Magic Tricks

I hate being "that guy," but I have to give my honest opinion of this effect. I purchased this ebook from Penguin today, read through it, and it is not at all what I was hoping for. I am not going to reveal the method out of respect for Mr. Parker, but I feel a bit cheated by the description. Mentalism is my forte; I love performing mind-to-mind. This is not at all mindreading, nor does it come across that way in the described performance.

This effect involves math magic - which unless you are performing Gridlock or Add-A-Number or something similar, should never be part of your performance. It requires the spectator to do math in his or her head; there is initial guesswork involved. It is correct in saying that - once you get the momentum going - you are 100% accurate in your revelation. But for almost $50 I expected something more mystical. I did purchase Fraser's "True Mysteries II" which I am very excited to receive, but I cannot pretend that I will actually use this one. I wish that I could obtain a refund so I could use it toward some of his other effects that look amazing. This effect does what it sets out to do, but not in a way that is entertaining for the spectator.