From Tom Craven’s introduction:
“What you’ll find in this book covers a lifetime of magic of mine. I tried to put everything I’d come up with in here, but obviously, I know there are some missing items. Just about everything that has been in print before is here, but there are some that were never in print that have been lost or forgotten.”
Over 160 effects spanning almost 50 years of Tom Craven’s magic career which includes such accomplishments as:
- First person to receive the “Spirit Of Magi-Fest” Award, Columbus Ohio
- One of only 2 people to have attended all 40 of the FFFF Conventions
- Guest Of Honor FFFF (Back in the 1980’s)
- 10 time winner of the IBM Ring 2 Magician Of The Year
- Trade Show Worker Full Time, 1977-1984
- Worked the Close-Up Gallery at the Magic Castle 1981, 1985, 1989, 2009, 2010
- Worked the Parlor at the Magic Castle 2011
Pages: 190 – Hardcover – Black and white illustration – 8.5″ x 11″
Review from client:
By G. McNally
Tom Craven shares his secrets. Tom has worked in magic for over 50 years. He has a very inventive mind and his effects are original, highly imaginative and audience entertaining. Although his magic is technically easy to do, the effects are impressive and full of surprises. The book contains some 200 original effects and improvements upon others’ creations – always credited. Reading through the book, one comes to recognize the individual style Tom brings to magic. Included in the book is the material for many routines across a wide spectrum of magic – from mentalism to card tricks to rope and coin magic to list but a few of the areas to which he has devoted his creative mind to over his lifetime. Many are classics and previously sold separately and many are not widely known to the magic community and will instruct and delight readers. Tom loves magic and this love comes through clearly in the book. Finally, I found the explanations and illustrations very effective in learning the effects.
Official Review from My Lovely Assistant |
Rating:
|
Reviewed by Christian |
If you know Tom Craven, then you already know this is well worth the price. If you don’t let me explain:
If you have ever sat next to this guy at a convention that you know that he is a walking encyclopedia of magic knowledge. I have been astounded by the ideas, concepts, and methods that Tom spits out like a machine gun. While you are mulling over the last idea in your mind, Tom as already covered 3 more. There are over 150 tricks contained in this tome. Just the sheer volume of magic in the pages will make the book worth the 75 clams. However, Tom is a clever guy, and many of his tricks will leave you shaking your head saying, “Very Clever”, or “That’s really fun”. Most of the book is card tricks. For those that want something different, there are 50 pages of non-card tricks. This is the type of book that I enjoy flipping through and making notes in the margins. In the weeks that I have had it, I have ear-marked at least ten tricks that I will be revisiting and working with. There is a very slick piece that not technically a trick, is a nice idea of how to transition from one card trick to the next and make it look effortless. I also enjoyed one very playful piece on gambling that was so clever that you will smile as you read it and the audience will applaud you ingenuity. In a world of $35, one trick DVDs this is a treasure trove of workable material. Tom does not go into much detail for the presentations for his tricks, he leaves this up to you. What you have here is a book with over 150 tricks that are waiting for the right magician to breath life into them and entertain and audience. |
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.