The Aronson Approach

This, Simon’s first hardbound solo effort, is perhaps the least-discussed and most under-rated Aronson book. It has two FABULOUS memorized deck pieces, “Bait and Switch” and “Four Part Harmony,” which both utilize important memorized deck principles you’ll come back to again and again.

But this book really shines in showing Simon’s broad scope of originality. This book most fully explores some good ‘ol fashioned great card tricks. Some simple sleights are involved in most cases, but nowhere is Ed Marlo’s influence on Simon more present than this material. There’s lots to like here, including a fantastic theoretical essay that is Simon’s most often excerpted piece.

More info on The Aronson Approach

Card magic for everyone, from the self-working, hands off Self Control Lie Speller and the two-deck Mix and Match, to the commercial (and ribald) Under Her Spell. Paragon Poker offers a three-phase card cheating demonstration (with an unexpected double climax). Bait and Switch and Four Part Harmony are memorized deck masterpieces, and in his essay Memorized Math Simon continues his trademark in-depth analysis of memorized deck principles. Mark-a-Place Mates offers a flexible utility move, while Active Aces efficiently combines a visual vanish of the Aces with the Henry Christ Fabulous Ace reproduction. The 50 page treatise on the mental blockbuster Simon-Eyes is worth its weight in gold to the performing mentalist...plus Two Minds and a Mate, and lots more. 173 pages