Lasher, Micah: The Magic of Micah Lasher ©1996 Micah Lasher: Published by Simon & Schuster Softcover, perfect-bound, 8.5x11", 213 pages

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Comments: Nice book. Historical notes and comments throughout. Recommended. "More than Fifty Tricks That Will Amaze and Delight Everyone Including You."

Contents:

13 Preface
17 A Note, Especially for Women: explanation of gender specific pronoun use
19 A Note, Especially for Southpaws

23 Chapter I A Brief Introduction to Magic
25 The Performance of Magic: brief essay
29 The Magician's Ten Commandments: rules
33 Tools of the Trade: layout of the sections

37 Chapter II The Tricks

39 Card Magic

41 Twenty One: self working
45 You Do As I Do: magician and spectator select the same card
48 Three Way Prediction: Magician mentally selects two cards and a spectator pulls them face down out of the deck. A third card is named and the magician removes a card. All three end up being correct.
52 Hand to Hand and Ribbon Spreads: flourishes
54 Speller: spectator's name spelled finds card
56 To Control A Card to the Bottom of the Deck: teaches Mechanic's Grip. Pinkie Break. three way cut
60 The Glide: the grip. slide back technique, Pull out,
62 Triumph: Dai Vernon. Card is selected and cards are mixed face up and down. All right themselves except one: the selection
66 Card In Envelope Prediction: card in envelope matches selection
67 Hindu Shuffle Force: utility
70 Are You Sure? A wrong card turns out to be right.
72 To Control a Card to the Top of the Deck: pinkie break, three way cut
74 Double Lift: sleight
79 Card to Wallet: signed card, any wallet
83 Two Card Transposition: card in case changes places with another
85 Sandwich, Please: selected card appear between two Aces
88 Classic Sandwich Technique: Ed Marlo sleight
91 Double-decker Sandwich: similar to Sandwich. but twice

95 Coin and Currency Magic
97 Roll the Bills: two bills change places when rolled
100 The Bill in Orange: borrowed bill ends up in orange
106 The Ambitious Coin: a coin is repeatedly grabbed from the air and placed in the pocket and then finally vanished
108 Palming: classic palm, finger palm, fingertip rest
110 Shuttle Pass: Roth style
111 Retention Vanish: coin vanish
113 Coins to Glass: one coin penetrates bottom, other flies invisibly
116 Drop Vanish: another vanish
118 Coins Across: four coins across: uses 5 coins
122 Utility Switch: tossing from hand to hand

123 Ball Magic
125 The Cups and Balls: good 'standard' routine in several phases. Starts with no-sleight moves, ends with three large ball revelation.
134 Ball Vanish: drop vanish
136 Ball Load: cups & balls move
137 Ball Steal: cups & balls move
138 Miller Penetration: cups & balls move
140 Sponge Balls: routine using standard 4 ball set. Balls multiply then vanish, with spectator participation
145 Sponge Ball Retention Vanish: sleight

147 Kitchen Table Magic
149 The Electric Toothpicks: one toothpick makes another jump
152 The Glass Through Table: magician states he will make a coin go through the table, but a glass penetrates instead
156 The Missing Match: a match from a matchbook is burnt and vanishes, to be found back in the matchbook.
160 No Dice: The opposite sides of a die change values

163 Conjuring with Clairvoyance
165 Newspaper Prediction: spectator circles words on a newspaper page behind his back. The circled words match a prediction.
167 Annual Prediction: the year on a borrowed quarter is predicted
168 Pulse Reading: a card revelation, found using the spectator's pulse
170 Triple Play: three predictions (change in pocket, name, and flower) are true
172 Phone Book Mystery: Cards selected are used to pick phone book page. Magician determines name selected

175 Rope Magic
177 Ring and Rope: large ring comes off rope
180 Rope Through Neck
185 Cut and Restored Rope
193 Professor's Nightmare: good explanation

201 Selected Timeline of the History of Magic
208 Magic Stores Throughout the United States: fairly short list
210 Bibliography
213 Index