Get your signed copy now. here.
I just got word from my editor at Wiley that Mind Magic and Mentalism for Dummies has officially released in the UK; the US, Canada, and other areas will follow. That’s pretty exciting news. I had always wanted to write a Dummies book, ever since I first saw them when IDG began publishing the series 20 years ago.
The For Dummies brand is one of the most well known series of instructional books in the world; it is on every continent and in virtually every country. With the advent of the Internet, there isn’t a place in the world that can’t now access these books. It took my agent (yes, you have to have one or Wiley won’t talk to you) three years to get Wiley to really look at our ideas and agree to move forward. We signed contracts in 2011, and it took the greater part of the year to work our way through the content, go through edits and revisions, and really hone the material into the look and feel that the Dummies brand is known for.
At times, I wanted to pull my hair out, but I’m happy with the product. It’s a nice mix between the expansive detail I could have put into the material and making sure it is readable by a lay audience looking for a solid foundation in our art. The material we chose to include, which took a serious amount of thought and deliberation, represents a wide swath of techniques ranging from the most basic to very advanced.
The fact is, I’ve taken a lot of heat (from friends and enemies both) for writing this book, but frankly, I don’t care; I’m proud of it and it marks a significant milestone in my writing career. Mind Magic and Mentalism for Dummies is THE book I wish I had when I first started out in our art nearly three decades ago. Some of those in our art who will see this as exposure like to poke fun at the “Dummies” brand, as if it is really is designed for people who lack intelligence. But let’s be honest, it’s just like the tagline says — it’s a “reference for the rest of us” that allows people to garner the knowledge they are looking for. And that is the key, the only people who will buy this book are those who want to learn the art.
Here’s what they’ll get:
The beginner’s guide to mental magic
No rabbits. No wands. Just dozens of first-rate effects, illusions, and tricks guaranteed to amaze. Mind Magic & Mentalism For Dummies pulls back the curtain and introduces the secret world of mentalism for the first time.
With this book and the included DVD, budding practitioners have everything they need to master some of the most astounding illusions imaginable from exercising psychic powers and reading minds to harnessing mental energy to control fire and bend metal from across the stage.
Each effect in the book is presented from three perspectives: what the audience sees, how the trick is performed, and how to present it in a way that thrills spectators, making it the comprehensive, essential guide to blowing your audience away.
The DVD includes performances of many of the effects outlined in the book to help readers put the information into action
Provides both introductory-level lessons on the art of performing and a host of great effects that will meet the needs of beginners.Mind Magic & Mentalism For Dummies is the essential introduction to this mysterious art that can seemingly provide readers with the powers of clairvoyance, mind control, divination, and precognition.
Here’s the Table of Contents:
Introduction 1
Part I: Going Purely Mental 7Chapter 1: Messing with People’s Minds without Rabbits or Hats 9
Chapter 2: Playing the Part of a Mentalist 23
Chapter 3: Maximising Impact with Minimal Effort 39
Chapter 4: Making Magic with Money 55
Part II: Getting Tricky: Hands-On Mentalism 73
Chapter 5: Playing with Paranormal Cards 75
Chapter 6: Writing without Being Detected 101
Chapter 7: Sneaking a Peek for Peak Performances 125
Chapter 8: Touching without Touching: The Tantalising World of Telekinesis 149
Chapter 9: Passing Tests to Prove Your Abilities 171
Part III: Using the Power of Your Mind: Hands-Off Mentalism 189
Chapter 10: Developing Extra Senses: Seeing without Seeing 191
Chapter 11: Travelling Back to the Future: Making Accurate Predictions 209
Chapter 12: Look Into My Eyes: Getting the Hang of Hypnotism 229
Chapter 13: Chilling Out with Cold Reading 257
Chapter 14: In Cahoots with Co-Conspirators 279
Part IV: Performing Bizarre, Strange and Novel Effects 293
Chapter 15: Demonstrating Extraordinary Displays of Exceptional Human Ability 295
Chapter 16: Creating Spectator Failures 313
Chapter 17: Supernatural Spectacles: Uncovering the Art of Spirit Theatre 321
Part V: The Part of Tens 345
Chapter 18: Ten Mentalists Who Shook the World 347
Chapter 19: Ten Books to Take You Deeper into the Art of Mentalism 353
Chapter 20: Ten (or so) Techniques to Make You Seem a Minor Deity 357
Appendix: Video Clips 363
Index 365
If you’re interested in having me sign a copy for you, you can order it here.
http://store.jameslclark.com/products/Mind-Magic-and-Mentalism-for-Dummies.html
