World's Greatest Card Tricks

by Bob Longe

A compendium of card tricks to impress family and friends, this book supplies all the skills and techniques needed. Each trick is presented as though the author was actually performing it, complete with banter and conversation.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806959916
• ISBN13: 9780806959917
• Release Date: June 1996
• Publisher: Sterling Publishing (NY)
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Nice place to start and nice place to return

The average beginner thinks that the kind of magic Longe teaches is "a good place to start", and nothing else. When the reader lacks performing experience, he is impressed by "advanced methods" because the lack of performing experience leads him to misjudge the value of the final product an entertainer delivers to his audience. Therefore, every dabbler focus on technique alone, and blames lack of technical skill for his failures when he performs for a real audience. Some years latter, after buying and studying the more expensive books in card magic, such as the professional books sold by Hermetic Press, and maybe even working as a semi-professional magician for some time, the reader rediscovers Bob Longe and Karl Fulves. Then he realizes how good these authors are. Even Peter Duffie has worked on ideas by Karl Fulves. The merit of Bob Longe is that he worked very hard at creating effective ways to perform the same effects that were extremely complicated when other authors conceived them. However, the dabbler lacks the acting and timing skills to use subtlety effectively, and cannot perform so called "automatic tricks" correctly. Sleight of hand techniques that afford coverage are more effective for the dabbler, as he does not need to worry about misdirecting an audience with his acting. Additionally, the difficult manipulations force the student of card magic to practice seriously and dedicatedly before being able to perform for an audience. The reason why you read so many negative comments about the books by Longe and Fulves is simply because someone performed the tricks without careful study and practice, failed in front of the spectators because of his lack of dedication and discipline, and then blames the books! Experience teaches you how to control your spectator's attention and you can then simply leave something on a table, as Tommy Wonder used to do, while your audience watches something else, and then, surprise them with the startling production of the item you put on the table without coverage of any kind (check the "Visions of Wonder" videos and the Books of Wonder). My advice is: Buy this book to discover effective card magic you can perform if you lack previous experience, without a lot of practice (you don't need a lot of practice, but be sure you know the trick well before performing for an audience, learn one trick at a time, and practice it enough, remember you want to amaze and mystify your friends) If you really like card magic after trying these tricks, buy the Royal Road to Card Magic. If card magic becomes your new passion, buy Card College, by Roberto Giobbi. Then, read Bob Longe again and understand that the reason why you failed with some of these tricks is because you lacked practice (you were simply beginning, you had not rehearsed your performance enough, you were not able to remember what to do next, did not understand how to cover a move with misdirection, etc.). Then, you will discover that you can do the same thing