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If anyone here is going to be at MAGI-FEST, I'll have the book with me. Even if not, I'll still have it with me

Jon Allen wrote:If anyone here is going to be at MAGI-FEST, I'll have the book with me. Even if not, I'll still have it with me

I'd love to be there but as it's in the US of A ( http://www.magifest.org/first_page.htm ) I'll be cheering you on from over here !

Having said that, the book's available for £36 plus £4 P&P over here so I might just give in to temptation... again...

Thanks Mandrake!

You will give in to temptation... give in to temptation... give in to temtation.......

And today the book arrived.... to hell with work, it's reading time folks !!

Right at the start of this thread, Cameron Francis gave an excellent assessment of Jon’s book and, in true TM tradition, I thought I’d add my four penn’orth.

I’ve seen Jon work and lecture a couple of times and have had great fun with his Double Back and The Silent Treatment effects. What I really like is that Jon’s stuff isn’t overly complex but exhibits lots of original thinking in the way routines are developed and presented. As an example, I guess most of us know Crazy Man’s Handcuffs but Jon’s version uses that as just a part of a much larger routine involving 6 components. Jon’s take on Professor’s Nightmare is joy to watch and has just about the most satisfactory ending possible – something which many other performers don’t seem to include. This seems to be the key to Jon’s magic, take known or well established routines and ideas, turn them on their heads, add a huge dollop of original thinking and then hone it to perfection. The best news is that none of it is beyond the scope of most of us here, it really is that good. Jon’s concept that there’s no such thing as spectators who just sit and watch so he gets the audience involved in all the routines one way or another, is at the heart of his performances.

To start with we get the fully Monte on Jon’s IBM Act. Not just the what and the where but the how and the why. All the thinking involved in developing the routine is given and if nothing else the reasoning about effect number two being set up during effect number one, number three during number two and so on is priceless. Simple things such as how and why a genuinely innocent move can be used to negate the audience’s awareness of the same move later on which covers the sneaky work enabling the effect to be successfully accomplished.
In all cases not only are the moves fully explained, you also get instructions on making the props, preparing special gaffs, gaffing ordinary items on the hoof and so on.

The book is fully illustrated with black and white photos of Jon demonstrating each move and sequence and the explanations are very clear.

It would take pages to describe each idea or routine but the contents are:

Section One – Tricks and Routines

Chapter One: The IBM Competition Act
The Big Cig, Traveller, Isolated Isosceles, Triumphinity, Gluteus Production, Ring in Party Popper.
Chapter Two: Close Up and Walkaround Magic
Ghost, Freddy’s Dead, Citizen Cane, Striking Ring Switch, The Hole, Unique Coin Bend, Weird Science, True Lies, ET, Burning Rubber (Wrist Band, Band-It, Crazy Man’s Handcuffs, The Finger, Snap Back, Wristoration), Palm Up Bill Switch, Inner Space, Oralgami.

Chapter 3: Card Tricks
High Society, Thought of Card in Envelope, One Trick Two Names, Executive Decision, 1709 Walkabout, The Wedding Trick, Out of Sight, Against All Odds, Lucky Card, The Usual Suspects, Force of Nature, Drop Zone.

Chapter Four: Stand-up Magic
Grabbit Productions, Signal Strength, World’s Funniest Joke, Credit Cut, White Noise.

Section Two – Moves, Sequences & Bits of Business

Chapter 5: Cards
Basil, The Four Musketeers, Out of Your Brain, Invisible Palm Routine

Chapter 6: Miscellaneous
Twins, Helicopter Band, Latex Genie, Push Through Move, Tipless Bill Switch Holdout

Section 3 – Taking Things Further

Chapter 7: Presentations and Thoughts on a Few Points
Coins Across Finale, No Pressure Card Spread, Adlibitious Card, Destination Box, Destination Box for Kids, Schrodinger’s Card

If you’ve bought Jon’s lecture notes in the past you may find one or two of the above are familiar but they, and the rest, are all top quality effects and ideas from a first class magician. Certainly a book which should be in all Magician’s libraries, preferably open on the desk being read and referred to regularly!

Wow! Thanks for the review. It's great that you have gotten so much out of the book. It really isn't about the methods and I hope the thinking behind many of the routines has inspired you in thinking about your own routines as well.

I hope you have gone back to work now!