You're at a crossroads. To buy or not buy High Caliber is your decision. It's often said that the best magic is found in books and this book offers everything you could want in effects - effects that will convince your spectators that they have been run over by a Mack truck. Effects that have such an impact that your spectators will, without question, KNOW that you have The Power. John's work is well known for the following:
1. Tremendous impact on the spectators.
2. No difficult moves.
3. Regular cards.
4. Most effects are impromptu.
5. Many effects are self-working (LOTS of glory for relatively little work).
John is very well known for both his very popular packet tricks and his full-deck tricks, but he is much more than that - he is A MIND. The subtlety and pure old sneakiness of his methods will astound you. As you lead your spectators down the garden path you will be smiling inwardly since you know that the demolition of their minds in only a couple of minutes away.

The problem I had with this book when I got it was that I had to decide which effects to start working on first. I finally narrowed it down to five effects on which to concentrate at first and, boy, was it worth it! "Chronic" is NOT your basic clock trick - it's way better. It gets around the usual problem with clock tricks and is the impossible revelation of the "thought of" card at the "thought of" hour. "Spin Doctor" is a twisting packet trick but, at the end, the aces, inexplicably, are of four different colors and back designs. The spectators will gasp for air. My favorite is the last item in the book, "Origami Prediction." This is an absolute killer, and no sleight of hand is required! I did this for my wife and some friends and the looks on their faces was priceless. You want a closer that no one will forget and that no one will believe is possible, learn this very simple effect. This is not just a card trick; it's a toy. You will fool yourself. And everyone else. Everyone.

At $1.25 per trick, High Caliber is ridiculously underpriced. You will not believe the subtleties involved in these easy-to-do, streamlined routines. These effects are FUN to work on. Magic happens in only one place: the minds of our spectators. These routines are your ticket to convincing your audiences that you are the real deal. They will be clueless and dumbfounded. Get a second or third job. Sell pencils on street corners. Do whatever is necessary to get High Caliber so you can delve into the mind of a true card master.

Most of these routines probably won't fool many magicians, but it's an amazing collection of practical and FUN card magic. Each method, each line and each "move" (there are no difficult sleights harder than a pass) are so well thought through. It's been a while since I've felt sad after a book ended! Not to say it's not enough though, with so many routines, I'm popping them into all future gigs if I can!

What a fantastic book by John Bannon. Not only is the quality of the book itself extremely high (paper, binding, photos), but it is filled with John Bannon's usual cleverness and a variety of very fun and effective card tricks. If you are going to get one magic book this year, make it this one!

High caliber has been my favorite card magic book in the last 10 years. It contains magic that people LOVE to see. A near beginner can work through this material, but the effects are worthy of being in any Professional's working repertoire.