The bending coin routine in AH-HA is great.

Is it worth the price for such a thin book??
Is the effects practical??

Yeah, the effects are really good and I think the book was really worth it. Magically unlocking your car door with no keys is really amazing. If you have a dog that is smart you can teach it a magic trick. It really isn't a 'magic' trick, but I present it like one. Can some one PM me some tips on the false shuffle? I can't get it right.

Lee

I am a college student only, is there any stuff from this book which I can use to amaze my friends and classmates??

Andrew

I saw Eric Anderson at the first convention I ever attended. He is an incredibly good magician, who is very entertaining and very friendly, too. He was the highlight of the convention for me and for many others.


Yours Felix

I love Harkey's video, but can't seem to get the hang of his Pocket cache. It's like Sankey's paper clipped, but it looks better and you don't have to put the prop away. But, it's hard to use. anyone have success/suggestions on this utility item?

Thanks!!
Chris

I enjoyed Ah-Ha! as well. I performed Scatterbrain at a parlor show and it absolutely killed. It's definitely one of my favorite stand-up effects and was worth the price of the book to me. The false shuffle is good as well. There is also the most bizarre version of "The Solid Deck" I have ever seen. Definitely check out the book...

Jason C. Mauney

Well they took a tad longer to arrive than I was hoping, but my ordered copies of Simply Harkey an Ah-Ha arrived in the mail yesterday. I was initially a little disappointed at how small (and thin) Ah-Ha was but having read only the first few effects from Simply Harkey I am convinced that this will be a great book too. Simply Harkey is simply brilliant. It is exactly the kind of book I was after. The creativity captured here is astounding. Jay Sankey, in one of his books quotes Harkey as 'an inspired creator'. Now I can see why. If you like Sankey material and the weird stuff from AoA you'll love these books too. Based on what I've already read so far you guys were right to recommend Harkey's books. Thanks everyone for the tip.

I think Harkey is on a different level then Paul Harris and Jay Sankey. Both Ah-Ha and Simply Harkey are the bibles on visual close-up magic and really own AoA and all of Sankey's books and videos. I think Goldfinger is the greatest effect ever created and wonder if it has won any awards? Dirty Pool, IOU, Oasis and Pop art are very strong openers and really have high shock value. David Harkey is one of the best thinkers in magic and his routines reflect it. Just look at how sneeky 'Whiplash' is and how it is a great card under the box.


Lee

Hi all,
Great reading the postings.
Can anyone tell me how to get in to the correct place for e bay? Last year I tried, could not find "Magic, nor "Ledgerdemain", nor "Seight of Hand", nor "Magic Books", nor "Parlour Magic" nor not 'nuttin'. I wrote to the head of teh e bay web site,maybe thepresident, and he said,he did not know hot to go about it either!! There were just "too many areas" and he could not suggest how I should do it . Unbelievable!
Marty K
P.S. Like Ixnay, 5x5 did not speak to me. Anyone want to offer $60.00 for it so I can avoid e- bay?

My favorite trick from "Ah-Ha!" without a doubt is "OutSmart". I use the principle of the effect, but I don't set up the card case as described in the book. Anyone familiar with Aronson's, Tamariz's or Nicola's work (among others) will understand where I keep the "gimmick".

If you cross "OutSmart" with "Remote Control" (Scams & Fantasies with Cards by Darwin Ortiz), you'll have an impressive effect on your hands.

HN Review 91: Ah-ha! – David Harkey / Eric Anderson

AD:

Watch a book of matches burst into flame without touching it. Unlock a car of any make by pointing at it. Learn a false shuffle and bridge you will actually use. Drop a borrowed coin into your drink, bringing the liquid to a boiling froth, then spoon out the coin, bent like a used bottle cap. Turn a pack of cards into solid stone, splitting like a rock when you drop it. Automatically switch decks under the noses of your audience, using subtlety rather than sleight of hand. Pluck the petals from a daisy, ending on she loves me not. Then blow on the flower, making one petal reappear. She loves me! Five years in the making, here is a collection of street - tested magic with calling cards, coffee cups, matches, coins, bills, rubber bands, newspapers, playing cards. pencils and more. More than twenty effects in all. Hardbound.

REVIEW:

21 effects – and about half of them are F###### card tricks. I have yet to see an honest ad stating, “this book mostly contains F###### card tricks”. It would be easy, though: count the number of effects with cards, count the total number of effects, divide the two numbers, and insert a disclaimer: “this book contains 42% of F###### card tricks”.

About the other half : I was VERY disappointed by the lack of original methods and presentational ideas, despite the imaginative plots described in the sales blurb. The book does not fall into the “junk” category only because of the care shown in the production (nice hardbound with dust cover, beautiful layout), and thanks to an interesting way of turning your dog into an assistant while feeding him, from the classic text “Mr. Lucky ‘s trick dog training book”.

I suggest you stick with “Simply Harkey”.

Overall rating: weak

H.

HN has been very kind to share his opinions many times.

I happen to vehemently disagree with this one, however. Even ignoring the card tricks in Ah-Ha (didn't seem like half, but HN seems to have counted), I found loads of gems in this little book.

As with ALL of my purchases, some stuff is good, some is fair, and some isn't for me. However, again, as with all of my purchases, if I get a single effect that I am actually going to use, it is more than worth my money, and there are more than a few.

Torque is fun, too fun actually. Scatterbrain is genius (at least the idea). The Q&A is actually not bad for somebody who is looking for an easy method.

I agree with Lemniscate, Ah Ha does contain some real gems, including Scatterbrain and a card effect called Outsmart which is brilliant. Very simple, direct, and extremely strong, when presented well. I've always wondered why I've never heard much about this effect, probably because those that have discovered it, realize how strong it is, and have decided to keep quiet and keep it to themselves. Actually, I should probably keep quiet too, nuff said.

AHEM Gregory...

lol

The trick whereupon a quarter melts in a cup of coffee is very strong (old concept but Harkey adds a special something). I have yet to perform it, though...

I just did this weekend. It was great. I thought the special something was obvious but it wasn't. I'd be curious about experiences with this. I am thinking a dark liquid in a clear glass might even be the most perfect way to do it.

I have had Simply Harkey for years and really like it if for nothing more then fresh ideas and concepts. I always wanted Ah Ha but always saw so many mixed reviews. After reading this thread I still feel the same. Do you guys think Ah Ha is similar to Simply or is Simply Harkey a lot better?

If you're not performing 'Twins' from AH-HA, you should be.

On second thought, forget I said that...