July 24, 2007
Here's what's in this edition of
Jheff's Marketplace of the Mind Newsletter
*** FUNDAMENTALS by Bob Cassidy
*** THE HANUSSEN PROOF by Bob Cassidy
*** UNIVERSE by Bob Cassidy
To make a purchase of any item in the JMOM newsletter,
please go to http://www.MarketplaceoftheMind.com
and use the shopping cart. If you're unable to do
this, you may respond to this e-mail.
To make sure you've not been missing any newsletters, check
out my blog, which is accessible from the main page. All of
the recent past newsletters are archived there.
*********
After sequestering myself for the weekend to read Potter
Book 7, let me just say that I think Rowling nearly pulled a
Spider-Man 3, Shrek 3, or Pirates 3. If you haven't read
the other books in the series, this one will completely
confuse you. She wrapped everything up in an episodic
fashion and just about every character still alive from the
first six books made an appearance. I shudder to think how
they are going to do the movie. However, she did deliver.
Answers were given and they were mostly satisfactory. I
think that some of the "Deathly Hallows" bit, which
explains a great deal, could have been integrated into the
other books so it didn't seem so much like it came out of
left field.
As to my predictions, well, who said Rowling needed to be
accurate? She said two main characters (which I had assumed
to be defined as characters which we'd seen throughout the
entire series) would die. In truth, the total is four,
though they're not necessarily major characters. And there
are certainly plenty more casualties in the war, some of
which are surprising and some not. Oh, yeah, and I
thoroughly dug the final battle scene between the good and
evil forces, even though Rowling backed off on describing
some of the more tragic details. The focus was on Harry,
after all.
Okay, enough Potter. How about Derren Brown? (Hmm. Yeah,
there's a link there . . .) Anyhow, Derren Brown's debut TV
show will air on the Sci-Fi Channel this Thursday night.
It's certainly going to be something to see. Check your
listings for channel numbers and specific times. (And if
you miss it, I'm sure some unethical "fan" will post it on
YouTUBE within hours!)
Alright, this ish has the first batch of comments on Bob
Cassidy's e-books. I've selected three of my favorites from
the titles that Chris Wasshuber at www.Lybrary.com are now
offering. More titles will be offered at Chris' site and
I'll be adding comments on the rest of titles as soon as I
can.
*** WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BLOG?
Oh, the blog is still there, but it just got to be a hassle
because, being somewhat of a perfectionist, I was spending a
lot of time trying to make the blog version of the
newsletter look professional. Newsletters started to take
much more time than I wanted. Instead, I've just decided to
put up the whole unedited newsletter, without making it
fancy. It will be a separate part of the website and I'm
working on doing that right now. It should be ready within
a week or so.
Also, I'll be adding a notice to the main news section of
the website so you'll know when I'm sending out a newsletter
(sometimes I'll put up the notice ahead of time). If you
don't get the newsletter, please re-subscribe to make sure
your e-mail is current and that it hasn't been removed due
to technical issues.
*** AUTOMATIC SHIPPING CHARGES UPDATE
I have to apologize to non-U.S. customers as the automatic
shipping charges were pretty wonky until I figured out what
I did wrong. But they seem to be fine now. So I'll be
updating all the shipping charge info to reflect that. If
you still are getting shipping charges which seem way out of
line, then please let me know. Do remember that the last
price hike (a few months ago) sent prices pretty high,
especially for shipping out of the U.S.
As those who've ordered from me know, the shopping cart
service I use has not been accurate. This means that the
shipping and handling have had to be added by me after the
order has been made. Paypal users had to be billed
separately for this charge.
Now, my shopping cart service has assured me that
everything's ok and to try it again. Unfortunately, data
for many of the products had to be updated. That's mostly
done. And now things seem to be working.
So let's try this out: All U.S. based orders will be
shipped by Priority Mail. All non U.S. orders will be
shipped by air mail. Since I manually input credit card
info, if you pay by credit card (NOT Paypal), then I reserve
the right to change the shipping and handling price if I can
get it to you in the same amount of time and for less money.
For non-U.S. customers, if the shipping charges exceed $40,
use the Flat Rate Priority Mail option (about $40, and not
available in all countries).
Hopefully, (I'm knocking on wood really hard now), this will
work. I will say that not all the products' data is updated
and so there may be some shipping prices that are out of
line. If so, I'll definitely spot it and it'll be worked
out.
*** HOLLYWOOD MAGIC SQUARES
The 2nd volume of "From the Private Files of Jack Kent
Tillar" has just been released. Jack has tackled the flaws
in most magic square methods and come up with a brilliant
solution.
Hollywood Magic Squares, a 24-page downloadable e-book,
takes a classic, yet complicated, method for accomplishing
the magic squares and applies some simple, subtle, and
sensational touches to make it a powerful new method for
this popular effect.
*** SUMMER SPOTLIGHT: MENTAL ACTS
Here's a new feature that will call attention to products
that I feel shouldn't be overlooked by the working
mentalist. The following products are or can be complete
mental acts by themselves.
DOUBLE COINCIDENCE -- This three-phase book test is one of
the most powerful book test routines I've seen. Though one
book is prepared, it's the routine that is strong, not the
props. The first phase involves picking up images from a
selected passage; the second, the performer draws the
thought-of word; and the third phase involves an impossible
prediction of a freely chosen word.
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/Double_Coincidence.html
CRUISE CONTROL -- This routine involves many elements of a
cruise being freely chosen and all of them being predicted
by the performer at the routine's finish. I've always gotten
great response from this routine and feel that this is one
of Larry Becker & Lee Earle's most underrated creations. If
you do a travel themed set, you certainly want to check this
out. Heck, I'd recommend it just for the special traveler's
cheques which are ingenious.
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/Cruise_Control.html
QUESTA -- A professional Q & A routine that blends a trio of
principles together so that anyone "in the know" wouldn't be
able to backtrack. This is not a routine that is
recommended for mentalists with little experience, but they
can certainly purchase this and know what to work on and
towards.
http://www.marketplaceofthemind.com/Questa.html
***** MARKETPLACE MEMBERSHIP CLUB
The latest issue of Jheff's Journal of the Mind spotlights
Maurice Fogel, the subject of the new book by Christopher
Woodward and Richard Mark entitled Maurice Fogel: In Search
of the Sensational. To get it, you need to buy a membership
in the Marketplace of the Mind. For the $37 cost you get a
subscription to the 2007 issues of Jheff's Journal of the
Mind, an all-new e-zine for mentalists, and an additional
5% discount off merchandise from the Marketplace of the
Mind. There will also be specials and other stuff
throughout the year. Check out the preview edition
of the Bonus #0 issue featuring Jack Kent Tillar. Go to
the website and click on the banner at the top. Or use
the link below.
Check it out here:
www.marketplaceofthemind.com/jmmc.html
***** THE FRIENDS OF THE MARKETPLACE
Don't forget to check out the new Friends of the Marketplace
section. This is for those creators who are producing
wonderful products that I don't carry. This is because, to
save overhead, I order as needed from my distributor, and
these creators aren't mass distributing it. If you'd like
me to review your product and help you sell it, then you'll
find details about the Friends of the Marketplace program on
the website. There's a button on the left hand side for you
to click on.
I've just added the third and the most important of Enrique
Enriquez' Invisible series, INVISIBLE READINGS. This is
definitely an e-book that every mentalist should check out.
Also new to the section are Ron Martin's THE TAROT READER'S
NOTEBOOK, a must-have for Tarot readers; Craig Browning's
CRITTERS, an animal-themed collection of mentalism; Loren
Tindall's beautiful new THE DELPHI PORTAL, which is a
must-have prop for anyone who is a reader; and Gene
Nielsen's THE MAGICK YEARS, a jam-packed e-book filled with
over 70 professional and varied routines.
Remember, I don't make a dime on this stuff. I do this
because I think the stuff is very good and worth it.
http://www.jheff.com/friendsofthemarketplace.html
Until next time. -- Jheff
*********
BOB CASSIDY
FUNDAMENTALS
Suggested Retail Price: $29
Available at:
http://www.lybrary.com
THE BLURB:
The foundations of mentalism. Acclaimed as "a definitive
resource for all who are interested in mentalism and
probably for most in magic generally." Bob's list of 39 most
important books to read, which is included in this ebook, is
by itself hugely valuable, because you not only get a list
of books but the reasons why each one of them is so
important. This allows you to judge for yourself if you
should read a particular book or not. Fundamentals can be
seen as Bob's extraction of the most important concepts from
these 39 books.
1st edition 2002; updated 2005; 89 pages
MY COMMENTS:
Without a doubt, if I had to pick one e-book from Bob
Cassidy that every mentalist must have, it's this one.
Granted, experienced mentalists may already know much of
what's here in terms of theory, but there's also some
incredibly insightful routines, as well as a reference to
Bob's most important books in mentalism. And, before I go
any further, I want to thank profusely Chris Wasshuber for
making this easily available to the mentalism and magic
community.
For some reason, I had mistakenly thought the material in
this e-book was reprinted in The Artful Mentalism of Bob
Cassidy. Though some of the discussions on principles and
the philosophy of mentalism are discussed there, most of it
is not. Important topics covered include a history of
mentalism, presentational principles, rehearsing for
mentalists, the 30 second rule, the persona and the
subscript. All of these topics are essential to the
successful working mentalist and many of these can also be
transferred and used by working magicians, as well. He also
discusses how each different type of mentalist (telepathist,
body language expert, human lie detector, remote viewer,
clairvoyant, spiritualist, psychokinetic, hypnotist) can
make an effect unique and provides exercises to help doing
this.
Another invaluable section is a discussion of "An Essential
Secret." In this section, Cassidy relates an anecdote of a
mentalist who performs just one routine. He selects one
individual and performs a classic book test. This situation
is discussed at length and Cassidy reveals just why this
wasn't a memorable or effective routine. He discusses a few
key points which are essential to performing mentalism
effectively and which anyone who performs mentalism should
be aware of.
Oh, yeah, I did say that there were some effects in here,
too. And though the effects are quite good (some of
Cassidy's best, in fact), each of these routines is used to
illustrate very important principles and ideas in performing
mentalism. One effect is "Scary Movie Routine," which
features the Bulldog Deck. A movie is selected from among a
bunch of cards that contain movie titles. The performer
reveals the movie's title. "Shuttled Newspaper Test" is a
great impromptu newspaper effect that involves tearing up a
freely selected page into sixteen pieces. The participant
chooses one and selects any word printed on that piece. The
performer reveals it.
"Get the Lead Out" addresses the old plot of having a
participant write down five items, the first of which is the
selected items. The performer reveals that item. Cassidy
supplies a neat sure-fire method for this effect. "Three
Canisters and a Bill" is an effect which I saw Cassidy
perform and explain during a lecture many years ago. It's a
great little item involving with multiple revelations, such
as a bill's serial number. Finally, "A Startling Thought
Reading Effect" is a very strong mental card effect.
One of my favorite sections is Cassidy's discussion about
making miracles from cheap, classic effects. In this
instance, he discusses the classic Princess Card Trick.
Sadly, this effect has been ripped off and marketed and
re-marketed and is sold by many dealers for just a couple of
bucks. The instructions are never good and if performed as
written it becomes simply a cute puzzle. Like many of the
effects found in basic magic kits, the proper handling can
make this a miracle and Cassidy explains what is needed to
do this.
Though a good third of this e-book devotes space to
discussing classic texts of mentalism, the book as a whole
contains invaluable information that any mentalist could
use. This is truly a must-have e-book and is on my short
list of recommendations of books that any mentalist,
especially a beginning mentalist, should have and read.
*********
BOB CASSIDY
THE HANUSSEN PROOF
Suggested Retail Price: $25
Available at:
http://www.lybrary.com
THE BLURB:
The premise of Hanussen's Proof, and Bob's search for an
effective method, were inspired by an event that took place
in the spring of 1930. The mentalist/psychic Eric Jan
Hanussen was indicted and tried on charges of criminal fraud
arising from a public demonstration of alleged
"clairvoyance". As the trial neared its conclusion and the
evidence against Hanussen grew, he concluded that his only
chance of acquittal would be to demonstrate his ability to
the court. His offer of proof was accepted, and, under the
watchful eyes of the judge and prosecutor, the demonstration
proceeded.
Hanussen asked his inquisitors to concentrate on an event in
their lives, and then to tell him the location and place
where the event took place. It was the same test the
mentalist performed the night he was arrested, except on
that occasion Hanussen obtained the details of the events
via secret signals from an assistant posing as a member of
the audience.
This time, however, neither his assistant nor associates
were present. They had been removed from the courtroom, and
placed under police guard. But despite these precautions,
Hanussen provided detailed descriptions of the mentally
selected events.
The charges against him were dismissed.
The sensational publicity that followed his acquittal, his
subsequent rise to fame as "The Prophet of the Third Reich",
and his execution by the Gestapo in 1933, is described in
Mel Gordon's fascinating biography, Erik Jan Hanussen,
Hitler's Jewish Clairvoyant. The author's primary sources
were news reports, court records, historical materials,
Hanussen's own writings, and the published recollections of
his contemporaries and critics. But nowhere in any of the
voluminous materials written by and about the German seer is
there a clue to the method he used at the trial. How was it
possible for him to reveal events that occurred in people's
lives merely by knowing the dates and places?
You are about to learn a secret that has been shrouded in
secrecy for nearly seventy-five years. Use it well.
1st edition 2003; revised 2005; 28 pages
MY COMMENTS:
Most mentalists familiar with Cassidy's recent material have
pointed at this release as one of Cassidy's best routines.
I wholeheartedly agree. It's a terrific routine.
Basically, five people write down on a business card a
specific event that only they know. The cards are
collected. Then they write on another card. This time they
write only the date and location of the event. Each of
these cards is then picked up and read aloud to be written
down. After this is done, the performer reveals the details
of each event.
The routine requires index cards, pencils, a pad of paper,
and greeting card-size envelopes. Cassidy explains the
whole routine in detail. He also includes the historical
anecdote that inspired this sensational routine. Highly
recommended.
*********
BOB CASSIDY
UNIVERSE
Suggested Retail Price: $19
Available at:
http://www.lybrary.com
THE BLURB:
The Universe focuses upon one primary method, indexing, and
several of its applications. While the effects all appear to
be different from an audience's perspective, they are, in
fact, all variations upon the same methodological theme.
1st edition 2005; 27 pages
MY COMMENTS:
This is Cassidy's brilliant handling of a classic
mentalists' technique using four effects. In the first
effect, a book is randomly open to a page and a word freely
selected. The performer takes a billet from his wallet and
that word is on the page. Cassidy includes a very nice
variation that doesn't use the Universal principle, so you
can compare the two.
The next effect is a drawing duplication. The participant
draws any simple drawing that they like and the performer
reveals that the slip of paper in his wallet, which was
shown earlir, has a very similar drawing on it. The third
effect uses cards and is inspired by Paul Curry's Out of
this World. In this effect, the performer is able to
correctly predict how many reds and blacks will be dealt
into two different piles. Finally, Cassidy explains how you
can use this principle for readings and also he discusses
his "Window Envelope."
Because he uses wallets, most of the routines are designed
for close-up or parlour. But with a little thought, you
certainly can adapt some of these routines to a larger
audience. One other note is that Cassidy uses some special
wallets for these routines. Most mentalists, or magicians,
already have this type of wallet in their collection. (Of
course, if you don't have one, I have them available.)
Though the page count on this e-book is slim, there's some
powerful stuff in here. And it's highly recommended.
*********
To make a purchase of any item in the JMOM newsletter,
please go to http://www.MarketplaceoftheMind.com
and use the shopping cart. If you're unable to do
this, you may respond to this e-mail.
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