Pure Imagination (Book)

Gerhard

I love this book. The book itself is just stunning. The writing is excellent and clear. There are a lot of tricks on the book and not just purely cards. I had a lot of fun reading this book and trying out the different effects. I simply could not put the book down. Most of the methods are not beyond the reach of the beginner or intermediate magician. I can really recommend this book. It's just stunning.

Michael

From the elegant Wonka-inspired cover and playful title to match, Pure Imagination is a gorgeous grab-bag of close-up magic by a creator whose work I was otherwise unfamiliar with. The range of material offers something for pretty much everyone: card tricks that are hyper-visual and technical or simple and self-working, coin tricks that offer up clever plots and unique visual moments. There's some advanced material in these pages, but much of it is well within reach of the intermediate sleight of hand technician. It's hard to imagine any serious close-up worker not leaving with at least a few things they're excited to work on.

Raul (Jay)

I love that trick where those two folded cars penetrate each other. I also love the Willy Wonka car wash card trick. I’ve been working on that a lot and I love showing it to people at my church or anywhere I’m at the checkout stand in the grocery store.

The book lays flat so the pages are open flat and easy to turn, and the photos! Wow! The photos are in great detail and the wording of the tricks correlate with the photos well so they are very much easy to understand. I haven’t had a chance to look at the other tricks yet but I really love the Willy Wonka car wash trick!

This is one of the first magic books that I have purchased in over 25 years. And it’s great to know that vanishing Inc. makes great magic books. And I love the satin cover and the bookmark because it’s great just collecting magic books even though I don’t plan on doing every single trick on every single book that I purchase. I just love reading about magic and it’s great it itself!

I’ve read through some of the other tricks, and I can’t wait to get to them. What’s also great about reading this book is that you can really see the kinds of moves and the kinds of skills that you need to learn the trick.

It shows you step-by-step how to do it, and it’s very intricate. I’m definitely up to learning them. So before I get into a trick, I really look and see what kind of sleight of hand it takes to get into the practice of it.

I really try to see if it’s worth going through the moves or not in addition to all the other tricks that I have purchased from here. Oh! I did already mention once again the great satin cover? This is a really great book!

MAXIMILIANO

I felt in love with this book at first sight. If you are looking for a magic literature that is going to wide open your perspective in the future, this is the book to have. The number of routines are huge, very well explained with clear instructions. What else I can say? top 10 contemporary magic books.

Lucas

First of all, this is a beautifully produced book. Everything screams quality and it's something you come to expect with ANY Vanishing Inc releases.

Second of all, the materials are amazing and a lot of fun. There's a variety of coin and card tricks which is perfect for me and the routines are not too difficult as well. However, I do find myself having to read some passages several times to really understand what it meant.

But overall, this is a great purchase and an excellent project.

Jeff

First, this book is more than
described and better than wow.
Aside from the excellence of its content, and detail , I’ve worked in the printing industry for years and this publication is beautifully printed, clean and …
Forget that. Concentrate on expanding your knowledge and skills

Rob

Pure Imagination is a great book of magic. Beyond the very strong magical illusions it teaches, the ideas and plots are incredibly creative and inspiring. I find myself wanting to learn everything in the book, which is taking a long time to read because I have stopped to learn and practice each routine so far.

I highly recommend the Pure Imagination download available from VI also, and I hope Scott releases more downloads from the book. It is both a pleasure and instructive to watch him perform with such a deceptively casual manner, gentle humor and scripts that seem off-the-cuff but are polished to a T.

Andrew

In my honest opinion, this is one of the best books Vanishing Inc has ever produced. Top 3 for sure. I also think that this is the most beautiful book they have ever produced. I was in awe taking it out of the box. The glossy purple cover and the thick glossy pages give the book a lot of style. And the tricks. The tricks here are some of the best close up tricks with sleight of hand I have seen in a while. The tricks I have spent the most time working on (so far) are The Willy Wonka Card Trick, The Queen Thing, Sprite, Quick Kings and Aces, Trading Places and Repackaged Prediction. There are a few routines in this book that remind me of the unusual but fun style Paul Harris has. Andi and John also have a very clear and concise writing style that is easy to follow. Overall, this is one of the best books I have ever read. Scott has a slightly more unique style when it comes to creating that suits me perfectly. So what are you waiting for buy Pure Imagination now!!

Gary

First of all let me talk about how beautiful this book looks it has got like a satin sheen cover with out doubt one of the best books VANISHINGinc has ever produced and the magic inside these pages are pure gold Scott has put some real workers in this book from easy to advanced so if you are prepared too put in the practice you will have some gems you will always use.

Thomas

I wasn't expecting a work of art, but that's what I got! WOW! I've never owned a book this nice! Everything about it is simply gorgeous; purple satin (silk?) cover, thick, glossy, pages, and full-color, step-by-step instructions for each trick.
Granted, many of the handlings and slights are a little beyond my skill level, but that just pushes me a little harder to improve my technique.
Regardless of whether I use some, none, or all of the material in this book (and it's all very usable!), the book is highly collectible, and looks fantastic on the shelf.
I will be getting the others, slowly but surely!

Brian

As everyone else has said: Go buy this book. It's put together well, pictures and teaching are solid. There are a wide array of effects so you will definitely find something that fits your style. In terms of originality the first effect, "The Toy" is just different level thinking.

James

This book is fantastic. Start with the design, the cover is beautiful, the photographs are fantastic, it’s just a beautiful book. The routines are pure eye candy but the magic is also so practical, some of it is close to self working, other tricks require practice but boy are they worth it. One of my absolute favorite magic books. The Willy Wonka trick alone is worth the price of the book, that vanish is so beautiful!

Dave

I am aware that I have written a couple of negative reviews on this site but I have always been honest and given my genuine opinion.

Buy this book if for no reason than it will be the most beautiful book in your bookcase. It feels like magic should feel.

I have only got around of a third of the way through it in detail but it is already worth every penny even if I don't like the classic move taught in the first few pages. There are other methods and books like this don't just show you tricks they make you think. It will make you want to take the ideas a mould and create something magical in your own style.

I have an ever growing collection of magic books some of which are more useful that others. Some I never use some well thumbed and abused. I have little doubt that this book will become a classic over time and will be reproduced in soft back with smaller pages and on less lovely paper.

At this point I will almost certainly buy it again and keep this one as Sunday best to be shown round reverentially in the company of the cognoscenti on evenings with fine brandy for their admiration and delight.

Owning beautiful things makes me happy and this book is a beautiful thing!

Gennaro

I love everything about this book. I originally got it just for Loose Change, a quick impromptu coin trick, and I am so glad I did, because there is so much more to love.

For starters, it's a beautifully made book with a rich purple cover, it just looks attractive. The tricks are a great mix of coins and cards and different skill levels. Also, more importantly, they are tricks I will actually do for people, not just interesting ideas. I like the format, simple and direct. Good Pictures and good explanations, for the most part.

One negative - the explanations can sometimes be a bit fuzzy, not as clear as I would like, but I figured out what was going on with some thought. Funny thing is, this might not be a negative at all, as it almost forces you to hone your creative thinking and problem solving skills.

I do really really love this book, everything about it, and I'm so glad I got it.

Kevin

Extremely pleased with this purchase. Like the other VI books I've got, the publishing is amazing. The photos, the paper stock, the binding - its all beyond expectations. The tricks are easily explained and the pictures go very well with the text. There's a nice variety of tricks and the sleights are learnable for this amateur. Great job with giving credit, too. Absolutely worth the price.

Burt

For starters this is a top quality, beautiful book.

Now for the material contained in this book. Whether you’re a beginner, or advanced this book is for you. Many books I have purchased over the years wind up sitting on the shelf. This book I can see myself going back to time, and time again. It really gets you thinking outside the box.

If you purchase this book great. If you don’t purchase this book you will loss out on one of the best books ever printed on card, and coin magic.

Mark

This is an amazing book. I got it because it was on sale and the description looked like it had a lot of interesting content. Once I got it, I was amazed at how beautiful the book is. The pages are filled with photographs (which to me is important because as a beginner, it is sometimes hard to understand the written word when trying to perform the sleights). I skipped the first trick (but I did read it) because I didn't have any cards available to fold but I intend to go back to it because it looks pretty easy to do. I got to the second trick and found that I was actually able to read it and do the trick. It is actually pretty amazing how simple it is to do and how cool it looks. I am now working on mastering the Suckers Monte as it may take me a few days to get thru all the phases. I had to skip the coin tricks until I get the required gaffs. My highest recommendations for this book for any skill level.

Matt

The quality of the cover, the binding, and the gloss pages are just gorgeous and make me want to display this thing on my coffee table... but the secrets inside are far too valuable.

This book reads like a thesaurus of close up magic. That is to say that if you're looking for avant garde versions of great close up routines or just something incredible unique to put into a walk around set... this book is for you.

George

Fantastic book. Beautiful production values. Excellent magic. Very well written with great accompanying photos. You can tell that Scott puts a lot of thought into the construction of his magic. I have enjoyed working on several of the effects from this book.

Thomas

There's not much I can add to the reviews already here.

This is a wonderful book, in terms of production value and quality Vanishing Inc do make the nicest books. In terms of content it's excellent. There's a huge number of coins and card tricks, most of which are within anyone's reach if they're willing to put in a little practice. If I had to make one criticism it would be that it's sometimes difficult to visualise how to get to a particular step due to 90% of the images being from the spectators perspective and those that aren't not being particularly enlightening. That being said it may be more down to my ability or lack of knowledge rather than a fault with the images themselves. Either way, this is a minor complaint and isn't a huge issue.

Some prior knowledge of card sleights and moves is also necessary. Whilst a number of tricks are well within reach of beginners, existing card magic skills will be very helpful and even essential for some effects.

In short this is an amazing book, made to Vanishing Inc's usual high quality. It's definitely one I recommend to fellow magicians. And as an added bonus, a number of the effects work perfectly over things such as Zoom, Skype etc.

Rene

Great book ! All fun , workable professional routines , from self working to flourishy knacky eye candy routines. Best book I have read so far, been doing magic for 23 years and I rarely find masterpieces like this nowadays. Beautiful design, book stays open , clear easy to follow instructions and pictures. You are getting a LOT for 60 dollars.
This was money well spent , wish I could say the same about other books I have bought in the past.

Dmitry

Absolutely amazing book, both physically and in terms of content. There is something for everyone. Simple routines, hard routines and moves for move monkeys. I can not see anyone disappointed with this. Loved it all the way!

Pure Imagination is an incredible book. I'm a relatively new magician, and there are plenty of tricks in here for my skill level, along with many other far more difficult tricks that I have to look forward to when I gain some experience.

My personal favorites are the Willy Wonka card trick, the Queen Thing, Trading Places, and Loose Change. The coin tricks are all excellent, but loose change was a great place for me to begin.

The book itself is beautiful with stunning photos that make following along with the trick rather easy.

I've already learned so much but just barely scratched the surface of the years of knowledge packed inside the pages.

Chris

As everyone else has already said, this is a beautiful book! But that’s not why I recommend it. In addition to being beautifully laid out and bound in a shimmering purple cover, the tricks contained within are beautiful as well. What you get with each effect is a complete routine with not only great descriptions of the moves and choreography to maximize the impact of the effect, but you also get clear scripting to use as well. These are complete routines that have obviously been performed for live audiences and have been refined so everything is clear and direct.
Scott is very good at constructing killer effects that incorporate devious and clever methods to create routines that are truly magical. People tend to gravitate to routines like Differences or the Willy Wonka Card Trick, but there are SO many more outstanding routines and sleights taught in the book. The Semi Automatic Cascade Control is one you’ll be using in no time. The Sound of Silence is probably the most beautiful routine in the book! Read it. You’ll also notice while reading the book that nearly every routine starts with an interesting plot. A great example of that is The Tooth Fairy which is a coin trick for kids and another one of my favorites. Some of my other favorites include Sponge Coin, Big Bang, 100% Probability Sandwich, Who’s Counting, Home Wrecker, and Trading Spaces.
I could go on with more of my favorite routines from the book, but I’ll just reiterate what everyone has said already; YOU SHOULD BUY THIS BOOK.

Christopher

I’ve known Scott for quite a few years and have become a frequent attendee at his TRICS convention so my review may be a bit biased. However, I truly believe this is the finest magic book I’ve purchased in years. Scott has an uncanny ability to create powerful magic not just in effect, but also in presentation. He has a knack for taking a simple trick, breaking it down into its finer points, and then adding a presentation that can not be beat. Pure Imagination is a collection of Scott’s strongest stuff taught in an easy, straightforward manner with crystal clear HD photos. I can’t think of a finer book on magic out there today. The book is elegantly bound as well and looks fantastic next to other classics you may have in your collection. Definitely do not skip this fine publication by the king of the magic underground.

Harry

YOU LITERALLY HAVE TO BE CRAZY NOT TO BUY THIS BOOK. It's refreshing and has an art of astonishment type of taste to it. Close up, practical, clean way to make gimmicks and some sleight of hand. Book IS AWESOME & NICE, I REALLY HOPE THEY MAKE BOOKS LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME BECAUSE THE QUALITY IS SETTING THE MAGIC BOOK PAR WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED.

TRICKS ARE REALLY AMAZING AND THE PRICE IS REALLY FAIR. IM GETTING TIRED OF THESE 65-80 DOLLAR BOOKS ARE THEY ARE COLORLESS, CHEAPLY MADE ECT. THIS BOOK IS WORTH EVERY CENT

David

This book is incredible! I bought it the day it was released and I haven’t put it down since! I especially enjoy “Just One Move”. But it’s hard to pick a favorite trick from this book as they are all incredible. 10/10 would recommend!

Colin

TLDR; This book is fantastic and practical.

Scott's handling is within the reach of any card or coin handler, but when enough work is put in to get fluidity and finesse, these routines look phenomenal. Scott has clearly put a lot of time into developing and refining these techniques over the years, and it shows in both economy of action, structure, and deceptiveness. I'm already in love with several of these routines, including the Willy Wonka Card Trick(though I do prefer the pocket version as it's a wonderful routine) and Loose change(which I now always carry two coins around for). There's great thinking in terms of presentation and premise here, Scott's handling of Wild Coin uses the mug to perfectly justify the effect and I love the uniqueness of The Toy. Absolutely great work Scott, and I hope whoever is reading this picks up the book to enjoy it as well!

David

We’ve all been there, a third of the deck in one hand, the remainder of the deck in the other with an elbow resting in the center of the book to hold the pages open as we follow along when the book suddenly closes on us and we have to put everything down to find the page we were on. sometimes we resort to using other books or decks of cards to keep the book open, or worse yet breaking the spine. Not with this book! It lays flat on the table no matter which page you’re on and allows you to follow along without twisting yourself into a magic pretzel.

This book is absolutely gorgeous. From the beautiful satin cover to the stunning photos.

Scott’s material is fun and ranges from attainable with some effort to challenging at times, but completely worth the effort

I’m only part way through my first read through. “Queen Thing” has been mentioned in a few other reviews here and is indeed a great effect.
I also enjoyed “Quick Kings and Aces”, and just may need to put in some of the work for the “100% Probability Sandwich”.

There’s a reason this book sold out in 10 minutes at its debut.

Greg

The first thing that everyone says is that this is a beautiful book. There can not be any argument there. This book is of the highest quality magic book or not. Just the quality of the book is worth more than the price tag.

There is a ton of magic all very clearly explained along with step by step photos, all in complete color, all on heavy weight glossy paper. The book easily opens and stays open to whatever your page you are reading.

Scott's magic is very creative and has something for everyone.

You will be very pleased with the purchase of his book!

Daren

Absolutely stunning book and stunning material! The Queen Thing has been the highlight for me! Although there are many highlights in the book! Very highly recommended!

Joey

This book is STUNNING!

I was there the night it was released and watching it sell out in 10mins was breathtaking.

To be honest, I don’t know why this isn’t priced higher. The sheer volume of material in this book completely outweighs the cost. Scott’s coin work is my absolute favorite. Highly visual stunners!The photos are clear and perfectly illustrate each effect, and the production values are incredibly high!

This may be the most beautiful book Vanishing Inc has ever produced!

John

First off, this is one beautiful book! From the cover to the photos inside, the team definitely took their time in crafting it!

There are routines (ranging from easy to very advanced) for every magician! My favorite one is “Queen Thing,” a cards to pocket that has a surprise ending!

With so many tricks that a worker like myself can easily put in my set, I fully recommend this incredible book!

Richard

In full agreement with all the encomia above with one teeny caveat. Almost all the photos are from the spectator's point of view, necessitating, at least for me, a lot of 180º turns of the text to learn the moves. I would have preferred either a performer's view or mirror view.