The Books of Wonder — Volume 1

1996
Written by Stephen Minch, Tommy Wonder
Work of Tommy Wonder
327 pages (Hardcover), published by Hermetic Press
Illustrated with drawings by Kelly Lyles
Language: English
85 entries
This publication has been reviewed by
Cover photograph
Creators Title Comments & References Page AA Categories
Tommy Wonder Preface
ix
Max Maven Introduction: The Wonder Years
  • The Story of "Oh!"
  • Clandes-teen
  • Cups and Kaps
  • Forward into the Past
  • Myth Direction
 		xi
Tommy Wonder Prologue: The Limitations of Theory
  • Raw Diamonds
  • Feeling Right
  • Why Theory
  • Developing Intuition
  • Refining Theory
  • No Rules
 		1
Tommy Wonder Getting the Mis Out of Misdirection
  • Outside-Inside
  • Misdirection
    • Something of Interest
    • Continuous Direction
    • Believing in Your Own Magic
    • Lack of Confidence in the Power of Direction
  • Broadening Attention
    • No Control
    • Waiting, Keep It Subtle
    • Keep It Short
    • Nothing Happened
  • Concentrating Attention
  • The Tension-Relaxation Wave
  • Mental Direction
    • Time and Place Dissociation
    • Wrong-leg Technique
    • Grasping at a Straw, Acting
  • Advanced Direction Techniques
    • The Train
    • Multiple Layers
    • Connecting the Train with Multiple Layering
  • Applying the Ideas
    • The Chain of Shadows
    • On Making Adjustments
  • Postscript
 		9
Tommy Wonder Tough Customers Misdirection and difficult spectators
 		35
Tommy Wonder Ricochet handling difficult spectator
 		40
Tommy Wonder, Don Alan Magic Ranch card prediction in plastic egg, all cards in deck the same as surprise, egg appears on table in off-beat
Inspired byRelated toVariations 45
Corner Short Riffle Force corner short
 		48
Tommy Wonder The Mind Movie
53
Tommy Wonder Fabricated using a direct center steal under cover of handkerchief
Related toAlso published here 55
Tommy Wonder The Architect
  • Order
  • The Working Order
  • Not Rigid
  • Magic is Not a House
 		59
Tommy Wonder Elizabeth III named card predicted in clear envelope
Inspired byVariationsAlso published here 64
Tommy Wonder Clear Envelope Switch using clear plastic envelope with bills and card in it
 		67
Tommy Wonder Failureffects on sucker tricks
  • Why so Difficult?
  • General Dangers
  • Other Dangers
  • End Note
 		70
Tommy Wonder Here and Not duplicates, double facer
 		77
Tommy Wonder Center Control Production similar to Cervon's Pivot Revelation without table
Inspired byRelated toAlso published here 79
Snap Over Change
82
Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser Wild-Card Turnover Switch double facer
 		83
Single Card Top Palm no credit (Le Paul?)
 		84
Tommy Wonder Top Change Handling
86
Tommy Wonder The Pavlov Effect
88
Tommy Wonder Post-Ultimate Rip-Off
  • Counting
  • Flash Restoration
  • The Complete Restoration
  • Ringing in the Gaff
  • Ringing in the Humanity
Inspired byRelated toVariations 90
Tommy Wonder Counting Cards, Unnatural Rhythms and Other Problems
  • When Counting is Better
  • Not Always the Best Solution
 		97
Tommy Wonder The Poltergeist Pack interesting thread hook-up
Related to
  • Ed Marlo's idea in The Linking Ring (Sept. 1963, Vol. 43 No. 9, p. 61)
 100
Tommy Wonder Walk, Don't Run
105
Tommy Wonder Carpenter's Revenge card in cardboard sleeve is pierced by nail
Also published here 107
Tommy Wonder Rubik's Card blocks in a box with pip symbols arrange themselves magically to match selection
Also published here 112
Tommy Wonder Concerning Eye Contact
  • Emotional Sanctuary
  • An Impression of Confidence
  • Intensifying Emotions
 		115
Tommy Wonder The Shrinking Card-Case
  • Design One
  • Design Two
 		117
Tommy Wonder Falling Pips pips on cards "fall" to one end when cards are tapped on table
 		123
Tommy Wonder, Crocker Xkwizit - Card Hold-Out in Deck to keep some gaffed cards together in deck
Related to 127
Tommy Wonder Ambi-Tilt detailed management
 		129
Tommy Wonder The Two-Second Card Fold into eighth, under deck
 		136
Tommy Wonder The Card in the Ringbox folded, convincing shuttle pass
 		141
Tommy Wonder Squeeze whole deck visually shrinks when put in miniature card case
 		149
Tommy Wonder The Two-Pocket Deck Switch
Related toVariations 152
Tommy Wonder All That Glitters
156
Tommy Wonder, Stanley Collins, Billy McComb The Pip-Eating Spider pips of pip card vanish until only indices are left
 		157
Tommy Wonder The Origin of Originality
161
Tommy Wonder The Wondereverse reversed card in deck is apparently turned over but stays reversed
Related to 164
Tommy Wonder Déjà ReVurse first selection reverses itself again and again, is torn and changes to second selection
Inspired byAlso published here 167
Tommy Wonder Turnover of whole Deck as deck is put from hand to hand
 		169
Tommy Wonder Breath Control
173
Tommy Wonder Master or Servant?
Related to 176
Tommy Wonder The Creative Process how he developed "The Tamed Card"
 		181
Tommy Wonder The Tamed Card using double facers, sticky card, no table required
Variations 183
Tommy Wonder, Brother John Hamman Broken Hamman Count
187
Tommy Wonder Small Packet Bottom Deal as a switch
Also published here 191
Ken Krenzel Mechanical Reverse
199
Case Addition as cards are dumped from the case
 		200
Tommy Wonder The Kickoff on introducing an effect to the audience
 		202
Tommy Wonder Card Forcing essay
 		204
Tommy Wonder Confidence
206
Tommy Wonder Slow and Steady Wins the Race
209
Tommy Wonder Fictitious Danger
212
Tommy Wonder An Examination of Examinations having props examined
 		214
Tommy Wonder High and Low
  • Nonsense
  • Reasons
  • An Added Advantage
 		217
Tommy Wonder The Family Three on the rule of three
  • Divide Your Works into 3
 		222
Tommy Wonder Reset on effects that reset
  • Problem Tricks
 		225
Tommy Wonder Coins Across and Back with Interlude coins across twice with backfire, coin through box
  • Phase One: Silver Bullets
  • Phase Two: Copper Interlude
  • Phase Three: Perverse Reverse
  • Phase Four: Bertram Redux
Inspired byVariations 231
Turnover Move
238
Juan Tamariz Click Pass requires at least three visible coins
Also published here 240
Tommy Wonder Mud in Your Eye coins are put in box, one appears in eye of performer like a monocle
 		243
Paul Morris Bottom Steal as stack of coins is placed in box
 		244
Tommy Wonder Box Turnover
245
Tommy Wonder When Tricks Become Transparent
  • The Performer Betrays the Method to the Spectator
  • The Spectator Lies
  • When the Spectator Guesses a Method
  • When Smart People Suggest Stupid Solutions
  • Does It Matter?
 		248
Tommy Wonder Sweet and Sour Simplicity
  • The Love Boat
 		254
Tommy Wonder Cigarette Through Quarter: A Handling
257
Tommy Wonder French Drop Switch
259
Tommy Wonder And Here I Have...
  • Three Times Told
 		261
Tommy Wonder Counterfeiter's Spellbound two coins are changed to copper and back
 		263
Tommy Wonder Dealers magic dealers
 		271
Tommy Wonder Date with an Inflatable Bunny paper with rabbit printed onto it torn, pieces are blown into paper balloon with rabbit shape
Also published here 274
Tommy Wonder Rabbit Rouser rising card with houlette prop, children material
Also published here 276
Tommy Wonder Practical Thinking
278
Tommy Wonder The Tobacco Exchange two cards to cigarette case, one into cigarette itself
 		281
Tommy Wonder Emotional Involvement
Also published here 289
Tommy Wonder The Improved Hydrostatic Glass
291
Tommy Wonder Acting is Not Making Faces
294
Tommy Wonder Auto-Link handling fragment for the Himber Ring
 		297
Tommy Wonder The Paradox of Money and Success
300
Tommy Wonder The Ring, the Watch and the Wallet ring, watch and bill disappear from envelope and reappear at finger, arm and in wallet
Related toVariations 302
Tommy Wonder Reel Pull
304
Tommy Wonder The Three Pillars
  • So Let's Change the Thoughts of Our Audience
  • The Material Methods
  • Why Use Mechanical Magic?
 		316
Tommy Wonder Epilogue: Ouroboros
  • The Implications
  • The Changing Audience
 		324
Data entered by Denis Behr, June 2006.