SWITCH - John Lovick

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

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

Playing Cards for Magicians A web site set up to sell my book, THE STRIPPER DECK, and future magical/mentalism titles. Best prices around! MagicWorld Magic Shop for Magic Tricks World-Of-Magic, Suppliers of quality Magic Worldwide Manufacturer of modern & unique magic apparatus!

SWITCH - John Lovick

Postby jim ferguson » Dec 17th, '09, 23:55



    SWITCH - unfolding the $100 bill change. By John Lovick. Large 346 page hardbacked book.
COST - £35 from Magicbox
    EFFECT
The classic bill switch and all its variations. Quote from the back of the book - ''Switch includes : The original handling of the $100 dollar bill switch - as performed by the inventor - described for the very first time. More than twenty variations - some use a tt and others dont, some use fewer folds, and one uses no folds at all. Instantaneous changes, multiple switches, palm up handlings, a one-handed change, bill productions & vanishes, visual transformations, and more. Sleights, subtleties, utility moves, performance theory, presentation ideas, and a definitive history of the bill switch. More than 60 close-up and stand-up routines, each described in meticulous detail with over 700 illustrations. The routines include Transpositions, Bill to Impossible Location plots, Torn and Restored effects, and several routines that dont even involve money''.
    DIFFICULTY
(1 - easy, 2 - no sleights used but not so easy, 3 - some sleights used, 4 - advanced sleights used, 5 - suitable for experienced magicians only) Id say a 3 - 4 mostly. There are routines that are technically easy, and some not so, but everything is explained very clearly.
    OVERALL
I love this book, this has everything you could ever want to know about the bill switch. There are over thirty contributors to the book including David Acer, Bill Malone, Gregory Wilson and Scotty York. The history and theory sections are brilliant, and there is a question and answer section with some great magicians. This part alone is full of advice and tips to get you really thinking about your delivery of the switch. Some of the ideas in this book are devilishly clever and well thought out. There are far too many effects to mention them all but here are a few of my favourites :
    BLANK - Nathan Kranzo. A piece of paper the size of a £5 note is displayed. While snapping the paper, a corner is 'accidently' ripped off. The corner then changes to the corner of a £5 note yet when held against the paper it still fits exactly. The corner is given to someone to hold while you now change the paper into £5 - with the corner still missing - and youve guessed it, the corner is still an exact match.
THE FULL SHOW DOUBLE BILL CHANGE - Rod Chow
    A £5 note is borrowed - your hands are seen to be otherwise empty. The five changes into a ten - the ten is clearly shown on both sides (no part of the bill is hidden or covered) and is displayed at the fingertips (hence the 'full show' in the title). The ten is then changed into a twenty, and again it is clearly shown on both sides. Finally the twenty is changed back into the five and is returned to the owner.
TWISTED - Daniel Garcia
    This is a very visual transformation of one bill into another, it is a tipless version. A bill is displayed (ungimmicked) and folded three times, so it is square. After each fold the bill is shown on both sides. The square is held at the fingertips of the right hand, and the left fingers brush across the note which instantly and visualy changes. Both hands are clearly seen empty (they are) and the square is shown on both sides before being unfolded, displayed at the fingertips and handed out for examination.
VALUE
    Considering there are quite a few of the marketed bill switches in this book (Gregory Wilsons Foreign Affair, Rod Chows Melt Change, Juan pablo etc) id say this was very good value for money. Also some of these ideas have been hard to get or out of print for many years, and some are printed here for the very first time.
Although i really like this book its probably not for everyone. The repetitive nature of it may not appeal to some, and a few will not like the idea of an entire volume on one technique. However, if you already use a switch and would like to develop it, or if you dont and want to learn, id recommend this book.

User avatar
jim ferguson
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 1594
Joined: Sep 13th, '09, 19:30
Location: Isle of Arran (38:SH)

Return to Reviews - Books and other printed formats

UK's Online Magic Tricks and Jokes Shop offers kids and beginner magic tricks and jokes. Dude That's Cool Magic Visit Magicbox for all the latest and best effects! Sorcery Shop - Home of the ITR Best prices around! Aeternum Servare Secreta Web Design for Magicians

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests