I am surprised there is no thread on this yet. This is Ben Blau's latest book. I really like Ben's thinking and I am very excited about this book (it is a massive 500 pages). I received mine a couple of days ago, ordered directly from Ben here:
https://www.benblaumentalism.com/truth-fables2.html

It would be nice to hear people's thoughts on their favorite tricks from the book.

How does he do it? Looks like a lot of material.

Is there a list of contents anywhere? (Looked on Ben's site but couldn't find list of what's in the book)

This has no list of contents but has more information-
http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/S26442

I just got it in yesterday, I have only read the first 2 effects.

Brilliant!!!

It is a huge tome, 500 pages or so.

Review coming, but there is a lot to get through.

2 down, 14 effects to go

Alex Alejandro

I've been curious about this book too, glad there's a thread going. If anyone has thoughts to share, I'd love to hear more.

It’s another book of mentalism. It’s my second hardcover book, and even larger than the first (500 pages with dust jacket, foreword by Jeff McBride).

For those that know me, I have a certain style of mentalism that is meant to be as fun to perform as it is to watch. It’s mostly designed for close-up social performance, but a lot of it could be adapted for parlor and (less so) stage. While most of my better-known material is card mentalism, this book also contains a few non-card items I’m very proud of. All of the routines feel like real magic when you perform them correctly. Things seem to happen all by themselves with no interference from the performer.

Thank you, Adiabadicman, for starting a thread! I really, really hope this book brings a lot of joy to as many people as possible, and that it is well-received. Thomas Baxter and Martin Korstanje deserve a ton of credit as well.

-Ben

The “blurb”:

“Truth Fables is the fantastic new book from 2019 Eugene Burger Legacy Award-Winner, Ben Blau. A follow-up to his best-selling book, Asymptotes, with Truth Fables Ben delivers another outstanding collection of effects from his own performing repertoire. Foreword by Jeff McBride, Truth Fables is a whopping 500 pages, illustrated with 400 black and white photographs. Truth Fables contains not only a huge assortment of the sophisticated card effects Ben is known for all around the world, but also some of his prized non-card effects. Lightning calculation, direct mind reading, drawing duplications, impossible coincidences, and more.

6"X9", 500 pages, hardcover with dust jacket.

Here's what notable performers are saying about Truth Fables:

"This book will Blau your mind!"
- Max Maven

"Imploding minds is what Ben is great at. Eugene Burger loved Ben's magic. I do too!"
- Jeff McBride

"This is the book Ben was born to write. He explores and creates miracles. It is a joy to read, lavishly photo illustrated, and unique. I promise you will find several routines that will go right into your act. Even mentalists. The quality and quantity make it a must have. It will be an instant classic and a book you will refer to again and again. It thrills me."
- Marc Salem

"In mentalism, Ben Blau is a master in the art of subtlety. With Truth Fables, Ben demonstrates his art through playing cards, and more. The card routines alone can be used as a metaphorical model for any non-card demonstration, and what Ben is offering you here could just end up transforming into the blueprint of your greatest future routine."
- Alain Nu

"Ben Blau is a thinker. A very deep thinker. In this latest huge work, Truth Fables, you will see how he applies that thinking to create some incredible, powerful mentalism with a deck of cards. Myriad plots are discussed, and you will be inspired at how Ben has constructed deeply fooling mysteries with the devil's playthings. This is not some funky, quick 'how to do' book. This is the work of a gentleman who leaves no stone unturned in pursuit of deception. Enjoy the journey!"
- John Carey

"Though it may seem like the craziest idea to put out a nearly 500-page book on the subject of mentalism using playing cards (because many mentalists avoid using playing cards), these eighteen routines are well thought-out symphonies of stylish entertainment excellence. If you use playing cards in mentalism, then this is highly recommended. If you don't, then you should take a risk on this volume as you probably will find some worthwhile routines that you can apply to other types of cards. Highly recommended."
- JHEFF

"Ben Blau inspires me. I love his authentic approach to deception and mystery. His work is skillfully conceived, meticulously layered and assembled in a way that proclaims his love of the art. In Truth Fables, Ben has shared another set of brilliantly crafted close-up miracles. This is no fable."
- Sean Waters

"In Truth Fables, Ben Blau delivers a creative blending of method and purposeful execution resulting in well-choreographed and delightfully engaging routines that will amaze your audiences. This is not 'fast-paced, in-your-face' mentalism. Instead, it is thoughtful and relaxed, allowing you and your volunteers to really make a connection. Ben has produced a tour-de-force that should be at the top of your 'Must Read' list."
- Stephen Yachanin

"Embracing subtleties over sleights, Ben Blau creates exceptionally strong mentalism routines with playing cards. His 2016 book Asymptotes was, hands down, one of my favorite books of the year. Ben's new book Truth Fables continues his pattern of excellence. It is full of fresh, clear plots and ingenious methods that will delight and inspire you."
- Larry Hass, the Dean of McBride's Magic & Mystery School”

So true! This is the most consistent thing throughout all of Ben's effects, and it is this that makes them as much fun and interesting for the performer as they are for the spectators.

I am one of the very lucky to possess this book. I knew I was going to like it after reading and walking through the very first piece.

Then I read the second trick - a true performance piece surrounding the magical production of a winning hand in poker that involves random chance, coincidence, a pseudo-open prediction (card in card box) and another prediction written out on a business card. I have a couple of go-to poker routines, this is now going to take the top position!

Plus, there's a fascinating "Living and Dead" test which could easily be adapted for corporate (by that I mean, a completely different premise that has nothing to do with death - or playing cards for that matter ...). And that's just barely scratching the service.

I can't wait to fully mine this tome.

Oscar

It’s finally starting to become available through dealers all over the world. It’s also available directly from me at the website in my signature.

I know next to nothing about “getting the word out” for a new book or product these days. Most online retailers charge fees to directly promote a given new product, whether it’s a new trick, a new video or a new book.

It used to be the case that when something new popped up here, we’d get multiple pages of discussion. That occurred when I released my last book. This time, the culture seems to be a little different. I see people promoting stuff mostly on social media now, despite the fact that most mentalism and magic groups have rules against any kind of self-promotion.

I just want people to know that this book exists, is available, and contains material I am proud of and eager to share. Thank you very much to those of you who have chosen to participate in this thread.



Every little bit helps. No one gets rich off of magic books. I just want to contribute whatever I can to people who enjoy my kind of material, and would like for me to continue publishing.

Ben

This book has whetted my interest, and it is also good to read Ben's post above.

Ben is certainly an excellent thinker and creator and his Zeneration X deck is a very firm favourite of mine, so much so that it is one of the few items I carry around with me.

Neil

I'm glad that this is a hard copy book.

You're welcome Ben. I hope your book gets the attention it deserves. I am currently busy with work but plan to spend some time reading the book over the weekend.

Best Wishes.

This certainly looks excellent. Is there any chance of getting a more robust description of maybe some of the effects, or is this more of a "it's Ben, so just get it" type thing (which I can certainly respect). At least, how many routines are there? Jheff said eighteen, but Alex indicated sixteen...

This would be my first book of Ben's; I think I've always assumed, from watching his videos, that his effects are quite lengthy and drawn out. However, I'm now thinking that perhaps this is simply due to his personal presentation style, which is clearly thoughtful, measured and low-key.

Certainly hard to argue with all the love everyone consistently throws his way! And he just won the Eugene Burger Legacy Award... geez, I guess I need re-examine my assumptions!

I think I'll be picking this up soon.

Congratulations on the award and the new book, Ben!

Seth

Thanks, Seth! I think that part of what you and others rightly notice is that my presentations are not optimized for the video medium. I perform them more or less the exact same way as I would for a close-up audience. I’m not a working pro, and being as commercial as possible has never been a personal priority of mine. A lot of my “long” tricks can be made much shorter. For example, Eugene Burger’s performance of “Unfazed” is about half as long as mine. I expect that people will adapt the material to suit their own personal needs. Thank you for giving consideration to my book, despite your concerns. I hope that you’ll find some things you weren’t expecting, and that they are useful to you.

Ben

I don’t have plans to ever release a PDF.

As to the number of routines, There are 16 main routines, many with several alternate versions to suit a variety of technical and presentstional preferences. The book also has a “Utilities” chapter that is separate from the tricks themselves.

I really hate to do this, but I have to make an announcement. Penguin Magic has made an error on their website listing my new book as “discontinued”.

IT IS MOST DEFINITELY NOT DISCONTINUED.

It’s brand new! Why would it be discontinued?

So ignore that. Most dealers in North America are already sold out, but I still have copies for sale until the dealers get resupplied. Go to the website in my signature if you’d like a copy.

Sorry for the confusion. It’s very frustrating to me to have a major online retailer telling the world that my brand new book has been discontinued.

Ben

Wow, I really love the performances of "Unfazed," both yours with the ESP cards and Eugene's with the picture cards. May I ask, is that part of either Truth Fables or Asymptotes?

Seth