Yes, that's true... as well as many other well known names! check it out:

http://www.mentalvoyage.com

also, Ben was a paying customer of mine....more full disclosure!

Glad you both like each others effects.

That's a funny run of posts.

Benny

I'm interested in Stefan O's conclusion that he prefers Crossroads.

The thing about equivoque is that when properly scripted it is invisible. good equivoque is like a good toupee, you don't know it's there.

So Silent Running gets rid of the equivoque, and I'm sure it's replaced with something clever, but is it clever and convoluted? I hate convoluted.

oh... I should probably just buy it. I'm just being miserly.

The thing about equivoque is that it's not specific. I've tried it with Crossroads and more often than not they ask what you mean. "Do you mean which I want to keep or which I want to get rid of?" bla bla bla it's just too ambiguous for me. Silent Running is quick and precise.

That's a failure of scripting, not a failure of method. And I agree that there are a lot of poorly scripted equivoque based effects. But as I said, when done properly equivoque is invisible and impossible to backtrack (and can seem completely specific).

It does help to hear that you find the process in Silent Running quick and precise. If nothing else it seems like it would be a valuable tool to have in the arsenal.

I love the nonsensical way kids try & use equivoque & then complain when it fails, but I bet their mommies tell them it was a good trick anyway.

:)


I'm looking forward to getting this, good reviews from workers so far.


Mike

There is absolutely no way of wording equivoque to make it precise enough for a spectator to understand if they are getting rid of or keeping a group of items. That's exactly what equivoque is; a series of imprecise instructions and questions.

I do equivoque routines all the time with no problems at all, as many other people do also.

Scripting & practice is what makes it work.

I never have anyone question the procedure.

Equivoque work for a lot of people, I'm sorry you have trouble with it. Keep on practicing & you will get it.Maybe do a bit of research on it & practice it.

It is a very good tool to have.

Mike

I've used it before to force an item out of several, but with Crossroads you have to use it so much it becomes inconsistent and obvious. That's just my opinion.

I'll keep this brief...

"Silent Running" is a beautiful, beautiful thing!

Ben Harris just went and flipped "Think a Card" mentalism and direct mind reading on its head with this one. I was smiling BIG TIME as I read through the method and yes, the wheels are spinning very nicely now, aren't they?

I've got plenty of immediate uses for this piece and if you're interested in very direct mentalism with minimal or NO PROPS then I would HIGHLY recommend this chunk of work. It's fabulous and that's downplaying it quite a bit. Methods and effects this clean and straightforward don't come along very often, in my experience. This is something I'll be using for the rest of my career.

Like many others I have my own cherished, favorite ways of psychologically forcing a card (or other objects and information). "Silent Running" just replaced two of them and greatly compliments another.

When I think of the many uses for this outside the realm of playing cards...I'm just flabbergasted. It's that good.

Get it.

-Jerome Finley

I hate cards tricks (after being a finger-flinger for 20 years) so much that I swore I would never (yes, never) use them in mentalism work.

That has changed with Silent Running.

This is the perfect carry-around-with-you effect because you don't to carry anything at all. It is direct, to the point, easy to understand, and follows Vernon's(?) rule that it be described in one sentence.

A brilliant addition to anyones repertiore.

Lee

Have you read the Hector Chadwick book? He has an equivoque routine where he specifically asks questions like 'what do you want to get rid of?' It's very clever IMO.

No I haven't read that book, and my apologies if there is a way to make equivoque very clear. My main point was that Crossroads used equivoque too much and so it made it very inconsistent.

I have to get this! It sounds amazing Ben.

Patrick, I agree I prefer the Silent Running method for selection but I do want to point out that CrossRoads only requires you to ask two equivoque questions...I don't think that's really a lot, is it?

Hi guys,

Here's the shipping news for physical copies of Silent Running. We promised these would be in the mail during the first few days, (or the first week) of April.

And, we've JUST made it. Hundreds of copies shipped each day. That's a helleva lot of stuffing, labeling, customs paperwork etc. The entire team is has dry hands and paper cuts to the extreme!

The books (both the regular and Deluxe Editions) have shipped as follows, in FOUR batches. These were executed on March 31, April 1, (Easter Break, four days), April 6 and April 7. Speciality orders (those that included Silent Running PLUS other material, and thus not conforming to the specifications of the mass mailing) will be shipped tomorrow.

Thanks again for your support. Dealers will have stock of the regular edition in about 8-10 days.

Cheers

Benny

This topic is continued at Ben Harris' Silent Running - An In-depth Review.