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Nathan Alexander Inner circle 2021 Posts |
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On Aug 3, 2019, DrewBstoss wrote: This is an incredible review, and everything about it is well-deserved. As any of us know that own either (or both) products, you've set the bar extremely high. And I'm not just saying it, for any of you lurkers who haven't picked up his material but have thought about it. If you get paid for performances, this material will pay for itself. Cliche to say? Maybe. True? Absolutely. Just read the review. |
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Mark Timon Special user 594 Posts |
I've got the book. I think is a nice reading but after twenty years in mentalism, it didn't impress me as much as I've hoped. If you are a mentalism book collector or just do not mind spending hundred dollars on it, I recommend it, otherwise save your money and study the classics.
Regards |
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j100taylor Inner circle 1198 Posts |
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On Sep 3, 2019, Mark Timon wrote: You are hard to impress then...
Lakewood, Ohio
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RodrigoGrando Loyal user Pennsylvania 226 Posts |
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On Sep 3, 2019, Mark Timon wrote: Unfortunately, I haven't bought the book (yet!). However, when you say - "save your money and study the classics" - you're clearing missing that this book is not just about methods. The Vanish Magazine review is very enlightening on this sense. |
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DrewBstoss Special user SLC, Utah 581 Posts |
Like most things in life, value is in the eye of the beholder.
Mark - maybe one of my future projects will resonate with you more. Thanks for giving AOTM a chance Best wishes, Drew
"The world always seems brighter when you've just made something that wasn't there before." Neil Gaiman
Please consider subscribing to my newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hmdnUX |
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Mark_Chandaue Inner circle Essex UK 4187 Posts |
I’ve been in the business close to 40 years (I turned pro in 82). Whilst only a quarter of that has been purely as a mentalist a big chunk has been as a full time performer and the rest as a semi pro and I personally thought this book was very valuable especially the parts on the business side that you won’t find in the classics. Those parts are hard to find anywhere and learning on the job costs you. I wish I’d had that info 40 years ago when I turned pro. Full disclosure I paid for the book, it wasn’t a freebie and in my opinion it’s worth more than I paid for it. If I lost my copy I would buy it again.
Mark |
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avimag51 Regular user 132 Posts |
I got from Drew one free chapter from his book .
the chapter - The Usual Suspects. very interesting and fun method. i added three props instead of the items from the participants pocket. three small pictures of a gun , poison bottle and a knife. thank you DREW. |
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saysold1 Eternal Order Recovering Cafe addict with only 10794 Posts |
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On Sep 3, 2019, Mark Timon wrote: Mark - Could you please elaborate on *why* you feel this way ? I’m surprised Drew didn’t ask. Thanks.
Creator of The SvenPad Supreme(R) line of aerospace level quality, made in the USA utility props. https://svenpads.com/
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DrewBstoss Special user SLC, Utah 581 Posts |
Just wanted to announce a special I'm running through the month of November in preparation for the holidays:
Receive my Penguin Live lecture for only $15 (retails for $40) with a purchase of Architect of the Mind AND shipping is free. Alternatively, you can pick up just my lecture for $25. If interested please send funds ($115 or $25 respectively) via PayPal (as "Paying for an item or service") to mindofandrews@gmail.com - be sure to include your preferred shipping address. I'm happy to answer questions about either project Best wishes, Drew
"The world always seems brighter when you've just made something that wasn't there before." Neil Gaiman
Please consider subscribing to my newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hmdnUX |
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Silversleights04 Regular user Houston, Texas 182 Posts |
My 2 cents:
Mentalism is an evolving performance art; it's become more popular, more accessible, and more streamlined than ever with creators from around the globe now contributing to its development. With all the new content in circulation, it can be a challenge to find that practical material that can be applied by professionals and amateurs alike. Modern mentalists are all on the hunt for those gems that "pack small, but play big" or are "all killer, no filler". Drew's book is absolutely one of those gems filled with practical material and valuable content. His writing is intelligent, organized, detailed, and a pleasure to read; the material is very easy to digest and adapt to your own performance style. Every potential scenario is explained and accounted for and Drew is extremely responsive to inquiries about his work. He has been inspired by a number of classic as well as modern mentalists works and their influence is clearly credited and acknowledged throughout the book. I also greatly appreciated the supplemental site with video demos of some of the more procedural effects as well as editable templates for some of the documents mentioned. The material inside is a wonderful variety blend of new and classic/familiar methods, as well as essays and templates for developing professional rapport with clients. From close-up walkaround effects to stage routines, multiple variations on methods, effects with one or multiple participants, in-depth guidance to help aspiring professional entertainers, no stone is left unturned. Drew has clearly gone to great lengths to make this book a quality product that any performer can benefit from; there's really something for everyone here. While I can't say that I immediately fell in love with every effect, there were two stand-out effects that I especially connected with and have already adapted to my repertoire: Common Cent's Prediction which is a whole group reading and prediction routine that fits in your wallet; and Catch Me If You Can, a bank night style stage routine that's builds the tension to an awesome dual climax. Both of these effects nicely encapsulate Drew's style of mentalism performance and demonstrate just how clever he really is in his methods. I also found the theory and business discussions to be especially practical and beneficial given my current progress toward a more active side career as a professional mentalist. This book is destined to become a classic, its value far exceeds the cost and I can promise that if you take the time to study this material, you will absolutely see a return on your investment, I know I already have. I'm more than happy to endorse Drew's work and add it to my repertoire. Thank you for your contributions to our craft Drew!
-Magic sees Magic-
-Marco V- |
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252life Inner circle Ninth Circle, Hades 3243 Posts |
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On Feb 28, 2020, Silversleights04 wrote: Well put! That was a nice piece of feedback to read.
Look for all the world like you're counting the brain cells in his cranium.
-Theodore Annemann |
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Mark_Chandaue Inner circle Essex UK 4187 Posts |
Architect of the Mind is included in the listing for the 2019 Book of the year. As many would have picked it up right at the beginning of the year it’s very easy to get forgotten amongst all the more recent releases that were picked up at the end of the year. I’ve given it my vote and I am sure there are many other owners who feel it is worthy of their vote.
Drew has not solicited this post and is completely unaware of me posting it but I wanted to make sure this wonderful tome gets the recognition it deserves. Mark |
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Mark_Chandaue Inner circle Essex UK 4187 Posts |
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Chris K Inner circle 2544 Posts |
"Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly."
- Sir Francis Bacon A truly great review combines insight, experience, critical thinking, and wit. I do not possess all of those things. Many might say I have none of them. With that in mind, I will use the words of those far wiser and more clever by sprinkling in some quotes that I think are relevant to Architect of the Mind by Drew Backenstoss A review is nothing if it is not honest. So it is with complete honesty that I say writing reviews, especially for something like Architect of the Mind is very difficult for me. Sure, I could just say: Architect of the Mind by Drew Backenstoss is one of those few books that touches on multiple topics, and does so with clarity, grace, and a flow that obviously comes from a ton of effort and experience. It gets my highest recommendation, including being my nominee for book of the year. And that quote is 100% true. For me, though, it doesn't give enough insight into what exactly you're getting. Additionally, listing the contents and my thoughts on each one is of limited use for many people, as they may find particular sections more or less suited to their needs and preferences. So, with that in mind, I will write the review that would have helped ME the most. Hopefully it will help you. You can find descriptions of each section here, so I won't get too deep into just describing the effects: http://www.mindofandrews.com/contents.html Effects, Chapters, Essays, & Miscellanea of note: Drew makes a portion of the book available as a free preview. In that preview I believe you get the preface. WHICH IS AMAZING! Without spoiling anything, the messaging around the story of the Neils is something everyone, at one time or another, has dealt with. I read the preface and, despite a trick being included in the free preview, stopped reading and just sat there and thought. R.M.R.: In very short order, R.M.R. has become one of the most powerful effects I do. Actual quotes include: "Wow, that is legitimately... supernatural", "I don't know what to think, it's not possible, you never even touched the cards", and "I hate you". The last one I hear a lot, especially from the spouse, so I've just started assuming it is a compliment of the highest order. In my hands, R.M.R., allows for multiple moments of body language reading as they narrow down the exact location of their card, using their subconscious. The participant thinks, based on everything that they've seen, heard, and done, that they've done something truly amazing and somehow found their own card. This moment should be savored because: This is followed by a gut punch: their card, the one they saw, in the deck you never touched, simply isn't there. That moment of cognitive dissonance is truly beautiful as they try to reconcile what they saw and did with the reality of the situation. You are then able to wrap everything together in the context of "R.M.R." If their card not existing in the deck is a gut punch, the "R.M.R." reveal is a two-by-four to the head. Just like the preface, I stopped reading after this effect. As in: set the book down, walked away, and just thought through what I could do. That all being said, Drew provides an online supplement page to his book. I'm a huge fan of this approach, also used by people like Doug Dyment and Patrick Redford. It's great and Drew offers an updated handling for "R.M.R." Which, being honest, I don't prefer as much as the book version. There are great reasons that the new handling exists (including an ability to do the effect table-to-table, wow!) but, for me, this is a showpiece kind of effect and I don't want to miss out on that last "two-by-four" moment. TL/DR: "R.M.R." is great and, empirically, one of the most powerful effects I do. WTPOTB!* "Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books...books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like betrayal" - John Green, The Fault in Our Stars Seven Year Ordeal: This effect is DB's approach to the ACAAN plot. Because of some of the work I have in my decks, I was able to practice this immediately. I like it, probably because of the organic reasoning used to have specific actions performed. It might seem a little procedural. This goes into my top 3 non-stack ACAAN approaches, which include, in alphabetical order: Applesauce (Redford), Crusade (Brookings & Brown, single person version), Seven Year Ordeal (Backenstoss). The entire TRIPTYCH section is just wonderful. I carry around a bill and a couple of quarters and I am ready to go (the other versions are either propless or use things your participants provide). Some great thinking here. I actually do things quite a bit differently but I find myself reading this section over and over as I think of different things Drew's approaches allow. "If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all." - Oscar Wilde The Game Theory section is another WTPOTB*. Just wonderful material that is real-world applicable. I can't say too much specifically, there is just so much to take in here. The "Agree to.. Agree" section alone is WTPOTB!* The rest of the book is just great. I spend a lot of my time in the above sections (I have something already pretty similar to "Catch Me" for example) but it is all really good. In summary, without exaggeration, this is one of the best books in the field. It gets my highest recommendation and rating of an 8 out of 13**. And remember: "Books are a uniquely portable magic." - Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft *-WTPOTB = Worth The Price Of The Book **-Rating scale (based on the Mendoza method of dance rating): "a scale of one to thirteen but eight is highest. The scale went up and then back down like a tent." |
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252life Inner circle Ninth Circle, Hades 3243 Posts |
If he doesn’t include that review in all future advertising he’s insane lol.
Look for all the world like you're counting the brain cells in his cranium.
-Theodore Annemann |
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pancho247 Regular user 184 Posts |
Does anyone know who is selling this in the uk?
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DrewBstoss Special user SLC, Utah 581 Posts |
Hi Pancho247!
The book is only available from me It would ship from the UK though. Let me know if you have any questions! And I’m embarrassed that it’s taken me so long to say THANK YOU for your review Chris! Best wishes, Drew
"The world always seems brighter when you've just made something that wasn't there before." Neil Gaiman
Please consider subscribing to my newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hmdnUX |
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kissdadookie Inner circle 4275 Posts |
Ordered. Totally forgot about this book, thanks for the reminder Drew! Ha ha ha.
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pancho247 Regular user 184 Posts |
Hi drew, great, how much including postage?
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DrewBstoss Special user SLC, Utah 581 Posts |
Depends on where it ships - the details are on my site
Best wishes, Drew
"The world always seems brighter when you've just made something that wasn't there before." Neil Gaiman
Please consider subscribing to my newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hmdnUX |
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