Acidus Novus

THE BLURB:
The original Acidus Novus was created by Millard Longman in
1979 and introduced to the community by the legendary Al
Mann. Since then, this simple-yet-ingenious methodology has
become a classic in the field and a favorite for countless
working professionals.

Here's what Al Mann had to say about it when it first came
out (and is, of course, still true today):

"Gentlemen, this is the 'Acid Test' for the Thought Reader!
This is one of the most advanced techniques in Billet work
... a Space-Age technique that was not known by the past
masters.

A spectator is asked to write down their private thoughts on
an index card or business card and then to fold the card
twice. The performer then takes the folded card and holds it
openly at his fingertips for just a moment and then passes
the still-folded card back to the writer. The performer then
proceeds to reveal the thought letter by letter.
• Easy to do
• No palming
• No switching
• No tearing
• No dummy billets

This technique is not a child's toy. It is not for the
curiosity seeker. It is strictly for the professional
Mentalist and the serious student.

It is not a temporary fad that will wane with time. Once you
learn it, you will have a powerful weapon at your disposal
and you will use it for the rest of your life."

Simple? Yes.

Powerful? Undoubtedly.

Without a doubt, the original Acidus Novus was a
breakthrough and continues to be a major player in the
contemporary world of billet work.

It is perfect for stage or closeup, impromptu or prepared.
Plus, as Millard says, "It is the easiest and most direct
billet technique known to Man."

However, if you've been in this field for any length of
time, you probably already know the basic Acidus Novus
handling, and you may be thinking, "Why should I be
interested in this new release?"

Well, to paraphrase the old commercial, "This isn't your
father's Acidus Novus!"

Even if you already know the basic handling and think you've
already exhausted all the possibilities, you're in for a
pleasant surprise.

The New Acidus Novus Bible

To begin with, THOUGHT READING WITH BILLETS, Volume One
adopts a truly multimedia approach with a 90+ full-size page
electronic book (delivered as an Adobe PDF) that includes:

• Comprehensive text

• Video demonstrations

• Full-color step-by-step photographs

• Audio recordings

• Additional peeks & handlings

• Complete presentations & routines
For the newcomer and professional alike, the video clips
show you exactly what to do and when -- from the performer's
point of view, so there's no time lost trying to match your
hands to what's on the screen. You will quite literally be
able to do this within minutes of opening the book.

For a quick refresher, the full-color photographs illustrate
everything you need to know to perform a flawless peek each
and every time.

The descriptive text explains everything, including the
perfect paper to use, how to prepare the billet for optimum
effectiveness, psychological suggestions, as well as why
Acidus Novus is the perfect solution to the problems
inherent to billet work.

As good as the original Acidus Novus was, this book will
show you improvements and additional handlings that will
allow you to take your billet work to the next level --
immediately!

Once you've mastered the deceptively-simple Acidus Novus
technique, you'll be able to apply it to countless different
presentations. To get your own creative juices flowing,
there are over a dozen complete routines and presentations
that were contributed by seasoned professionals like:

• Greg Arce
• Banachek
• Nick Belleas
• Moshe Botwinick
• Christopher Carter
• Stuart Cumberland
• Dr. Bill Cushman
• Giacomo DeCarlo
• Tony Michaels
• Alain Nu
• Richard Osterlind
• John Riggs
• Raja Khan
• Allen Zingg

These routines cover everything from impromptu to stage
situations, and include presentations incorporating body
language, palmistry, astrology, ESP, pendulums and book
tests. There's even a presentation in which the performer
literally doesn't even LOOK at the billet!

In addition to these top flight contributions, you'll find
fully-illustrated chapters on how Millard uses the Acidus
Novus for additional presentations including impromptu work
with business cards and serial number divinations.

Perhaps the greatest value in this book, however, is the
chapter entitled, "The Acidus Novus Question Answering Act",
which describes in detail how Millard prepares and
choreographs the performance of one of the easiest Question
Answering acts you'll ever present. This act alone is, as
they say, worth the price of admission to the working pro.
If you're not currently including Q&A in your act because
you hate pre-show, billet switches and one-aheads -- all of
those reasons have just left the building!

BONUS #1: The Acidus Novus Templates

To get you up and running as quickly as possible, we've
included ready-to-go Microsoft Word templates for the
perfect Acidus Novus billets that will allow you to identify
thought-of numbers, colors, cards -- you name it! If you
value your time the way we value ours, you'll appreciate the
work that's gone into these templates.

And by copying these template files to your own hard drive,
you'll be able to easily customize the
professionally-designed templates for all of the
presentations that you'll be coming up with after you've
read the book.

BONUS #2: The Longman-Mann Papers

As a very special bonus, we've included the actual
correspondance that began when Millard wrote to Al Mann with
what he considered to be an improvement to a billet
technique that Al had published. These letters are both
hand-written and type-written, and offer a unique insight
into two very creative minds. Over the course of three
years, Millard and Al discussed many ideas, some of which
made it into various Al Mann Exclusive publications, as well
as some which have remained unpublished.

BONUS #3: The Longman-Schubert Analysis

We thought it would be interesting to send the Longman-Mann
Papers to Roy Schubert, who is one of the most knowledgeable
experts on Al Mann today, to see what he might have to say
on the subject. The result was an audio interview that will
be of interest to anyone who is serious about mentalism and
its history. Admittedly, the quality of this recording isn't
anywhere near professional standards, but the ideas come
through loud and clear nonetheless.

The Bottom Line

The price for THOUGHT READING WITH BILLETS, Volume One
delivered via CD is $150.00 for domestic US customers ($160
for International and Canadian customers).

As Al Mann wrote over 25 years ago, the Acidus Novus
methodology is strictly for the professional Mentalist and
the serious student -- individuals who will be able to
justify the expense of this package because they will be
using it.

In all reality, our goal is not to sell a bazillion of these
to the community at large, and so the price has been set at
a point that many potential buyers will balk at. And that's
fine -- exclusivity is rare in this business, and as such it
carries great value for the working professional.

For the serious worker, however, the initial cost of THOUGHT
READING WITH BILLETS, Volume One becomes a no-brainer. Think
about it. If you perform even a SINGLE walk-around gig --
PERIOD -- you've more than paid for the investment.

The more realistic scenario is that you will use what you
learn in this package all the time. In fact, it's probably
safe to say that since it's the BEST billet reading method
available today, you'll be able to save a bundle of money,
since you'll no longer need any expensive wallets or peek
cases!

MY COMMENTS:
There is no question that Acidus Novus is one of the finest
mentalism techniques created. As stated in the blurb, it
originally was published by Harry Lorayne and by Al Mann.
It is mentioned on Richard Osterlind's Mind Mysteries DVDs
as well as Allen Zingg's Master Billet Course DVDs. I also
will note that this is the billet technique I use most often
and is the most invaluable to me.

This CD-Rom covers and contains most everything that you'd
ever want or need to learn and use this technique. And, for
those who already know the basic technique, this has added
features which make it a must-have. It has templates (which
can be customized), discussions (with Al Mann, etc.), video,
pictures, and routines, all packaged on one CD in a thin
plastic case. Most of the files are either PDF files or MS
Word files (for customization) and it should play on any
computer anywhere in the world. The blurb details the
contents accurately, so there's no need to repeat that info.

This is certainly a professional course on what I feel is
one of mentalism's most cherished techniques. There is no
question that, even at a price which may seem high to some,
it's worth every invested penny to the working mentalist.
It should be part of every mentalist's library.