Mentalism publications

[Joe M. Turner]

If that's the way we will judge "need," then there seem to be plenty of people ready to pay for the privilege of receiving Genii and other magic magazines, too.

It was a nice try, Mr. Reynolds, but it falls flat in the light of the tone Mr. Manor took. If we judge "need" by requirements for human survival, nobody "needs" mentalists anymore than they need Genii Magazine.

If "need" is determined by having people ready to pay for something, then magazines and mentalists share that in common, too.

But if people "need" food and it comes down between that and a magic magazine or a mentalism performance, we're both kidding ourselves if we define "need" so self-aggrandizingly to attempt to include one and exclude the other.

I respect Mr. Manor, though I've met him only once. I enjoyed seeing him perform at a trade show a couple of years ago. But the approach he has taken in some of his posts in this thread is really kind of absurd.

JMT

[Ray Haddad]

Originally posted by Lior Manor:

Why do you say that I complain?? I just say that we don't need magic magazines It is 2002 and everything can be done on the web We don't call it "complain" in Hebrew . We call this is what I think. I don't ask Mr. Kaufman or Allan to improve.

Looks like you all ignore the main message:
We don't need magic magazines anymore!!!

Now let me say more:
I have all the respect for Richard Kaufman He did a lot for the art of magic with all the books that he published and all the illustrations . Great job. But I don't agree on the magazine...
sorry

Lior,

I understand what you are saying completely. Realize that many have differing opinions than you do. In fact, the subscribers to Genii all must or they would no longer be subscribers.

I am stating that you are complaining because, quite simply, you are. You are complaining that the content of magazines is not up to your standards and therefore you feel they are no longer necessary to you. You also state that this is due to the poor coverage of mental magic and mentalism.

I once again suggest that instead of voicing these complaints on a Genii Magazine bulletin board, that you become part of a solution. Perhaps you are right about mental items not being present but the fault for that remains not with Mr. Kaufman but the authors who never submit their articles or ideas for inclusion in Genii.

If you sit on your ideas and complain that others don't write or publish what you want to read, are you part of the problem instead of being part of the solution? I think so.

As I said before, I respect you for your work and your knowledge of mentalism. The only thing I see coming from you in this thread is your lack of understanding about magazines. There's not a staff of writers at Genii. The articles come from the readers of the magazine.

Books on the other hand are self directed and often self published with the profit motive being vested in the author. Magazines have many authors of which you could be one. Perhaps if you started writing some articles for Genii others might be inspired to do the same and Genii would become more of what you think a magazine should be.

The web doesn't hold as much promise as you think it does, Lior. The magic sites I visit have perhaps 2000 - 3000 members many of which are sock puppets or single users with multiple screen names. Bounce that against the subscribership of Genii or Magic Magazine and see where the interest lies. On almost all of those sites, members lose interest in a few months and only a handful of hard core of users remain.

I think that Mr. Kaufman does a fabulous job and I hope he continues to publish Genii at the current level of quality. I also think that you, Lior, could contribute to Genii in a far more positive way than saying magazines like Genii are dead. Help to breathe new life (more to your liking, anyway) into the magazine by publishing some incredible, Lior Manor exclusive articles.

Best,
Ray

[Dustin Stinett]

Originally posted by Lior Manor:
We don't need magic magazines anymore!!!

You may not need it, Mr. Manor. But perhaps others do. I find it personally objectionable that anyone would categorically state that “we don't need” something; even something as simple as a magic magazine, simply because he doesn't like or “need” it. You do not speak for me.

To Joe Turner's point, I do not “need” a great many things.

I did not “need” to subscribe to Genii.
I did not “need” my copy of Germain the Wizard.
I did not “need” my copy of T.A. Waters' Mind, Myth & Magick (is that in your 5%?) or any of the other hundreds of books upon my shelves.
I did not “need” to go to the cinema the other day.
I did not “need” to go to Disneyland last week.
I did not “need” to connect to the Internet.

There's certainly a lot to be said for desire.

But then again, perhaps I do “need” these things in my life! If only for a moment, these simple pleasures and diversions take my mind off of the troubles of everyday life. I, for one, need that. Whether I'm strolling through Disneyland with my family and friends or listening to a recording of Karl Germain from 1949: Be it watching the range of Mike Meyer's talent (from the banal to genius) in his latest movie, or the tactile pleasure of picking up the current Genii (as opposed to downloading it), I need these little things.

I am not going to limit myself to a single source of entertainment and information, even if the Internet really could replace and/or fulfill all those “needs” (it can't, and it's ignorant to believe that it can). To do so is to condemn myself to a world of limits; sitting in front of a computer monitor waiting to be entertained and/or informed. What a sad and dreary existence. I prefer the limitless choices available to me; including magic magazines.

Dustin
(A Needful Creature)

[Richard Kaufman]

:) :) :mad: :) :)

[Richard Kaufman]

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Richard Kaufman]

:p :p :p :p :p :p :p :p

[Richard Kaufman]

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

[Richard Kaufman]

Any questions?

[Ray Haddad]

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
Any questions?

Richard,

Perhaps you can tell us who got which face series. Enquiring minds want to know.

Best Always,
Ray

[Joe M. Turner]

Lior Manor:

I am in response of your snide and condescending email. If you have anything to say to me, you can say it here.

Clearly you were unable to comprehend the point I was making. I can live with that. I was surprised that you can dish out criticism about the "need" for magic magazines, but can't seem to take it gracefully when the question of "need" was applied to your own work.

I don't need your "tips" regarding my career or business ventures at this time. I really am surprised and disappointed in your attitude and reactions in this thread. I had thought more highly of you than that, and certainly more highly of you than to start spouting off little email jabs to attempt to prove how much more successful you are than I will ever be.

My point, as clearly as I know how to state it, is that it is just as easy to argue that people don't need "mentalists" or "magicians" any more than they need "magic magazines" or "impression devices" or "television specials."

What we do "need," in my opinion, is to act like adults.

I am really disheartened by your behavior, which is really far beneath your quality as a performer.

I offer you my best wishes, and invite you not to email me again with the tone of your previous communication. I will happily address any questions you have about my post here on the board.

Regards,
Joe

[Lior]

Hello Dustin and thanks for your post

You are absolutely right in what you said
let me change the "we" to "I"

"I don't need a magic magazine"

I need to go to the cinema
I need to go to Disneyland with my family
but I don't need a magic magazine.

2 months ago I got a letter from Jenii,asking what was the reason that I dropped off.
The reason Is: I can find what "I" need on the web
.
I didn't say anything about your life, I didn't say
that the Internet is my or yours only source of entertainment and information
I just said it about magic magazines.

I love magic as much as you do
I am a nice person as much as you are
(well not that nice according to Joe Turner)
My topic was do "I need a magic magazine" and not what we or I need in life

Lior Manor

by the way
TA Waters book is 95% of nothing

Next time I will post my (not us)list
of favorite book :)

[Joe M. Turner]

> You are absolutely right in what you said
> let me change the "we" to "I"
>
> "I don't need a magic magazine"

Well at least we got that sorted out.

JMT

[Lior]

62 12 9..............
To all who read this thread
Go to the beginning of the thread
read all my posts and try to find where did I become such
a bad person,
see who started being rude.
(some thing with wake up Lior)
read again what is the topic...

I am sorry that it is like that now.

I will start over again and I hope that Turner wont find it rude.
This are my personal opinions:

Carlos Hampton
was asking about mentalisem Magazines:
By this question I understand that you want to be a mentalist
or you like mentalisem very much.
Let me try to help and make some short cuts:

The best thing that I can say is join the PEA.
They all love mentalisem there (and there is a
nice magazine with a lot of routines that you'll find in
your mail box every month (if you feel
that you need that joy in your life LOL))

Here are some tips that I am happy to share
about mentalisem:

some magic books that I like and helped me
in the mentalisem and the trade shows world
---------------------------
Pen and Teller (all the 3)
Bill Herz and Paul Harris
Wise guy
Sonta
Magic as a hobby
Tarbell 5
13 steps
Bill Goldman
(I can PM you what exactly I use from this books)
Lorine Memory book

Magic Magazines
---------------------
Opus (out of print)
on line -visions

Mentalisem Forums on the net
---------------------------------
The magic cafe ( a good forum with a lot of big names
and interesting people and very few people how hate mentalisem)
The PEA digest (just for PEA members)

Mentalisem books that will give 5 you different programs (if you need more then 1)

(it is more the authors)
--------------
Banachek
Cassidy
Bush
Richardson
Dyment
Lesley
Riggs
Jas Jakutsch
13 steps
Max Maven color books
Kreskin books

(Karmelovitz ,Berglas) I hope in the near future

TV
-----
Kreskin (look and listen)
Pen and Teller (the best thing that happened to magic)
David Blaine (new concept for Magic on TV- the spectators are important
a little bit more then a perfect pass)
try to really understand why the public love Blaine

----------------------------------------
Some other things that I think will help learning being a good mentalist:
I hope that you have a strong personality, an interesting persona,
People want to be with your company, you can communicate very fast
you care about your audience and not about how good you do the pass,
You have a character (the best is being yourself but you can play someone else)
you have a good understanding in PR (learn from Uri Gellr).
You don't go up there to prove that you can do something,and that you are smarter
then your audience.
There are some mentalists that can stand on the stage for more then 20
minutes with a blindfold on their face , There are some that you can not see more then
5 minutes with nothing on their face.

you spend 95% of the time on this subjects and only 5% on reading
new stuff.

try this:
ask few people to write few questions for a Q and A routine
Then try to answer them ( you can see the questions)
If you were interesting then you are on the right way
If not,,,,,

let me finish with my view about Trend Setters by Harry Loryane:
It contains an uninteresting mish- mash of meager variations...
So many of his books makes the claim to contain material "held back" that it's
usually impossible to take seriously,as is the concurrent claim in
virtually every book he's published for 25 years that it would be
his "last book".

62 12 9..............
Lior Manor

PS Syzygy will have the last 9 issues in one issue very soon

[Joe M. Turner]

Lior:

Please try to calm down. I don't believe I've said you were a bad person. I think some of the reactions here have gone way over what was called for.

There is nothing wrong with saying "We don't need mentalists" or with saying "We don't need magic magazines." The statements may be correct or incorrect, but they're not moral claims.

What I think was rude was the response that seemed to indicate that mentalists were above being questioned with regard to their "necessity." I simply applied the same idea to mentalism that had been applied to magic magazines. I don't see why that has been considered such an insult.

What *is* condescending is to get an email bragging about someone's fees as if that should change my perspective about what had been said here on the forum. Nobody has to convince me that mentalists can get paid more than magicians, but that was completely irrelevant to the discussion of "necessity."

We clearly intepret the word "need" very differently. Perhaps we all "need" to take a deep breath and stop taking everything so personally. That goes for myself, too.

By the way, I don't hate mentalism, mentalists, or mental magic, and I'm really confused that someone would draw that conclusion from a simple statement that we don't "need" them. "Need" is not the same as "like" or "enjoy."

Best wishes,
Joe

[Guest]

*"let me finish with my view about Trend Setters by Harry Loryane:
It contains an uninteresting mish- mash of meager variations...
So many of his books makes the claim to contain material "held back" that it's
usually impossible to take seriously,as is the concurrent claim in
virtually every book he's published for 25 years that it would be
his "last book".*

Lior... I've felt this way about most of the books put out in the past 25 years... ESPECIALLY those on card work. Nonetheless, it has become an "accepted/ignored" aspect of our trade, sustained by many.

I wont get into the entire rue here... I think, just in my scanning over everything, it's gone waaaay too far. On the other hand, I bet it's taught folks involved with writings and publishing, some very important bits of perspective.

Admittedly I haven't read a Genii or even a copy of Magic in years. I've never subscribed to any such publication (other than Syzygy some time back, but let that laps as well.) As I stated previously my only major gripe on any publication, has been the plethora of over-hyped ads selling someone's variation on someone esle's thinking. In short, I'm tired of seeing false accolades no matter what it may be about. I know magazines need advertisers due to the cost of printing, distribution, etc. To my knowledge however, I don't believe any of the magazines are paying anyone outside a chief editor, publisher, etc. for their contributions (I may be wrong, but I've found this the more common case in any "specialty" market.)

Like everyone here, I love magic (more than it loves me, it would seem). I have found exceptional value in most all the resources we have available to us on and off line. I do however prefer printed resources for the sake of being able to categorize and have access to it WHEN I WANT IT... can't do that on line when the power's out, servers are being serviced, etc.

One last point of observation... The "Value" of something is in the eyes of the beholder. I know of guys that drop hundreds and even thousands of dollars on "Markting Programs" in hopes of getting one thing... one new angle, that will help get one more job. IN that 95% of the over hyped programs of this kind out there are rewrorded version of Dale Carnigie's thinking... well, need I say more? Some here have expressed this same attitude towards magazines, not feeling ripped off because they found a new idea, a new bit of information or even an ad that lead to a cool peice for their act that no one else gets the same kind of reaction from... e.g. what is one man's trash might very will be another person's salvation/treasure. I think that's the bottom line.

From what I know about Richard's work on Genii and his reputation as a human being, I'm betting he's put out a sound quality product the Larsen's would be proud of. I'm certain he'll be making some interesting "improvements" as the end result of this discussion too.

Oh... in line with that "final comment" issue... I know many "old timers" (trust me, I am in that stage of life that places me on the fringe of such roles) that speak negatively about T.A.'s book(s). I have used some of that thinking to great success. I know many of the younger students out there that have fallen in love with T.A.'s thinking and use it steadily... again, with great success. So it is very possibly that you're only choosing to see 5% of anything being good, applicable, and practical to your style of performance and thought???

Just a thought :D

[C. Hampton]

Craig,

you have in the past recommended the writings of Kenton. Now you are mentioning the book of TA Waters, which I'll keep in mind as well.

I would like to know if you or any of the other members know if the material of Stunners from Larry Becker is any good and where I can find it.

Lior, I'm taking note of your recomendations as well.

Thanks to all. ;)

[Ray Haddad]

Originally posted by Carlos Hampton:


I would like to know if you or any of the other members know if the material of Stunners from Larry Becker is any good and where I can find it.

Thanks to all.

Carlos,

The material from Stunners is nearly all unique to that book. Only a few of the routines are available in other places. As to worth, I paid a fortune for a copy of Stunners and got paid more than the cost of the book for one show performed using just one effect from that book.

Remember, worth is what you place on something and it is completely relative.

If you want a copy of that book to look at the cover, having one is worth the cost regardless of the content.

If you want a copy of that book to perform just one effect and it makes you happy, it's worth the cost.

In my case, I found every item written about had something to teach me and I eagerly read every word devouring the content with as much gusto as if it were a gourmet pizza. Worth? To me, the value comes in the form of priceless content in Stunners for both the knowledge and the application of the knowledge.

Best Alway,
Ray

[C. Hampton]

Ray, any idea of where can I find it? Is it out of print?
When you say a fortune, how much are we talking about?

Thanks

[Ray Haddad]

Carlos,

The book originally sold in hardback for $150.00 and was numbered and printed in limited quantities. They have sold for as much as $800.00 US on e-Bay for the hard bound book and as high as $200.00 for the paperback version.

They are out of print and most people hold onto their copy. Now and again, one comes available. If you do a search on e-Bay, use the word "Stunner" and not the plural "Stunners" because a unique quirck in their search software turns up misspellings of the title. A friend of mine got one that was misspelled for only $39.00 US, the opening bid. Of course, I hate him.

Best Always,
Ray

[Lior]

TA Waters never did a show
so some of the stuff was never tried by him
I am sure that there are some good ideas in there
But I haven't found them
I have his tapes as well and again ....

but again this is me ...
and I think that part of this forum is helping
each other and spend the time in the right place.
If you know me or think like me :don't read
TA . If you are not : read it and have a lot of fun.

I never meat him and I am sure that he was a great person.

Lior Manor

[Guest]

Ahh... where do you get off saying T.A. NEVER DID A SHOW?

Genii's tribute to T.A. started off with an outline describing how he opened his stage shows... T.A. spoke frequently of shows he'd done, his roles in school plays, etc.

Are we talking about the same really big bald guy with great insights, that hung around the Mark Wilson warehouse and had deep near philosophical discussions on a regular basis in Vernon's corner at the Castle?

From what you're describing here, it sounds like a completely different human being... I just need to clarify things. :rolleyes:

[Lior]

Did you see his show??
Other people say that he didn't do any
mentalisem shows for lay audience.

Lior Manor

[Dustin Stinett]

For what it's worth:

I never saw T.A. Waters perform live. In fact, I had only become acquainted with him just a few months before his passing. I can tell you that in that short time what I learned from him was an emphasis on performing for real (lay) people and not magicians. I got the distinct feeling that he felt that performing for magicians was the worst thing one could do. He did not say that specifically, so I could be wrong, but that was the message I received. Also, it was because of him that I resumed acting lessons.

So could he perform? At Waters' memorial, Jim Steinmeyer played a videotape of a performance that Waters had done for the pilot of a British television show. It was a very stunning performance. It's true that he was playing a character role, but he performed the pieces in front of a live audience and he performed them very well. He may have been “just” acting, but isn't that what we're all supposed to be doing? As I said, he performed the pieces in real time; there was no TV “magic” involved. Either he was an exceptionally gifted actor or he was a good actor drawing on his experience as a performing mentalist. Whichever one it was is meaningless: his performance was incredible.

Dustin

[Lior]

I am sure that TA was a great person
(I know that Paul Alberstat can tell more about him).
He had a lot of knowledge and did a lot of thinking.
But for me he wasn't an inspiration.
There are a lot of thinkers in our field, some of them can give
a great lecture at a magic club or in a magic convention.
some of them can write great columns in a magic magazine
But they are nothing in the real world.
That's why they spend more time in magic clubs and not outside them.

I found TA books useless for me.

(It was also useless for a lot of my friends that are all
full time working professionals)
When I first got the book I was amazed how one person can think and write
so much stuff but then I understood.
I am sorry to say that I haven't found any routine that I can use
(and I don't work for magicians at all).
I know many great people that are bad magicians/mentalists
but they are good people ,and good friends.
Do I need to say that they wrote a great magic book if they didn't?
(see the review above of Trend Sitters by Harry Loraine)

On the other hand : I would love to find something there
(I have a show for a company for the 8 times this lat 2 years
I need new stuff....LOL) no cards no Tarot please.
lets talk more mentalisem and less....

Lior Manor

[Guest]

Usually you will find that the great thinkers and writers are NOT great performers. You will also discover that many of the incredible performers are NOT great writers or even thinkers. Even Copperfield has others in a big think tank to help to create. It is a very rare thing to have both. T.a. did perform, just not outstanding according to many. He was an actor as well as a writer for other books besides magic and mentalism.

Lior is correct about a lot of the material T.a. wrote too, especially in M.M.&M. His essays on "readings" and "pumping techniques" are IMHO worth the price of the book however, they were not "break through" material for me as I was well aware of them previously as many experienced mentalists were/are. As for his routines in that book, there are only two that I have ever performed (and I do not perform them on a regular basis) and in fact I know very few that do.

Now many, myself included did get some "ideas" and motivation from it however there are more that did not, Lior included. Lior is very correct when he points out that there are many magicians that make their money from magicians only, nothing wrong with that but their material is not necessarily something that is practical in the real world. Much of that material and much of what you will find in magic books today are written for the majority of magic enthusiasts that crave their trick of the day. They skim their new books for something that interests them, they try it, do it for a while and then throw their book on the shelf to collect duist with the rest of their books.

Actually, that is sadly not even the case any more as far too many of the younger enthusiasts are even too lazy to read and expect it to be shown to them in video and DVD now. Same outcome however. Most of the tricks that they learn are only interesting to magicians and really not to lay people. It can be a very daunting task to find something that magic enthusiasts like that is also suitable and practical to working professionals. The same goes for the latest tricks released in magic shops.

This is where Lior is coming from. He works for Fortune 500 companies, He works on television in front of audiences of hundreds of thousands at time. He does not want the latest permutation of the four ace trick. He wants REAL WORLD material that lay people enjoy. While T.a. Waters had some real world material, not all of it was however, not all of what T.a. wrote was for "performance" as written and was really intended to motivate and make you think along those lines to get you started on your own path of thinking. That IS a good thing.

If you want real world material, you must find lecturers and writers that will give you their own, well worked out routines and effects. I teach my actual routines in my own lecture. Bill Goldman writes about his own material that he performs in his magazine, Larry becker performs everything he lectures on as does Lee Earle. What many fail to realize is that their are different expectations between magic enthusiasts and professional performers. Then there are all those who's desires/needs fall somewhere between those two spectrums. For a dealer, a publisher or a lecturer, that is a very hard thing to cater to if you try to reach all of them.

PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat
http://www.stores.ebay.ca/abstagecraft

[Lior]

It is great for this forum to have people like Paul Alberstat .
Lets all drink some coffee.
Coffee is much better for a working mentalist.
I feel less nervous when I drink coffee
( and I can drink coffee while I 'm sleeping)
(for Q lol)

see you all on the other side
Lior manor

[Guest]

Originally posted by Lior Manor:
It is great for this forum to have people like Paul Alberstat .
Lets all drink some coffee.
Coffee is much better for a working mentalist.
I feel less nervous when I drink coffee
( and I can drink coffee while I 'm sleeping)
(for Q lol)

see you all on the other side
Lior manor

I plan on being back in Reno by mid-Spetember... let's all plan on meeting at Java Jungle along the River Walk and I'll buy the coffee! :D

Great post Paul and you are 100% on the mark.

And yes, Lior I have seen T.A. do close-up and some mentalism but not under "show" conditions... more like a group of friends gathered and sharing their lattest bits (at the Castle, of course.)

I must confess that I do not own a copy of MM&M but rather two of those little booklets of T.A.'s that ended up in said tome. From these I've borrowed and regularly use two key pieces (though I've twisted some of the workings)... pardon, I can't remember titles exactly, but there is a Medallion routine in which a prediction in an envelope, set within a drawer beneath the amulet display matches the person's choice... I've used a variation on this in Seance as well as parlor shows. Too, his "School boy" routine with the old Spirit Slates lent significant inspiration to the routine I now do... again, I've added some minor changes that in my opinion "improve" the overall bit, but the impetus came from T.A.

[Guest]

Thnaks for the kind comments Lior. As for coffee, let's all meet where we can get a good cup of coffee (Like Peat's) and not some overpriced garbage like Starbucks. Also, a good cup of coffee (black with nothing added) is a great tool of a thinking mentalist (as I know you and Ted Karmilovitch know, perhaps that reference will put you on the right train of thought in that regard). It is something that is very useful beside you when working impromptu. And in fact perhaps we can use this as a start to a new thread on useful techniques for the real world, working mentalist.

PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat
http://www.stores.ebay.ca/abstagecraft

[Joe M. Turner]

You guys meet for coffee, it's my treat.

No joke... send me the bill. I certainly don't make what Lior makes for a gig, but I'm not one to carry a grudge, even for a misunderstanding.

Best wishes and no hard feelings,
JMT

[Richard Kaufman]

Paul Alberstat wrote:
"This is where Lior is coming from. He works for Fortune 500 companies, He works on television in front of audiences of hundreds of thousands at time."

Yes, but that doesn't mean he's any good. Just because he works for large companies and on TV doesn't mean he doesn't suck! I'm not saying he sucks, because I've haven't seen him work (and after reading his snotty posts, frankly I don't care to). However, plenty of people can make the same claim and they stink to high heaven.
I also think we can avoid coffee snobbery on the forum!

[Lior]

Thanks Richard
You don't have to like me or think that I am good.
The people who take me for shows will say if I am
good or not...
You write like you are god...
( by the way ,I saw you on tape and I think that you are very bad magician. Maybe you got better
since I saw you . I hope so)
Why do you need a mentalisem forum over here??

I hope to see you soon
(maybe a cover story???)

Lior Manor

[Richard Kaufman]

Thank you Lior, you're too kind. Really.
I don't write like I'm "a god"--I write like the guy who's in charge here. If you don't like it, you can make your snotty remarks on another board.

[Philemon]

Richard,

If you're truly in charge here, then why are you only Member #3?

(Who are the first two members, anyways?)

Shades of "The Prisoner"...

:D

[Jim Maloney_dup1]

Originally posted by Philemon:
Richard,

If you're truly in charge here, then why are you only Member #3?

(Who are the first two members, anyways?)

Shades of "The Prisoner"...

:D

Webmaster Brad is #1...#2 apparently doesn't exist. Perhaps it's Robert Wagner?

-Jim

[Matthew Field]

Crikeys, guys. Lior has made his point. Everyone else has made noise (including me). Now we're name-calling.

Does anyone have anything meaningful to add?

Otherwise, this is tiresome.

So - - - what do you think of the David Hoy Book Test? How do you like The Mental Miracles of William Larsen, one of my favorite books?

Matt Field

[Q. Kumber]

Originally posted by Matthew Field:
So - - - what do you think of the David Hoy Book Test? How do you like The Mental Miracles of William Larsen, one of my favorite books?

Matt Field[/QB]

AAAhhhh.... The Mental Miracles. One of mentalism's best kept secrets

[Guest]

If one reads between the lines and updates some of the material, the Larsen Book has some of the BEST material in it for a working mentalist. It should be on everyone's shelf.
PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat
http://www.stores.ebay.ca/abstagecraft

And BTW, for anyone that is interested, I have seen Lior Manor work numerous times (not as mnay as his television audiences though but at least I have seen him live those times) and he really IS a good performer. His ability to adlib jokes on the spot in numerous languages is enviable as well as his talent.

Enough of the name calling though. I think it is about time to change this thread to another topic as Matthew is trying to do.

[C. Hampton]

Paul, before we move on I would like to thank everyone for their inputs on the subject. Now I know what I need to get, the shame is that most of the good stuff that everyone mentioned is out of print and very difficult to get my hands on.

Reference the Larsen book, is it also out of print? If not where I can find it and how much does it retails for?

Once again thanks to all. :D

[Guest]

If "The Mental Mysteries and Other Writings of William W. Larsen, Sr." is no longer available (Richard, Chief Genii: did Erika Larsen retain the rights to this book?), you can find a copy from time to time on ebay. As I write, there's a copy there with a bid of $53. (Search on 'larsen' and 'mental mysteries'.)

[Richard Kaufman]

The Larsen family has copies of The Mental Mysteries of William Larsen, Sr. for sale. I think they're going to place an ad in Genii in the November issue. They really don't have any system for ordering them in place, yet.
Anyway, don't pay big bucks on eBay: if you want one right away, you can get it (I'm sure) from John Greget in Scottsdale, Arizona.