Hi all. Not ever having had a chance to see him work, I was wondering if you would like to share your impressions. Here is the link for the Café section on reviewing his book, or feel free to PM if you prefer.

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......art=0#21

The book looks fantastic, I am just wondering about the content and volume for the price. So far, no one I know, has seen him work. Help me out guys, I have a $50.00 bill buring a hole in my pocket. Do you did these routines and moves?

Kirk

There's a lot of things you can do with $50 bucks, and I'd say if you can spare it, one of them is to buy Larry's book. It looks extremely interesting, and though I have not had the pleasure of seeing Larry do his thing, I have no doubt that he is good at what he does. He is a student of the game and has studied well. His many fine comments on this forum are a clear-enough indication to me that the guy is probably pretty darn good. So, I'd say try it...I don't think you'll be sorry. It seems like a tremendously well-done piece of work. Who knows, maybe his next venture, in between being a doctor and all, will be a dvd where the Good Dr. might make a house call.

I have the book and all I can say is BUY IT!!. It is full of some great sleights and are very detailed. I have glanced through the routines because I'm still working on some of the sleights. Great stuff, It is a great investment.

The prior thread reviewing 21st Century Coin Mechanics in the Book Review section is no longer there. Therefore the link in KirkG's post goes nowhere. I don't know if the topic was deleted. Hopefully Café staff can comment.

Before its release I ordered this book, thinking: here's a nice coin book for reading in bed.
Au contraire!
Larry's book deserves careful study with coins in hand.
Most of the sleights and effects have excellent angles which in my opinion is a great advantage.
So back to practicing Larry's devious Copper Silver by Brute Force . . . . .

Leko, You are much farther than me. I am still working on the FCOP. Oh well. Ill get there sooner or later.

Well, I didn't get much sleep!
And . . . . it doesn't flow yet.

I’ve had about a week to read through 21st Century Coin Mechanics and I’ll give you chapter by chapter my impressions of the first 7 chapters. There are a total of 25 chapters. The first 14 are devoted to sleights and the remaining 11 are routines based on those sleights.

Just reading through the preface and introduction I can tell that the author knows clearly how to express himself with words. The book is beautifully done with color photos on the dust jacket and very clear b/w photos inside.

Ch1: Palms and Grips- Sharp b/w photos and clear text showing the concealments and coin grips used in the book.

Ch2: Flying Changeover Palm (FCOP)- The most important move in the book. I can do it now but it took a lot of practice. The key is in synchronizing the wrists as they turn. I still need to work at it. This allows you to secretly transfer a coin in the left hand to the right hand while placing or dropping a visible coin from the right hand into the left. It is used as an acquitment, a vanish, and as a false count. Throughout the book a shuttle pass is never used. It is similar in function to the Sylvester Pitch but there is no pitching or tossing of a coin. The angles on this are great.

Ch3: Flying Changeover Palm Vanish- Similar to the FCOP but only one coin used. It’s shown with bare hands or with a prop such as a playing card or pencil.

Ch4: Pivoting Changeover Palm- Similar in function to the FCOP but it can be done more slowly. This is a very deceptive acquitment that can be used in place of the FCOP. I found it easier to do than the FCOP. It is the key move in Coins From Vegas (Ch 18).

Ch5: Flying False Count- This is actually not that hard to do. The momentum of the coins does half the work for you. It’s used to count 3 coins as 4 or 2 coins as 3. I like it better than the Himber/Sankey False Count.

Ch6: Retention Trip Vanish- This is the first of three retention of vision vanishes. This is the easiest to learn. The coin ends up in what’s called in Ch1 the Downs Oblique Thumb Palm. Larry uses this palm quite a bit. I’ve done this with both halves and dollars and it’s almost easier getting the dollar in this grip than the half.

Ch7: Universal Retention Vanish (URV)- This move and the FCOP appear to be the core moves in the book. The URV technique is divided into slow and rapid techniques. The slow technique allows you to do an unbelievable retention vanish. His fast technique is used in a variety of ways including a number of visible coin changes (Double Helix Change). The fast technique I think is the hardest move in the book but I think it was easier to learn than the muscle pass was for me. I am still working on it.

I have peeked ahead to look at the routines but I wanted to learn or least familiarize myself with the sleights first. Four Coins to Pocket looks awesome. In the routine section before each effect he lists the sleights needed in a chemistry or physics type formula. It summarizes the routine in a pseudoscientific way. Very cool. Beneath the “formula” is a list of “mechanics required” and which chapters these sleights are explained in. I really like the style and format of the book.

Overall, I am very satisfied with my purchase. This is a meaty book which I’m really enjoying getting into to. The moves taught so far are ones that I will really use. They are very powerful techniques. I’ll update my review as I progress through the book.

Thanks you box jumper. That was very helpful. Kirk

Hi guys!

I just received my copy! This is unique stuff, to say the least...in fact I HESITATE to promote it, because...well...

I want this for myself...mine...too good to share!

$50? If you COULD put a price on the contents of this book, and be fair about it...it would far surpass that. Just my opinion, of course. The versatility in the stuff you learn from that...very usable. A good example would be that I've already adapted something from that book, and it's answered a years-long problem! I'd have paid $50 for that alone, LOL!

Bottom line: Is Coin Magic your thing? You must have this book.

Best,

Doug

Support Larry AKA Count ELmsley.. buy the book ..Whats with all the questions .. I just came back from Vegas I dropped 50 bucks in the slots at the air port and got nothing in return .....
Larrys book will give you a lifetime of reading and practicing....and you will get something inreturn..pleasure......
vinny

Agree with the above posts-- this is a first-class book.

One other thing-- the descriptions are very well written. The correct anatomical terminology is used and this results in concise, accurate descriptions of the moves. I really hope this aspect of book writing catches on.

-- Frank

Sorry about my english guys,but whats the meaning of acquitment?I´ve purchased the Barnowsky book and found that word a lot.the diccionary didn´t help me.BTW great book,all the sleiths are new to me so it´s like I was learning coin magic all over again from the beggining.The FCOP is a hard one do learn does any one of you master it?It took long to achieve it?I´m getting nuts with that move.

Fernando Quartin

Fernando,
That word "acquitment" is an old fashioned word used in some of the classic magic texts such as Magic Without Apparatus. I believe it is of French derivation. It refers to a sleight that enables the magician to hide an object while apparently showing his hands empty. When it's done once, it may be called a changeover palm. When it's done repeatedly, some call it "handwashing." The Flying Changeover Palm (FCOP) is a not a knucklebusting sleight. It is more of a finesse sleight where timing and synchronization are the key. As mentioned in the book, try doing the FCOP with your eyes closed. This will help you get the timing down. When I do that sleight I rarely look at my hands, but rather focus on my audience. All of this will come with continued practice.

Larry,thanks for the "vocabulary lesson" and for the encouragement regarding this new sleight.
Fernando


One more thing Larry,
The book is meant to be studied in a specific order? The first sleights are the most important and most used? And the effects (tricks) evolve from easy to complex?
What did you have in mind when you put the chapters together? Is there a criterion?
Thanks,
Fernando

Fernando,
I would recommend the book be read as written. You can if you want read a routine first. As you know the first 14 chapters are the "mechanics" or sleights needed. Chapters 15-25 are the "applied mechanics" or routines. However if you wish to read one of the 11 routines first you will see at the top of the chapter a list of "mechanics required." That will tell you which sleights are needed to perform that routine and in which chapters those sleights can be found. For example in Ch 16, Four Coins To Pocket, the mechanics in chapters 2,3, and 6 are needed. In Chapter 15, Copper Silver By Brute Force, the mechanics in chapters 2 and 11 are required. So if you wish, you can read a routine and refer back to the earlier chapters teaching that move.
The routines are not in order of complexity or difficulty. The hardest effect I think is Coins From Vegas in Chapter 18 and the easiest is Shear Force in Chapter 23.
The most important move in the book is the Flying Changeover Palm because it can be used as a vanish, an acquitment, and as a very deceptive false count. That's the first sleight in the book and I put it there because of its importance. Take your time with the book. The sleights will come with continued practice.

Thanks Larry.Precious advices.
Fernando

This is a continuation of my review.

Ch 8: Open Palm Retention Vanish- There are 3 variations of this retention vanish explained. All are easier than the URV. My favorite is Variation #3 which to my eye looks the best in the mirror.

Ch 9: Double Helix Change- This is hard because to do it properly you have to have mastered the “rapid” form of the URV. I’m practicing it with the “slow” URV right now because the I can’t do the other as well yet. To the audience it looks like you are just twirling the coin but it changes to another one instantly. With silver dollars it really looks nice. I’d love to see the author do this in person. Any seminars or lectures planned Larry?

Ch 10: Double Helix Acquitment- Uses a similar motion of the wrists but is generally used as an acquitment. It easier to do because the rapid URV is not needed. Again the photos are invaluable here. This one came to me pretty easily. Basically, you have one coin displayed and one in finger palm in the right hand and in the process of moving that coin to the left you secretly transfer the hidden coin to the left.

Ch 11: Ross Bertram Multiple Coin Changeover Palm- This is a fantastic move which I was aware of from Stars of Magic but never really tried (the explanation in Stars of magic was less than clear). This is a silent way of transferring a group of coins from one hand to the other.

Ch 12: Dollar Deposit Load- A funny name for a technique to load a silver dollar under a card. Works pretty well.

Ch 13: URV Toss Switch- This depends on the rapid URV which I am still practicing. This is like a Bobo switch but the switched out coin is sprung into Ramsay Finger palm as the switched in coin is tossed into the other hand. If you keep the left hand open it works as a cool visible coin change.

Ch 14: Over Easy Change and Acquitment- This move is fairly easy to learn. There are many variants of this described. You can do this with or without the URV. Combining this with the URV allows you to do “cycles” which are maneuvers that transfer the hidden coin between the hands or produce eye candy type coins changes. These could be easily incorporated into any Spellbound routine.

That ends section one of the book. Section 2 has the routines that use these sleights. I’ll update this review as I work my way through the book. So far, very original material, some easy, some hard. The Flying Changeover Palm and the URV are phenomenal moves worth the effort to perfect.

I am really enjoying the book.

the layout is very well thought out. the photos are great and go really well with the text.

oliver

Larry. . . I just got the book today and will be reading it thoroughly soon. I did have a chance to glance though it and it seems like it would help if one could actually see these routines in action. I've heard the mention that you might have a video of these routines and moves. Do you have them posted on the web? I think it would help a great deal to one who hasn't had the pleasure of seeing you work.

Jeff