Mnemonica by Juan Tamariz

Review area devoted to Magic books, leaflets and other printed material

Moderators: nickj, Lady of Mystery, Mandrake, bananafish, support

Manufacturer of modern & unique magic apparatus! Sorcery Shop - Home of the ITR Best prices around! Web Design for Magicians UK's Online Magic Tricks and Jokes Shop offers kids and beginner magic tricks and jokes. World-Of-Magic, Suppliers of quality Magic Worldwide

Mnemonica by Juan Tamariz

Postby Lenoir » Feb 7th, '09, 15:31



"This is one of the greatest books ever to be in print. The power found in this book is unbelievable. We recommend it to anyone who is serious about performing powerful card magic."


I thought I better start off with that. Truer words have never been said.

What is it?
They say:
Mnemonica is a virtual encyclopedia on the subject of memorized-deck magic, by the world's leading exponent and one of magic's acknowledged masters. It is a book crammed with magic from the working repertoire of Juan Tamariz, magic that leaves everyone, public and magicians, utterly astounded. It is a book capable of changing the reader's entire approach to card magic, and a work that supports Juan Tamariz's reputation as one of the most important and creative thinkers in magic today.

And me...
This is possibly, the greatest book I have ever bought on Card Magic. No wait, not possibly, it really is.
Juan Tamariz is one of my favourite card magicians and after wanting to do some work with a memorized deck, it seemed like the perfect combination.

The book itself is a quality produced hardcover with 432 pages. Add 400 photos and you really can't put a price on it.

There is way too much in the book to be reviewed in full detail, but I shall explain the basic contents.
It starts off with a "Brief History" of the memorized deck, which is very insightful. Just a personal thing, but before committing myself to learning something, a bit of history and how it was discovered is very helpful.

Next is the most important part. The actual Mnemonica stack. This is Juan Tamariz' own memorized deck stack that has the most ridiculous amount of possibilities.

He gives you the Ultra-Rapid Memorization System that will allow you to 100% memorize the whole deck in an afternoon, or 2 at the max.
Believe it or not, you won't be memorizing it with Mnemonics. Well you could, but that's not the system he sets out.

It took me about 6 hours to learn the whole thing. I had a day off college and spent the time with some crossiants, a deck of cards and mango juice.

I won't tip exactly how the system is learnt, but you will need some way to record your own voice and listen back...and lots of coloured markers!


Here's something else incredible about the book: What I've described so far...only takes up the first 30 pages.
The next 402 are all effects using this particular stack, and stacks in general.
There is everything, ACCANs, Thought of Card to pocket, Name any hand poker routines...everything.

It really is an amazing piece of work.

Cost:
Best I found it for was £39.99
http://www.emagictricks.co.uk/Mnemonica_by_Juan_Tamariz.html

I genuinely would pay 5 times that, if I had to.





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)

4/5

Faro shuffles, Anti-Faros, Passes, Glimpses, Advance Controls and culls are all required if you want to make the absolute most of it.

You can get the deck into stack from a new deck but you'll have to be able to easily do continuous perfect Faros.

However, the actual stack learning is DEFINITELY ONLY A 2
The effects are mostly pretty hard going, but not all.
The any hand called for poker deal is pretty much self working.


Overall:
Is it impossible to give a 10? If so, it's a 9.99.

Pros:
Anybody can learn it, extremely quickly.
It has dozens of unique effects as well as all of the normal memorized deck feats
It can be prepared from a new deck quickly.
It's a brilliant price for that many effects.
You'll learn the Super finish. The deck in new deck order after a long routine.
A whole routine can be worked on, easily with this stack.

Cons
Your card magic will never be the same again.

"I want to do magic...but I don't want to be referred to as a magician." - A layman chatting to me about magic.
Lenoir
Elite Member
 
Posts: 4246
Joined: Dec 31st, '07, 23:06

Postby Serendipity » Feb 7th, '09, 18:18

Do all the effects use the stack, or are some purely based around the principle of memorised, unstacked decks? A whole afternoon seems like a long time to memorise a deck of cards.

Serendipity
Senior Member
 
Posts: 471
Joined: Jul 15th, '07, 00:28

Postby Lenoir » Feb 7th, '09, 18:30

The book teaches you a memorized deck. As in you know that the four of hearts is the 5th card. Etc Etc.

It just so happens, that the deck is memorized in such a way that certain effects become immennsely simple.

There is a huge section on MEMORIZED deck effects, and a smaller section that are specific to his own memorized deck, Mnemonica.

The effects are all for memorized deck work. Lennart Green has some work on the memorized, not stacked, deck also.

"I want to do magic...but I don't want to be referred to as a magician." - A layman chatting to me about magic.
Lenoir
Elite Member
 
Posts: 4246
Joined: Dec 31st, '07, 23:06

Postby IAIN » Feb 7th, '09, 18:48

if you want to add to your book collection - lewis jones' 7nth heaven has a great big section on stacked and memorised decks, with some bits from ian rowland chucked in too if i remember rightly..(may not)...

but its an all round fantastic book...though not solely dedicated to the memory work...

IAIN
 

Re: Mnemonica by Juan Tamariz

Postby cragglecat » Feb 7th, '09, 21:48

Lenoir wrote:You can get the deck into stack from a new deck but you'll have to be able to easily do continuous perfect Faros.



Once the deck is stacked, do most of the tricks rely on perfect faros are there a reasonable number that work with say the top 20-30 perfectly weaved? I'm able to do a perfect faro a lot more frequently thanks to your previous help ( :D ) but certainly not with 100% reliability.


Craig.

User avatar
cragglecat
Preferred Member
 
Posts: 269
Joined: Nov 2nd, '07, 21:09
Location: Evesham Worcs, UK (40:AH)

Postby abecedarianmind » Feb 8th, '09, 01:16

i found this book interesting, but i doubt few people have managed to combine the memorized deck with the tricks

i know one person who has managed to, but he was a contestant in young magician of the year, last year - so i think the standard very high. and he was in personal contact with the author

if you want to memorise a deck, this book ain't worthwhile. it's memory techniques are only useful if linked with tricks

i would be interested how many members of this forum have read and mastered the effects in this book

i would say that this book is like alchemy - shows you the path to gold that few magicians ever realise

buy it - it's a classic, but i am not sure whether the final results are doable

however, please prove me wrong

abecedarianmind
Preferred Member
 
Posts: 222
Joined: Dec 4th, '08, 00:32

Postby TheStoner » Feb 8th, '09, 02:27

Hmmmm, stacks and memorised decks...

OK guys, help me out a bit here. I've messed with the Si Stebbins stack and it just seems a bit naff to be honest. Obviously if a spec shuffles the deck (rather than just cuts) then you're screwed. And when they look at the deck they have to be a bit thick not to notice the red/black pattern, and the suits repeating and the pattern in the value, etc. It just seems like a really weak idea. Am I missing something here? If you tell the spec - "you can't shuffle the deck or look at it" then they're not going to be impressed by anything you do with it are they? So what's the point?

I see this stack mentioned all over the place so there must be something to it, but can anyone explain why it is so popular when it seems so flawed? Is Solka's Si Stebbins Pro really much better? It's meant to give the deck a more random appearance, isn't it? That would certainly help.

I'd appreciate your thoughts and help on this.

Cheers,
Mike

User avatar
TheStoner
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1277
Joined: Jan 8th, '09, 20:19

Postby EckoZero » Feb 8th, '09, 02:38

Mike, I've never had a problem with stacked decks.
Why would I show the deck front and back, and ask them to shuffle to cards?
How guilty am I? :wink:

If I use a stacked deck I take it from the card box, a false cut and be done with it.
If I must get the spectator to do anything a simple "if you could just cut the deck for me?"
At the end, I put the cards away and I'm done.

If I feel I need to cover my tracks, a couple of quick riffle shuffles does the job.


Looks like you have a bit of magicians guilt :lol:

You wont find much better anywhere and it's nothing - a rigmarole with a few bits of paper and lots of spiel. That is Mentalism

Tony Corinda
User avatar
EckoZero
Elite Member
 
Posts: 2247
Joined: Mar 23rd, '06, 02:43
Location: Folkestone, Kent, UK (23:SH/WP)

Postby TheStoner » Feb 8th, '09, 02:42

What is this "magician's guilt" then? I've seen it mentioned a lot and think I know what you mean, but what is the "dictionary definition"? Is it basically worrying about stuff that no normal punter is even going to notice?

User avatar
TheStoner
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1277
Joined: Jan 8th, '09, 20:19

Postby EckoZero » Feb 8th, '09, 02:47

Yep pretty much!

Magicians guilt is thinking that because you know something, the lay audience does too.

In this example, you know the deck is stacked and therefore assume the lay audience will want to inspect the deck.

The truth is I can't think of an occasion where someone has asked to check my deck!

You wont find much better anywhere and it's nothing - a rigmarole with a few bits of paper and lots of spiel. That is Mentalism

Tony Corinda
User avatar
EckoZero
Elite Member
 
Posts: 2247
Joined: Mar 23rd, '06, 02:43
Location: Folkestone, Kent, UK (23:SH/WP)

Postby cragglecat » Feb 8th, '09, 09:11

TheStoner wrote: they have to be a bit thick not to notice the red/black pattern, and the suits repeating and the pattern in the value, etc. It just seems like a really weak idea.



I don't think spectators are thick but they certainly miss a lot of things we might consider obvious. Think of something like an Elmsley count - you might show the same card twice in a matter of moments and it is not detected. I've quickly ribbon spread stacked decks before to show I have a regular deck :wink: and there has never been any suspicion.

Craig.

User avatar
cragglecat
Preferred Member
 
Posts: 269
Joined: Nov 2nd, '07, 21:09
Location: Evesham Worcs, UK (40:AH)

Postby pcwells » Feb 8th, '09, 09:37

Also, there are some stacks - like Tamariz' Mnemonica and Osterlind's Breakthrough Card System that don't follow an easily detectable red/black/red/black progressive rotation.

I love both of them, but ultimately, Mnemonica wins for me because it's a learned stack, which is called upon from memory. Osterlind's relies on some quick mental arithmetic, which isn't a massive problem, but itdoes slow down your presentation on days when you're not feeling particularly bright.

And yes, just removing the cards, and giving them a very understated and casual false cut or false shuffle is enough to put the message in spectators' minds that the deck is shuffled. If you don't care about it, why should they?

Pete

User avatar
pcwells
Elite Member
 
Posts: 2311
Joined: Nov 27th, '06, 12:09
Location: West Sussex (40:WP)

Postby abecedarianmind » Feb 8th, '09, 11:47

can you do the routines, from stratch, based upon the shuffles he suggests that changes order of unopened packet?

if you can't i think it too much work to get illusions that could be matched in simpler ways

abecedarianmind
Preferred Member
 
Posts: 222
Joined: Dec 4th, '08, 00:32

Postby Lenoir » Feb 8th, '09, 13:17

There is no move in Mnemonica, I can't do. I can perfect Faro, I can pass, I can steal, I can estimate.

I don't say this to make myself look better than you, or to try and make myself look good, but to make the point that all the effects CAN be done.


Cragglecat, there are plenty of effects that don't use the perfect Faro. You can do the Any Card At Any Number, Any Poker Hand Called For and dozens and dozens of others.

The main use of the Faro, is to arrive at the stack from new deck order, or some basic manipulations of the deck.

"I want to do magic...but I don't want to be referred to as a magician." - A layman chatting to me about magic.
Lenoir
Elite Member
 
Posts: 4246
Joined: Dec 31st, '07, 23:06

Postby abecedarianmind » Feb 8th, '09, 14:07

lenior

that is reassuring....

have you used the routines?

for instance, opening a sealed pack and ending up in the jungle with card eating monsters

db

abecedarianmind
Preferred Member
 
Posts: 222
Joined: Dec 4th, '08, 00:32

Next

Return to Reviews - Books and other printed formats

MagicWorld Magic Shop for Magic Tricks A web site set up to sell my book, THE STRIPPER DECK, and future magical/mentalism titles. Aeternum Servare Secreta Playing Cards for Magicians Dude That's Cool Magic Best prices around! Visit Magicbox for all the latest and best effects!

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest