I don't think that Wes is the one shipping them to the dealers. That's Stephen Minch's job. You can contact him via his website, http://www.hermeticpress.com

Or, again, contact Hank Lee to see if they have the books physically in stock.

-Jim

Jim,

SHHHH!!! Don't go telling everyone about I'll Put Money On It. It's such an amazing routine. At one point when I was on a particularly creative run I asked Wes to suggest a plot to work on. He showed me I'll Put Money On It and from then on I was hooked. It's a perfect routine and one that I could not improve, other then routine it with a Geoff Latta effect.
Wesley's material is fantastic and I will be picking up my copy of the book this Saturday. I can't wait.

I was disappointed in Forgery. New York Transpo is much better and has (if I remember) three climaxes. It's a nicely done book, as always from Hermetic. Looking forward to dipping in it more.

Sam,

New York Transpo is an excellent effect, but in my mind it's second to Forgery. I'd suggest you try Forgery out several times before passing it up. The handling is EXTREMELY convincing -- everything looks 100% above board and fair. I have yet to see that level of conviction from any of it variants. They have all, with little exception lost the innocence and simplicity that Forgery has.

That's just my option...feel free to disagree.

And Jonathan...sorry about bringing it up, but didn't you just draw more attention to it?

-Jim

DOH!! I guess I did But you started it. Anyway, it is hard to compare Forgery and NY Transpo. While they are related I see them as different effects. I have gotten quite a lot of use out of Forgery in the past, though I no longer perform it. It is one of the strongest card effects I know of and goes right to the point.

Jim, I know about the workshop, but not sure if I can attend yet. But I'm pickng up the book this weekend and diving in.

Will this book be out of stock soon?

Just got the book today, and I must say it's one of the best books I've read on card magic in a while. If you're into the pass, that chapter is worth the price alone.

Greetings:
Just a note to say that we have "Enchantments" in stock. FYI, Minch (Hermetic) is no longer wholesaling books (altho they still sell retail copies). Murphy's has an exclusive distribution deal now.
If you'd like to find out more info about the book signing, workshop & lecture notes, please contact me privately or go to my site.
Michael Canick
http://www.canick.com
canick@panix.com

(02/12/04)
WOW, I recived "Enchantments" from Hermetic Press today (thanks Steven).
This baby will take some time to go through, thank god I'm off this weekend.
No problems what Im going to do these comming days.
This book, and a deck of cards......

Any review for this book yet? Is it a dificult book?

Peo,

You have had five days with Enchantments including the weekend. Don't want to press you, but it sounds like a must have, but for $55 I want to be a little cautious. Are you ready to do a review? Anyway, looking forward to what you have to say.

Hugh

If you are interested in sophisticated sleight-of-hand with a deck of cards, this book is a must have. There are close to 500 pages full of effects and sleights that have been analyzed by one of magic's best magicians. It is very rare that you'll find one person with such deep knowledge of the art & craft of magic -- he is well versed in the history, techniques and performance of magic.

As far as the actual contents go, there are numerous things to look at here. If you want to work on technique, check out the sections on the Pass, Palming, Fals Shuffles, or False Deals. You will find more attention to detail here than you thought was possible -- he covers EVERYTHING.

There are too many effects to list here, so I'll just go into a few of my personal favorites. The book starts out with approximately 15 pages devoted to "Forgery". This is the effect that spawned numerous variations, the most well-known of which is Anniversary Waltz. There will be those who will say that "Forgery" can't be done for a couple ... and they will be missing the point. This is an absolutely incredible effect. When Wes was performing professionally, this was closer. I've been using this effect for a little over a year now, so I can attest to it's strength. Tips and alternate handlings are included from Derek Dingle, Frank Garcia, and Phil Goldstein.

Brownian Movement is another effect I've performed, though only for a few months now. As Wes points out, the common reaction here is an audible gasp, followed by stunned silence. Two packets of six cards each are shown, and the spectator thinks of any of card in his packet and remembers it's position. The card magically travels to the other packet, ending up in the exact same position. The handling here is so clean and convincing -- the effect is a real stunner.

Those are the only two that I've used from this book, but there are some others that I will be working on. There is an Ambitious Card routine in here which is worth checking out. It has a logical flow to it and has several great moments. I'll Put Money On It is a nice Triumph-type effect with an engaging and humorous presentation. Hyperwarp is Wes's take on Card Warp, which includes a fantastic ending that I'm sure anyone who reads the book will adopt. Watch the Wild Ace combines Watch the Ace with Wild Card and results in a fantastic effect in which each card changes TWICE. This was another effect that Wes used as a closer -- you simply can't follow it with anything else. He's also included his handling of Dingle's Color Triumphant, which adds even more conviction to an already fantastic effect.

Just describing the effects doesn't do them justice. You really need to read them and study them. They are very well thought out and constructed. Wes has the ability to make his effects look incredibly innocent and fair, while at the same time setting them up for a climax that is absolutely impossible. Do yourself a favor and get this book -- it's money well spent.

You can buy it direct from Wes on his website: http://www.pipeline.com/~magicaltools

-JIm

This is without question the best book on cards I own. Its philosphical, academic and practical all in equal measure. While it does assume quite a lot of knowledge about various sleights, the level of description is very detailed. The exposition of what makes for a good double-lift is thought-provoking, while the description of classic pass is the best I've seen. While I haven't explored it thoroughly, the section on false riffle shuffles appears equally as good.

While some effects are difficult, others are relatively easy to get to grips with straight away. They also rated in terms of their maturity in front of audiences (final and beta tested, alpha tested) which is something I haven't seen before. The audience management tips presented along the way are also of real value.

You simply cannot go wrong purchasing this. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I received Enchantments a few days ago. I received it as a gift. It's a great book! I have never been much of a card magician, but I might actually be able to learn some card stuff from this book. From reading the forward of the book, it is obvious that Wesley has true love for the craft and not just in it for the money. I have not yet had the pleasure to see Mr. James perform, but I look forward to the day when I can meet him and thank him for what he has given to the magic community.

Margarette

By the way, that is the URL to Wesley's homesite?
Anybody knows?

Peo

http://www.pipeline.com/~magicaltools