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Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 2nd, 2011, 8:15 pm
by erdnasephile
I just searched Ask Alexander and The Green Place for a detailed review of this book, but the search was largely for naught.

Does anyone out there have any informed thoughts Re: the material in the book? (besides opinions of the naked line drawings)

Is the material similar to Effortless Card Magic?

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 2nd, 2011, 10:41 pm
by Richard Kaufman
No, the material is nothing like Effortless Card Magic, which was designed to be a book of self-working material.

Card Compulsions was created to be a book of Duffie's best material at the time. The nude spot illustrations were my doing.

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 2nd, 2011, 10:44 pm
by Terry

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 3rd, 2011, 9:30 am
by erdnasephile
Thanks Richard and Terry.

Anyone have any opinions on the tricks in the book?

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 3rd, 2011, 10:44 am
by thecardman
I admit that this may be a biased opinion (I've known Peter for a wee while) but if you get a chance to buy this book, take it with both hands and don't let go! Simple as that. The material is all fantastic. From self-working to sleight of hand this book has something for everyone.

Best wishes

Peter (not Duffie!)
:)

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 3rd, 2011, 11:13 am
by Chris Aguilar
It's a decent book but frankly not something I take off my shelf very often. I wouldn't pay over list price for it.

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 3rd, 2011, 11:28 am
by Richard Kaufman
We have plenty of copies, so there's no reason to pay more than the listed retail price. In fact, if you order two other books from me, you can have it for FREE. :)

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 3rd, 2011, 2:05 pm
by r paul wilson
This is a fantastic book and one of Peter's best.

Yes I am biased - I love great card magic :)

P

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 4th, 2011, 8:22 am
by Rob Block
Richard Kaufman wrote:We have plenty of copies, so there's no reason to pay more than the listed retail price. In fact, if you order two other books from me, you can have it for FREE. :)


Richard - just out of curiosity, I ordered this book through your site on March 10th, and given a projected ship date of May 14th. If there are plenty of copies, what drives the 2 month window for shipping? I'm not complaining, I'll eagerly devour the book when it arrives, it just puzzled me.

Rob

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 4th, 2011, 10:36 am
by Richard Kaufman
Rob, that makes absolutely no sense to me. All the books (except the new "Berglas Effects") are in stock right now and have been. There would be no reason for any delay in shipping your books--we ship everything out the next day.

Did you buy "The Berglas Effects" as part of your order? Its shipping date is mid May, and since the date you've given is May 14th, that might be a connection.

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 4th, 2011, 10:50 am
by Rob Block
Nope. Just the one book. I sent an e-mail after a month had passed to check on status and Marget gave me the May 14th shipping date. It's order #1433. Maybe Marget was going to slip me in a copy of the Berglas book. ;)

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 4th, 2011, 11:06 am
by Richard Kaufman
Makes no sense. Please call the office at 301-652-5800.

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 4th, 2011, 11:29 am
by erdnasephile
Thanks everyone for your comments!

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 4th, 2011, 11:51 am
by Rob Block
Richard Kaufman wrote:Makes no sense. Please call the office at 301-652-5800.


Thanks for the assistance Richard! I am always amazed by the personal attention that the Head Genii provides. This is why Richard is a class act.

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 4th, 2011, 3:59 pm
by Steve Bryant
Two items that always intrigued me in the book: 1. The Grift Shift. This is all bluff, a clever way to apparently disperse four aces throughout the deck, and yet they are all together in a convenient location. 2. Fastack. This is a cool way to stack the deck to deal yourself four aces on the first round, four kings on the second. The ace stacking occurs during some efficient overhand shuffling; the kings are secretly stacked as a prelude. Duffie's foreword is longer and more interesting than many forewords.

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 14th, 2011, 12:14 am
by Chris Aguilar
I purchased this directly from RK a few years back and upon picking it off the shelf again (due to this thread) I noticed a nasty printing error.

Specifically, page 61 is mirror imaged.

Are they all like that or did I just happen get one of the few messed up copies out there?

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 14th, 2011, 1:03 am
by Richard Kaufman
They were all mis-printed that way. The printer reprinted the entire book and then sent them out to all the people who had purchased them. I'm happy to say that never happened prior to that, and it never happened after that.

Those were the old days, when a printer could accidentally flop a neg.

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 14th, 2011, 3:23 am
by Pete McCabe
Richard Kaufman wrote:Those were the old days, when a printer could accidentally flop a neg.


This sounds like something from Tony G's column on Cockney slang.

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 18th, 2011, 6:33 pm
by Leonard Hevia
I like Peter Duffie. His reviews in Magic are honest, insightful and informative. He's also a fantastic card magician. Card Compulsion's may have been disadvantaged by it's peculiar shape and the small Joseph K. Schmidt illustrations. Mr. Schmidt always got the job done (may he R.I.P.) but his art always looked retro to me. Like something from a 1920's magic catalog.

You will find gemstones in this book if you take the time to study it.

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 18th, 2011, 6:41 pm
by Joe Mckay
A really great book. I can think of at least one trick which on it's own is worth the price of the book.

Joe

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 18th, 2011, 7:34 pm
by Chris Aguilar
After a bit of re-reading in the last week, I'd have to raise my earlier opinion of this book a bit. It's still not a "top ten" book for me, but it is quite good.

The form factor of the book (landscape) annoys the hell out of me. Can't stand it.

I think the Joe Schmidt illustrations work well for this particular book.

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 19th, 2011, 1:03 am
by Ryan Matney
It's probably in my Top Ten. I also think Effortless Card Magic is it's equal or better.

Thinking about these two books and Richard releasing the new Berglass makes me really miss the 90s when Richard and Stephen Minch were cranking out 6-8 books a year. I used to really look forward to them and tear into each one.

Too bad the book started to die about shortly after these came out. Peter Duffie could have written 10 more just as strong.

I'm not sure if I will get anything out of the Berglass book but I'm going to buy one anyway just to support Richard's efforts.

I miss books...and they are not even gone yet...

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 19th, 2011, 9:49 am
by erdnasephile
Thanks for the comments guys.

I would totally understand if you don't want to tip, but are there any items in particular in this book you find especially good that you like to use?

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 19th, 2011, 10:03 am
by Jonathan Townsend
erdnasephile wrote:Thanks for the comments guys.

I would totally understand if you don't want to tip, but are there any items in particular in this book you find especially good that you like to use?


e*, What leads you to believe that what works for one performer would work for another - or you in particular?

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 19th, 2011, 10:10 am
by erdnasephile
I don't, Jonathan, but when you discuss books with your friends, don't you ever ask them what they like specifically about them?

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 19th, 2011, 10:33 am
by Joe Mckay
Two words. Divisory Capacity.

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 19th, 2011, 10:33 am
by Jonathan Townsend
erdnasephile wrote:I don't, Jonathan, but when you discuss books with your friends, don't you ever ask them what they like specifically about them?


I ask what they find works for them in performance, what they want in terms of magical moments, flow of effect and what they want for their audiences. The basics of character (mannerisms - flow of speech - underlying intent) and preferred audience dynamics usually don't permit a match between what seems clever in a book and what one can add to one's repertoire without much custom tailoring.

Do you recall that story of a man who leaves the tailor's shop with a new custom built suit - and a couple sees the guy - one says "oh that poor person, to have such a disfiguring limp, hunched back and stiff arm" while the other says "yes, but look at that suit, it's a perfect fit". ?? ;)

Which brings up a question - on the assembly trick - what would it mean to have the cards return to their packets "lest they be missed after staying out too long" ?

So what's in a book? Probably lots of things - though what will serve, inspire... who knows?

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 19th, 2011, 10:38 am
by Joe Mckay
Something else about 'Divisory Capacity'. I don't think there is a stronger self-working trick around.

Joe

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 19th, 2011, 10:41 am
by Jonathan Townsend
Joe Mckay wrote:Something else about 'Divisory Capacity'. I don't think there is a stronger self-working trick around.

Joe


Joe, folks, how do you find that plays in comparison to "shuffle bored" (or that bunny book version) ?

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 19th, 2011, 11:06 am
by Joe Mckay
'Shuffle Bored' is a good trick. And the bunny book version (by Bill Goldman) is even better. But - I just prefer the impact of 'Divisory Capacity'. You find two selected cards (which are lost in a fair-looking way) whilst also separating the red and black cards. All with one clean looking 'magic' shuffle (it is nothing more than giving the deck a riffle shuffle).

To me that plays stronger than a 'prediction' type effect. And to be honest - I have never being a big fan of 'prediction' type effects. I just find them a bit boring and not very magical. I like tricks that have some element of visual surprise to it. Doesn't have to be anything fancy - even a card being sandwiched between two other cards will do...

And in a trick like 'Shuffle Bored' where you predict something like the number of red and black cards. It just strikes me as quite a boring thing to predict. Kinda' like predicting the amount of punctuation marks there will be on a freely chosen page in a book.

I can see the point of predicting a freely chosen card. Since that it the point of most card tricks. But anything more arcane than that and it feels like the method is driving the effect (the 'ne plus ultra' of this would be 'Miraskill').

Lastly - I enjoy self working tricks that don't look self-working (and I feel most laypeople can sense when skill is involved in a trick). So - any prediction type effect will always give the impression of a 'self-working effect'. Whereas a trick like 'Divisory Capacity' gives the impression of both magic and some kind of skill. And that is a fun impression to give when doing a self-working trick.

Another thing about 'prediction; effects is that all the heat is placed on the act of 'shuflling' the cards (in 'Shuffle Bored') or in choosing the card (when you are doing a card prediction effect). Which means any actions not congruent with ordinary actions can look a bit odd. This is why the use of the bunny book is a good idea - since it draws the heat away from the process used to 'randomise' the cards. Otherwise the spectator might ask why you don't simply throw the deck against a wall in order to make sure they are random? (Answer - the method won't let me).

I could go on and on. But that should do for now...

All the best,

Joe

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 19th, 2011, 12:07 pm
by Ryan Matney
Eleven Plus is a nearly perfect trick.

Marriage on the Rocks is a commercial routine I have used since I was a teenager.

Mis-Read Palmistry

I've performed every trick in the book at one time or another.

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 21st, 2011, 5:08 pm
by JHostler
Jonathan Townsend wrote:
Joe Mckay wrote:Something else about 'Divisory Capacity'. I don't think there is a stronger self-working trick around.

Joe


Joe, folks, how do you find that plays in comparison to "shuffle bored" (or that bunny book version) ?


J., What leads you to believe that what works for one performer would work for another - or you in particular? [Before you reply: I'm obviously being facetious.]

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 21st, 2011, 5:53 pm
by JHostler
Erdnasephile - You might also want to wait for Peter's next Big Deal. At one point, he was practically giving away his ebooks - which contain material comparable to (and in many cases better than) what you'll find in DCC(!) The catch: Lots to wade through, and oodles of Marloesque variations...

Re: Duffie's Card Compulsions

Posted: May 25th, 2011, 5:48 pm
by Leonard Hevia
The Double Overcut in the sleights section is a fantastic move. I immediately added this to my arsenal when I read it. It's just a cleaner, better way to double undercut a card from the bottom to the top. It's the kind of card move that I wish I had thought of myself.

There are also nice tidbits scattered throughout the book such as historical crediting and thoughts on card magic. In the forward, Duffie notes that the Le Paul second deal also makes a nice double lift for a small packet.