Secrets Draun from Underground

Discuss your favorite books, authors, and tricks from Kaufman and Company.
Robert L
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Secrets Draun from Underground

Postby Robert L » December 3rd, 2008, 10:56 pm

I'm interested in opinions of this book.

Larry Horowitz
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Re: Secrets Draun from Underground

Postby Larry Horowitz » December 3rd, 2008, 11:24 pm

Good book!

I was in the castle library reading and working on the book., As I was doing one of the moves a guy looked over my shoulder and said I wasn't doing it right. He then showed me how to do it right. It was Steve Draun!

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Secrets Draun from Underground

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 4th, 2008, 5:28 am

Very good, solid material. Not easy--Steve is very adept at sleight of hand and you can't see him doing anything. I wouldn't have written it if my opinion of Steve wasn't very high.
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erdnasephile
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Re: Secrets Draun from Underground

Postby erdnasephile » December 4th, 2008, 4:51 pm

I think the first half of the book is the most interesting to me--especially Mr. Draun's introduction and his comment on seeking the "best technology". His insight that many "inferior" (his term) classic methods for sleights involve illogically squaring an already squared deck has really stuck with me. His "Tools" section contains many valuable contributions in this respect.

Based on the tricks presented, Mr. Draun's taste leans heavily towards the classics, which I think is part of the reason why perhaps the book is under the radar of many folks. The plots in the book are not terribly original, but many of the methods have been heavily modernized as above. I am NOT implying that they aren't entertaining, commercial, etc. (done well, the majority would completely fool anyone living), but novelty for novelty sake is not present here (which is a good thing in my book :grin:).

Richard's writing is as clear as always (although more detailed theory discussions as to why Mr. Draun made the choices he did would have been welcome). Crediting is abundant, unbiased, and thorough. The illustrations are by Earle Oakes with a whimsical cover design by Pat Lyons.

Bottom line: this is not light reading, but if you are looking to improve and modernize your sleight amory, as well as chew on some advanced, sophisticated routine construction, I'd bet you'd like it!

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Secrets Draun from Underground

Postby Richard Kaufman » December 4th, 2008, 5:19 pm

In most of the books I wrote between 1977 and 1998, I only gave theory and philosophy if the artist about whom the book was being written gave it to me. Most did not, and consequently most books have no discussion of theory, or the "why" behind the methods. NOT ALL BOOKS NEED IT.
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Robert L
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Re: Secrets Draun from Underground

Postby Robert L » December 4th, 2008, 7:54 pm

Thank you everyone for your responses. I have heard / seen this book mentioned as a quality resource that tends to be "under the radar" but have been unable to find any related reviews or discussions.

Mr. Kaufman: Although my experiences with your works are limited (Bro. Hamman, Jenning's '67, and of course Genii) I have formed an opinion that you produce high quality works that are an enjoyable read. "Draun" is sounding more interesting to me despite my inherent ham-fistedness.

Bill McFadden
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Re: Secrets Draun from Underground

Postby Bill McFadden » December 4th, 2008, 9:33 pm

Well I think it's a lousy book, and nobody should read it! Now let me get back to practicing the Midnight Shift and Wordly Things.

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erdnasephile
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Re: Secrets Draun from Underground

Postby erdnasephile » December 4th, 2008, 9:59 pm

Richard Kaufman wrote:In most of the books I wrote between 1977 and 1998, I only gave theory and philosophy if the artist about whom the book was being written gave it to me. Most did not, and consequently most books have no discussion of theory, or the "why" behind the methods. NOT ALL BOOKS NEED IT.


Your point is well taken, Richard.

I really like the book, so my comment was just meant as a "cherry on the top" sort of thing--no disrespect intended.

To Robert L: Please don't let your perceived "ham-fistedness" discourage you from acquiring the book. Although most of the stuff takes serious practice, the material is explained in great detail with well-chosen illustrations. It is absolutely learnable and doable. If you can handle Jennings '67, this book is right up your alley. (Plus, there's one semi-automatic routine included that will slay magicians).

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Cugel
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Re: Secrets Draun from Underground

Postby Cugel » December 4th, 2008, 10:18 pm

One of my favourite magic books because it's very well written, the illustrations are fabulous and the layout is excellent - not cluttered or anything. Not all of the material is stellar but a LOT of it is (you say potato I say potato). More bang for your buck than 99% of magic books, in my opinion.

DrDanny
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Re: Secrets Draun from Underground

Postby DrDanny » December 5th, 2008, 12:02 pm

For me, this book was a bargain, even without the current holiday sale. There are at least two utility moves (a glimpse and a pass) in it that I use all the time. I especially like the organization: Pt 1 = moves, Pt 2 = tricks. Not every book would benefit from that, but here it's just right.

magicfish
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Re: Secrets Draun from Underground

Postby magicfish » March 20th, 2010, 5:03 am

I'm currently waiting for my copy to arrive in the mail. I've read many references to this book and I can hardly wait to study it. I'm glad I stumbled upon this discussion.
Rod

poonchingyip
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Re: Secrets Draun from Underground

Postby poonchingyip » February 19th, 2012, 12:13 am

Where can I order this book?

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Richard Hatch
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Re: Secrets Draun from Underground

Postby Richard Hatch » February 19th, 2012, 12:42 am


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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Secrets Draun from Underground

Postby Richard Kaufman » February 19th, 2012, 11:53 am

Sold!
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