Average customer rating:
- Interesting but disappointed
- Mind hacks
- Not really a "hacks" book
- Mind Hacks: Tips & Tools for Using Your Brain
- A fun book
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Mind Hacks: Tips & Tricks for Using Your Brain (Hacks)
Tom Stafford , and
Matt Webb
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
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Mind Performance Hacks: Tips & Tools for Overclocking Your Brain (Hacks)
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ASIN: 0596007795 |
Book Description
The brain is a fearsomely complex information-processing environment--one that often eludes our ability to understand it. At any given time, the brain is collecting, filtering, and analyzing information and, in response, performing countless intricate processes, some of which are automatic, some voluntary, some conscious, and some unconscious. Cognitive neuroscience is one of the ways we have to understand the workings of our minds. It's the study of the brain biology behind our mental functions: a collection of methods--like brain scanning and computational modeling--combined with a way of looking at psychological phenomena and discovering where, why, and how the brain makes them happen. Want to know more? Mind Hacks is a collection of probes into the moment-by-moment works of the brain. Using cognitive neuroscience, these experiments, tricks, and tips related to vision, motor skills, attention, cognition, subliminal perception, and more throw light on how the human brain works. Each hack examines specific operations of the brain. By seeing how the brain responds, we pick up clues about the architecture and design of the brain, learning a little bit more about how the brain is put together. Mind Hacks begins your exploration of the mind with a look inside the brain itself, using hacks such as "Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Turn On and Off Bits of the Brain" and "Tour the Cortex and the Four Lobes." Also among the 100 hacks in this book, you'll find:
- Release Eye Fixations for Faster Reactions
- See Movement When All is Still
- Feel the Presence and Loss of Attention
- Detect Sounds on the Margins of Certainty
- Mold Your Body Schema
- Test Your Handedness
- See a Person in Moving Lights
- Make Events Understandable as Cause-and-Effect
- Boost Memory by Using Context
- Understand Detail and the Limits of Attention
Steven Johnson, author of "Mind Wide Open" writes in his foreword to the book, "These hacks amaze because they reveal the brain's hidden logic; they shed light on the cheats and shortcuts and latent assumptions our brains make about the world." If you want to know more about what's going on in your head, then Mind Hacks is the key--let yourself play with the interface between you and the world.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting but disappointed.......2007-07-02
Learning about the mind is okay, but I didn't learn anything that I hadn't seen in Psych 101, and a few interesting articles later on.
Calling it a "hacks" book is false advertising, at best. Should it make it to another printing, I would hope O'Reilly would rename it.
The information seemed accurate, so I'll give it that.
Mind hacks.......2007-02-13
This is a really great book. More novelty than improvement, but still great. If you're looking for something that will be useful as well as attention grabbing then look for the second edition; "Mind Performance Hacks"
Not really a "hacks" book.......2006-11-02
I was sorely disappointed in this book--I checked it out from the local library and hoped that it would actually live up to the subtitle of including tips and tools for using my brain. It didn't; the few "tips" included were those that are found in virtually every other discussion of how to improve memory.
This book is more geared toward folks who are designing user interfaces--it talks about how the brain processes information (and thus describes ways to improve information conveyance).
Mind Hacks: Tips & Tools for Using Your Brain.......2006-07-25
It's a book very interested about language in mind and speech comprehension. I read a short comment in BBC Focus magazine and I wish to read because it's very easy to learn the misteries of mind in cognitive science applied to language and psichology.
A fun book.......2006-04-30
It is not a typical "hacks" book in that it does not tell you how to utilize you brain more effectively or do neat things. It *does* have a lot of exercises that show you cool things on how your brain works with sections describing how your brain works - and a number of experiments (blind spot, Magnet interaction with the brain, word parsing in the the mind, and so on). This book goes very well with a recent title called _Mind Wide Open_ by Steven Johnson.
If you want traditional "hacks" the book "Mind Performance Hacks" just came out, and is chock full of those sorts of experiments, while less informative, does do things like memory tricks, meath calculation, creativity enhancement and so on.
I view "Mind Hacks" as more informative, though, so would recommend this as the first one to get, though the next purchase in this should be the "Mind Performance Hacks."
Average customer rating:
- Good starting point
- A Must Have
- Should be on everyones shelf.
- Cheap and Comprehensive
- Plenty of material for all levels of magicians
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Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic
Mark Wilson
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Self-Working Table Magic: 97 Foolproof Tricks with Everyday Objects
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The Royal Road to Card Magic
ASIN: 0762414553
Release Date: 2003-05-27 |
Book Description
From one of the world's premier practitioners of classic magic, with years of experience instructing younger readers in the magical arts, comes this new revision of his complete guide to learning and performing fantastic feats of prestidigitation. Acclaimed by the Los Angeles Times as "the text that...young magicians swear by," it's full of step-by-step instructions. More than 2,000 illustrations provide the know-how behind 300 techniques, from basic card tricks to advanced levitation, along with advice on planning and staging a professional-quality magic show.
Customer Reviews:
Good starting point.......2007-10-18
I got this book knowing a few basic magic tricks. This is a very informative book, designed as a class/course. I'm a clown, and I'll get good use out of the close up magic in this book.
A Must Have.......2007-05-08
Wonderful step by step book. Well illustrated and easy to understand. Was able learn and perform numerous tricks in a matter of one day..A must have for any beginner
Should be on everyones shelf........2007-04-01
This book truly is phenomonal. It has every type of magic you can think of, coin, cards, stage, mentalism, self working, impromptu, gimmicked. It even goes as far as to give you tricks for things like jumbo cards and sponge balls.
Not only this but at the beginning of every chapter Mark Wilson reminds you of what magic is all about, he writes two or three paragraphs about the specific type of magic and how wonderful it can be. Mark also has a biography and an essay on magic at the beginning which is fantastic, and after years I still find myself going back and reading it just for a reminder of what got me into magic originally.
All of the descriptions to the tricks are well written, have accompanying pictures for EVERY move. He even gives secondary ways to do several of the moves and has an Notes and Reminds section after the tricks putting in personal notes about specific parts of the trick. Its obvious how much effort and work went into this book. In closing, this is a book that every magician new or old should have in his shelf, right next to Bobo's Modern Coin Magic, and Royal Road to Card Magic.
Cheap and Comprehensive.......2007-03-20
This book is a treasure trove of tricks, which the author explains in a clean, concise fashion. Highly recommended over other books, which tend to include fewer tricks, occassionally with a glossier, but not superior, presentation.
Plenty of material for all levels of magicians.......2007-02-19
This magic book runs the gamut from beginners tricks to tricks many professionals use. I've been performing as a part-time professional magician myself for several years now, and I still found things in this book I hadn't seen before or new twists on things I was familiar with.
The biggest drawback to this is the sheer volume of information it contains. If I'd come across this book when I was first getting into magic, I would've been absolutely overwhelmed. It's still a lot to digest now. But if you read through it and pick and choose tricks here and there that fit your style and personality, you'll find it very useful. It's like a cafeteria -- go down the line, picking out the things you want and skipping the things you don't, then go back to your table and chew on them and enjoy them.
Customer Reviews:
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03
Parallel universes are certainly not a stretch, when you think about
all the bizarre stuff that Robert Anton Wilson comes up with. Here we
have another Illuminati trilogy style collection, even with some of the
same characters. However, these are alternate universe versions of
these people, hence the title of the trilogy.
If you don't like that original trilogy, you are probably not going to like this.
Operation MF continues..........2006-03-02
After reading The Illuminatus! Trilogy, I stared at my copy of Schroedinger's Cat and wondered how the hell Bob could top the 800-page work of lunacy he had created with Robert Shea. Of course, I shouldn't have doubted Bob; anyone who has read his books knows how he can construct the most meaningful anecdotes and stories from seemingly random and uninteresting information. This book is no different.
When I started reading this book, I assumed that the story would have to do with Schroedinger's Cat (obviously), but I didn't understand the novel's structure until I reached page 80 and the book ended, only to start again in a different world (which I know sounds strange; read it if you want to understand). The plot of this novel seems entirely random, and up to a certain point it is, but it has more structure than would seem at first glance. Like Illuminatus!, it would require a great deal of analysis and scholarship to unravel the ever-knotted threads of Schroedinger's Cat, and I know few who have the time to do that. Still, it's quite an enjoyable read, even if you never know fully what the hell is going on.
As is usual for Robert Anton Wilson books, Schroedinger's Cat is side-splittingly funny. Perhaps the funniest part of the book is how characters change from world to world. For instance, in one world, Epicene Wildeblood is a debonair ladies' man. In a different world, Epicene is now a she, Mary Margaret Wildeblood, after a sex change. Even historical figures in the novel change depending on the world. James Joyce, in one world, was a minor composer. In another, Ezra Pound was not a famous poet; he was a famous folksinger. In yet another, Aleister Crowley was not an infamous occultist, but instead a British general who was the first person to reach the North Pole, which he claimed was inhabited by little green people when he got there (if you laugh at that, you will appreciate the book's humor).
It's hard to put together a review of this book, because there's no continuous plot (at least not in the ordinary sense). Characters disappear for (sometimes literally) hundreds of pages, then reappear as if nothing happened. It's very disorienting and why I waited several months after reading the book to actually review it. I thought that "sitting on my thoughts," allowing them to formulate, would help. Instead, I find that I've forgotten half of what went on in the book. Oh, memory, how thou hast robbed me!
Anyway, before I start to ramble, let me say that this is a good book for all science-fiction fans to read, since it is actual SCIENCE fiction (i.e. it involves quite complicated issues of quantum mechanics). I would recommend it to anyone with an IQ of 250 or a Ph.D. in rocket science. If you're like me and have neither, it's still a great novel. It just won't make full sense until you understand Bob's philosophy of neurological model agnosticism and quantum mechanics.
Don't Read This Book! .......2005-11-23
We like to believe, in these enlightened times, that reason and science are all that matter. This, though, is simply not true. Words, thoughts, ideas, and images creep into one's mind insideously and, with each one, corrupts the essential self we desperately cling to. You think you are safe, there in front of your computer screen, reading this. You're not. In fact, it is already too late for you. You've been caught, infected, by an idea, a forbidden thought, that pulls you inexorably toward a knowing that most run from, screaming. You can't know, now, who or what you will become as a result of this, but know with perfect certainty that the you you are now will be gone, replaced forever with some other you, a you you don't even know. It starts in your mind, moves into your brain, then into your body, then into the whole universe. It is simply too late. You'd better read this book after all, otherwise you're screwed.
Review By Graham J. Farmer.......2005-09-20
Once again Robert Anton Wilson has written a novel that absolutely forces the reader to stand at attention - ready at all times for a multi-dimensional plot twist, sometimes through mirrored realities (almost!?) that humorously mock our own. His unique style effectively guides the reader into questioning his/her own thought processes and conciousness.
A few times while reading I had to remind myself to laugh - partly due to Wilson's superior intellect, evident in his writing, which had me studying each page as if hidden somewhere within was the meaning of life! However, rest assured once I got started it was a full body affair.
Always I look forward to Wilson's designs - in his novels there seems to be secret messages intricately woven within, maybe it is just me, but this type of writing is a blast to read. Literally this story will blow your mind.
everyone should read this.......2005-03-29
Trying to write a review about this book without trying to sound too grandiose is quite difficult. What's it about? Well, it's about everything... how we view life, politics, social interaction, sex, religion etc. Is it any good? This question is asking for a subjective judgement, but if you are the kind of person who likes original and unique philosophical views delivered in a creative style that will entertain, humor and sometimes scare you, than yeah it is good. In my estimation, the book is beyond creative. As far as his writing style, the man is brilliant. Every page blasts away at your preconceived notions of what writing, thinking, living should be and gives the reader an invigorated new sense of life's unlimited possibilities. Why this author is not listed among the upper echelon of literary dignataries is beyond me. I mean seriously, most "classic" novels are deemed as such because they have captured an audience because of their timeless content, advanced writing style, indvidualistic voice and perhaps inspirational,universal message. This being the case, I cannot think of a better way to describe this book.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome.......2007-07-15
Really a well written book. Very insightful about the world of one the most well known mentalists. Easy to read and full of fun exercises. Recommended for anyone interested in tricks of the trade.
A fun read. From a student of Mentalism & Magic........2005-02-24
I bought this book on a recomendation. The vast majority is entertaining,informative, & Honest. My only complaint is that after he has explained the mechanics of how he does his illusion, he sometimes tries to sell us on the idea that he occasionally can do feats that he can't explain. This is simply not true. He DOES know how these feats are done, as does every mentalist on the planet. My guess is that he has a following of " Believers " and so feels obligated to include just a little mysticism in the text. His section on hypnosis, and what actually occurs is lucid & revealing. One explanation on how to do an effect made me laugh out loud. Not because it was silly, but the explanation was so simple, I was caught off guard. Certainly worth the price of admission.
Another book by the World's best know modern day Mentalist.......1998-05-03
Kreskin offers another book. He is by far the most well know mentalist in the field today. After a over thirty year carrer of appearing on the top television shows of our time and crisscrossing the country appearing at colleges, etc. Kreskin is truly a professional and expert in his field.
Amazon.com
Long after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle allowed him to retire to Sussex to take up beekeeping, there seems to be no end of enthusiasm for imagined versions of the life of Sherlock Holmes. There was Michael Chabon's The Final Solution in which "the old man," an 89-year-old beekeeper in Sussex is undoubtedly Holmes. Laurie King, a fine mystery writer, has appropriated Holmes and created a romance between him and young Mary Russell which has lasted through several enjoyable books. And now, nonagenarian Holmes reappears, most appealingly, in Mitch Cullin's A Slight Trick of the Mind. He is frail and forgetful but still observant and capable of shining the bright light of his insight and brilliance on events both past and present.
Cullin has carefully woven three stories together and managed it so neatly that no threads show--worthy of Holmes himself. The first is the story of Holmes's recent return from a trip to Japan, ostensibly in search of prickly ash, a bush that he believes contributes to healthy longevity, as does his beloved and trusted royal jelly. While there, he is met by his correspondent, Mr. Umezaki, who isn't as interested in prickly ash as in gleaning information from Holmes about his long-gone father. Supposedly, they met many years before, in London, and Holmes advised him not to return home. Of course, Holmes has no recollection of the meeting but finesses it nicely.
It is 1947 when they visit Hiroshima, post-atomic bomb, and Holmes marvels at what he sees. He compares it, most poignantly, to the loss of the queen in a hive, "when no resources were available to raise a new one. Yet how could he explain the deeper illness of unexpressed desolation, that imprecise pall harbored en masse by ordinary Japanese?" That is what he tells Roger, the 14-year-old son of his housekeeper. Roger is the second thread of the novel. Holmes is introducing him to beekeeping and Roger proves an apt student. His hero-worship of Holmes and his need for a father form an integral part of Cullin's intention of "humanizing" the great Sherlock Holmes.
The final thread is revealed in a journal that Holmes kept, in which he entered an encounter with a married woman, many years ago. He is infatuated with her, and hardly knows what to call it or what to make of his feelings. This is unfamiliar territory for the man who is rational above all else. The man we know at the end of the book makes the reader want another installment, showing a new Sherlock with a heart as well as a brain. --Valerie Ryan
Book Description
Mitch Cullin’s absorbing A Slight Trick of the Mind is an original portrait of literature’s most beloved detective, Sherlock Holmes, in the twilight of his illustrious life.
Holmes—“a genius in whom scientific curiosity is raised to the status of heroic passion”—is famous for his powers of deduction. His world is made up of hard evidence and uncontestable facts, his observations and conclusions unsullied by personal feelings, until novelist Cullin goes behind the cold, unsentimental surface to reveal for the first time the inner world of an obsessively private man.
It is 1947, and the long-retired Holmes, now 93, lives in a remote Sussex farmhouse, where his memories and intellect begin to go adrift. He lives with a housekeeper and her young son, Roger, whose patient, respectful demeanor stirs paternal affection in Holmes. Holmes has settled into the routine of tending his apiary, writing in journals, and grappling with the diminishing powers of his razor-sharp mind, when Roger comes upon a case hitherto unknown. It is that of a Mrs. Keller, the long-ago object of Holmes’s deep—and never acknowledged—infatuation.
As Mitch Cullin weaves together Holmes’s hidden past, his poignant struggle to retain mental acuity, and his unlikely relationship with Roger, Holmes is transformed from the machine-like, mythic figure into an ordinary man, confronting and acquiescing to emotions he has resisted his entire life. This subtle and wise work is more than just a reimagining of a classic character. It is a profound meditation on faultiness of memory and how, as we grow older, the way we see the world is inevitably altered.
Customer Reviews:
Not the typical Holmes pastiche, and all the better for it.......2007-04-24
Those who begin this book hoping for another untold adventure of Sherlock Holmes may be puzzled or disappointed at first. But I hope they'll stay with it, because it's a deeply moving story, a meditation on age, memory, and identity. The three storylines interweave & fade into one another, just as Holmes' waning faculties drift & wander. His own awareness of his decline is heartbreaking, yet he handles it with grace & dignity. Whether his defenses against that decline demand too heavy a personal price is for the reader to decide.
Still, this isn't just a tale of old age & its inexorable erosion, however beautifully told -- it's an investigation into the mysteries that not even a mind as keen & brilliant as that of Sherlock Holmes can hope to solve. The mystery of meaning, the mystery of loneliness, and the final mystery of death -- these are the mysteries Holmes faces, only to find himself as baffled by their impenetrability as any of us. When you reach the final page, you'll be left with a feeling of thoughtful melancholy, as well as an urge to confront those mysteries yourself. A rich, memorable novel, most highly recommended!
Hypnotic.......2007-04-19
Mitch Cullin's "A Sligiht Trick of the Mind" is a mesmerizing, wonderfully written, inventive novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. This novel features Sherlock Holmes, but lest the reader be disappointed, it is not the Holmes of Sir Aruthur Conan Doyle. It is a much richer, older and emotional Holmes which is the central character of this story. Holmes is a 93 year old man living in post WWII England tending his bees. He is grappling with the continual loss of his physical abilities as well as his mental prowess. Several relationships are highlighted throughout the book which humanizes Holmes in a way that he hasn't been before. Particularly poignant is Holmes' relationship with the housekeepers young son Roger, who to Holmes' surprise elicits paternal feelings in himself. Cullin is able to weave an enchanting story about a well known character with a different but none the less profound impact on the reader. The writing is so well done, I was moved to tears, both by the sadness of the situations and the emotions that Cullin was able to evoke through his writing. Well Done!
Its deep.......2007-04-07
Best sherlock holmes story, after ACD's
I read and re-read the book, to understand the delicacies of the nature of elderly sherlock holmes, i am sure everybody has there own picture of sherlock holmes in there mind, but this one gets too close.
Intresting look at an aged Sherlock Holmes.......2006-11-12
This book has good and bad qualities to it. I found it fascinating to read the rambling thoughts of the great detective. His mind is still keen sometimes. But, old age has taken it's toll on him.
There are a couple of storylines that intertwine within the book. The author jumps around frequently to different stories, and different time periods.
Each storyline is fairly good by itself, although I found the endings to be weak. As if Holmes just drifts off in his narration with little closure.
I suppose that is the way of the very old, but it's not a strong finish for the character we all adore.
Its worth reading, if you don't mind Holmes being weak and doddering.
Post-Modern Holmes, but still Great........2006-09-27
Mitch Cullin's A Slight Trick of the Mind defies expectation of any Sherlock Holmes related novel. As usual, when dealing with a "canon" of fiction, there tends to be some initial distaste at the thought of reading someone else's interpretation of a beloved character. However, Cullin has made Holmes a real person, frail, forgetful, at the end of his life, forced to deal with mortality not with reason, but with humanity. It is not a standard situation for the character and it can therefore be disregarded relatively easily if it doesn't suit the pallet of Holmes aficionados. I would like to say, however, that since Holmes has been more consistently misunderstood by the common reading public (at least as far as his "cultural representation" has been concerned ... only Jeremy Brett ever captured, for example, Holmes' innate alienness and his ability to annoy more than astound the average person), then I would say do not judge this book until you have read it.
Mitch Cullin has decided on a lateral approach to unveiling much of the story in A Slight Trick of the Mind, through a case journal, a recent though poorly remembered trip to post-war Japan, and Holmes eventual return to his beehives. Without spoiling the plot, all three deal with death and Holmes' ultimate emotional awakening to what mortality might mean. Without sounding maudlin, Holmes at the end of his life finally becomes a caring person. Not that he wasn't human before, but he had just not ever gotten around to thinking about the impact his scientific reason had on the everyday person.
Mitch Cullin pulls off quite a feet in giving us a believable post-Conan Doyle Holmes and also a very modern meditation on some more subtle themes that have not appeared too often in the classic "canon." There is some unavoidable crossing of modern fiction themes that seem a bit out of place with Holmes. Like his more famous work, Tideland, the cross-cutting of times, the lack of linear storyline, the internalization of Holmes (to know what he is thinking!) will strike a reader of the Doyle "canon" as jarring. Add to that, of course, the fact that there is no mystery, apart from the mystery of life itself. Most of what I just wrote is by way of warning to the mystery genre reader. It does not mean to say that this isn't an excellent novel, even an excellent Sherlock Holmes novel.
Book Description
Highly instructive book by a noted authority on the subject analyzes every phase of conjuring, from sleights, devices, misdirection, and controlling audience attention to incorporating patter and the effective use of assistants. Provides recommendations on the use of body language, posture, positioning, and movement. 60 original routines — from simple card tricks to major illusions.
Customer Reviews:
Henning Nelms Magical Masterpiece.......2006-12-27
Magic & Showmanship was recommended by Henry Hay (Author of "The Amateur Magician's Handbook",). You need Hay's book in your magic libray as well as M & S, by H. Nelms. Mr. Nelms teaches tricks, but they are only there to highlight the real secret of performing magic. He teaches you how to act and think like a magician. Of great benefit is his instruction on using a "silent script". He also provides excellent advice on costuming, stage craft, involving the audience and even posture to make your performance memorable. The book is challenging, but worth the effort. If you really care about performing, buy this book.
Expected more.......2006-11-11
I honestly expected more from this book. It's not a bad book, but i found it a little bit boring.
Excellent material on stage craft for magicians.......2005-10-28
To many magicians don't know how to behave on stage properly. This work gives them the tools and ideas they need to be able to learn how to carry themselves on stage like a professional. Not just a professional magician, but a professional actor.
Very important skills for any magician to have and this should be on their reading list.
Tim "Santiago" Converse
Enter a World of Elegant Magic
Santiago's Magic
Review by a Professional Magician of a Very Important Book.......2004-06-21
I have been a professional magician for the better part of 32 years. When I first started into magic full time, this was one of the books that I read and re-read thoroughly. It gave me real insight into how to create a consistent character and how to THINK about magic when I was doing magic.
I fully believe that most people who have purchased this book have never read it. If they had, there would be more really excellent magicians in the world. But you can tell the ones who have read it and who understand it, because their magic is consistent, convincing and natural.
If you want to do good magic, buy this book and read it. It will tell you how to think, speak and act when you are performing. And it will give you some material that is not too difficult, but has very great impact upon an audience. And don't worry about performing that material in front of someone else who has purchased this book. He probably hasn't read it anyway! If he has, he won't tell the secrets!
Bill Palmer, MIMC
Merlin the Magician of the Texas Renaissance Festival
The Bible for Magicians.......2002-12-29
Nelm's Magic and Showmanship is like the Bible for magicians. By that I mean it is the MOST highly praised and the LEAST ACTUALLY READ of any magic book in existence! All magicians pay lip service to it, but I've never met that first one who actually followed the advice given.
Actually, the author does make some very good points. When you do magic, it is like a puzzle to the audience. When they can't figure it out, like any puzzle, they expect to be told the secret, which the magician refuses to do. This causes frustration.
The author's solution to this is to remove the "miraculous" aspects from the performance. For example, instead of doing the cut and restored string routine, you present it as a strong man feat in which a piece of string which has been cut in two cannot be pulled from your fingers. For a stage act, the author suggests doing a comedy routine in which the performer is playing a stereotypical magician, but he is possessed by an African Obeah man, who is causing all of his tricks to turn out wrong. By making it appear that the magician is under the control of someone else, he turns it into a comedy act which eases the audience's resentment at being fooled.
No close up trick should simply be pulled out of the pocket and performed; rather, it should be carefully worked into the conversation before performance. For example, you talk about psychics which segues into talk about a mind reading demonstration that you've been working on, which segues into the performance of a trick, practically without your spectators realizing it.
While I think Nelms' premise is correct, I don't think his solution is very practical for most performances. Certainly a somewhat shy magician would have a very hard time skillfully steering a conversation around to a particular topic so that he could show a related trick. The miraculous aspect cannot be removed from most effects, contrary to what Nelms says.
That said, Nelms does give some excellent tips on staging, timing, posture, making the most of assistants and other important topics. There are also several outstanding effects worked into the book as illustrations of the author's points.
This is a very thought-provoking book--for anybody who actually bothers to read it!
Book Description
Everyone knows that most magic tricks are simply sleight-of-hand. Mental magic, on the other hand, can give the illusion of real paranormal powers. This dazzling collection offers a rich selection of mind-reading, spirit-raising, future-telling illusions, complete with tips on how to present them most effectively. Read palms with amazing accuracy, predict the future with tarot cards, conjure up table-tipping spirits, find psychic connections between people and their possessions, receive uncanny messages from the beyond, and even seem to know what people are thinking. Of course, it's all in fun and all the explanations include the magician's "patter" that goes with each trick--assuring that no matter how spooky the effect, the audience isn't shocked or terrified, but delightfully amazed.
Book Description
Dazzle friends, family, and acquaintances with a series of mind-blowing psychic feats that will have them demanding an encore. Robert Mandelberg--comedian, magician, puzzle master, and author of Mind Reading Card Tricks and Mystifying Mind-Reading Tricks, among others--presents the topic as no one else can. With a distinctively wild and wacky humor, he reveals the secrets to 17 blockbuster mind-reading demonstrations, all with presentation tips and techniques, plus ratings to help would-be mind readers determine which ones are right for them. He also shows how to build an entertaining repertoire--and finish the show with an "earth-shattering, mind-blowing trick."
Customer Reviews:
Best buy for the money........2007-03-03
I have just finished reading Robert Mandelberg's Easy Mind-Reading Tricks and, as there are no reviews posted, I would like to air my thoughts. I have been actively involved in magic and mentalism for over 40 years, and I have read much of the published literature in the area. For the average amateur, I firmly believe this book is the best, and most reasonably priced, source of material I have ever encountered. Authors of similar books are generally content to merely list various methods of performing effects, without any discussion of performance. This is similar to telling someone who wants to learn to play a piano solo, "Well, you could produce a nice melody using these chord progressions." Mandelberg, on the other hand, gives the reader a series of fully routined and tested effects which involve mystery, humor, and suspense. In short, each and every one of the mysteries he presents is fully routined and orchestrated such that the resulting performance will be entertaining. While the quality of the material he presents varies, as does the impact on the audience and the amount of work involved, he discusses these factors with the reader. Typically, he offers a simple presentation, then discusses extra touches which enhance the overall effect if you are willing to do the work. In summary, all of the effects presented in this book are fully routined, entertaining, and discussed in detail. Several of the effects are used by some of the top performers in mentalism. There is more usable material here than is to be found in most "professional" publications at ten times the price. If you do what he says, you will not be in danger of boring your audience with a lot of geeky tricks. You will entertain and mystify them instead. Bravo!
Book Description
Losing weight is serious business, but the best book to help doesn’t have to weigh more than you do. Carole Bodger knows that and, with
The Little Book of Dirty Diet Tricks, she reveals 365 smart, healthy, and fun ways to lose weight and to look great while you’re doing it. This book is not just another diet book; it’s a guide to looking and getting thinner in the fastest, easiest, most painless way possible.
In
The Little Book of Dirty Diet Tricks, you’ll learn:
* How to look slimmer before you’ve lost the first pound.
* Simple strategies to lose weight amid a world of food pushers.
* How to exorcise the fear of exercise.
* Shortcuts to delicious, diet-conscious nutrition.
* How to eat, drink, and merrily lose weight without forsaking holiday celebrations, restaurants, vacations, or any of the other good things in life.
Chock-full of creative and wide-ranging tips for every weight-loss challenge,
The Little Book of Dirty Diet Tricks will have you looking, feeling, and getting slimmer from the very first page. Your scale and your bookshelf will thank you.
Customer Reviews:
Idiotic.......2007-06-26
I completely agree with the reviewer who pointed out the idiocy of this book. Nearly all of the suggestions in this book fall into two categories: 1) things we've all heard or read a million times before; 2) things that are so stupid that they're obviously space filler (e.g., when staying at a hotel, tell the staff NOT to serve you room service no matter what you say. Tell them you'll sign a contract if needed ---Is the author kidding me!!??).
Please don't waste your money on this. It's garbage.
Book balm for dieters.......2003-10-16
An offbeat treat for the chronically weight-challenged, Ms. Bodger's book is balm for the souls of those of us who daily go forth, engaged in the battle of the bulge .
Tips and "tricks" are generously leavened with gently wicked wit and humor, but the overall message is one we all need to hear, and often: Fat or thin, beauty comes from within, and we're each endowed with our own unique loveliness. The book exhorts us to lighten up on ourselves, to love and accept ourselves the way we are this moment, while still being open to improvement.
Good on ya, Ms. Bodger!
For the most part, this book was awful........2003-03-20
At first, this book was fine. Some of the tips were helpful and meaningful, but after reading several pages I found this book was not serious. Being an overweight person actually looking for helpful ideas, I do not need to be told to "stand next to fatter people" so that I may look thinner. Or better yet, "buy larger furniture so I look smaller." Some of her ideas were outrageous and down right idiotic. Being a heavy person who needs motivation, I found this book highly offensive and I do not recommend it to those really trying to lose weight.
Little Book of Dirty Diet "GEMS".......2002-06-14
Keep this book near and dear to your heart fellow dieters. (And near to your your refrigerator as well!) It can save you endless hours, days, months, and yes, years of dieting! Look and feel thin the easier way. Carole Bodger is not only a genius, but a heroine to all the "fat at heart".
A "must have" for your bookshelf.
"Dirty Diets" Done Darn Well.......2002-06-11
The title is a bit misleading. These aren't "dirty tricks" at all, they're actually really clever and really funny tips that any man, woman or child can use to look a little slimmer. And today, not after a month of exercising your sweat glands dry and eating nothing but tofu salad. I think the best thing about it is that you want to keep reading it over and over. It's not some boring diet book that you'll add to your shelf of diet books and forget. There are tips in the book for every aspect of life and you'll want to keep it handy for every occasion.
Book Description
I know exactly what you are thinking! These mystifying mind reading tricks are more spectacular than magic; more enticing than card tricks; and much more fun than sleight of hand. Delight and amaze friends, family, and acquaintances with your mastery of these spellbinding techniques. From simple icebreakers to dazzling demonstrations, this assortment of crowd pleasers will convince even skeptical spectators that you have the power to read their minds. Once you learn the basics, a little practice and touch of showmanship will make you the hit of any party. Work alone or with a partner; ham it up or play it cool. Perform these incredible feats and leave them wide eyed and slack jawed wondering "How did he do that?" One dozen top-quality, high-impact insider tricks--guaranteed to leave your audience flabbergasted and ready for more!
Customer Reviews:
Great things often come in small packages.......2007-07-12
Sure, this book isn't a thick, hard-back tome complete with leather binding, but it packs some pretty amazing effects into its pages. Though some of the tricks might sound pretty simple, the effects can be quite astonishing, especially if you work up a good patter (comical or spooky). One thing I find very helpful about this book is that Robert includes his estimated level of presentation difficulty along with its overall impact for each demonstration. Plus, he mentions right off if a partner or any level of set-up is required. Buy this book and get your nose into it. It's a whimsical, easy read with some real gems to add to your repertoire.
A Reader.......2005-10-11
This book is extremely elementary. Nothing you can't figure out without a little thought. I've got to think the other reviewers are friends of the author, because I can't see how they can possibly think this book is that great.
Truly an excellent book.......2004-10-09
I have read through the many pages of countless magic books only to find myself frustrated with the lack of high impact, hard-to-figure-out tricks. This book, however, was different. A few minutes after reading the first couple of pages I decided to try what I just learned of some of my friends. I blew them away, and they told me I should quit my job and start performing in Las Vegas. If you were to buy this quality of material in a magic store, it would cost around $50. This is a 'must have' for anyone interested in astounding their friends or family.
AMAZING!.......2003-02-18
This is the "War & Peace" of Mind Reading! Robert Mandelberg takes you through the basic steps of mind reading with an uncanny brilliance and a great sense of humor.
He will make you feel like the new Kreskin!
AMAZING!.......2003-02-18
This is the "War & Peace" of Mind Reading! Robert Mandelberg takes you through the basic steps of mind reading with an uncanny brilliance and a great sense of humor.
He will make you feel like the new Kreskin!
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