21st Century QA

THE BLURB:
The Question Answering Act - or "Audience Reading" as it is
more commonly called today - has always been the major
effect in mentalism.

Q&A, while arguably the most powerful and memorable effect
in mentalism, is rarely seen today because it does not fit
into the "body language/ perceptionist" persona and style -
its only explanations would appear to be pure mind reading
or, as it was originally presented, communication with the
spirits.

Here, in this e-text for the experienced mentalist - is a
complete collection of original modern methods and, more
importantly - PRESENTATIONS - for this classic routine.

In 21st Century Q&A you will find presentations that suit
the modern performing persona and methods that defy
detection. And, as in all of my routines, the emphasis is on
subtlety rather than electronics, secret assistants, etc.

MY COMMENTS:
Before we get into the review of the book, please note that
this not available through Bob Cassidy. Jerome Finley is
handling the sales for Bob, so you can be sure that you'll
definitely get the e-book quite soon, rather than waiting
months to years for Bob to finish the book. Part of the
problem is the long wait purchasers have and that builds
expectations. For this book, there is no long wait. Also,
if you've already paid Bob for the book, contact Jerome and
he'll take care of you. Okay, now let's get to my comments
on the e-book.

This is a 25 page e-book that covers Cassidy's handling of
the classic Q&A routine as a complete act. Let me note
something very important: this is for experienced
mentalists only and especially for those familiar with many
of Bob's other works. In fact, one could say that this a
sequel to Hanussen Proof. You don't need to have it, but
the information here makes much more sense if you've read
it.

Also, The Hanussen Proof makes use of a special prop that
Bob uses for this act. If you don't have the prop, the
instructions on how to make it are included. Though the
handling will have to be a bit different, you can use
Richard Osterlind's Final Answer prop as an alternative.
This is my suggestion and not Bob's.

Other works by Bob are referenced, too. The Scorpio's
Message, George Anderson's Dynamite Mentalism, Psychometry
principles, Fourth Dimensional Telepathy, and other standard
mentalism techniques are used in the act. Some are
explained; some not. Also, the act is outlined and key
elements are explained. An act like this, though, requires
a lot of experience, knowledge, and performance charisma.
As I said, the experienced mentalist will not have a problem
with this.

Additionally, Bob has included an incredibly fascinating
history and evolution of the Q&A act. To me, that's just as
valuable as anything else in this book. And, for those who
aren't a fan of Plan 9 From Outer Space (rated by some as
the worst movie ever made), there is a wonderful tribute to
the Amazing Criswell, a very popular psychic from the 50s
and 60s. You'll have to read the e-book to find out the
connection.

Whether or not you feel this e-book is of value will depend
entirely on your perspective, and unfortunately that may be
an issue with this. Fans of Bob Cassidy who have most of
his work, if not all, especially his e-books, may feel
disappointed because much of this book is simply a
re-hashing of material from his older releases. This is
true and my first reaction after reading this was that it
should've been an extra chapter in The Hanussen Proof, or
some other book.

On the other hand, I don't think there's any question that
this manuscript's purpose is to describe an act that is
certainly a professional act. This is an act that's well
worth the money, regardless of whether you'll perform it or
not. One can certainly compare the act to Docc Hilford's
QuestA, another Q&A act which relies on using multiple
methods so as to make it difficult for the savvy audience
member to figure things out. Even QuestA didn't go into
great details about the techniques and it assumed that the
purchaser was a knowledgeable mentalist.

If you are an experienced mentalist and NOT familiar with
Bob Cassidy (and you should be, so hop to it and fill in
your library), then this work will be most invaluable, but
also frustrating as you'll definitely need to get other
works by Bob, such as The Artful Mentalism of Bob Cassidy
(which I feel is a truly important book for ANY mentalist to
have, anyway).

Bob Cassidy is one of the few whose works I'll buy sight
unseen and am always intrigued by them. Once again let me
state that this is for experienced mentalists only and
especially for those familiar with many of Bob's other
works. If you don't have The Hanussen Proof, I highly
recommend getting that. As to this e-book, after many
years without fresh material from Bob, I would've liked
to see a book filled with ideas not already published
elsewhere, but I highly respect and recommend what was
published here and am certainly glad I purchased it.