On 2012-12-20 00:57, rnaviaux wrote:
No worries...now if those new PX90 DVDs would show up I might be able to lose a few pounds over the holidays as well;)

On 2012-12-23 20:53, rnaviaux wrote:
Received mine yesterday. Having read through it once and am now starting to work on the material in it starting from the beginning.

I think I remember, earlier in this thread, Mr. Vincent saying this work is a "post graduate" work on the topic of card magic. I must admit I was curious how that could be so. Not anymore. I sure wouldn't give this book to a beginner. Although there are effects that "aren't" technically difficult, needing no more than an ability to cut the deck, nontheless this is sophisticated material.

While one may not need to have studied all of Darwin's earlier work to appreciatte this latest entry it sure wouldn't hurt.

Long ago I relaized I wouldn't have the time (until maybe I retire) to really become a scholar of magic. I would have to find a few authors that have done a lot of the hard work for me. (I know this sounds a bit lazy but I simply am not interested in reinventing the wheel.) Imagine my reaction to being sold a book called "Cardshark" written by Darwin Ortiz. The guy behind the counter had demonstrated a routine or two from the book and told me this was the book I wanted. Frankly I wasn't too impressed with the routines but bought the book at his insistence.

I came back a few days later and asked what the heck is a "pink count." Then he sold me At the Card Table written by this same individual I had never heard of in over 20 years in magic by then. (Bruce Elliot and Henry Hay were my inspirations at that point. I spent a lot of time in libraries and not much in magic shops.)

This was 99 and that guy behind the counter at the magic store was named "Paul Vigil."

I devoured At the Card Table and then Cardshark and started to rpeform the magic therein at every opportunity. I soon realized that I had no real idea of what constituted strong magic. Wouldn't you know it. That enigmatic Paul Vigil then pulled out a book called Strong Magic and said "There isn't a single trick in this book. This is the only book I take with me when I travel." By this time I trusted Paul and his recommendations so I bought it and read it. And thus I began my real education in magic.

Mr. Kaufman once made a comment on his forum that any magician would/should know the information in that book. Well with the publication of Strong magic it is much easier to get to that point without as much trial and error.

Scams and Fantasies was next to be published and now we have Card Mastery. Reading through this book made me refelct on how much I have learned over the last 13 years. I'm thinking if I hadn't put in the time and effort to study those earlier works just mentioned I might not get as much as I have already gotten out of this latest offering.

How lucky are we to have someone publish the fruits of his life's labors so we can impress an entertain an audience with a few card tricks? I know its given me quite the reputation and in times of need as enabled me to survive a layoff as well as to get a job. (Another story for another time.)

So a sincere thank you to Mr. Ortiz for this wonderful Christmas present.

P.S. - The PX90 DVDs arrived but a friend told me about "Insanity DVDs" and I have gone ahead and ordered them as I am positive they will give me faster and better results than PX90.

On 2012-12-23 13:43, andrewstephensmagic wrote:
Just got mine from Vanishing Inc. They offer free shipping and I'm excited to get it!

On 2012-12-28 15:39, rnaviaux wrote:
Erdnase27 - several of those effects are in his recent DVD set "Nothing but the Best."