The Bottom Line
Pros
- Great illustrations and instructions
Cons
- Few routines
Description
- Great illustrations
- Step-by-step instructions
- Lots of fundamentals moves
Guide Review - Now You See It, Now You Don't: Book Review
The first book provides the basics in sleight of hand with an emphasis on cards and coins. What sets the book apart is its large, clear illustrations-line drawings that clearly show hand and object positions and its direct explanations. You have to remember that these books were written in the seventies, an era long before video tape and DVDs. After having a private teacher, Tarr’s book was the best way to view these moves.The second book takes off where the first book leaves off to offer more basics and higher level sleight of hand, again with an emphasis on cards and coins, with moves for balls and other objects. Tarr also wrote a third book that explained how to work with and perform with standard props that one might buy at a magic store.
“Now You See It, Now You Don’t” offers a few routines and tricks, but the emphasis here is on moves. But master a good chunk of what is in these books and you’ll be able to pickup almost any instructional magic DVD or book that requires intermediate to advanced moves and be right at home.
I highly recommend Tarr’s books. However, I didn’t realize how high these books are going for these days. They’re out of print and in demand.
-Wayne N. Kawamoto
