talkmagic.co.uk

We had a thread recently about the worst items you have ever bought. But what about things you have bought which are apparently classics, and 'everybody' loves, but you think are rubbish. But you secretly keep quiet about.

I'll start...

Having already bought 13 steps and practical mental magic, I thought I'd add mind myth and magick to my collection of 'classic' mentalism books. And to be honest, I was a bit dispointed. Im not sure if it was meant for a joke, but in one routine he suggests buying a monkey and dressing it in a demon outfit Now dont try to convince me that this effect has been road tested a good few times. A real live monkey for christs sake! A huge book, but I will probably never use any of the orignal principles within it (there are things in there I will use, but not originating with waters), where as my copies of 13 steps and annemann are and will forever be well thumbed.

Already mentioned room 101 by jermay. The 'gimmick you get given was a bit obvious, when it shouldnt have been, and it seems corners were cut in the production.

Im sure there is more, but 'll leave it at that for now...

When I first read 13 Steps, having come from a psychological background, I was deeply unimpressed at the gulf between the methods used in mentalism and the effects you could claim. Surely, I reasoned, if it's mentalism it should use the mind a helluva lot more. I realise now that I was like a kid who buys a CTW and expects the card to miraculously do what it says on the tin. I just wish I'd heard Richard Osterlind say, "A whole lot of mentalism isn't that sophisticated" before I started.

Tomo wrote:I just wish I'd heard Richard Osterlind say, "A whole lot of mentalism isn't that sophisticated" before I started.

i dont! it might of put you off the whole thing mate...

When I first read 13 Steps, having come from a psychological background, I was deeply unimpressed at the gulf between the methods used in mentalism and the effects you could claim

I think we all had that feeling when we first started. It took about 6 months and about 3 readings to fully appreciate the book.

Various Ellusionist c*** (not the best)... I bought a Black Tiger svengali deck and, while the sven deck itself is a classic, the lack version sucked pretty badly...

13 steps and royal road are "classics" not in my eyes although if S.A.D by Looch never gets to be one of the classical texts on the subject I shall eat my peek wallet.

I hate strippers . . . and stripper decks. That's all I have to say about that.

P.S. Is ther a way we could conceal this post from Tomo? I'm afraid he might hurt me when he reads this . Sort of like a cyber punch right to the face.

monker59 wrote:I hate strippers . . . and stripper decks. That's all I have to say about that.

P.S. Is ther a way we could conceal this post from Tomo? I'm afraid he might hurt me when he reads this . Sort of like a cyber punch right to the face.

No, no... I think you should be free to make your own mistakes.

Oh, you clever boy , you've turned the whole thing on me. Well played sir, well played. For my next move I shall move knight from e3 to d5.

Did you see what I did there...?

I'm probably going to get shot for this. Everybody reccomends it. Everybody says it's brilliant. But, when I was done with it, I thought I've just wasted a small portion of my life trying to read it.

Royal Road To Card Magic

For many months, when I took up magic "seriously" I would "invent" my own sleights etc and "create" my own effects. Ofcourse I later discovered TM, a very nice place and i was referred to RRTCM. I bought, I read and i was disapointed. I found it very hard to understand. Perhaps it's because I'm from the MTV generation...know wait...I read Dan Brown and Oscar Wilde

*backs away from the crazed man that is Mikey.666*


No biggie. I figured one of these days somebody was going to come out and say they hated one of the three: RRTCM, CCM, or Bobo's. The style in RRTCM probably just doesn't suit you, just like how the stripper deck doesn't suit me.

Oh reading Dan Brown ..... Why didnt you say. One of the great writters there I feel such an inbread now it must be the Punk rawk I was brought up on. But the Royal road is not that good.

Wow!... dissappointed in RRTCM... I am indeed surprised. Not that I now own shares in the book, but I still think it's brilliant even though I ACTUALLY LEARNED only 3-4 false shuffles/controls and about 10 tricks that I didn't already know. I find the price of the book was justified just for that, and for learning a way to replace palmed cards onto the top of the deck! (and for the other little tidbits of information of this and that that made me modify the way I do certain things!)

Actually when you think about it. Most magic books/dvds arent that good what do you get 1 or 2 useable effects sometimes none at all. A lot of people say dont buy packet tricks etc. I would perfer a trick I would use 100s of times for £10 rather then a book with some reall stinkers that I will never use.