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Every now and then I go back to RRTCM. I, too don't find it outdated. It will remain a classic in my view. I love Card College too-but for other reasons. As for dyachylon, I have wondered the same thing. I read somewhere it has something to do with lead plaster. From what I've read in Encyclopedia of Card Tricks, I gather you can use roughing fluid to get the same effect.

EndersGame wrote:

mark lewis wrote:I have never found the Royal Road to be particularly outdated except in a tiny few places. I would still like to know what "diachylon" is though! Having said that I think at least 90% of the tricks therein are just as effective now as they were when the book was first published. I do many of them. However, the main value of the Royal Road is the little hints on how to present magic scattered throughout the book.

Good points, Mark. I'm currently working through Royal Road again, together with your annotations, and the videos by R. Paul Wilson and Rudy Hunter. Aspects from RRTCM that are arguably somewhat obsolete include things like the method taught for the Glide, and to some extent even the chapter on the Backslip given that most magicians don't really use it.

But you're totally right about the tricks - there's some real gold there. And the hints and tips on presentation throughout the book are excellent. I also like some of the alternative handlings you suggest. I'll be posting a review of your annotated version in a few months time once I finish getting through everything carefully for the second time.

I use the Glide as described in the book very frequently. Come to think of it most books I have ever read describe it in the same way. Perhaps there are some more up to date books that I haven't read with more advanced versions or describe it in a different way--I have no idea. The only variation I have come across is a sort of side glide by Cy Endfield. The only thing I have really added to it when performing is the little retention of vision tip with the middle finger. As for the backslip I used to use it a lot particularly for the Lightning Card trick described in the book. I still use it on occasion sometimes as a force and sometimes as a control. It is actually a great method of controlling a card and very convincing indeed since it gives the illusion that the spectator shuffles the cards rather than the performer.

As for the book itself it has been my Bible for decades. I have been studying it since I was 15 years old. That is why I felt I had to annotate the book which can be obtained in download from lybrary.com right here :
https://www.lybrary.com/the-annotated-r ... 23422.html

Or if you are an old fashioned fuddy duddy like me who prefers a hard copy real book you can get it direct from me here:
http://marklewisentertainment.com/html/magicians.html

Just bought a copy of this from Lybrary. Very good, I must say, and I'm enjoying it thoroughly. Nicely done, Mark!

Derek