Drawn to this book by its cover, Practical Mental Magic has taught me the art of mind reading! This 1940s collection of tricks and effects has it all.
From the basic principles most mentalists rely on to some fairly elaborate presentations, Anneman’s 1944 guide to mentalism is amazing. I had some idea how some of these tricks work, but this was a really fun book to find and read. Practicing Mental Magic has been described to me as The Royal Road to Card Magic for mind readers, now I know why. This book is packed the tricks, tips and secrets of the trade.
The book is slightly dated and some tricks don’t make near as much sense in our modern world, but the ruses, presentations, tricks and diversions are wonderful. The patter is directional. Some tricks rely on a working knowledge of basic sleight of hand, others are self working. Each trick is detailed from preparation to presentation, and it isn’t hard to follow along.
If you want to learn the secrets of mentalism, Practical Mental Magic is for you.