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Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz (Book)


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Back in Print!

Why is it that some magicians get great audience reaction while others who are just as skillful leave audiences so cold? The answers are in Strong Magic, the first -ever book on showmanship specifically for the close-up magician.

As a successful professional magician for almost twenty years, Darwin Ortiz has appeared before thousands of audiences of all kinds. During that time he has studied what it takes to really move an audience. In Strong Magic, he presents the results of those years of study and experience in a way that every magician can benefit from.

Do you want applause, gasps, and praise? Do you want your performances to be talked about and remembered? Strong Magic tells you how. You already own countless books on card and coin manipulation. Here is a book on something far more important: audience manipulation. Not a dry, boring treatise, it's funny, fascination, exciting reading. Not a book of vague theory, it's loaded with countless examples and concrete techniques that you can put to use right away to give your magic more impact. These are the real secrets of close-up magic--and they are all in Strong Magic

 

What People are Saying:

"The book is readable, it's extremely clear, it's clear, it's thrilling in its intellectual adventure. And it's also, clearly, enormously practical. It makes you think. It enriches you as an artist (and therefore as a human being.)" - Juan Tamariz

"A wonderful, wonderful book filled with practical advice. It should be every serious close-up worker's next purchase." - David Williamson Says

"A thought-provoking analysis of the performance of close-up magic. Just reading it was motivating. I incorporated some of Darwin's suggestions in to my presentations the same day I read them. Highly recommended to the serious student of close-up magic." - Paul Gertner

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Customer Reviews (showing 1 - 10 of 29)
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Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on April 17th, 2015
In Strong Magic, Darwin Ortiz's fascinating insight is unfortunately balanced by his condescending hubris and distracting plugs for his own material. The first third of the book offers some brilliant insights; however, he quotes so extensively from Henning Nelms's Magic and Showmanship I wish I had just read that book instead. It's apparent from his grouchy, derogatory comments regarding amateur magicians that he's forgotten what it's like to be one. Yeah, I know we're an annoying bunch, but we keep him in business...and he really seems to hate that.
18 of 27 magicians found this helpful.
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Extra Extra, read all about it Good! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on January 16th, 2015
Theory to the maximum. There is so much info in this book. It fells like you have transformed from a amateur magician to a master magician after finishing reading this, kind of. Here are just a few of the many many many important points in the pages:
-Building your prestige/ blowing your own horn.
-Be a gracious winner.
-Forshadowing magic moments.
-Ways to make an audience feel special, induced responses/planned spontaneity and
-Everything all about assistants/participants and explained in high detail.

I have learned so much from this book and you will too. The questions that you have about all things Magical will be answered in this book and even the questions that you don't know you will about magic will be answered.
This is a must read if you want Strong Magic.
Most highly recommended!
Perform and entertainment to your and their(everyone else involved in the magic) very fullest potential is what this book teaches.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
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Don't miss out Report this review
Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on March 17th, 2012
This Book will make you a better magician period, not because I agree with everything Darwin Ortiz says, but due to the fact that this book will make you think, it will make you think about you magic, it will make you as question, hard question!
Why did I choose this effect? Why did I choose this method or this presentation?
What can I do about hecklers, and of course, much, much more? in these 379 pages of pure delight ,that is fun to read and is adjusted to our modern time, no more examples of hypity hoppity rabbits , but modern strong tricks that get you where it hurt, Ortiz gives as examples a few bad tricks in order to tell you what not to do.
There is not much more I can say about this book, but go out and buy it, you will not be disappointed!

Magicmatan
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
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Best Magic Book Ever Report this review
Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on April 9th, 2019
I can't say enough about this book. There is so much to learn. It should be required reading for anyone in the art. It should be on all of our book shelves. Ortiz will make you a better performer regardless of your current skill level. Get it--you won't regret it!
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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Strong Magic is Strong! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on April 7th, 2017
This is a must have book! Get your hands on this and actually read it. Then read it again and take notes and follow those notes. You and your magic will grow exponentially.
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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Overall a great read! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on August 26th, 2022
I can’t believe that magic can be broken down into so many different points of view. I would say the book is a little bit wordy and at times a little bit hard to read, so I kind of get lost into what I can use tell my magic get stronger. So I decide to do is to add to bookmarks one for my regular reading and want to reread and hopefully find the information that helps pertain to my performance of magic since I’m just an amateur magician who doesn’t make a living doing magic. What I found helpful when rereading the first few chapters after finishing the book, which will be soon, I love the part about being clear with your effect . Darwin says that the audience will believe you whatever you say to them, and that’s what I decide to do with every effect I perform. I see what I’m gonna do. As a result, my effects are stronger!
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
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Five Star material, and Ten Star service! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on June 29th, 2017
Strong Magic is one of the very best books on magic theory out there. Although it is written with the close-up, card magician in mind, I continue to gain valuable insights and advice from its pages as a stage and parlour conjuror. The book will make you think twice about the motivations and driving force behind each effect and help you make your magic all-around more deceptive. At a price like this, you can't afford not to invest.

One other note: I liked the book so much I ordered one for a friend of mine in magic. I asked Penguin to put a personal note in the box for me and remove the packing slip. They were more than willing to oblige me. Thank you Penguin for your stellar customer service!
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
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Best Magic book I have EVER read Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on April 23rd, 2017
There are two books in magic that I would say are MUST READS and this is one of them. This book, if you read it, will make you a better magician. Add to cart, right now
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
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This book is cream of the crop Report this review
Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on May 8th, 2015
I have everything that Darwin has put out, except for two old gambling books, Darwin Ortiz on Casino Gambling and his Gambling Scams. I cannot find a bad thing to say about any of it, but this one is the tops. Everything he does is exploded out in this book. No not the effects, but how he arranges them, how he develops them, how he perfects them, how he performs them, how he improves them. Even better, he passes this on to the rest of us to learn from. If you take the time to study and absorb this book there is no way that your art cannot improve. If you have one magic theory book in your library, then make it this one. It's a must!
The book has four parts consisting of 22 chapters covering things like Subtext, Challenges, Timing, and many more items. Each could be a book by itself. I think my favorite part is the first appendix where he breaks all the key points down to a simple list that he calls Darwin's Laws.
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
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Wow! By Far My Favorite Book!!! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on September 11th, 2014
This book is filled with anything and everything that anyone and everyone should read and take notes over.

Each and every single page is helpful to close-up magicians/mentalists in here, and that is really saying something for how long of a book it is.

Every single part of presentation is gone over with remarkable details and very well related examples given along with them. It is a must read.

Buy this, you won't regret it.
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
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