I thought it would be great to have a word search book test that could be made to look really broken in and used, with dog-eared corners, some puzzles completed, some puzzles partially completed, etc. I also thought it would be cool to be able to reveal a word by silently circling it in the puzzle and displaying it.

They say one should never ASS/U/ME.

There are no actual word search puzzles in this book!

Do you see the "puzzle" on the front cover? That's what they're like. Gibberish- with no words to be found.


I know this may be a a cue for many of you to to invoke the phrase, "Audience Management!" Yes, of course, the effect can be performed with appropriate audience management. I find it a bit astonishing, though, that the creator of a marketed book test with a word search premise didn't take the extra step to include actual word search puzzles so that audience management wouldn't be as much of an issue.

As for the Sudoku number puzzle effect, the method comes across as a bit dodgy. While spectators may not know exactly what is being done, many may suspect something fishy.

The last pages of the book inexplicably feature "psychological stunts," some of which actually give away classic psychological effects of mentalism!

Verdict: Not recommended

I own this book and can honestly say I've never noticed the puzzles in it are not genuine (I've not got it with me right now to check but I'll take your word for it)

If that is going to be your reason for never using it I strongly recommend you reconsider as after using this around 50 times now I KNOW this is a really great prop! I actually got a booking a few months back after demonstrating the drawing duplication in there.

As regards to the psychological stunts area, I agree they shouldn't be there but like I said I've performed this a number of times now in real world situations and no ones mentioned it once.

The only negative I found with it was it was too big for walkaround.

Each of us has our own standards/comfort zones. When it comes to book tests, I can be very finicky. If I hadn't had plans to mark up the book, maybe I wouldn't have been as disappointed. Still, as the book gets older and more worn looking I think it will look increasingly odd that none of the puzzles have been even partially completed.

If you've done it 50 times and it works for you, great! Don't stop doing it on my account.

I won't mate..but you're the one on here posting and moaning about it ;-)

Not all critique is "moaning." On the Café, we depend on each other's critiques of vendors, books, products, effects, theories, etc. MG shared a conclusion he'd reached, and the reasons and experiences that might, or might not, support the conclusion in other people's minds. Isn't that is what a forum like this is supposed to be about?

George

I showed this book to a friend the other night and he said, "There's no answer key."

D'Oh! That's something even I hadn't noticed.

Is this any good?

Lol..Me neither Mind Guerrilla! (by the way the 'moaning' comment was a joke, sorry if it didn't come off that way)

In answer to your question here2009 the reviews are pretty mixed on this for one reason or another. I personally think it's very good as I've used it a fair bit when given the opportunity. I love stuff with psych forces as I feel it really allows you to focus on presentation. On the other hand as Mind Guerrilla states we all have our own comfort zones and some people might not be comfortable with the psych stunts area at the back of the book. I've not had anyone question it yet and if they did to be honest I'd just act as if I have no clue what it relates to either so for me it's no big deal but I can see why some may have issue with it.
There is also what Mind Guerrilla pointed out that there is no words within the word search puzzles, something I'd not noticed but at the same time again I can understand why some may not be comfortable with it. I too had actually planned at some point to circle a few words to make it look more 'used' at some point, I won't be able to do that now but to me again it's not really a big deal.
I think thhis is more just a case of each to their own, I am quite comfortable being very bold with a lot of stuff that I do, I'm aware a lot of performers aren't like that. At the same time I am very uncomfortable using anything too gimmicky (gimmick cards, wax, threads etc) but I know plenty of other guys who are very comfortable with this kind of thing.

For me the pro's outweigh the cons with this, like I stated previously the only real negative I've found is that it wasn't made small enough to be used for walkaround, hence I've not used it as much as I would have liked.

Thanks for sharing. Good concept poorly executed looks like.

If there are no actual words in the puzzles, where do they get the words you're going to reveal from?

The words are listed under the "puzzle," as they would be in a normal find-a-word puzzle book.