Refreshingly different, Oliver Meech's book, The Plot Thickens (MSRP: $22.00), offers 22 fun effects. It's an unusual collection that offers clever tricks that are more notable for their entertainment value and visual illusion and not for their methods. And at $22 (US), this one is a bargain.
Seeing Through
In the offbeat Invisible Man, you allow others to seemingly look through the body of a spectator to read something that he is holding against his chest. In the commercial Cardboard Birthday Cake, a spectator blows out the flame of a candle that's drawn on a business card. The method has lots of applications for other effects.
Telling Your Ace From Your Elbow is an odd card revelation that involves a drawing on your elbow. I also liked the cool card revelation that occurs on a guitar pick, an effect that reminds me of one by Jay Sankey.
Life in a Fish Bowl
In the Fishbowl Coin Illusion, a fish mysteriously appears in a fish bowl that's drawn on a coin that is quickly spun. Another visual effect, a photo changes when it's banged on the table.
I loved the concept behind Touching Transposition where a coin changes places with a sugar cube. The method, which involves a spectator's sense of touch, will leave you laughing out loud. There are also tricks with a vending machine and many more.
Commercial Material
Many of the effects are commercial and appropriate for professional strolling sets. And overall, the effects are not overly difficult to learn and perform. The text is fun to read and there are lots of pictures throughout.
Even if you don't perform most of the tricks in this book, Meech offers a worthy and fun read that will stimulate your creativity. I recommend this one.
