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The Blurb
A beloved mentalism text is finally available again after being out of print for many years.
“One of the great unsung heroes of original and fooling magic.”
– Derren Brown
The Mental Mysteries of Hector Chadwick became an underground sensation when it was first self-released in the late 2000s. Hector’s refreshing take on mentalism captivated the entire community. This book quickly sold out and, outside of some “revised additions” years ago, it has been out of print for a long time.
Due to unwavering demand from mentalists and magicians alike, Vanishing Inc. has worked directly with Hector to bring The Mental Mysteries of Hector Chadwick back and make it better than ever. The routines have been updated and rewritten and new material has been added alongside new illustrations. In total, more than 50 pages of amazing tricks and invaluable essays have been included in this “definitive” version of The Mental Mysteries of Hector Chadwick.
This book is written unlike any other mentalism book. It’s not dry or dense. You’ll find yourself enthralled by the clever thinking and sharp wit. It’s no wonder that Derren Brown has entrusted Hector to help him write many of his best theatrical and TV shows. Don’t let the light-hearted tone of the writing fool you though. This material is gold.
All of the included effects in this nearly 260-page hardcover book are practical and audience-tested. They’re accompanied by fascinating essays that delve into some of mentalism’s most important topics. His thoughts on equivoque are worth the price of the book alone. There’s even one essay that might be the shortest essay on magic and mentalism ever printed.
Inside The Definitive Mental Mysteries of Hector Chadwick you’ll find:
- The Paper Plane Chair Game: A completely open prediction revealing which of four different chairs randomly-selected audience members will sit in.
- Equivoque À Deux: Using nothing but words and gestures, Hector shares how concrete equivoque language can be and will inspire you to rethink your approach to this classic mentalism technique.
- Mars & Murrie: Another routine exploring how equivoque can be strengthened by examining and changing the ways in which we eliminate objects.
- The Windsor Magnet: A gimmickless and propless pseudo-hypnosis routine in which the performer performs causes a person to lose their ability to lift the arm of someone much smaller than them.
- Hector Chadwick’s Tossed Out Q&A: Hector’s distinct approach to one of the strongest effects in mentalism
- And so much more!
What’s new in The Definitive Mental Mysteries of Hector Chadwick:
- Two brand new tricks, including a captivating card trick that was previously only released in extremely limited lecture notes and an amazing new impromptu book test that can be performed from across the room
- Five more essays on essential mentalism topics
- More than 50 total extra pages
- Updated Illustrations crafted by Hector himself have been added
It doesn’t matter if you’re a magician, a mentalist, or a bit of both. The material in The Definitive Mental Mysteries of Hector Chadwick is worthy of lifelong study.
“Hector’s a phenomenon.”
– Andy Nyman
“Genuinely the most inspiring, useful, and intelligent mentalism book I have ever purchased.”
– Chris Cox
“Hector Chadwick is, in my opinion, the best writer in mentalism. His prose is always full of wisdom (without any pretense or posturing); it is witty, insightful and crystal-clear in meaning and description. When I’m asked what my 5 favorite mentalism books are, ‘The Mental Mysteries of Hector Chadwick’ is always at the top of my list.”
– Tom Baxter
“We had the genuine joy of reading The Mental Mysteries of Hector Chadwick for the first time some eight years after we started performing magic together, and were quite cross that it had not been in our hands much, much earlier. We have no doubts that you will love this book just as much as we do. Which is a lot. A huge amount really.”
– Morgan & West
“The Mental Mysteries of Hector Chadwick is a Modern Classic. I perform routines from the book to this day, and reading the essays made me a better magician. It is such an important book to me.”
– Andrew Frost (@sleightlyobsessed)
Hardback. 258 pages.
For the complete and expanded version of my comments, click here.
Jheff's Guide
WHAT IT IS:
Hardback book, 258 pages, no jacket
HOW ACCURATE OR COMPLETE THE BLURB IS:
It is accurate, though it doesn’t list all the contents. There are certainly more entries, essays, and routines in this book then what are mentioned.
JHEFF’S JUDGMENT:
If you don’t have a previous version of this classic, then you should not hesitate in getting this gorgeous new version. If you do have a previous edition, then unless you’re not a fan of book tests and playing card effects, it’s worth buying this new version as the two new routines are worth knowing.