Doug, I'm guessing that you're not all that familiar with Nymans work. His work has been up front and center for quite a number of years now. The standard Svengali deck demo routine for Marvin's Magic is his routine which is still being taught to every Marvin's Magic demo employee, that alone says a lot when your routine becomes a integral portion of a professional and required training program. Let's also not gloss over his work in the field of mentalism. For a taste of his work, you need not look further than Get Nyman. His material has been first class and are also completely fresh takes. His strategy for choosing a spectator is still heralded as one of the best techniques for choosing a spectator (surprising as it sounds, there's actually techniques for selecting spectators apart from "May I have a volunteer"). You do also understand a large part of Derren Browns show and routines are from Andy Nyman right? You can look at it as Derren being the face while Nyman being the brains behind the work. $200 for a full book along with the extras, this is a good deal regardless of how you compare it with other books especially when the quality of the material is from the mind of Andy Nyman.

So all in all, indeed you can compare Andy Nyman to Paul Harris and actually come away with more practical effects with Andy Nyman. Both Nyman and Harris are also completely about driving home an emotional impact for the audience. Their techniques and methods are also both very much out of the box. I would go as far as saying that Andy Nyman is similar to John Carney's approach which is using the absolute best method to achieve a effect. If you ever get to see Nyman's material you will understand how unless the method is tipped to you, you will be very hard pressed to figure it out, after you find out the method you will be quite impressed that he's gone so far without making compromises just so that his end result could be perfect.

If the effects he put in this month's Genii are indicative of what's in the book, it shouldn't sell for more than $40.

Given the outrageous way the shakespeare experiment debacle was handled, I would never buy from them again.

And yes, a great deal of his released material put the 'ille' in 'filler'

I haven't gotten a chance to read this months Genii yet, what's wrong with the material in this month's Genii?

Wash, what have you found of his that was filler? I have his DVD set and it's all strong material that are worthy of being stand alone releases, which eventually indeed become stand alone releases.

Just to set things straight before folks start going "Oh, you're just a Derren Brown fan, thus you like Nyman," I actually started learning Nyman's material before I even discovered Derren Brown so in a sense, I've gone backwards when compared to most folks. In a sense, Nyman got me into watching Derren Browns shows.

Out of curiosity, does some of the dislike of Nyman's material have anything to do with the fact that he uses c*n*f*d*? Because if that is the case, then that's silly because the material is extremely strong and the use of c*n*f*d* just makes the routine much cleaner and much stronger as well.

You don't have to agree with me, but frankly I think his published material is overrated.

I also find it amusing that he was recently endorsing product from the miracle factory..........and wow low and behold a short while later he's releasing a produnt through them. Isn't that a coincidence. But I'm sure his endorsement was free from bias. Definately.

I'm not all that familiar with Miracle Factory and am basing my purchase of Bulletproof strictly from what I've seen on Get Nyman. I wasn't even aware that he's released anything else really apart from taking some of the items on the Get Nyman video and releasing them as singular releases (Dead Reckoning I believe is one of them and Killer Elite, both very good effects). I've never read his lecture notes and I am looking forward to being able to read them in Bulletproof now.

Have you tried out any of Nyman's routines? It's great thinking however I can see how it's not everyone's taste because he does use out of the ordinary means to achieve the result. They are also quite workable (not really for close up though, the majority of the work is strictly parlour and stage, but then again, we should give opinions on work based on both the effect itself and then how it applies or doesn't apply to our own performance requirements, however these are two separate issues and should be treated as such or else there would be room for bias).

All this stuff ( 17 routines out of 36 ) in the book are previously notes published by Nyman many years ago:

SHORT, PUNCHY, AND MENTAL ( http://www.alakazam.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss0000......chy&TB=A )

KOSHER PRODUCTS ( http://www.alakazam.co.uk/acatalog/Andy_Nyman_Shop.html )

FIGHT DIRTY ( http://www.alakazam.co.uk/acatalog/Andy_Nyman_Shop.html )

Ok, so buying those notes will cost me $52...so now the price for me is $148 for all the new stuff plus a dvd and cd...still a bargain...

In all honesty...please, no one buy it.

Nathan

Nathan I am with ya. those who don't know Andy I hope never do lol. his stuff is to good. those notes that are mentioned prove.

Lol sorry I meant to say prove it.

I've never bought any of Nyman's notes so this is definitely a top on my list.

Don't have time to read your entire essay.

Anyway, yes I do know about Nyman's work with Derren Brown. So, yes that would mean I understand that Derren Brown's routines are from Andy Nyman.
The joke was that you can't compare Nyman to Harris. Apples to oranges. Their thinking is great though. As to spending +$200 on a re-hash book, naw think I will pass.

I don't appreciate your attitude towards me. I'm not an idiot or a beginner so please stop with your "explanations". I'm friends with many great magicians and we don't treat each other this way. We treat each other as peers and with respect. As you're just an anonymous poster, kissyourdookie, I'm not surprised you write the things you do. Man up and tell me who you are.

I doubt you will. It's too easy to be anonymous..

Doug Lippert

I'm an anonymous poster? I use to sign off with my name but I got lazy. I don't see any substantial posts coming from you Doug. Most of your posts have been nonsensical or just asking about the newest buzz item out on the market. So, anonymous or not, I think the value of what a poster brings on these boards is a good representation regardless of being on a name basis with the person or not. So until you start posting things of value instead of "witty" and "smart alecky" remarks which really doesn't have much to do with anything, hold your tongue. Also, you like to create posts on threads about subjects that you really have very little footing in. Remember your entire disagreement in regards to the Quantum Bender? Look how that turned out, now you're telling folks to drop %500 on one.

Only reason I directed my comment towards you is that you came off sounding as if you really have very little knowledge of the actual works of Andy Nyman thus coming on this thread stating the $200 for what you now say is "rehashed" material makes no sense. Do you even own the lecture notes? I certainly don't thus this book is of a good value to me. How is this a rehash of anything if the purchaser doesn't own the original publications? Don't even get me started with the peers and respect point that you're trying to make, you're one of the individuals on the Café that constantly takes things personally when someone questions you on something. Like I said on another thread, your posts speaks for themselves so I don't really care if you state your name on the Café or not because that still doesn't give any value to what you bring to the table.

Gentlemen please..It does say that it contains all his lecture notes plus new items.It is also leather bound.I found the advertisment on the Miracle Factory to
be refreshingly honest...and Mr.Nyman is not going to put the best stuff in a copy
of a magazine now is he?.

I think you may be on the money Mark. I do still want to check out the this month's Genii for the article though.

Let's not talk again before one of us gets banned.

I'm sorry for going off topic but I had to defend myself. This is ridiculous.

Doug Lippert

Let's get back on track.

Andy Nyman's thinking is fantastic. I have a few of his lecture books and of course Get Nyman. If the quality of his new book meets the standards of his DVD then you're on to a winner. His DVD sells for about £40 and is 3 DVD's worth and around 5 and a half hours long, all great routines, some great thoughts on the subject of mentalism, well packaged, etc.

The book to be honest is priced at that figure I'm guessing, for a number of reasons. It contains a large ammount of his lecture material as well as the DVD material from Get Nyman. You buy all of that seperately it will be very expensive. He also has a load of new routines as well as CD and DVD material included. To me, that is a good price and is priced up for the people in the know and so people who aren't don't bother getting it for the sake of curiousity.

Derren Brown books go for much more than $200, same with Berglas, etc, for a good reason. Nyman is no different. I personally think it should be slightly more, but that is my opinion.

The only thing that is a little frustrating is the material from Get Nyman appears in the book, when obviously I paid for them seperately a long time ago, but again, the material is years old and no doubt will include many new thoughts and tips on each one.

No one cares about comparisons, this thread is about an Andy Nyman product. Let's keep it on topic please.

I can vouche for the value of Derren Brown books. I sold my copy of Absolute Magic at a substantially higher price than when I bought it.

In regards to his Get Nyman DVDs, I've just started to rewatch it last night. I still absolutely love it. The format is that the first disc is the entire live parlour show with only small cuts between some effects (these were from what I presume are effects which he did not teach and are performance only, they are still on the Get Nyman set except they are separate performance videos on the third disc of of the enticing and thought provoking interview with Andy Nyman). Seeing a entire show like this is remarkable and quite refreshing since this was done properly at a real parlour with a real audience as opposed to a studio with canned audiences (a la L&L). You really get into the nitty gritty of his effects and presentations. I will admit that many of the material requires methods that takes preparation or involving c*n*e*s but watching the performance you really understand WHY Nyman goes those routes for his effects.

If this new book contains more of Nymans thinking then I feel it would be a great value for any mentalist (and magicians as well because Nyman's approach to performing is very good and he has a great grasp on what draws in a personal investment from the audience). Andy Nyman's effects alone are quite strong but his real strength is in routining and presentations. Derren Brown is truly a great thinker but he truly would not be known for what he is now if it wasn't for Nyman's creativeness.

I truly agree with KDD across the board...

Nathan

Nathan, I shall assume that KDD is myself