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The Effect
It's the definitive book on card forces. Written by Lewis Jones.


Cost
about £35 +pp


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)
3 (see comment below)


Review
No tricks, just (as the name suggests) impromptu card forces. About 300 pages, arranged into 15 sections, and detailing 500 forces (yes, five hundred). Not a book for the absolute beginner, but a very good investment for anyone with even a basic knowledge of card magic.

It would enable someone to personalise effects by changing the method of card selection, and would be a great help to anyone who wanted to invent their own effects. A basic knowledge of card sleights is necessary, but nothing advanced (jog shuffle, glide, DL, ...).

Very well-written, very well-illustrated, and beautifully produced. Highly recommended. If you're tempted, get it before it goes out of print (which it will). Not widely available; if you're interested in it check with the author at lewis.jones@ukonline.co.uk


Overall
If this is the kind of book you would find useful then 10/10. It couldn't possibly be improved.

Nice review Alan.

£35 seems a little expensive, but I daresay that this book would appeal to many. I mean 500 forces...

The thing is we all probably have 3 or 4 (or maybe even less) that we use regularly, and why really would we ever want to know about so many?

Well Simon, that's me by the way, I'm in multiple personality mode at the moment (no youre not), hhhmmmm

Anyway, as you so rightly mentioned it would be a tremendous boon for anyone inventing their own effects, for example if you are looking for a force that specifically uses the bottom card, or the top card or even the middle card, the second frrom the top etc. then I guess this book could come in handy. £35 still sounds very expensive though for this type of book though.

bottom line. Excellent review.

I challenge someone to try and master all 500.
Nonetheless, sounds like the most comprehensive guide to every possible method of forcing a card. Out of my price bracket, but nice to know it exists.
Gopal

It sounds like a good charity fund rasing stunt - do as many of the 500 forces as possible in under 1 hour or something!

Mandrake wrote:It sounds like a good charity fund rasing stunt - do as many of the 500 forces as possible in under 1 hour or something!

If you did, some of the sharper members of the audience might catch on after they've picked the same card 150 times

If you did, some of the sharper members of the audience might catch on after they've picked the same card 150 times

LOL! Funny I could get away with it.

Anyway,
I got this book for free (or was it less than free). I ordered 'Seventh Heaven' and got this one and so, he sent me 'Seventh Heaven' and he told me to keep this one, because he'd personallised it.
They are both excellent.
http://www.talkmagic.co.uk/ftopic3715.php

I agree, this book is excellent and has helped me create a bit of variety in the openings of some of my older effects. Yes, I'd give it 10 out of 10 too.

SGC

for a heck of a lot less, you should be able to get a copy of Anemanns 202 forces, all of which are no doubt in this book.
Ted Anemann had a heck of a job comming up with 202, so I cant help but wonder where the others have appeared from .

D.

500 ways to force a card?

holy mother...

why do u need 500 forces.Even if you learn 500 i am certain that you will use less than 50 forces.unless of course you have certain tricks that need card(s) forced in certain ways

Out of these 500 forces what ones are considered the best.

I find the riffle down & then pull of at the break & the hindu shuffle force simple to do but are there any better, more reliable?

The classic force is a thing of beauty but of course not a guarantee, in fact I have found that most people will deliberatly go for one of the cards that have either gone passed or haven't yet been spread out.

500 forces....!! WOW

But I bet he missed the 'OK there are 52 cars in the car park......'

or

'Ok there are 52 pairs of shoes in that shoe shop window......'

I'm gonna start my new book 501 (!) forces you never thought of

L8R

Who needs 500?

I've always survived on the 'pick this one or else' force

Are these forces, top notch, or something that anyone could figure out from past experience, like (the glide as a force)?

Man... I agree with those who think 500 is in excess. I get by with 3-5.

How many do the rest of you employ on regular basis? After getting a couple down well, have any of you thought "Man... I could really use 497 variations of this..."