Improved Lexicon Phenomena

EFFECT:
Two participants secretly choose words from a “real
vocabulary book” containing hundreds of words. There are no
duplicate words in the book’s word list. The two
participants then look up their respective words in an
ungimmicked dictionary. The performer, who can be 15 feet
away, reveals both words. He does this without touching
either book or asking any questions. The performer REALLY
does not know what words or page the participants have
chosen until he reveals the two chosen words.

The participants DO NOT write anything. The participants say
nothing. They DO NOT underline or circle any words. Each
person need only read the definition of his or her selected
word and think.

This is not the first word on the page effect. The
spectators do not use any mathematics to arrive at their
words. They simply open the vocabulary book to any page and
freely choose two words from anywhere on the page. No forces
of any kind are used. Both the 56-page vocabulary book and
the dictionary are ungimmicked from cover to cover.

There are no stooges or instant stooges. No pre-show work of
any kind is used. The effect is a one-man effect that can be
instantly repeated using different words. The spectators can
examine both books and nothing will be amiss.
_____________________
As impossible as this may sound, THIS IS THE TRUE EFFECT as
seen by the audience.There is no dual reality. What the
audience sees is the exact thing the participants see. The
participants have NO clue as to how you do this. Nothing
else is used outside of the two books and a few pieces of
card stock, and the marker to write the words with. Nothing
is hidden on the body.

One of THE CLOSEST THINGS to REAL mindreading that you will
ever see. EASY TO DO. Learn the amazing secret in minutes!

COMES complete with Vocab Book, Webster Dictionary,
Cardboard, Secret device that reveals the thought of words
and full illustrated directions.

"Clever, concise and clean! Al Mann would be proud of the
clever improvements Devin has incorporated into this fine
effect."
Docc Hilford

"I've admired Devin Knight for more years than I care to
remember. That he is 'clever' is an UNDERSTATEMENT. Devin is
the real deal and his latest testimonial to Al Mann is as
clean as it gets. Even Al himself, would be blown away!"
Larry Becker

BRILLIANT!
Christopher Taylor

"Simple, direct, and well thought-out. All the work is in
and the fun begins NOW!"
Lee Earle

MY COMMENTS:
As one might have expected from one of mentalism's most
prolific and talented creators, Devin Knight has once again
created a mind-boggling effect that fooled everyone at
Mindvention 2008. It's a hands off, totally examinable book
test that requires no memorization or sleights and is very
impressive.

What makes this unique is that the participants say
absolutely nothing. No page numbers are asked for because
there are no page numbers in the learning vocabulary book.
No letters or any other info is pumped for. And that's very
important, so I'll repeat that. No information is asked for
. . . ever! Also, there are no duplicate pages of anything.
And there's nothing to memorize (though you could memorize
200 word pairs, I suppose).

Other than the books, of course, what's necessary, though,
are the 8.5" x 11" sheets of cardstock that you write the
two words on. They are absolutely necessary to the workings
of the effect. And that brings us to the two considerations
of this effect. First, this doesn't work well for close-up.
Since you need to use the cardstock, this effects suits
parlour and stage. Second, you must use two people. The
whole modus operandus hinges on using two, no more or less.
Finally, the types of books used may limit your
presentational needs. Since I am a high school English
teacher and use that persona in my act, this book test could
fit right into my act because it uses dictionaries and
vocabulary. Corporate performers who know that their clients
need to learn vocabulary words could also use it, as well as
others. Now, these are not necessarily drawbacks, but
definitely considerations that must be taken into account.

The books themselves look ordinary. The dictionary actually
is ordinary. I found it at the local bookshop and online at
Amazon. The special book is the vocabulary book, however
that can be examined thoroughly. It looks just like a book
one would pick up to learn vocabulary and, in fact, one
could use it as such. Needless to say, the dictionary and
vocabulary book are in English and so this book test may not
be suitable for performers in foreign countries where
English is not common.

The package comes complete with the two books, both being
about 6" x 9". The instructions are 16 pages, 8.5" x 11",
stapled. Plus you get the special something that makes this
work and extra cardstock, all 8.5" x 11". Devin really put
a lot of work and thought into this and there's no question
that this is one of the most clever book tests on the market.