At long last, the card wizardry of the elusive Ben Blau has been compiled into a rather handsome hard-bound tome. This chap has been quietly shaking up the mentalism scene for yonks with his exquisitely crafted miracles.
This 355-page, hard-bound treasure with a dust jacket spills the beans on many of Ben's most closely guarded secrets, moves, and principles — all the bits and bobs he employs in his mind-boggling repertoire.
With 140 crystal-clear photographs, you'll find that many of these tricks are breaking new ground in the realm of mental mysteries using playing cards.
Here's what the buzz is about Ben Blau's ASYMPTOTES:
"Ben Blau is a very clever fellow, indeed! If you like impossible card discoveries that will fool just about everyone, then ASYMPTOTES is a must have. In its pages are many ideas that are real additions to the armory of those who practise Mentalism with playing cards."
- Bruce Bernstein
"Ben Blau's book is a must-read for all lovers of sophisticated card mysteries. His approach is scholarly, his thinking is immaculate and his work is deeply fooling. Very highly recommended!"
- Mark Elsdon
"With the mind of a philosopher, the precision of a surgeon, and the lyrical genius of a poet, Ben Blau crafts brilliant mental masterpieces that you will cherish like a classic. He is like Charles Dickens, but with cards (and much more clever). For close-up mentalism workers, this will only be 'the best of times!'"
- Sean Waters
"Ben Blau's ASYMPTOTES has some incredible and public-pleasing ploys! I think that all serious performers of mentalism should read it. I was surprised by how much I learned (and re-learned) from this book."
- Marc Salem
"Ben is a GENIUS at fooling me and everyone else! He has a streamlined way of layering subtleties with arcane principles with lies and - at times - simple sleights that are completely disarming. Ben's book covers lots of varied magic and mentalism ideas, as well as psychology that will leave your audiences destroyed. Some of Ben's perspectives on performance may even change the way that you shape your current effects and even your performing style. If you are serious about your craft, and you want to engage, entertain and ultimately fool your audience - this is your next purchase!"
- Dan Fishman
"ASYMPTOTES may very well change your perceptions about using playing cards for demonstrations of mentalism. Ben Blau's creative combination of engaging plots and unique applications of card methods and principles has resulted in a collection of 18 amazing mental routines. From the playful 'Sending It Down' to the intimate 'Ishin - Denshin' to the gobsmacking 'Con-Centration' (my personal favourite), each routine has been well thought out and choreographed to provide a highly entertaining and mystifying experience that will leave audiences stunned. This is a must for every mentalism bookshelf."
- Steve Yachanin
"Clearly, when it comes to theatrical mystery, Ben Blau aspires to perfection"
- Max Maven
