Let's face it: having four or five different booktests is a little like having four or five different 4-Ace effects: in the audience's mind, they all do the same thing! So, my recommendation is Keith Feild's "Insight" - not only a word, but a country, an occupation, a name (or two), a date, and an animal. All on one page! This really shows that you can have them look at any place on the page and give them information...and very reasonably priced! This is my ONLY prepared book, and my own, inexpensive version of Silver Bullet is my ungaffed booktest - I carry mine with me everywhere (because of the difference in size between mine and the marketed version).

Do you know if Val Andrew accept 10 Euro too?

I have a booktest thats goes like this:

The spectator examines a book.
Closes the book, names any page number.
I can tell/write some words on that page instantly.
Remember; No force, No gimmicked book (any books works), Nothing looks strange.
Do this with several books.
Everything is clean from beginning to the end.
Looks impossible, I have done this also for magicians, they had no clue! [got 9/10 points!]

This is a dynamite effect, promise.
I developed this super routine 1989.
This booktest will be on the magic market in the future.
Estimated price: over 100 dollar.
(Some top names in sweden have this effect)

Sounds interesting. But, is there a logical disconnect?

What prevents people from thinking you know those words by memory? What prevents them from thinking you are using a hidden crib? (list of words by page)

-Alain Bellon

Yes, and are they words like "of" and "the"? (in Swedish) If so, I can offer the test to interested readers for substantially less than $100.

do you use anything else that you have'nt mentioned (apart from your mind!)??

I only ask because I just watched the other video clip of Lee Earle performing "Silver Bullet" the book test and it reminded me of another effect with a cigarette ( I wont name the effect because I might have hit the nail smack on the head)

Well said Alain! That is the one question that must be asked of virtually any mental effect. Without the disconnect you are left with a puzzle without a hint of the illusion that is mentalism.

You are obviously reading the right things between the right lines of the right books.

Best Regards-
Bob Cassidy

Thank you Bob. I consider that notion one of the most common flaws found in effects. Luckily, with some thought, it can be corrected in most cases.

Although pointing out the lack of logical disconnect can get performers annoyed.

One of the reason why I like your material is because there always seems to be a logical disconnect.

-Alain Bellon

Ian Rowland says, that he does the Val Andrews booktest with up to 6 books.
I use this booktest now for more than 7 years, but only with one book (sometimes I offer three, but than I have to use equivoque to arrive at my book).
Does anybody else do this test with more than one book and how do you manage it, not to get confused?
You know what I mean, when you know the working of that test.

Marcus

In fairness to Val Andrews, I don't think Marcus's question should be asked or answered here in this forum. Interested parties, see you over in Secret Sesh. Please, guys, let's respect that inventors don't want methods discussed here, and even posts that give hints or clues about methods are a little unfair to (a) the inventors and (b) the purchasers.

Ian is correct, please don't discuss methods here. If you have enough posts, go to the secret sessions where you can discuss things in a little more detail.

Bob, would you explain what the disconnect is?

Jerry Cargile
..

The term "logical disconnect" was coined by my friend (and fellow member of "The 13") the late Bob Haines. I described it rather extensively in relation to effects that appear in "Principia Mentalia" and "Theories and Methods." And it's bound to turn up in "Fundamentals."

Here's how I described it in "Syd's Mystery Restored." (Page 38, "Theories and Methods for the Psychic Entertainer," print version.Also in the T&M e-book part two.)

"There are many effects in which the method can be deduced by a person who has no knowledge of magic, even though the effects are very strong and totally fool most of the audience. Many self-working tricks are like this.

"Most people don't pay attention to all of the details and really don't make a serious effort to work out the method, but there are far more than a few who DO think about it. Occasionally, they think out loud. This, again, is where the principle of the 'logical disconnect' can be used to literally 'disconnect' the logical sequence which leads to a solution. The 'disconnect'is usually a subtlety that rules out the actual solution."

The nature of the subtlety used to apparently "eliminate" the the actual method as a possible solution is, of course, dependent on the effect as well as the method itself.

Here's a simple example that I often use in my lectures:

Consider the original levitation effect. The original methods employed invisible wires or an "S" shaped horizontal bar attached to a manual or hydraulic lift.

Those are very clean and direct ways of creating the effect of levitation. Both provide a beautiful illusion. But there is no mystery behind the method without a "disconnect." While the wires or "S" bar are excellent methods, they are also the same methods likely to be deduced by a spectator. "There's hidden wires holding her up!!" (Even if it's not wires, but a bar, this is still essentially the correct solution- a hidden lifting mechanism attached to the assistant.)

The disconnect first employed with the levitation was the solid hoop that the magician would pass over the floating girl.
It seemingly ruled out the only logically conceivable method which, in this case, was indeed the actual method.

That's basically all it is- a additional move or sublety that breaks the logical thought pattern of the intelligent spectator.

There are, obviously, many devious ways to create and employ disconnects.

The concept is used intuitively by all successful mentalists. Unfortunately, it seems to completely escape many newcomers to the business who, almost regularly it seems, dismiss excellent methods as "too obvious."

So-called "real work" is comprised primarily of "disconnect" type methods - "the methods we use to hide the methods we use."


Best

Bob Cassidy

I am dis con nec ted ! !

About the logical disconnect, and Kjellstrom´s effect. If you can draw the conclusion that "maybe he has memorized the book or uses cribs?" when reading about his effect, the same conclusion can be drawn about Val Andrews booktest. I think it is unfair to only mention this when Kjellstrom told us about his effect.

Mikael

Thanks for the explanation, Bob. I now understand and can see the importance of disconnect.

Jerry Cargile
..

I just received Val Andrews booktest he sent me, my feeling is so good. Very smart method, can be used for any language book, some prepration needed that only use your mind but worth the effort. The part of book test routine in Max's Maven's video tape can be used at the beginning to enhance the effect(is it some kind of disconnect method, Bob?).

I highly recommend those who do not have it to get one. Use your imagination you can always enhance the effect .

I use a really great method that Tom Mullica explains in his "expert impromptu" series. I am a casual preformer, mostly just for friends and clients. His method involves two of the spectators books and is really simple. It is about as convincing as you need for close up.

Fred

Well this flaw is something that can be commonly found in most book tests. So no offense should be taken. Yet it is something that should be taken care of. From memory, about 9 of 10 book tests I have seen performed have this same flaw. But I think clever presentation can correct the problem.

Of course you can just present it as a feat of memory and be done with it. (However impressive the memory stunt may be, there is no "magic" in it.)

-Alain Bellon

Is there any way without giving it away - secret wise - one can post an accurate detailed description of the actual effect. That would be interesting.

Enjoy!
Rex