John Keyes' "IMPROMPTU BOOK TEST"

[jkeyes1000]

INTRODUCTION:

There are many variations of “The Book Test”, but–the man who popularised it and rendered it a 'modern classic' was called Chan Canasta. In the 1950s and 1960s, he presented an astounding routine in which a book was selected by a volunteer. Chan would flip through the pages of the book rapidly whilst obtaining a general consensus from the audience that it would be virtually impossible for anyone to memorise the entire thing.

He would again flip the pages of the book before the spectator’s eyes and ask him or her to utter the first page number that came to mind.

He would pass the book to the volunteer and ask him or her to open it to the chosen page, and select a particular line. He would then proceed to recite the line!

This was achieved in part due to Chan’s photographic memory.

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Many magicians have attempted to duplicate this effect in sundry ways, few if any of them possessing Chan’s phenomenal ability.

Most resort to gimmicked books and/or some sort of code.

Those that do not are essentially doing the same thing as Chan Canasta, but–rather than memorising an entire page, they content themselves with memorising a word or a phrase.

The means by which Chan would 'force' the pre-determined page is that of stopping or 'stalling' at it, and hesitating for a second before riffling the rest of the book, mere inches from the volunteer’s face (similar to the “protrusion technique” of forcing a playing card, extending it towards the participant). Thus the volunteer would probably “think of” the right page number. Needless to remark, this method is not infallible.

Chan took many risks in his performances and occasionally fell short.

The following approach, when employed properly is genuinely fool proof; and this version has the distinct advantage of giving the volunteer a truly free choice of book from a library, a bookstore, or from any other source.

PRESENTATION:

At a bookstore, or at a library (any place at all where there are books), propose an experiment.

Mention a little history of “The Book Test” and explain the basic idea–that the performer will be able to recall a specific word or phrase on a given page IN A FREELY CHOSEN BOOK after having viewed the pages ‘at a clip’.

Tell the audience that it is a fact that the cerebral cortex records subliminal images of quickly moving objects (like the frames of a film) even while the conscious mind is unaware of it, and that you would like to show how one might maximise one’s brain efficiency.

Beseech a volunteer to choose a book from amongst all of the surrounding literature.

Request to see the book in order to confirm that it has page numbers (as some publications do not), and to ascertain its length–that is to say, the number of pages it contains. When you have assured yourself that the pages are numbered, turn to the back of the book and inform the crowd of the number of pages within it. Then induce the volunteer to get another book. This one for you. Encourage the participant to pick a book that he or she trusts that you are utterly unfamiliar with.

The book ought to be of roughly the same dimensions, but–it needn’t be precisely.

Politely interject that “What I would like you to do now is to decide upon the section of the book that we’re going to be using for this experiment.” Permit the volunteer to choose from the first hundred pages, the second hundred, the third hundred, the fourth hundred, etc. If the chosen book is a small one of less than two-hundred pages (say, a slim paperback), this step is not required. Just stay in the “1-100″ range. But–the book must have at least one-hundred pages. If it does not, kindly urge the volunteer to choose a chunkier book that offers “more of a challenge”.

When the volunteer returns with the second book, give him or her the one you were holding and take the other one.

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Now impart to the volunteer the manner in which the books are to be flipped (not too briskly, not too slowly), enabling him or her to see the right-hand (odd numbered) pages in the chosen portion. Tell the volunteer to meditate on the page numbers (whether they be at the bottom or at the top) and try to take in the corners of the pages at the same time, in an effort to impress the word or phrase at the end of each line on his or her sub-conscious.

When this has been done, implore the volunteer to reciprocate by flipping the pages of his or her book for your perusal.

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Further relate that in order to conduct the research, it is necessary to agree upon a page number that is common to both books.

“Let’s do it in the fairest way I know how”, you say.

“Take up a piece of paper and write down any page number (within the range you have chosen). Since we are focusing only on the right-hand pages of the book, all I will suggest is that it be an ODD NUMBER”.

Each having a blank sheet of paper and a pen or a pencil, both the performer and the volunteer may come up with THREE SETS of odd page numbers. As the statistical plausibility of both of you choosing the same number is of a low order, tell the volunteer that “We’ll strike a compromise. We’ll take the two closest numbers and split the difference. Alright?”

The volunteer is entreated to call off his or her first page number, after which the performer announces his first; followed by the second and the third.

The difference between the two most proximate numbers is halved and a compatible number is arrived at.

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Using the collaboratively devised number, both the performer and the volunteer then go to the matching page in their respective books.

The performer begins the excercise, on the pretext that it is easier for him to demonstrate than to expound upon the procedure of gazing at the word or words at the very tip of the page (i.e., the upper right or lower right hand corner), and endevouring to send a psychic 'signal' to one’s counterpart. Say that it is best to get plenty of light on the page (no shadows or obstructions, please!) and to look steadily on it whilst repeating the number in one’s mind.

Confess that you are in no wise certain that psychic energy will do the trick, but–that it couldn’t hurt.

In all likelihood, if you obtain success, it will be “due to the retention of the subliminal imagery”.

When the volunteer fails to guess the word or phrase, give him or her some hints.

Congratulate the volunteer on his or her foray into Mentalism and do the reverse. Have him or her scrutinise the other book (expressly, “the word at the end of the line”) and try to send you a signal.

After some strenuous extraction from your gray matter, you manage to evoke the very word!

METHOD:

Naturally–the page number is pre-conceived.

The word or phrase is gleaned when the performer scans the book initially (that is–AFTER LEARNING WHICH SECTION OF THE BOOK THE VOLUNTEER PREFERS TO USE). As the magician casually handles the book, the page number to be 'forced' is covertly accessed and the word or phrase at the end of either the first or the last line (depending on where the page numbers are situated–at top or bottom) is memorised.

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The secret is a very simple algorithm. When the volunteer chooses a page number, the performer THEN deduces his or hers (although–it is supposed to have been already written). The magician’s number is afforded by a chart that is inscribed on or printed and affixed to the cardboard backing of the pad of paper that he or she is equipped with (see below).

FORCE NUMBER: ( )51
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DOWNRANGE / UPRANGE

( )49 / ( )53
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( )47 / ( )55
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( )45 / ( )57
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( )43 / ( )59
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( )41 / ( )61
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( )39 / ( )63
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( )37 / ( )65
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( )35 / ( )67
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( )33 / ( )69
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( )31 / ( )71
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( )29 / ( )73
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( )27 / ( )75
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( )25 / ( )77
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( )23 / ( )79
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( )21 / ( )81
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( )19 / ( )83
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( )17 / ( )85
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( )15 / ( )87
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( )13 / ( )89
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( )11 / ( )91
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( )09 / ( )93
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( )07 / ( )95
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( )05 / ( )97
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( )03 / ( )99
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( )01 / ( )01

The “force number” shall be “51″ or “151″ or “251″ or “351″ etc., based on which section of the book the volunteer chooses. The reason for this is that you will need a practically equivalent number of pages in either direction in order to compute your 'average'. Simply remember to add the appropriate number (1, 2, 3, etc.) to the LEFT-MOST or HUNDREDS COLUMN before communicating your numbers.

If the “force number” is 151 and the volunteer says “183″, then the counter-response will be “119″. It is a simple matter of finding the participant’s number on your chart (in either the “DOWNRANGE” or the “UPRANGE” list) and claiming the opposite. The difference between 183 and 119 is 64. Halving this number yields 32. Which imports that the final figure (adding 119 to 32, or subtracting 32 from 183) will produce the number 151. This should be done with all three sets of numbers, so that regardless of which set is chosen, the result will be the same.

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If the volunteer should choose page number “1″, you would logically (according to the chart) retort with “101″ (likewise if he or she chose “101″, you would reply with “201″), which is BEYOND THE RANGE of “100-200″. However, it’s much more sensible (from the vantage of the audience at least) to volley with the highest odd number WITHIN THE RANGE–i.e., “99″. This anomaly will technically result in the wrong page number (49 rather than 51), but–since the numbers “1″ and “99″ are the MOST DIVERGENT within the range, they will be rejected–the object being to work with the two CLOSEST numbers. So long as the two NEAREST numbers bring forth “151″, the climax shall be undeferred.

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To begin the co-operative process of “electing a page number”, tear off a piece of paper from your pad and give it to the volunteer. Rip off the next sheet for yourself and place it over the backing board, so as to prepare it as a writing surface. In this manner, you can conceal the chart, but–easily refer to it by sliding the sheet to one side. As the participant is writing his or her page numbers, PRETEND to write yours.

Then demand his or her first number. Locate it on the chart and write both it AND YOUR CORRESPONDING NUMBER on the note paper. When all of the numbers have been exchanged, invite the volunteer (along with you) to calculate the difference between the two most neighbourly numbers. You can at last slap the sheet on the table for all to see, whilst pocketing the pad.

ADVICE:

Try to get the volunteer to give his or her preference for the PAGE RANGE while he or she is still searching for the second book. This will allow you sufficient time to shunt to that section of the book that you are holding and skip to the page at the “force number". Or, as you inquire which region of the book he or she wishes, you can blatantly separate the pages into 'bundles' in order to indicate the first hundred, the second hundred, the third hundred, etc. You can thereby mark several possible page numbers with your fingers (51, 151, 251, etc.), and when you hear which division the volunteer desires, you can deftly revert to it.

In the event that the volunteer should suddenly choose the second book, giving you little or no time to dwell on the page to be 'forced', prompt him or her to discover whether it has page numbers, how many pages it comprises, and/or where the page numbers are printed (at the top or at the bottom).With his or her eyes upon the second book, you may surreptitiously peer into the one you have in your hands. Memorise the word or phrase at the upper-right hand corner of the page if that’s where the page numbers are printed. If they are at the bottom, then memorise the word or phrase at the lower-right hand corner.

If you have a poor memory, you may write the word or phrase on the pad of paper as soon as you pick it up.

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The chart is useful regardless of which section of the book the volunteer chooses. For example: if the volunteer settles on the 300-400 page range, your “force” will be 351. Mentally add a “(3)” to the left side of all of the numbers on the chart. Except of course, the last, which will be “(4)01″; but–as I have said, this number is extraneous and may be dispensed with.

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There is a chance that there shall be NO TEXT at the corner of the page that you have 'forced'. If that is the case, simply state that it appears to be blank or describe the photo or the illustration instead.

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The drama may be enhanced to a yet–greater degree by feigning the difficulty of discerning the typography. Suggest a few alternate spellings of the word, as if you find it hard to distinguish between characters like “a” and “e” or “l” and “i”, before affirming your answer.

Ask the volunteer for clues if you wish to persuade the audience that you are straining to visualise the word or phrase.

Rely on THE VERITY THAT YOU ARE INDEED STRIVING TO RETRIEVE THE WORD OR PHRASE FROM YOUR MEMORY to lend credibility to your performance.

[Q. Kumber]

Thank you for posting that. I will print out to study properly.

It is a pleasant surprise when someone posts a full routine.

Like Gerald Deutsch and his Perverse Magic.