{"product_id":"the-quick-and-the-dead-by-mark-strivings-book-1","title":"The Quick and the Dead by Mark Strivings - Book","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Holy sh*t! I'm completely blown away. I thought this was going to be a small little manuscript. There is so much information here!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"While this is not meant to be a complete encyclopedia of \"living and dead tests\"......it's very close!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Dozens and dozens of routines and ideas are taught. To me many of the little \"tips and touches\" are priceless. Ideas like using a little loop of tape on the tray to collect the envelopes or George B Anderson's idea of using a woman instead of a dead name. This would blow away a modern audience!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The number of ideas that I'll be using from this are many! Mark you have done the magic and mentalism community a huge service with this. When it comes to impromptu mentalism this is one of the strongest effects you could ever perform. And if you actually have the time to present it properly in a formal or staged situation, it can create its own religion!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Highly recommended!!!\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e- Nathan Kranzo\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"...it is an extraordinary book. I mentioned my general dislike of the Living \u0026amp; Dead tests. However, this compilation of yours opened my eyes to all the possibilities of this premise. It's remarkable the breadth and width of the concept. I love being surprised in a good way, and this is exactly what your book did for me over and over again.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- Todd Robbins\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"THE QUICK \u0026amp; THE DEAD by Mark Strivings is an embarrassment of riches for anybody interested in our art.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Whether you love history, cool methods, cool presentations, or just want a practical commercial effect to add to you repertoire, you will get use out of this book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Like THE JINX, and MAGICK, I foresee it being a constant reference in my library for years to come!\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e- Joe Diamond\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I can't put your book down.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I think the tremendous research and options of use, make it far more valuable than living\/dead tests. It is a joyful journey.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Destined to be a classic\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e- Marc Salem\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"I feel confident offering glowing praise so soon despite having only read portions of the book. Gathering, sorting and presenting so much fascinating and USEFUL information in one place is a true gift to our community. That Q \u0026amp; D was a labor of love shows in all your hard work and in the accessibility and clarity of your writing. Your excitement with the results of your research is contagious. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"As I read and pondered all of the elegant and intriguing methods, seemingly mixed together like ingredients in a potion at times, I had a recurring thought. Penn \u0026amp; Teller better, sooner rather than later, obtain and read a copy. Otherwise they risk several denouements involving FU trophies, traceable directly to Q \u0026amp; D.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e- Bill Cushman\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Quick \u0026amp; the Dead\u003cbr\u003eA Compendium\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eby Mark Strivings\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHere’s the deal: there’s never been a book like this one. Tucked between these covers are countless handlings, ideas, presentations, methods, techniques, and a whole lot more. And whilst it’s specifically geared towards the L\u0026amp;D tests, the creative potential here is limitless. In nearly THREE HUNDRED full-size (8.5\" X 11\") pages, you’ll find the complete, and surprisingly ancient, history of the Living and Dead test (seriously, it goes way back).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou’ll also discover a thorough delve into the only other full-length treatise on the subject, penned eight decades ago, packed with some of the best examples in the genre.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePlus, there’s an entire chapter devoted to alternatives that don’t involve the dead at all! (Yes, really.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd if you’re after clever ways to secretly mark various mediums, look no further. That chapter alone is worth its weight in gold!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere’s a hefty section on complete presentations of the L\u0026amp;D, showcasing a broad range of approaches. You’ll also find a chapter dedicated to techniques for obtaining a secretly written name (or any other bit of written info)!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut that’s not all—there’s a chapter of unique approaches to the L\u0026amp;D that spans from the delightfully quirky to the downright bizarre.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou’ll uncover an entire chapter of L\u0026amp;D tests, each with its own peculiar flair, and a collection of presentations that lean heavily in that direction with some truly incredible outcomes!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere’s even a chapter on straight magic tricks using the L\u0026amp;D as a framework. Amazing stuff!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd for those who fancy a bit of darkness, there’s an extensive chapter of L\u0026amp;D material that's just plain weird. Weirdos, rejoice!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSpeaking of oddities, there’s a single trick chapter showcasing what might just be the strangest 'living and dead' demonstration ever—completely impromptu and propless!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor those with a thirst for knowledge, there’s a massive bibliography listing over FIVE HUNDRED references, barely scraping the surface of what’s out there. In total, there are well over TWO HUNDRED individual references of all sorts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAdditionally, you’ll get a cracking Foreword by the legendary Paul Brook, a respected name in mentalism. He’s even tossed in a cheeky bonus effect in his Foreword, the sneaky chap! It’s a killer!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNow, here’s a little nugget from Paul’s Foreword:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"A book dedicated to a single focus, exploring the many facets of performance and presentation within that theme, creates valuable benefits. First, it allows the mind to understand the numerous subtleties that may otherwise get lost in a general mentalism book. Secondly, studying the variations within a short space of time allows the brain to organise better and link that information. Thirdly, the book becomes a single resource that can be easily located for further study instead of leafing through countless books. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'\"The ease of use, collation, connection and synergy of ideas aid the brain in mapping out the labyrinth of potentiality, connecting up previously unlinked corridors and paving the way for new territory.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eAs Paul was devouring the book, I received a barrage of messages from him, buzzing with ideas and paths to explore. And trust me, this isn’t just about the overall topic of this book. He came up with all sorts of ideas, some of which you’ll likely see from him soon. You’ll have the same experience—your thoughts will take flight. The sky’s genuinely the limit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne thing I’ve always loved about magic books is you can open up to just about any page and dive right in. I do it all the time. These books tend to be modular, allowing you to explore almost anywhere. For those of you who like to read magic books the way I do, this tome is a treasure trove! Here’s a snippet from the Introduction:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"This is going to be quite the journey. For those who carefully absorb what follows, I know there will be a whole bunch of moments when eyebrows get raised and the thought of, \"that's really cool\" will pass through your head. And for those of you who flip through this more casually, there's a solid surprise on pretty much every page. Hopefully there will be something here for everyone. Candidly I fail to see how there couldn't be.\"\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI penned those words over a year before the book was finished. Now that it’s complete, I can assure you those words are spot on.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mark Strivings","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56482876621124,"sku":"QUICKDEAD","price":125.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0943\/1826\/4644\/files\/72898-full_13e01bfe-1f76-4e7f-b0f6-681413cf5a00.png?v=1772909597","url":"https:\/\/www.handpickedmagic.com\/products\/the-quick-and-the-dead-by-mark-strivings-book-1","provider":"Hand Picked Magic ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}