The Effect
A number of strong and eerie effects that will put your spectators on edge:
Dearly Departed: A volunteer is given a sealed envelope and a photograph of a dead person; they are to look at the photograph at any opportunity they can for a week. After the week has passed the volunteer makes a time prediction. Once the prediction is made the envelope is opened to reveal a death certificate showing a time of death for the person in the photograph that matches their prediction.
Telepathic Touch: You explain that a single touch is enough to change destiny if we allow it to. A sealed envelope is handed to a person to keep safe. You look into the eyes of a volunteer and touch their shoulder. A deck of cards is then displayed openly and fairly and four cards are selected randomly by this person, without you touching the cards. Each card is placed into an envelope and numbered.
Another person is asked to join the two of you. The first spectator touches the new spectator in the same way you touched them. The new spectator chooses any envelope they want, when the envelope is opened the card is displayed and eerily matches the card within the envelope that you handed out to a neutral party from the start.
Fair is Fair Switch: A wonderfully fair and deceptive way of switching billets.
"Your Word, Corinda!": An evolution of "My Word!" by Corinda, using the 'Fair is Fair' Switch and other astonishing methods.
Serial, Killer!: You approach a person that you have never met before, you ask them to take out a bank note while you turn away. You never touch them, their belongings or the note, yet you can tell them the unique serial number on the bank note.
Watch a video of this effect by clicking here.
On Stage Killing: A large scale variation of "Serial, Killer!" with a surprise revealtion that proves the serial number prediction was made days before.
Unique psychological subtleties are included for each effect, to the in-depth standard now expected from Paul.
BONUS: Interview with James Brown, the Magic Circle's close-up magician of the year 2006.
61 page, A4 manuscript.
All first printing manuscripts will be signed by the author.
Cost
£25 direct from Mr Brook himself
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)
3-5 (easy to do - but please God PLEASE do it well!)
Review
I have the Gift by Mr Brook, and loved it. After absorbing this, I had high hopes of his newest manuscript and turned to it eagerly...needless to say, he did not dissapoint.
All of the effects are amazing and...well...let us take a look at them one by one to really get in depth with them:
Dearly Departed:Upon reading this for the first time, I was, to be honest, slightly disapointed. Then I actually thought about the effect as a whole, and this has now turned into my favourite routine from the whole manuscript! With the correct presentation, this has the potential to really leave your mark upon the spectator. The method is easy, the presentation is amazing, and the potential of bookings from this single effect is extremely, extremely high (that is, if they can stand talking to you after this effect). Truly a masterpiece, this is truly an example of taking a simple technique/principal, and really making the most of it. An outstanding effect - and as I said, my personal favourite in the whole piece - not because of the method, but because of the whole idea of the effect as a whole.
Telepathic Touch:I do really like this effect - very much so. In fact, I went and purchased everything the day I read the book, including the envelopes e.t.c, due to it being something that I could see myself using. With this effect, you truly do give the impression that you can influence behaviour and predict human patterns. Hell - go the distance and claim to be using NLP if you want, or just claim to be psychic - it all works well. This effect, once again, is 100% certain, and 100% workable in the real world. My joint second favourite effect in the manuscript. This time, for both the 100% certain method, the effect itself as a whole, and the range of performance possibilities.
Fair is Fair Switch:I believed that this would have been my least favourite part of the mansucript - but not because it is a bad idea - oh no no no - the only problem was that I, personally, do not use billets in my performances. Though after reading this, I may have to make an exception. This billet switch is so powerful, so clean, that you do not even touch the billet. Yes - it is that clean. As I said, I do not use billets in my performace, but I have decided that I am going to attempt to make room in my performance for this - I mean - you dont even touch the damn thing! How clean a billet switch do you want?
Serial, Killer:Now, this is the main reason why I brought the manuscript...to find out how this bloody serial number reading was done. It...is...lovely. So clean, and (in my personal opinion) very easy and workable. There is obviously a method to this...but you don't even have to do it yourself! Hell - I don't! But this isn;t to say there are any stooges or helpers during the effect...there isn't. But let me say this...you do not touch them or their belongings...you never see the bank note when they remove it from their wallet...you never fish for clues...you are correct every single time (unless you are silly)...no equipment...no stooges...hell - be blindfolded if you want, before they even reach for their pocket!!! This is definately the cleanest serial reading ever developed...period.
On Stage Killing:A nice variation of the above, where after you have told them the serial number (from the stage if you so wish) you present them with a lottery ticket, brought says before, with their serial number on it (and yes, this is a genuine ticket). Hell - if they then win with this ticket, needless to say you definately have a well paid booking then
Overall
This is a piece of genius - Paul has done it again. The Corinda variation is going straight into my stage show, and I can see myself using the Telepathic Touch and the Dearly Departed effects very, very regularly. My show is now so full of Mr Brook's material, that it is starting to feel like it is no longer mine, it has been changed so much!
Basically, this was worth the money for me, ten fold.
If any of you have ever read Paul's material in the past, you know that it is 100% spot on and workable material...this is no different.
Here is something I very rarely give, stating that hardly anything is perfect, but...
10/10
Buy it, you can't go wrong
Sadly this is the last of Paul's books I managed to get to and at the time my head was swimming with someone else's material at the same time e.g. those that see my article on Paul @ VISIONS this month may think I sold this material short... well, I did 
