Murphy's Magic Supplies, Inc.
A Thought Well Stolen is the brainchild of Ben Harris, and it’s a delightful mashup of two of magic's heavyweight card effects: Any Card At Any Number and Paul Curry's Out Of This World. Imagine a world where these two mingled at a bar and created a spellbinding offspring; that’s this effect in a nutshell.
In true Any Card At Any Number fashion, you’ll reveal the identity of a card plucked from the ether—no questions asked, no mental gymnastics required. Seriously, this is the kind of mentalism that grips your audience; there’s no forcing, just a free MENTAL SELECTION. You’ll be reading minds and then—boom!—the colors separate like in Out Of This World. Your audience will be left reeling by:
- Your uncanny mind-reading abilities.
- Your impressive card handling skills.
This combo is so potent, it can close any show—whether it’s an intimate gathering, a party, on television, or in front of a packed theater. U.K. card maven, Michael Vincent, has thrown A Thought Well Stolen into his act during the "Champions Of Magic" season at the Jersey Opera House. Yeah, it’s that strong. Here’s what Michael has to say:
"As someone who has built a reputation on hardcore sleight of hand, I am always ready to welcome an effect into my program at the opposite end of the technical spectrum. A Thought Well Stolen is that sort of effect, it fits perfectly into my modus operandi of mixing up my methods - an effect like this can steal your show."
The author lays his cards on the table right from the introduction:
"A quest of mine - lasting decades - has been the search for a perfectly rendered illusion of mind-reading with a deck of cards. As a close-up performer - who loves cards and mentalism - this effect would be something where the performer identifies a freely thought-of card without any questions; without the spectator uttering a single word. Achieving this, or even getting close to it, creates a profound effect on the spectator. It's also one that ripples through your entire audience, no matter what its size. A Thought Well Stolen is 100% pure as regards its intention: the identification of any freely thought-of card without any questions; without any prodding, probing, dual reality or ambiguity. And, without any limiting procedures. None at all. The result is a selection process about as fair as it can get: 'Do you have a favorite playing card?' the performer asks. 'Yes, yes, I do,' the spectator replies. 'Okay, that's great,' the performer confirms. 'Don't tell me. Keep the identity of your card secret, okay?'"
Is there a more straightforward approach? I doubt it.
The author dives deep into the effect(s) in a friendly, approachable way. Even if you’re a seasoned magician, you’ll appreciate that this routine requires nothing more than "basic card skills." Sure, advanced versions are tucked away in the appendices for those who want to show off, but if you can pull off a single False Cut or a False Shuffle, you’re good to go—ready to dazzle audiences of all sizes.
A Thought Well Stolen needs no gaffs or gimmicks—just your trusty deck of cards. The book itself is 40 pages of thorough, detailed text covering a series of almost self-working procedures that yield jaw-dropping results.
Endorsements:
"...an effect like this can steal your show."
- Michael Vincent
"This is simple, direct and strong! I love it"
- Luca Volpe
"I've always been a fan of Ben's work, and this is another great routine from one of my favorite creators in this art."
- Rus Andrews
"Self-working routines rarely pack as much punch as this. The way you describe it is so captivating!"
- Andi Gladwin (Vanishing Inc.)
"I think you might just have created the Holy Grail of Card Magic! As a magician, this is the perfect routine to show off any card skills without actually having any, and for a mentalist it's the perfect routine where you don't need to do any of the skilled work. Perfect for both worlds."
- Paul Romhany, Editor (VANISH Magazine)
"A Thought Well Stolen is by far the easiest - and most elegant - giving the audience the impression the performer has a high-level of skill and mind reading powers."
- Jason Messina
"The thoughtfulness that nurtures A Thought Well Stolen is how it cunningly reveals what is unknown about what is supposedly known, putting emphasis on what spectators will ultimately deem important, memorable, and impressive. In short, besides providing a terrific presentation piece per se, this treatise induces you to rethink what is and is not essential about methodology."
- Jon Racherbaumer
"As someone who reads and enjoys everything that Ben Harris releases, all I can say is Wow! A simple and beautiful idea that once again has me grinning from ear to ear!"
- Bro Gilbert
"Ben, you've got a real winner here. It has the three main ingredients that make for a magnificent routine: It has an entertaining plot, it is easy to perform, and it has a stupefying punch at the end. I think I'll use it as a closer - it really is hard to beat the strength of this routine. Congratulations, Benny! You've hit it out of the park!"
- Steve Shufton
"Today's audience is very demanding. This is exactly the type of magic that hits them 'down under.' Ben Harris's brand new routine is a most excellent hybrid of two wonderful card plots, cloaked in a method so simple, it's brilliant."
- Jonathan Friedman (Shades of Magic)
(DIRECTOR'S CUT BONUS) from Mentallica
Ben Harris's Director's Cut -- leaves the impression that only ONE DECK has been in play. The refined handling enhances the ACAAN portion of the A Thought Well Stolen effect, ditching the flashy finale. It also leaves the spectator with a little gift. Routined for the serious mentalist.
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