"The King Has Left the Building...With Amnesia."

[Guest]

After reading Jeff Pierce new and highly refreshing book with many new plots and variations of great close up magic, I had a weird feeling, this is not a normal book with some boring plots, this is jammed packed with wonderful effects that makes you feel a breeze of refreshing and hot routines, this is really a goldmine of killer close up magic. Crystal clear writing style, goodbye old tricks, time for something new...

This is the link to the goldmine of wonders within the cover of this new book:

"The King Has Left the Building...With Amnesia."

Cost: $35.00 plus S&H for limited Edition of 100
will include my packet trick "Drop Dead Queens" as a bonus. Will also include a number of gaffs and accessories needed for some of the effects.

READ THE FULL CONTENT LIST HERE:
http://www.members.aol.com/jeffpiercemagic/magic.html

[Guest]

I just got a glimpse of it yesterday.
Jeff tells me he's already pre-sold 35 copies.
If you want yours, you better be quick.

[Guest]

I got a chance to 'proof' the galley and was ueber-impressed. My initial 'review' is on this page: http://www.members.aol.com/jeffpiercemagic/king.html

I just recieved the hardcopy & lemme tell ya...
Jeff has done a FANTASTIC job with the prouduction.

The only place Jeff erred was in pricing the book too low (IMO, the material is worth more than the asking price and the included 'freebies' make this offering worth MUCH more than $35.)

There's only 12 copies remaining...

My suggestion
IF you can afford it; buy all 12 and keep this wonderful material to yourself :D

2 cents spent,
Conn

[Guest]

The material is very good in the book. I found a number of routines that I will be using and only one that I won't bother with (involves a cigarette and as a former 3 pack a day guy I don't go anywhere near 'em). One of the best collection of magic I've seen in a while.
Steve V

[Guest]

I received my copy the other day and I agree. It is a great collection of material. If you missed out, I think it's now (or soon will be) available as an e-book.

[Guest]

It's available as an immediately downloadable Ebook for $25 from:

Magic Notes

Cheers,

Jamie.

[Guest]

Thanks to all for the kind words. ebook is also avaiilable on "The Second Deal" website for all you members of TSD, and on my website directly at:
http://www.members.aol.com/jeffpiercemagic/magic.html

Jeff Pierce

[Guest]

Name: The King Has Left the Building... With Amnesia.
Limited to 100 numbered, spiral bound copies
Cost: $25.00, available as a PDF from Jeffs site

Web address:
email: jeffpiercemagic@aol.com


I had pre-ordered the hard copy version of this book before Jeff announced he would be offering it as an ebook, I don't regret purchasing the paper version. Jeff has done an excellent job with crediting, something often overlooked as magicians rush to put things in print. Additionally, the illustrations by Reis O'Brien are outstanding, detailed illustrations can make or break a book, these are wonderful.

Jeff Pierce has put together a collection of material he has obviously audience tested throughout the years, some of the material is more commercial than the rest, but the variety included means there is something for everyone. I offer now the notes I made as I read through the book, tried material on unsuspecting audiences, and toyed with the effects during small sessions with fellow magicians.

Empowerment - A fun routine involving 2 spectators, this is an effect you've probably seen in various incarnations, Jeff provides a routine that allows both spectators to feel good about themselves. I classify the routine as a transference of magical powers from the magician to the spectator. I will use this routine sooner than later.

Twisting Dimensions - I felt this routine attempts to pack too much into a small space. It begins with a twisting routine, then into a transposition, and ends with a color change. I find it is possible to have too many effects in a single routine, I will not use this routine.

Visual Unlink - Jeff provides 3 rubberband effects in this book. Although I have a solid multiphase rubberband set I already use, the effects offered by Mr. Pierce are worthy of study. This is a cleverly crafted unlink phase to add to a routine, not a standalone piece, but put it in the middle of a routine and the discrepancy will fly by the best. I'll play with this routine.

Rubberband Split - Wonderful introduction to a rubberband set. Requires you be setup prior to approaching a group but the setup is easy and offers strong magic if you properly focus the attention. I will play with this one.

Shrinking Band - Nice easy get-ready, good visual melting away of a rubberband. I have my own interpretation of this effect but will play around with what is offered here.

Title effect - Well structured transposition. Jeff Pierce apparently likes routines that offer an opportunity for story-telling. Not necessarily my style, but the effect here is worthy of study and is very strong magic. This reminds me of Steve Freeman's Time Machine as published in Card College. I will continue to use Time Machine as I'm not much of a story teller.

Remove Viewing - Great ideas which could be used with wallet loading or other card to impossible locations.

Card Whisperer - A freely selected card is cut into the deck, the magician names the location of the card and the spectator finds the card at that location. Excellent effect which can be used as a lead in to some other effects nicely. This will be added sooner than later to my regular material.

What's Your Name - Mr. Pierce's handling of a Sankey routine. I think this would obviously be strongest with a little pre-show work so the first time you ask for the spectators name is at the denouement of the routine. I will dig up the Sankey reference and compare routines but likely add one of the two.

Light My Fire - Those who know me know I like offbeat material. This is one of those routines, although I would change a few pieces should I ever perform it, or start smoking. It's a well structured routine using a cigarette lighter with a nice unexpected ending. Simple to perform, and interesting even without the accompanying story.

An Open Connection - Open prediction. I wish I had remembered this the other night. I have toyed with several versions of the effect but never found one I kept. This could be the one. If you are familiar with the plot, this routine offers a slight variation but one I propose is equally magical. I will use this.

Four the Hard Way - Think Williamson's Torn and Restored Transposition with
4 spectators. I love the routine this stemmed from, and I like this one as much. Any time you tear a card into pieces people sit up and pay attention.
This offers some strong magic for every person in a small group, worthy of your attention.

The Substitute - Copper-Silver done without the requisite coins. Once again, I am a lover of off beat material. This routine isn't technically demanding, isn't hard to prepare, and offers an opportunity for some excellent table magic. I will use this effect.

I didn't mention every effect offered in the book, but did include a wide range of material, some I felt was strong, some I would change, and some I won't perform. Most of the effects I left out I didn't find would fit my style or for whatever reason, didn't catch my eye as I read through the book. As you can see, I found more than one routine I will quickly add to my performing repertoire, something I can't say about all the books I've purchased this year. The vast majority of the material doesn't require difficult sleight of hand, but you should be comfortable handling an audience.

Recommended - 3.75/5 Tally Ho's

John Bodine

[Guest]

Thanks for your review, John. I haven't gone through all the routines, but I love Twisting Dimensions. I have heard your complaint about other card effects. I am still pondering the validity of this kind of criticism. Thanks for making me think. :confused:

[Guest]

Sam, I find reviews worthless if the reviewer does not provide their true feelings on the item. In the case of the twisting routine, I found that I had to reread the effect several times, and thinking of how a layperson would react found me asking myself what the effect was. Did a card turn over? Did they all turn over? Did one just disappear and reappear elsewhere? Did they all change colors? I certainly like multi-climax routines, but I found this to be a little much. Take one or two pieces out and I think it would play stronger.

I must admit I didn't try this out on a sampling of 100 people (or even 1) but instead found it didn't match my style or my thinking.

Many other effects from the book do however, and I will be using them. The material Jeff Pierce offers is outstanding, and I do not regret having purchased the book, something I can't say about every book or set of notes I've purchased. Again, recommended reading.

And if my review made you think about things, all the better. ;)

johnbodine

[Guest]

I received the ebook version of TKHLTB... WA for review on Conjure Nation. What follows is the majority of that review:


First of all the look and feel of this product is superb. Jeffs writing is clear, and the layout is crisp and readable even with as many as five illustrations on a page. One of my biggest complaints with magic books in general is that illustrations often arent anywhere near the text they are supposed to support. Great care was obviously taken to ensure this book is a functional learning text as well as a record of the effects and their methods. Reis OBrians illustrations are both functional, and a joy to look at. He draws with a style which looks like a hybrid of the funky illustrations from the Las Vegas Close-Up/SuperMagic era of works by Paul Harris, and early Walt Disney. These images are very suitable to the subject matter which Jeff honestly describes a collection of personal variations. His stated goal is to provide the reader with at least one effect, one routine or one idea that will guide you and your magic forward. I believe that he has succeeded in that goal, and perhaps achieved a bit more along the way.

One thing I particularly liked was that when a script is given it is in a bolded version of the font used for the descriptive text. The subtle implication is that the words are more important than the method, a sentiment with which I concur.

A brief digression: writing magic book and trick reviews is a bit like writing an employee review. Anything less than he walks on water during a typhoon is likely to spell doom. When it comes to magic books, if you write anything less than glowing praise it may be taken to mean that you dont care for the material or that its not of value. This makes it very hard to review books like The King Has Left The Building With Amnesia, because they arent ever going to be something you can honestly rave about. No reviewer reading this book is going to love every item (nor should he) and unless youve seen the performer wow an audience with a trick its often difficult to see that its the killer item that it could very well be. It is not, however, difficult to see the potential in much of what is contained in the digital covers of this manuscript.

Of the thirty items in this manuscript I found a number of them to be of personal interest. Of course, none of that matters to Tony Cabral or Tony Miller (or any of the other Tonys out there reading this) because our performance styles are different and the material we choose is too. So in an effort to be fair to the author, and to the readers of this review I took the easy way out. Ive provided a menu of the contents of The King Has Left The Building With Amnesia so that you can decide for yourself if there is something youd like to taste.

On to the buffet:
Thinking Inside The Box a thought of card travels to inside the card case where it is found sandwiched between two Jokers. A practical method for the sandwich effect, and the spectator himself removes the three cards from the card case. The method of dealing with the chosen card, which is similar to the one used in Paul Harris Reflex, could be replaced with another control, should you wish to use a signed rather than a thought of, card.

Empowerment a pair of spectators are empowered to perform an effect with a selected card. The first spectator, whose eyes were closed while the selection was made, names the chosen card. Then the person who chose the card causes the selection to pass through the table into the hands of the person who named it. The method requires that one spectator participate in the deception, but unless you completely misread your audience thats not likely to be a problem.

While reading this, I thought of Simon Lovell. This is just the sort of direct method and interactive effect that he loves and could make into five minutes of fun with a couple. Its also an inspirational idea that should get you thinking about other ways to empower your spectators. Id like to see the same effect reworked so both spectators are fooled by one of the effects.

Twisting Dimensions a very standard Twisting the Aces effect using the Ascanio Spread and an extra, odd-backed, ace. Nothing new here, but I did like the Fifth Dimension joke

Visual Rubber Band Un-Link this is probably one of those worth the price of the booklet sorts of things if you enjoy magic with rubber bands. Ive never been a huge fan of them and when I returned in magic and found that in my absence they had become a sub-genre I was a bit surprised. If you do CMH (as it has become known) then this method, for unlinking them, one strand at a time, will certainly appeal to you.

Rubber Band Split- an easy and practical method for splitting one rubber band into two. A nice way to segue from an effect like the Fenn/Jordan Pack That Cuts Itself, into a linking bands routine.

The Shrinking Band one of the bands visibly shrinks until it vanishes completely. A suggestion by Doug Conn allows you to finish with a very tiny rubber band, making this a transformation rather than a vanish. This item, and the preceding one, would make nice bookends to a rubber band routine since it would allow you to put the split band back together

The King Has Left the Building with Amnesia this is one of those tricks that wont excite magicians but I suspect it plays very strongly with the laity. Elvis fans will of course be entertained and likely ask to see it again on repeat visits to your venue.

Remote Viewing A story trick wherein a card takes the place of an enemy spy and is identified by the psychic method of remote viewing

The Card Whisperer A clever presentation, in which the cards tell the magician how far down in the pack the selected card, lies. The idea that one has such mastery of the pack that the cards speak to him has been explored before by Paul Harris (The Language of the Cards) and Darwin Ortiz (The Zen Master). This is a much easier and more direct effect, which should appeal to many.

Whats Your Name? a simple and commercial revelation of a forced card.

Light My Fire another simple and commercial trick using a Bic disposable lighter in a paddle effect that climaxes with the lighter shrinking to a mini-Bic.

Cash Deposit a transposition effect using a bill and a cash deposit slip. A nice way to get the money on the table and it could play bigger than a close up effect if youre working a twelve top or a party.

An Open Connection a simple to do version of the Curry Open Prediction which deviates from the premise in that it follows the more common theme of the prediction being a color/value match instead of a written down and known card. Worth doing.

A Guarded Revelation an interesting magician names a selected card effect using a stacked pack and a Porper Card Guard to isolate the cards.

The Rule Of Three twice this year Ive seen variations on the old Chicago Opener (Red Hot Mama) which I actually find interesting. This is the other one. Im not going to tell you about it because you will do it and you should have to pay for it. Ill just say that unlike Closes story approach, this is a demonstration of perception. An observation test but not quite so annoyingly framed.

Two Degrees of Separation Out Of This World.

Four The Hard Way reminiscent of Harry Andersons Gang Of Four but without the elaborate gaffed card. A Joker which was selected by accident is torn into four quarters. Each piece is waved over a folded selection held by a spectator whereupon it is discovered to have transformed into a corner of the folded card the spectator holds. The selections are now each missing a piece. This is the sort of complex effect which, properly presented can kick an audiences collective butt. In the wrong hands it will lie there like a dog. Youll have to decide if you can put this across.

Hugs And Kisses A card matching effect using the old writing implement that cant write dodge. As it uses a couple it would be fine for anniversary parties, dating couples at the restaurant, etc.
Paid In Full Miraskill done with currency. A fine effect, but nothing earth-shattering. This is the second presentation for the trick (Mr. Close has one in Closely Guarded Secrets) Ive read this year. Whats going on here?

Predict-A-Wave a variant of 8 Card Brainwave. I suggest you do this with your business cards instead of index cards. Youll thank me, and Jeff.

The Worlds Greatest Assistant spectator selects four cards, that the cards know her name. A layout trick which will require quite a bit of table space.

The Substitute a copper/silver style transposition using sugar and a sugar substitute. No mention of Michael Ammars Did you order salt or pepper, which is a logical precursor of this effect. A more meaningful substitute for halves and English pennies if you work where people eat or drink

A Lucky Cut spectators match each others, cut to, cards.

The Match Game a spectator inserts a freely chosen card next to its color and value mate.

Soulmates a Triumph effect where your selected card and one taken by a spectator are the only ones reversed at the end. A clever construction, but not my cup of tea. If you like the idea I think youll be happy with the method.

The Double-Joined Card a handling and presentation for Card Warp, and the Card Warp Deck. I like the premise, and Jeffs presentational extension of the idea Card Warp Deck is charming. I remain unconvinced that using a dollar bill for Card Warp in any significant way improves Card Warp, but neither does it harm the effect in this presentation. If I didnt already have an original script of my own for Card Warp I would do this.

Red, Write & Blue Standup mentalism with playing cards. This effect that involves multiple methods blended such that back-tracking those method(s) would be impossible for an audience. In this case two Si Stebbins stacked packs, one of which is shuffled by an audience member and one of which is (false) shuffled by you are used, along with two pens of differing colors which, while un-gaffed are not exactly as they appear either, and some assorted psychological shading. Its a complex routine, on the back end, but clear and direct from the audiences perspective. Tom Cutts published this in AM/PM, in the Jan/Feb 2002 issue. If you have that issue now would be a good time to re-read that effect.

A Hard Habit To Break a transposition effect using a cigarette, a cigarette tube and sugar.

Tomorrows Technology Today a nice effect using the $100 bill switch to transform a bill into a miniature bill. The patter line justifies the folding of the bill as it makes it appear smaller (half the size, a quarter, etc.). A nice idea.
A bit of confusing crediting here: Mike Kozlowski is credited with the bill switch (dated 1977) and it is stated that it was first published in 1995. I recall seeing a mimeo/Xerox manuscript of the Kozlowski method before the publication of Roger Klauses method in Encore III (1983). I dont know if this is a typo or mistaken citation.