fortune of receiving a great book in a very timely fashion: Richard Osterlind’s Principles of Mentalism. Drawing on a lifetime of performing, developing products and writing essays, Principles of Mentalism is a wonderful, concise, well-written treatise on mentalism that will sit on my shelf with pride next to Annemann, Corinda, Hickok, Cassidy and Weber. Richard writes in very direct sentences and it seems that every paragraph has a hard hitting aphorism and valuable insight that every mentalist really needs to ingest and embed in their performances and thinking. As I read this I wondered what level of mentalist would get the most out it, and I quickly concluded that this is appropriate for those who are new to the genre and those who are veterans. Moreover, it seems that this is a book that needs to be read at all stages of one’s professional development. Principles of Mentalism is just that, a book of foundational and fundamental principles for those of you who would like to deliver meaningful, artful, and enjoyable mentalism performances for a wide range of audiences and settings. This is simply a must read. Best wishes Dr Todd |
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robwar0100 Inner circle Buy me some newspapers.Purchase for me 1 Gazette and 1747 Posts |
Leland Pennington, the creator of Irresistible Forces, was recently at Richard Osterlind's lecture on the Principles of Mentalism and said Richard went for 2 1/2 hours straight. This was in Lexington, Ky., and was a warm-up, of sorts, before heading to Blackpool. I regret I could not make the trip down to Lexington, but I have too much going on in Northeast Ohio. The report from Leland was that it was a great lecture.
I am looking forward to getting the book. Appreciate the comments from Bill, Dick and Dr. Todd. Bobby
"My definition of chance is my hands on the wheel," Greg Long.
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Bill Brunelle Regular user 192 Posts |
Both Banachek and John LeBlanc have written very informative reviews of "The Principles of Mentalism," and I was just going to post a link to them here, but it appears that they are not on the book's web page. As far as I can tell they were only in the newsletter that Jim Sisti sent out last week, so they are pasted below. I think many will find them worthwhile.
Banachek on The Principles of Mentalism: The Principles of Mentalism is Richard Osterlind's new book. In my opinion, this title is wrong. Let me explain. At each and every lecture, about two or three times a week, I am asked; "How do I get to be a better mentalist? " or "What steps should I take to become a mentalist.?" My answer is always the same: "You need to know what your character is and you need to understand it! This is what put David Copperfield, David Blaine, Doug Henning and Criss Angel at the top. Love them or hate them, they all understood one thing. Their character had to be true and was the single most important tool they possessed." Usually. at that point. they ask me if I have written a book on this. When I tell them no, they ask where they can go to find out more. Until now, I had no real place to send them to find out about developing their character. The Principles of Mentalism is the exact book I would have written had Richard not done so. So, my opinion is that this book should be titled or subtitled, "Building Your Character as a Mentalist." This book will change your life as a mental performer. It will give you the single most important set of tools you need to be not just successful as a mentalist but to be at the top of the game. Richard speaks from the place only an experienced performer can. I found myself, time and time again, stunned by reading the exact same conversations I myself have had with other performers and lay people. Now, do not get me wrong-there were moments (few and far between) that I did not necessarily agree with Richard, but even those moments made me think. I did not get stuck on those few and far between moments because although I may not have agreed, I certainly understood why Richard made those statements. It fit with his character! The few times I did not agree, it was because it did not fit my definition of my character and that only comes with years of real-life performing experience. Once you understand this, you will learn volumes from The Principles Of Mentalism about creating and being consistent with your own character and defining that character. This book will change the way you think about who and what you are if you give the words the respect they deserve. It will change your life. (1) The Principles of Mentalism contains the number one tool that will define who and what you are a performer and once you do that, you will quickly move to the top. (2) The Principles of Mentalism is written by a man who has had enormous success and years of experience. When he speaks, you should listen. This book will change the way you think about yourself as a performer in a life altering way. (3) Inside The Principles of Mentalism, you will find the key to the little known secret of taking your career to top of the entertainment ladder. Don't leave that ladder locked. (4) If you are looking for the key to success as a mental entertainer, you need to unlock The Principles of Mentalism. The secret is contained inside. John LeBlanc on The Principles of Mentalism: I've often wrote that some books, to me, are talismans; just reading them puts me in a frame of mind that causes me to consider (or reconsider) concepts and positions I may have previously thought to be "settled law." And there are some books, the content of which may take years to eventually pierce my stubborn opinions on some matters and cause necessary change to take place. (As John Maynard Keynes put it, "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?") But there are some books, precious few, that have an immediate and almost visceral impact on my thinking, This is always surprising, especially at this point in my life. A line or a paragraph introduces in a new way a well thought out concept that invites and, in some cases, requires a change of opinion. Richard Osterlind's new book, The Principles of Mentalism, happens to fit in this category for me. There are several core messages in this book, each alone - if applied to your work - would profoundly affect the level of impact you have on your audiences. Not just a tweaking, but a sweeping change that requires less labor than it does honest self assessment. For me, if the entirety of this book was only what is contained in Part One, I'd consider it money well spent. 2011 marks 30 years of my serious interest in magic for me and, in reading this book and carefully considering how its contents are relevant in my life, I found myself making notes, reassessing some strongly held beliefs, and recalibrating my performance sets - two of which were carved in stone almost 20 years ago. And there still are four more parts, spanning twenty chapters, that follow. This little corner of mystery entertainment doesn't need any more tricks or effects. What it needs is for its practitioners to just sit still for a few minutes, stop watching Youtube videos and reading forum posts, and consider how what it is we do and how we do it might not actually matter and, most importantly, how it can be made to matter to our audiences. This book will give you pause and, if you let its contents do its valuable work in you, you will become a better performer and you will know it during the very first performance in which you apply its principles. |
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magicinsight Inner circle 4293 Posts |
It is an absolutely terrific book filled with real world advice and opinions by someone (Mr. Ostlerind) who is a true professional. This book does not have any effects in it but is one of the best books on mentalism I have ever read. It can and will change how your perform, how you look at mentalism and how you look at yourself as a performer.
Very highly recommended. Michael Siegel
“Belief matters more than truth. Every moment, belief in imaginary things alters lives while truth sits unnoticed and waits.”
—Hakim, Loreweaver |
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Santiago New user Argentina 75 Posts |
With all this reviews I can think only one thing... I must buy it. I'll add this book to the top of my "Most Wanted" list and I'll get it as soon as I can. Thank you
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BugMaster New user 15 Posts |
As with all of Osterlind's books, this is packed with great ideas. Osterlind's style does not waste verbiage or add any fluff. To get the whole book to sink-in more than one reading is needed IMHO.
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Bill Brunelle Regular user 192 Posts |
Absolutely, BugMaster. One can read the whole thing in an hour or so. But to go through and really answer the questions he raises takes a lot more time. It fired off all kinds of ideas an inspiration for me the first time through. But now I want to go through it again with notebook in hand and make some critical decisions about the material I want to develop for a new format I'm doing.
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Decomposed Eternal Order High Desert 12059 Posts |
The gifts of performing are well hidden. R.O. has done it again.
ClICK HERE for HOW TO MAKE TRANSITION FROM MAGICIAN TO MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER WORLD NEW BOOK!
Click here for NEW PROMO TRAILER! 90 seconds of pure laughs without a standing ovation! Click here for Magicians Austin Mentalist Performance https://www.facebook.com/AustinMagicians https://www.speakermatch.com/profile/gianicano/ Magicians Company Entertainers in Dallas, TX https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8sHW_zVuSc https://about.me/motivationalpublicspeaker |
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Quentin Inner circle 1020 Posts |
I caught Richard's lecture at Blackpool. It was excellent. I caught it again last night at Manchester and got even more from it. Some friends who aren't mentalists rated it as one of the best lectures they had seen.
He's doing a few more lectures in the UK before flying home. |
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Decomposed Eternal Order High Desert 12059 Posts |
Come to Texas Mr Osterlind, come to Texas....please. I need to pick this one up!
Decomposed
ClICK HERE for HOW TO MAKE TRANSITION FROM MAGICIAN TO MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER WORLD NEW BOOK!
Click here for NEW PROMO TRAILER! 90 seconds of pure laughs without a standing ovation! Click here for Magicians Austin Mentalist Performance https://www.facebook.com/AustinMagicians https://www.speakermatch.com/profile/gianicano/ Magicians Company Entertainers in Dallas, TX https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8sHW_zVuSc https://about.me/motivationalpublicspeaker |
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mywords4u Regular user New Zealand 153 Posts |
I ordered this last week and received it yesterday. I've just read the first few chapters and I enjoy so far. I'll write a few words once I have finished the book.
Leo |
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Decomposed Eternal Order High Desert 12059 Posts |
I just ordered it tonight! Now the waiting game. Look forward to your review of it Leo.
ClICK HERE for HOW TO MAKE TRANSITION FROM MAGICIAN TO MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER WORLD NEW BOOK!
Click here for NEW PROMO TRAILER! 90 seconds of pure laughs without a standing ovation! Click here for Magicians Austin Mentalist Performance https://www.facebook.com/AustinMagicians https://www.speakermatch.com/profile/gianicano/ Magicians Company Entertainers in Dallas, TX https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8sHW_zVuSc https://about.me/motivationalpublicspeaker |
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mywords4u Regular user New Zealand 153 Posts |
Finally finished the book and I'd like to write a few words. Sorry Decomp but it's not really going to be a proper review. Just my thoughts after the first read.
When the book first came out, there were a few talks on the Café and it seemed controversial. Some of the topics mentioned ad seemed that way and that's why I avoided purchasing this book until now. However, having finished the book, the first thing I realized was that this book is mainly about how we can succeed in this performing art. Yes the book has a few chapters on how technology and pseudo-explanation is causing harm to mentalism but they're just a few chapters. The book is mainly about, from my point of view, how to perform effectively. The target audience is mainly working pros doing stage shows but it doesn't mean that others won't learn anything. The book basically lets you wonder about your presentation and see if you could make it memorable. I think this book is worth reading more than once. I'm sure that I will pick up some new things the second time I read it. The main reason why I bought this book is because I wanted to figure out who I am as a performer and I'll try what the book is recommending (I don't know whether it'd be appropriate so I'll just leave it at that). I think it's definitely worth getting if you're serious. I am not a professional, in a sense that I do not get paid performing nor do I make living performing, but I perform at bars or coffee shop simply because I enjoy watching people's reaction. The book made me wonder about things I do and hopefully I'll be able to improve my performance. Hopefully you'll find this book useful Decomp. Or maybe you're already doing exactly what the book is suggesting. Anyway, just a few thoughts I've had after finishing the book. Leo |
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Dick Christian Inner circle Northern Virginia (Metro DC) 2619 Posts |
Quote:
On 2011-03-15 06:09, mywords4u wrote: I would take mild exception to the assertion that "the target audience is working pros doing stage shows." While that is Osterlind's typical performing format -- as it is for the majority of working pros BTW -- and even though there are certainly many pearls of wisdom for the working pro in the book, IMO it is intended to an even greater degree for the less experienced mentalist -- one who is beyond the total neophyte stage, but who is ready to look beyond the "secret" itself and concentrate on what is REALLY important -- how to PRESENT mentalism effectively. Those at ANY level of development can benefit from Osterlind's analysis and guidance. IMO it is destined to be one of those books that, like Maskelyne & Devant's "Our Magic" and Cassidy's "Art of Mentalism," should be near the top of one's "books to be read at least annually" list.
Dick Christian
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mormonyoyoman Inner circle I dug 5,000 postholes, but I have only 2440 Posts |
For those of us who didn't make it to the lecture(s) in Great Britain, and even for those who did, it can be noted that this book IS the lecture notes for that lecture. Richard says that the lecture was only able to scratch the surface of what's covered in the book/lecture notes.
In other words, it MIGHT be better than being there...though I'd have preferred both! *jeep! and God Bless! --Grandpa Chet
#ShareGoodness #ldsconf
--Grandpa Chet |
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KiKi Inner circle GERMANY/ Hannover 1143 Posts |
I bought this book a while ago and I would never say something is a MUST HAVE. But this book is a MUST HAVE!!! It will change the way you think about mentalism and performing in a good way. I read it 3 times, and will take it out once in a while and read it again. This is my Mentalism Bible! Before that, I had a lot of questions and concerns, f.e. how to present an effect, or whatever. In this book, I found all my answers! This is true GOLD! THANK YOU MR. OSTERLIND!!!
Kiki |
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Richard Osterlind V.I.P. 2213 Posts |
Why, thank you, Kiki.
You made my day! |
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