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backinblack Special user 910 Posts |
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On Mar 13, 2014, C.J. wrote: i agree.. an alternative is: read the reviews and feedbacks in the Café.. at least it is more or less the same to get an overview.. |
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mastermindreader 1949 - 2017 Seattle, WA 12586 Posts |
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On Mar 13, 2014, dd123 wrote: Duncan, Everyone was a beginner once. I envy the excitement that awaits you as you progress in the art. But don't let information overload block your way. Proceed one stop at a time, practicing what you learn on real people. Don't be distracted by the many short-cuts that you encounter on the way. There is no single effect or book that will make you into a master mentalist overnight despite what what the "latest and greatest" ads will promise you. Concentrate on the fundamentals, practice regularly and build a solid foundation in the basic skills. And remember that every mistake you make is actually a valuable lesson. Good thoughts, Bob |
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Jeff Wassom Elite user 493 Posts |
Layered, sage advice for approaching anything. Thanks Bob. =)
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Craig Logan Special user Michigan 541 Posts |
It would be worth weeding through a hundred trolling posts to read encouraging advice like this. Thank you, sir.
"A wizard is not to be made in a day." -Professor Hoffmann (Modern Magic)
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Michael Bilkis Special user 728 Posts |
I'd add the ebook "Switchcraft" to the list. It is the treatise on what it is a treatise on. How's that without any exposure?
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Withnail Special user 974 Posts |
I'll add in Karl Fulves self working mental miracles too.
It's easy to overlook because people dismiss it as too basic, but it will allow you to work on character development more. Wish I'd started there to be honest!
Yet again that oaf has destroyed my day
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Limitless New user 28 Posts |
Some great advice in this thread.
Are there any priorities for specifically learning number forcing? I already have 13 Steps and PME as my bedrock. Just trying to avoid info overwhelm. |
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konjurer Veteran user Iowa 395 Posts |
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Bruce Bernstein's Unreal. I'm about 2 years into my mentalism journey and I have to say that Bernstein's book is the best overall book on mentalism I have. The essays are rich and tasty. The thinking is clear and well written. I have some "fundamentals" material from Cassidy, Knepper and Osterlind. All really, really great stuff but if I had to pick my favorite, I learned the most from Unreal. And the bonus is that there are dozens of really great, useable routines in the book.
This was mentioned already but the next book I would recommend for any thirsty brain is Weber's Maximum Entertainment. It really is a handbook on how NOT to suck. There is so much wisdom in this book about putting a show together. The practical information. If you are going to perform in front of real people, Maximum Entertainment should be required. This is the macroeconomics of performance. Finally Strong Magic should be required reading before you begin to assemble your routines. Although this is a magic oriented book, no one breaks down the components of a good routine better than Darwin Ortiz. This is the microeconomics of performance. Kenton Knepper's Mystery By Association is another of my favorite books. No real usable routines but the tool of "association" is foundational for mentalism. Really powerful stuff. Although I love the classics (PMM and 13), I feel I've gotten way more out of Berstein, Weber, Knepper, and Cassidy.
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Clever stuff goes here! |
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mattyboy4242 New user 5 Posts |
Practical Mental Effects is another classic and I would highly recommend it. Try and get a hold of the 1944 edition as the subtleties are much better
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dzen871 New user 57 Posts |
Osterlind's and Bob Cassidy books are all exelent!
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Matt Chalk Regular user New Zealand 166 Posts |
I would highly recommend "The Jinx" by Annemann, you can get the PDF version of "Lybrary" but I would recommend you try and find the original books. They turn up on eBay now and then and are full gems.
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emptysafe Regular user 126 Posts |
I don't think there is a good intro for people who are new to magic. It is after years of experience in magic that I finally appreciate the beauty of mentalism.
So I would say, for a newbie, get involved in magic first. The experience, especially in performance, would gradually help him to gain a good understanding of magic&mentalism. Without it, the performer would just be a trickster who goes everywhere to show people how clever he is.
If you don't want to miss out what's happening on cafe & magic videos...check this:
http://magicdigest.herokuapp.com/ |
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geraldbelton New user Durham, NC 63 Posts |
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On Mar 21, 2014, emptysafe wrote: I think the opposite is true... the typical magician is a "trickster who goes everywhere to show people how clever he is." The sleights required for a working mentalist are minimal and easily learned. It's the presentation skills that truly make or break a performer in mentalism. And the presentation skills for a mentalist are very different from those who do a more visual type of magic. |
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mastermindreader 1949 - 2017 Seattle, WA 12586 Posts |
Yes, experience is the best teacher, but that experience must be built upon a solid foundation. That's why I wrote the 39 Steps.
Doing magic shows first is a mixed blessing. Mastering the basic principles is essential, but the longer one performs as a magician, the more one has to "unlearn" when transitioning to mentalism as the skill set and psychology of mentalism is much different. I disagree with the idea that the basic sleights of mentalism are easily learned. Yes, they are easy to do badly. When a magician fumbles a sleight it is fairly easy to laugh off, as everyone knows he is doing tricks anyway. But a mentalist's moves must be flawless, for inadvertent exposure can destroy the entire premise of his performance. (It's pretty much the same difference between entertaining with card tricks and dealing bottoms in a high stakes game.) |
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brehaut Inner circle kentucky 2531 Posts |
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On Mar 21, 2014, mastermindreader wrote: Well said |
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dd123 New user 55 Posts |
I also disagree. I have mastered many of the essential card sleights and moves and have performed many tricks to friends and associates with great reactions. But generally I find that whilst people's reactions are along the lines of "how the #$/* did you do that?", they also try to reverse engineer the trick to find out how it was accomplished. Ok, they rarely manage to do this, but it still means that they are aware that it is just a trick, with some special moves or gimmickry involved. I know that this could just be me being paranoid, and I do enjoy the reactions from such tricks, but I find that reactions to mentalism effects are so much stronger. Knowing what someone is thinking with nothing to aid you but a pen and paper means that there is nowhere for them to go when they try to work out what just happened. The beauty is in the simplicity of such effects. The results are so strong that people are too freaked out to even consider some sort of gimmick or trickery. This is what I love about mentalism. It adds another layer to 'magic' that makes it so much more than a trick or sleight of hand (even if sometimes this is exactly what it is).
Just reading the first few chapters of 13 Steps had me laughing out loud at the pure simplicity of the ideas. This is not to say that performing such effects are simple, far from it. But the chances of getting caught or reverse engineered are so much lower in mentalism as to be non existent when performed correctly. I know that a lot of people will say the same for magic, and you would be right. I guess what I'm trying to say in such a long winded way is that no one really believes in magic, whereas plenty of people art open to the idea of astrology, mind reading, fortune telling etc, which to my untrained eye are all just forms of mentalism. I will still practice magic for sure, but my real interest lies in learning a all I can on the art of mentalism. I hope this isn't too rambling and convoluted. Hopefully most of you will get my general gist, or know what I'm trying to say in other words |
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psychomind New user 97 Posts |
39 Steps by Bob Cassidy has got all the Information you need and you should also purchase Bob's Fundamentals E-Book.
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dd123 New user 55 Posts |
Thanks. Already downloaded 39 steps and will be utilising it very soon.
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David Thiel Inner circle Western Canada...where all that oil is 4005 Posts |
Three great books to consider for the beginning mentalist:
The Artful Mentalism of Bob Cassidy: Volume 2 (Nope...you don't need to read Volume 1 first, although it, too, is a wonderful book) The Principals of Mentalism by Richard Osterlind Mentalism, Incorporated by Chuck Hickok Outstanding information in all three. Good luck! 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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