And after about 5 minutes; Im already developing the beginnings of some ideas.
Anyone think this is one of the best books on mentalism out there?

Anyone wanting to share their favorite effect in the book please do so. From just a few minutes scanning, I like the card index ideas the most but Im sure this will change.

Thanks

Wayne

Hi Wayne,

Practical Mental Effects (the real title, you've got the Dover edition) is generally considered to be one of the two most basic texts in mentalism, the other being Corinda. It is by far one of my favorite books in all of magic and mentalism. I re-read it from cover to cover at least once a year and it's one of the very few books that stays on top of my reading stack (and it's quite a stack!) all the time. Read it, re-read it, devour it. There's fabulous material in there.

You mentioned the index material. Annemann never left the house without a pair of these wonderful devices in his pocket. I made my first set (exactly as instructed by Annemann) nearly 25 years ago and they still work like champs. In the last few years I've been making them commercially, even better than Annemann ever made them. The new process that I use has made them absolute workhorses that last virtually forever and work like a charm. I include a complete manual with a ton of uses for them. If anyone is interested, drop me a PM or a note off list at MarkyApril@aol.com and I'd be happy to give you all the details.

In lieu of that, make your own set just like Annemann describes and USE THEM. There are miracles waiting there.

Enjoy!

Mark Strivings

Without question the right way to start.

Like Mark said, devour this book and come back to it often, because as you grow, so will your perspective on many effects and ideas included in the book.

:comply:

Thanks all, and would love to know the most FAVORITE effect.

Sapolice, more importantly, what is yours. One man's meat is another's poison. Perform what appeals to you and not what appeals to someone else.

Marc Climens

I like "I'll read your mind" and "Pseudo-Psychometry" (I had to look at the book to spell that one).

Anabelle

Well, my favorite effect is still the pocket index. Love-hate with billets vs cards though. Those little
billet boogers love to get mixed up:)

OK, here are some of the effects from the dog-eared pages of my copy (I have the Dover edition)

I do not necessarily perform the effects exactly as described, and sometimes even far from that, but maybe you will have fun working your on presentations based on those items.

Page 105, lock and key - I just loved the idea of the lock on the lapel buttonhole.

Page 184 - half and half - great idea! I just love the use of multiple outs. eliminate the slates, and make it a bit more modern and you got a winner.

Page 220 - the knickel of kanadah - though very "prop-oriented" routine, the basic idea can be extended. Larry Becker, Lee Earle and others have used this concept in other contexts.

There are more great ideas in this book, and what I like about it is that it teaches you how to think. Most of the presentations are outdated and you will require to think how to adapt to today's ideas, but the concepts and the methods they are still valid today. Just dress them in a new way and you got wonderful routines.

Hope this helps,

Nir

Nir,

Thanks! Darn, left the book at home. I'll gander at it when I leave work.

Wayne