Yesterday I completed reading the new cloud busting secrets book by Devin Knight and Jerome Finley. It is an extraordinary encyclopedic book on a vast amount of effects using clouds. The explanations are detailed without being redundant or over bearing. The text is well written and easy to comprehend. However, just because the text is easy to read, does not mean that you will only have to read this book once. It will take several readings to truly understand and grasp the physical, emotional and psychological subtleties explained in the book to perform these effects to their maximum impact.

The actual, basic technique of cloud busting is not difficult. In fact, it is relatively easy. Devin Knight and Jerome Finely go into detail as to what tpe of clouds to look for and how to create the effects. It does take some practice to find the right clouds and to know what to look for but it does not take long. Devin explains everything in clear detail. You can practice while walking or just lying down in the park, beach or backyard. The effects range from cloud busting, to cloud producing, how to change clouds to resemble animals, how to make a card prediction using clouds, etc. This book contains more effects using clouds than what you will probably ever use.

Not all of the effects are practical. Making clouds appear is not a practical effect, as Devin Knight admits. Also, some of the effects such as using clouds in a card prediction effect can only be done if you are lucky. This type of effect cannot be planned unlike the basic or more advanced cloud busting effects can be done just about on any given clear, cloud filled summer or fall day. However, Devin does provide the necessary information so that if the opportunity is there, you can take advantage of it. My least favorite effects dealt with making clouds to resemble animal shapes and numbers.

Devin fully discusses numerous routines using basic cloud busting techniques. My favorites include themes involving voodoo and gypsies. The strongest one involves cloud busting in conjunction with The Rainmaker item. If you can do this routine just once, you will have a true reputation maker. It is a very strong routine.

Devin even includes a method to bust a cloud over a cell phone which is strong.

Jerome Finley discusses a lot of advanced cloud busting techniques which must be read several times to fully grasp the impact of these techniques. It is quite interesting. Mr. Jerome even discusses how to use Mr. Richard Osterlind's ODD's drawing duplication with cloud busting. Very interesting stuff.

All in all this book is very interesting and most of the effects are practical with some practice. The true skill is not to make the cloud bust but to make it interesting and to make an emotional hook. Devin Knight and Jerome Finely go into detail so as to give you all of the necessary tools to make cloud busting an effect that you spectators will never forget.

Highly recommended.

Michael

Wow, Thanks!

Faster than I thought.

Thanks Michael for your comments. We don't claim every item in the book is practical. Most are, but to make the book truly encyclopedic in nature, we wanted to include every possibility. If certain things happen, you will be able to take advantage of it.

WE are both surprised that you didn't mention anything about our weather changing techniques which encompass about a third of the book.

Devin

Is the effect in conjunction with the rainmaker practical to do most clouded days or is it hard to get the conditions right Michael.
cheerz

Michael can respond once he returns, but I can say that the Rainmaker/Cloud effect is
100% practical and is not only the strongest effect in the book but one of the most practical and easiest to do.

In fact in one section of the book, I show you a surefire way to not only do the rainmaker/cloud effect but to almost immediately get a crowd of 20 to 30 people watching WITHOUT YOU APPROACHING ANYONE. They will all approach you believe it, or not...tell them Michael.

Devin

I think that everyone should be careful of the intial reviews...

read this work a few times guys...

I know this stuff is deep -- many of you may not get it right off the bat...

a failure to grasp the content and slamming it is just as ignorant as reviewing something site unseen...


This stuff is dynamite...give it the time it deserves.

I will add to this little fun thread.
Well I have lucked out two times so far. First off when I heard that Jerome was writing a book on Cloud Busting I asked him to show me the effect. I was able to sit down with Jerome and be amazed by what he has created.

The second time is now. I live close to Jerome, so I was able to get my hands on the Cloud Busting book!! I have read through that bad dog and am ready to give you my thoughts.

Jerome taught me enough to get going a few months ago. Since that time I have been watching clouds and learning what I could. I even busted two clouds for people and the reactions were legendary!! I now watch clouds while I am outside and I am getting better and better at this. It will take a bit of time to get this all down. The method is really simple it is all the nuances that Jerome and Devin cover that make the actual effect WORK WELL.

I can¡¦t imagine that there is much left to cover on Cloud Busting after you read this book. Jerome and Devin have gone into great detail on how to pull off this amazing effect. In the book Devin or Jerome (can¡¦t remember which one right now) mentioned that they expect some will buy this book read it and then never actually perform this effect for one reason or another. Those people will be missing the boat!! I also think people will read this and over look how powerful this actually is. In a greedy kind of way I am glad that people will react that way. ƒº All I know is in Utah we have really large mountains and have had about 2 tornados in the last 100 years. Well just two days ago another one came a long. I doubt it is much of a coincidence that it happened right next to Jeromes house. ƒº In my opinion if you learn from Jerome and Devin and apply the principals that they teach this one effect could be the most powerful thing that you perform! I hope I can get it to that point.

I will give a further review once I have performed this on several spectators.

I don't have the book, but I did visit Devin at his home a number of years ago and he busted a cloud for me. So I can vouch for the fact that he knows what he is talking about.

Terry

I mentioned this in the other thread and it got lost among the hundreds of comments. I will state it again. Everything in the book has been done at one time or another by either Jerome or myself. There is nothing in the book that can not be done.

Some things will take more practice and as Michael mentioned sometimes its a matter of luck. That luck does happen and when it does it is a miracle.

Regardless, in the book are three effects worth the price of the book.

Rainmaker Cloud
Gypsy Swindle
Voodoo Cloud

The last two are the methods I use the most. In fact they are so strong that Jerome
sort of wished I hadn't put them in the book, but I held nothing back.

If you don't use anything else in the book, doing Gypsy Swindle can make a reputation for you. It alone in my opinion is worth the price of the book, even if you never use anything else. The plot will hook a spectator and as he sees the cloud changing to absorb his bad luck, he will be dumbfounded. In most cases he will think you have real powers. I'm not going to say more about plot. I want to save it for those who buy the book. Again this routine alone is worth the book.

Devin

Thanks for the reviews, guys. Very interesting stuff, just as I expected.
I live in Australia so I guess I'll have to wait another week or so before I get my hands on this book. Ahh, the anticipation...
Cheers,
Jason

Devin,

Sorry I failed to mention in my brief review the chapter involving the baility to change the weather. I only wanted to write a brief review since I was preparing for a show. I am now preparing for another show so I will make a brief comment about it.

In the chapter involving how to change the weather, Devin Knight gives detailed instructions as to how to make it warmer on a particular day, how to stop it from raining on a particular day even though teh long term forcast said it would rain on that day. Devin even tells you how to make a rainbow appear. The chapter lists several internet sources to assist you in making these effects possible. I think these type of effects would probably work best after you have established yourself as having the ability to bust clouds. I do not know how reliable it is using these methods to change the weather since I have not tried them yet but Devin has in fact used them and they certainly worked for him. The effects would be fun to try and Devin givces you everything you need to begin.

Someone previously wanted to know how practical it is to use The Rainmaker effect with cloud busting. I think it is extremely practical. I have The Rainmaker but have nto tried it yet in conjunction with Devin's cloud busting effects. Using the two effects together is a reputation maker. THe other effects such as using voodoo and gypsy themes are fantastic.

Once again I highly recommend this book. It is full of intersting theories and thought provking ideas. It does indeed take more than several readings to truly understand the depth of these theories but the book is fun to read and fun to practice.

Best regards,

Michael

Sounds like a book to study for a while and having effect(s) you can do at one time or another.

I appreciate these initial reviews. There should be more very soon!

Again, you can do effects from the book ANYTIME there are clouds. Devin prefers to work in different seasons, I do my work with clouds YEAR ROUND. If there is a cloud, I'm all in!

Best,
Jerome.

Clouds are needed to be busted lol,

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/7016/img225jv7.jpg
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/5861/img227jk7.jpg

yeah I was bored with a camera phone just a few minutes ago

Where can I order the book ?!! Thanks !

I don't think you can anymore.

I don't own this site, but I got it from here and is still waiting for the Grand Arrival.

http://www.aleena.com/tilford/index.html

Cheers.

Spare me this type of BS, please.

Cloudbusting has been around a LONG time. It doesn't take that long to "get." There's a reason why an effect that's been around so long isn't performed very often and it's not because it's difficult to do, it's because it's almost completely transparent to most educated spectators. It's always been an effect that magicians are more enamored with than real people.

haha I will just have to step up and disagree with that. It has been around a long time, but that does not mean it was easy to find the information to learn it.

As for it being "transparent". I think that depends on the performer. You certainly can make it lame and boring if you wanted to, or were not cabable of doing it well. Some people can make a ball and a tube a freaking miracle. Others cant. I guess it depends on where you are standing and how hard you are willing to work to knock the socks off someone. For me I'll do whatever it takes blow your mind.

Chichi, it's the methodology behind cloudbusting that makes it transparent, not the performance.

Nice try though.