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The Book
This book basically contains everything that you need to know for card magic and more. This covers sleights, flourishes, effects, routines, patter, missdirection and more! There are chapters about legendary routines like the Abitious Card and the Rising Card. There are ways of stacking a poker hand where the setup takes about 5 seconds and a few shuffles. It is writen in as easy to learn format and will have you performing feats you would never have thought possible. There is just so much that you can learn from this book. In my mind, this is a book that is essentual to every magician's library.

Cost
$10.95 USD from www.penguinmagic.com (pretty good, considering that if you bought the effects and sleights as instant downloads, your wallet would probably be near empty)

Difficulty
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)
There is a chapter in the book on self working card effects, and there are effects that will require months of practice to nail. The book ranges from 1 to 4.5. Don't let this intimidate you, the book will guide you throught the steps towards being an Expert Card Handler.

Review
The only thing that wasn't covered extencivly in this book was the flourishes. Other than that, you couldn't ask for more. If you are a total begginer, I would suggest buying Royal Road to Card Magic and than this. Even if you are an experianced magician, it would really help you to buy this book. I've learned so many things from it and use that knowlage at every single performance.

Overall
9.5 out of 10

I have taken delivery of this book today and am very excited It's perhaps a bit beyond me currently, but I had some spare cash and really wanted to add this to my library. Plus it's one of those books that tends to receive nothing but praise and seems to be a standard. Give me a year or so and you might even get a review out of me

yup... this book is fantastic... I'm going through it very slowly right now.

(and thankfully it doesn't have that awful comic sans font that my copy of Royal Road does!)

This book has one of the best collections of magic by many magic greats like Vernon, Charlie Miller, Jack McMillen and all the necessary moves to make your imagination work overtime. A couple of favorites of mine are The Vernon Mental Force and Charlie Millers Dunbury Delussion. Again, Hugard and Braue give credit to those that deserve it and have made this a classic like RRTCM. No matter the price you will get your moneys worth everytime you open the book.
Al

A great book which I am studying in closer detail at the moment. Packed with sleights and 'tricks' and worth every penny.
The perfect follow on to 'Royal Road'.

hhmm sounds cheap maybe going onto my crimbo list!

I've still got my copy that I bought in the early 1970's... Timeless!

Well worth getting, like Bobo it's crammed with so much information & every card magician will benefit from reading it.

This book contains possibly one of the best - if not the best - section on presentation and misdirection I have ever read. Towards the back of the book, if I recall.

This really is a cornerstone of any card magician and really should be in everyone's collection, if it's not covered in this book you can probably get by without it!

I wouldn't recommend it as a first book to a complete beginner as it is quite in-depth, however it is the next logical step for someone who has read (and practised!!!) The Royal Road to Card Magic and is looking to improve their card handling rather than just learn a few new 'tricks'.