Nowadays Vernon's Triumph (just an example) hasn't lost anything of its beauty ad simplicity...
Just in case you accuse me of not knowing or enjoying the worthy classics...

Mark

Hey Mark/mlippo: You say to look at something to answer my own question. Please, show me a question mark here:

"Why do I have the feeling that too many of the newbies don't know about the book - or even know my name. It's a new magic world out there Many, too many, simply don't know about - or care about - the good stuff!."

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to repeat my thought - and to strengthen it - of course people know of those you mention, and they're good --- but too many newbies just don't know about the ones you mention either - they just don't know about the GOOD STUFF.

Kenneth Lee posted the following at a different forum --- wonder how many here will now order the book he's referring to? Which has been around for over forty years.
(And I have another just-as-long, or longer testimonial that I can post here - although I believe it has already appeared in this forum. But, what the heck, who knows? Maybe repetition will get through to the newbies, and even some 'oldies.")

"I'm at the beginning of a journey I anticipate will take 2-4 years. I'm reading (or reading) all of Harry Lorayne's magic books and every issue of Apocalypse. I started with The Magic Book, and I just finished my reread of it yesterday.

By my count, the book has sixty-seven distinct tricks in it. I mention that number not to debate my method of counting, but to say that even though I've had magic as a hobby for over 30 years now, I still occasionally use all but three of the tricks in this book. How many books are your magic library about which you can say anything like that? Probably not many.

I wonder sometimes whether some magicians overlook this text simply because of its reputation as being for beginners. By contrast, my experience has been that the more I learn about magic, the more I appreciate how ingenious and complete this tome is. Perhaps someone who reads this is on the fence about whether to read it. I hope what I write here will convince them. At the very least, perhaps it will persuade some of you to look again at its contents and possibly remind yourself of some old, but still incredible, favorites.

To that end, I'd like to share my observations regarding just a few of my favorite items from several of the key chapters in the book:

Card Handling and Sleights

If I knew only the sleights in this chapter, I could still do 90% of the card magic I've ever learned from any other book, DVD, magazine, lecture, etc. Throw in a full-deck false shuffle (perhaps Frank Lane's) and an Elmsley count, and that number increases to 95%.

Sleight-Of-Hand Effects and Routines:

Think about the number of famous plots treated in this one chapter: Cutting the Aces, The Ambitious Card, The Color-Changing Deck, Dr. Daley's Last Trick, The Ace Assembly, and more. I prefer some of the handlings of these plots Harry teaches in some of his other books over the ones he published here, but in a few cases, the opposite is true. His "Two-Card Revelation," for example, is actually a bit stronger (not to mention easier) here than it is as "Two-Card Reverse" in Close-up Card Magic.

Coin Magic

Here again, what a great collection of so many classic plots. Each given a treatment that's frankly much better than many of the so-called "more advanced" methods I've seen elsewhere. I think his "Coins Through Table Classic," for example is still beautiful after all these years, particularly the second version he teaches. He also includes treatments of the copper/silver transposition and "Coins Across," among other effects.

Number Magic

"Your Lucky Number" may not be a blockbuster, but it sure is fun to perform! With one exception, however, the rest of the tricks in this chapter will blow your audiences away. If you think these are "just math tricks," then you don't know what you're talking about.

Mental Effects

"The Larger the Bill" and "That's Odd!" are both real foolers.

Miscellaneous Magic

To this day, this chapter still includes almost all of my favorite effects to perform with everyday objects. On the rare occasion I get to perform for a smoker, "The Asbestos-Handkerchief Routine" just kills. I've never had one person be able to reconstruct "The Ring-String Thing," and I think "And That's Real Magic" is one of the most under-rated effects in close-up. Don't let the fact that this trick appears in many children's books mislead you. See it through they eyes of a lay audience, and you'll realize how truly impossible it seems. As a side note, I do suggest that if you enjoy the cut-and-restored string plot, you should check out Jeff Sheridan's work on it.

Again, if you haven't read it already, you need to grab a copy and get started. If it's been a while, perhaps peruse its pages once again; you'll be glad you did. In the meantime, I'd be interested in reading some more of everyone else's thoughts on this wonderful volume."



Bob Farmer : "It's a great book."











s

Mr. Lorayne, in 1966 you showed/taught me the faro shuffle in tannen's.Later David Roth went out in the hall and gave some guy a coin vanish lesson in the phone booth for $5...thank you for your kindness..

""Why do I have the feeling that too many of the newbies don't know about the book - or even know my name."

The sentence above, seeing its construction should've ended with a question mark, me thinks ...
You forgot to put it, but you were asking a question ...

Mark

Obviously a question mark would have been okay there, but ------ I didn't put it there because I was basically making a statement, not rally asking a question.
I think, after writing about 50 books, and publishing a magazine for twenty years, and being paid quite a bit of money by publishers who feel that I'm a better proofreader/editor than any they've ever had ---- I know specifically when I want to use a question mark and when I don't.

Ok

What A.M.E.S was in Harry Lorayne’s Personal Collection.”

L. Zaslow

It's also in one of my more current books - updated shorter version.

This thread began on a positive note and I'm glad to see it get back on track.

I don't know how you would ever answer this question but I'm genuinely curious: how do new magicians learn magic these days? Do they buy books at all? If not they're missing out on 100 years of the good stuff and the giants of magic. Do they just look at YouTube? Just buy DVDs? Are they more attracted to the flashy style of Shin Lim (taking nothing away from him -- he's great) than the more traditional card effects? To me, although I will use a gimmick there's nothing more pure than working with a borrowed deck. And some of the best effects you will find for that are in Harry's books.

Mike, you bring up a lot of great points. The question I have is how many of the so-called magicians are really in it for the long haul? I think many get into magic for a time and then move on to other things. That happens in the best of times and I think it is only on the rise. The fact is there is a lot of "free magic" to be learned nowadays. Some of us here grew up when there were only books available. There was no video. No internet. So you bought a book or else. Even then, some would rip off the author by Xeroxing a book, or an effect out of a book and sharing it with their magic buddies. Now, it is nothing to find current effects exposed on youtube in all their glory. So for a lot of magicians, there is no need to invest in books. Just look up the effect and if you can't find an explanation video you might find a performance video at least and then try to reverse-engineer it.

That's the state of the art these days. Some have no issue with it, some do. I'm on the side that hates it.

The bottom line for me is if one is serious about card magic they NEED to have all of Harry's published works at their disposal. Both for the amazing sleights and effects and as part of their education at the very least.

Thank you, Harry, for sharing that. It was wonderful to watch. Not sure I could pull it off, but you are a wonderful entertainer. Thank you for everything you've done for magic - and are continuing to do!

I just picked up the More Jaw Droppers! eBook from https://www.harryloraynemagic.com/shop/m......rs-ebook and it's classic Lorayne stuff. I think you can't miss with anything he puts out.

Thank you Mr. Lorayne!