Severn, Bill: Best Magic ©1990 Bill Severn, Stackpole Books, PA Softcover, perfect-bound, 210 pages ISBN: 0-8117-2229-5

Image courtesy eBay seller Wbran5314jr

Comments: Illustrated by Timothy Wenk. A collection of some of the best effects from earlier works by Bill Severn.

Contents (from book):

vii Introduction

1 Chapter One Magic Wherever You Are
1 The Bewildering Bandage: a finger bandage hops around the fingers in this Thimble style routine
5 Whistle-up Chewing Gum: a stick of gum rises from the pack
8 Fish Story: a fish suddenly appears on a string
10 Fold-up: a ruler from a small paper bag
12 The Auto-Magic Toothbrush: a rising toothbrush
15 The Floating Pencil: pencil adheres to the hand
19 Clickety Clips: paper clips audibly link into a chain
22 The Invisible Magazine Rack: magazine cover changes three times

26 Chapter Two Magic with Coins and Bills
26 Cash Offer: half dollar from a tissue
31 Eyes in the Back of Your Head: read a coin date behind your head
32 A Penny for Your Thoughts: use for the PATEO force
35 Coins and Kids: number of spectator's coins changes using a slot-box
37 Comedy Cut Bill: comedy cut and restored bill
42 Cup and Bill: a home-made Chop Cup routine
46 - His Dollar In Your Wallet
47 - Bill In Walnut
47 - Bill In Lemon
48 The Money Spell: packet of Alphabet cards change into dollar bills

53 Chapter Three Magic with Paper
53 The Acrobatic Newspaper: upside down newspaper flips right side up
57 Yoo Hoo!: message appears on a small paper under the Spectator's hand
61 The Third Hand: a spoon vanishes with the aid of a third hand
65 The Magician's Mistake: sucker torn and restored
69 The Color Changing Plate: paper plate changes from white to blue
72 Let’s Go to the Fair: a version of 6 card repeat performed with cardboard discs

78 Chapter Four Comedy Magic
78 Tomato Transit: in vanishing a tomato under a tube, it turns to tomato juice
82 Musical Comb: after some poor music, the comb vanishes
84 Cans Full of Nothing: lemon produced from two empty cans
87 See Saw: ping pong balls vanish in a tube, using a shell
92 The Little Black Bag: a version of the Egg Bag using ping-pong balls

99 Chapter Five Magic with Handkerchiefs
99 Molten Rainbow: clear water pours colors, then colored handkerchiefs appear
102 The Hypnotized Audience: yellow handkerchief turns blue, then yellow appears, then green
109 The What-Knot: 3 silks become knotted and then un-knotted in a tube
113 Another Century: black silk becomes instantly knotted between two reds
118 It’s a Corker: spotted handkerchief vanishes from tube to be found in examined corked tube

125 Chapter Six Magic with Rope and String
125 Quick and Easy Cut Rope: cut and restored
128 Coffee, Tea, or Magic: coffee cup becomes instantly linked to a rope
131 Soap and Rope: a soap is instantly pulled through a rope knot
136 Magic Spaghetti: a string produced from a fork
139 String and Envelope: cut and restored string
142 The Magic Baseball Game: knots vanish from one rope to be found on another
148 Kellar Rope Tie Routine: instant release from tied wrists

157 Chapter Seven Magic in Mind
157 Silent Commercial: spectator selects disc that matched prediction in his pocket
160 Telepathy for One: magician determines name written on an business card
163 Toll the Hour: magician determines time indicated on a card in an envelope
169 Symbolic Sight: reading ESP cards
172 Spy Hunt: only the magician finds the secret plans
176 What's in the News: a newspaper test
179 Weather Forecast: magician marks a weather prediction which matches the spectator's choice

184 Chapter Eight Card Magic
185 The Blind Man's Card Trick: top cards are all Kings and bottoms are Aces
187 Comedy Card Force: in choosing a card a two shoots out, but changes to a King
190 Doubles Match: spectator cuts deck to match magician's selections
193 Tell Me My Fortune: spectator selects card that matches number of pennies in a glass
195 Jumpers: contest beteeen Joker and selected card reversing themselves in the pack
200 Envelope Card Rise: approach to the rising cards

207 Chapter Nine Putting It All Together
207 How to Learn a New Trick
208 Planning Your Shows
209 Routining Your Act
210 Performing Conditions