Little Egypt Card Tricks by Steve Bryant
Review by Dustin Stinett
In 2001, Steve Bryant appeared at the Magic Castle at a one-day convention arranged by Joe Stevens (it was for the GeMiNi site that was a great place to visit on the web).
After his segment, he was selling a few things he had and one of those wasat the timethe last copy of his book, Little Egypt Card Tricks.
I commented to another attendee, a fulltime professional (lets call him Paul), that it was among my favorite books and he should buy it. I promised him that if he didnt like it, I would buy it back from him. To this day, Paul has never asked me to buy the book back. Theres a good reason for that: It is a great book.
I learned on another thread that Steve has bound a couple handfuls worth of copies from the original print run (the book is comb bound). That means there are a few handfuls of this exceptional book for sale. And while I cannot make you, dear reader, the same buy-back promise I made Paul, I can promise you that if you get this book, you will not regret it.
Originally published in 1991, the subtitle of Little Egypt Card Tricks is Object Lessons in Personalized Card Magic. While this book is loaded with some fine card magicten tricksit is the lessons these tricks teach that make this book so great.
The effects are classic plots and include complete scripts. The scripts are intertwined with the procedure so the student can see where the lines and the actionsboth covert and overtblend.
The technical requirements of this work is within the grasp of the intermediate student and you need to know them, because there is little in the way of teaching in that regardbut again, that is not what this book is about. In fact, its not even about the tricks: you will learn a lot about magicyour magiceven if you never add one of these tricks to your repertoire.
Before the tricks, Mr. Bryant covers originality and other issues about presentation, and also details his eight Rules of the Game. (Rule Five is one to truly live by.) He closes the book with opinions on various subjects of interest to someone who wants to take his or her magic to a different level. Agree or not, his thoughts are compelling and, as is my belief, anything that gets you to think about your magic is worth while.
The writing is breezy and entertaining. It is profusely and wonderfully illustrated with art that has little to do (beyond symbolism) with the magic. Trust me, you wont be disappointed there either.
There are not many copies of this book left. In fact, as I write, there might not be any. The bottom line is, do inquire with Steve in case there are some. You dont want to be left out.
122 comb-bound 8 x 11-inch pages. $40 plus postage (for details see Steves site, which you should be visiting on a regular basis anyway).
http://www.littleegyptmagic.com/magic.html
Little Egypt Card Tricks: Steve Bryant
- Dustin Stinett
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Re: Little Egypt Card Tricks: Steve Bryant
I checked, it was sold out!
- Dustin Stinett
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Re: Little Egypt Card Tricks: Steve Bryant
Richard,
Did you check with Steve directly? Because on his online store, it says "Sold Out" because it has been for years. Steve did not change that when he put together these additional copies.
Dustin
Did you check with Steve directly? Because on his online store, it says "Sold Out" because it has been for years. Steve did not change that when he put together these additional copies.
Dustin
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Re: Little Egypt Card Tricks: Steve Bryant
Is this different to the hardcover book?
- Dustin Stinett
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Re: Little Egypt Card Tricks: Steve Bryant
This was never a hardcover book. You are thinking of the other two books in the "Little Egypt" series that were recently published by H&R Books. This was one was self-published by Steve nearly a decade ago. (So the short answer to your question is that it's a different book.)
Dustin
Dustin
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Re: Little Egypt Card Tricks: Steve Bryant
Okay thanks. So the HC wasn't an update? They're substantially different?
- Steve Bryant
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Re: Little Egypt Card Tricks: Steve Bryant
James, the three books in the Little Egypt series are substantially different. Little Egypt Card Tricks came out in 1991 and was self-published. The Little Egypt Book of Numbers began as a serialized book in progress on Joe Stevens' Gemini site and was eventually published in hardback by H&R in 2004. (The title stems from the fact that a number appears in each trick title; it is NOT a book of math-based tricks. Were I to re-title it, it would be The Little Egypt Book of Killer Bar Magic, for that is what it is.) The final book, The Little Egypt Book of Ghosts, is a hardback book of spooky magic tricks published by H&R in late 2008. Although the books are substantially different, I occasionally revisit a trick. For example, Ghosts contains an updated and spookified version of a card stab that originally appeared in Little Egypt Card Tricks. Reviews and more complete descriptions are available on my littleegyptmagic web site.
- Dustin Stinett
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Re: Little Egypt Card Tricks: Steve Bryant
Steve, are there any copies of LECT left at this point?
- Steve Bryant
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Re: Little Egypt Card Tricks: Steve Bryant
Yes. Getting down into single digits, but yes.
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Re: Little Egypt Card Tricks: Steve Bryant
Dustin,
No, I didn't check direct to Steve. Wish you mention it on your first post but thank you for a respond.
No, I didn't check direct to Steve. Wish you mention it on your first post but thank you for a respond.
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Re: Little Egypt Card Tricks: Steve Bryant
Dustin,
No, I didn't check direct to Steve. Wish you mention it on your first post but thank you for a respond.
The bottom line is, do inquire with Steve in case there are some. You don’t want to be left out.
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Re: Little Egypt Card Tricks: Steve Bryant
[SORRY FOR DIGGIN' UP AN OLD THREAD!]
Does anyone have a copy of this book they can sell me?
Steve - if you see this message - can you chip in as well?
I will pay 50 dollars for a copy. And cover the postage on top of that.
Does anyone have a copy of this book they can sell me?
Steve - if you see this message - can you chip in as well?
I will pay 50 dollars for a copy. And cover the postage on top of that.
- Steve Bryant
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Re: Little Egypt Card Tricks: Steve Bryant
Sorry, I exhausted my supply a few years back.
I suggest you would be better served by The Little Egypt Book of Numbers, if you don't have it.
I suggest you would be better served by The Little Egypt Book of Numbers, if you don't have it.
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Re: Little Egypt Card Tricks: Steve Bryant
I have that one. It is a very good book. As is The Little Egypt Book of Ghosts.
Maybe you could send Chris Wasshuber a copy of your book and release it as a pdf? Just an idea!
Maybe you could send Chris Wasshuber a copy of your book and release it as a pdf? Just an idea!