"Organic : A Study on Engineering Miracles" by Dan and Dave Buck

[Lyle Borders]

Wow. What a weird volume. This is totally different from the Dan and Dave we know. At the same time it is inspirational. This whole thing has less to do with specific effects (If you are just looking for the latest flourish or sleight from D&D, then you are wasting your time) and more to do with expanding how each of us sees magic and how we approach our environments. This volume is genius.

This whole book was written in more of a journal form by Dan Buck. He records ideas in his notebook that crossed his mind as he and friends took a cross-country road trip. As you read this, you will have your eyes opened to so much more opportunity than you are used to. Dan Buck saw this trip as a chance to experiment with his friends with the magic they have all already seen. He knew they didn't care, and that he could risk these things in front of his friends. From this comes some of the most random and unique magic ever conceived for many different environments.

Example - At a laundromat. Dan has a card selected and then returned to the deck. He places the deck into his pocket. He then takes his trousers off and places them into a tumble dryer. Soon, as the dryer spun round, all the cards were seen spilling around in the dryer. The pants were removed, the pocket examined, and only one card, the selected card, was found in the pocket.

This doesn't take a genius to reverse engineer. It does take an amazingly creative mind to think of something like that on the spot and have the guts to just do it. All the effects are like this, complete with the story of how it was conceived. Some tricks I won't ever bother with, many I will be trying.

Teaching - This book does not teach effects so much as show by example what can be done with an open mind and some guts. Though the teaching itself is short and to the point, you learn more from this book than you would ever learn reading up on how to do certain tricks. This book will change your magic.

Dan does not stop at cards. In fact, most of this is magic done with all sorts of other every day items. Salt shakers, sugar packets, straws, books, matches, etc etc etc.

I loved it. 9.5 of 10. Get it. This is inspiring stuff.

[Will Thong]

Why just Dan?

And how did the card stay in the pocket? Glue? Because I've put cards in jeans in the machine before, and they come out crinkled and dead.

Plus, if I stick a deck in there, the WHOLE DECK would get ruined. Not good...

But I'll take a look if I've got time.

Did you get it...legally?

[Lyle Borders]

Yep. I bought Organic by the Bucks, Riot by Dan Hauss, and Collateral by d+m all the past couple days. I but the stuff from D&D and also d+M because I can always expect amazing things from them. I only bought Riot on a whim, but wasn't disappointment. I am done with downloading stuff. If I am so desperate to learn a trick, I can either buy it or I can use the brain that I already have to figure out a trick. The more time I spend reverse-enginering illusions, the better my mind starts to work at creating them. I want to be a worthwhile magician, so I am starting to act like one.

It was just Dan because they were his personal notes from his trip. Dave was not there for most of it. He is only mentioned in a killer card-through-window effect. Dan doesn't teach you how to do tricks, he tells you how HE did those tricks. You can see and feel his thought process as he comes up with these things.

The tumble-dryer effect is stupid-simple. This is the kind of thing that (as I can see from your reaction, and also mine too) that fools magicians too. It was just Dan thinking on his toes. And I doubt he ruined his cards, he probaly only had the dryer on for a few moments, just long enough for cards to get everywhere. Besides, even if he did, who doesn't have spare decks sitting around? I just bought 2 Bikes to simply practice d+m's new TnR/Transpo illusion called Transtorn. Worth the price of Collateral on its own. Also in it plans to make a completely self-contained, invisible blister effect gimmick. Take Tim Trono's recent effort and clever gimmick, make it more invisible and practical (Including the ability to use a borrowed lighter) Also stupid-simple. You will kick yourself for not coming up with these things.

The only reason I can see for a magic comunity to exist is to learn from each other. If a community just plunders other artists work and copies it, they will never learn and grow beyond the scope of the YouTube crowd. We have to start asking more than "how did he do that?" We need to start asking "How can I accomplish this? What can I do with this idea?" Once we start to think for ourselves, we will become something.

[duda123]

I really started laughing after I've read that trick where he uses a card as a credit card and it works xD

[zini]

The controlled coin flip was the one things I found very useful out of this book. Looks VERY natural.

[Spade444]

I really enjoyed the book as well, Autocatch is a nice little visual trick i like to perform regularly....