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"Juan Tamariz is a master of many aspects of card magic, and one of his unique areas of mastery is the ability to take card routines that rely on simple and often sleight-free methods, that produce effects that are largely intellectual rather than visceral or visual, and yet put them across effectively and make them connect with people. Tamariz developed and refined these skills many years ago when performing a weekly series of magical broadcasts over radio, that involved the spectators in their own homes, using playing cards or other simple materials. "Verbal Magic" is a unique instruction manual for how to makes such material work for remote audiences at a distance -- whether over the radio, in virtual performance, or over the telephone. This is not just a collection of such material, but it is a guide to how to transform such material into actual real-world performance." - Jamy Ian Swiss

"Verbal Magic is a masterful treatise on how to turn mathematical and procedure heavy effects into strong performance magic. These are exactly the kind of effects most of us would have passed right over if we encountered them unadorned in the literature, but see as treasure now that they’ve been given the Tamariz treatment. Over the radio as Juan used them, over the phone if you’d like, or through the internet—if you perform remotely, for people at a distance, this book will be a resource you’ll return to again and again." - Eric Mead

"I am amazed that there are still magicians who don’t own Verbal Magic. Juan Tamariz designed these tricks for radio, and they’re perfect for that, as well as over the telephone. But most importantly, these can be—and should be—done in person, with the spectators doing everything. We all know that magic that happens in the spectators’ hands is the most powerful kind there is. This book is, by definition, full of the most powerful magic there is. A must-have." - John Lovick

"I really love Juan Tamariz' Verbal Magic. I saw most of the tricks live, with Juan, at the radio studio. Not only were the tricks killing everyone in the studio, but the responses from listeners was simply incredible! These are miracles that can be performed by simply listening to the instructions or by watching them virtually. A masterpiece in thinking." - Gaetan Bloom

"I love Verbal Magic. I think today more than ever Verbal Magic is a very important book for magic that defies the limitations of distance. And an important lesson in directing your audience." - Asi Wind

"The power of the mind emerges verbally from Juan Tamariz and controls his spectators into convulsions of amazement." - Richard Kaufman

"Verbal Magic is the solution to how you set yourself apart from other magicians who are performing virtual magic. The book contains a wealth of effects that will allow your audience to perform magic in their own hands as they follow your visual and spoken instructions. Your spectators become an integral part of your magic and isn’t that what magic is supposed to be about?" - Martin Kaplan

"People think I'm an expert on the field of interactive magic but, frankly, it's time to confess... I'm a fraud. EVERYTHING I learned about tricks, procedures, and how to create and present this kind of magic I learned from the master Juan. Verbal Magic is a reference for this type of magic that is so apropiate in these times. And this book is very fun to read as you can do all the tricks while following the instructions and feel the magic yourself. SUPER-RECOMENDED!" - Woody Aragon

"One translation of the word Abracadabra is, "I create as I speak." Juan Tamariz has transformed this from an idea into reality with his book Verbal Magic. It is filled with magical, practical, poetic ideas that can teach you how to make "magic words" a reality." - Michael Weber

"Some years ago, I was lucky enough to sit in an audience when Juan Tamariz performed one of the tricks from Verbal Magic. It was the most electrifying experience I’ve ever felt in a magic show. The whole audience was actively and emotionally involved, having a wonderful time and feeling the mystery, both as a group and individually. The material in Verbal Magic is capable of affecting all kinds of audiences in ways traditional magic rarely attains—remarkable material." - Stephen Minch

When it happens in their hands -

It's an old adage of conjuring: The strongest magic happens in the hands of the audience.

A lesser-known corollary to this is: The more that happens there, the stronger the magic.

So what if it all happened in their hands?
What if the magician wasn't even in the room?
What if only his voice were guiding them...
From the radio - or the television - or from far away?
- and the magic happened while they did everything!


That is what Spain's greatest magician, Juan Tamariz, asked himself. And from this question sprang a body of magic that has astonished vast audiences in Spain and Latin America when performed on radio and television, on stage and close up. It is magic that has fooled both the public and master magicians.

Using only a few playing cards, pieces of paper and other common objects as props, audiences are led through a variety of entertaining processes that lead to their utter amazement. Through clever principles, old and new, combined with cunning psychology and ground-breaking strategies, Juan Tamariz makes magic happen in everyone's hands. He fools people into amazing themselves! Further, as you follow the radio transcripts in these pages, he will fool you, too.

So open this book and join the amazed. Then share the amazement and fun with your audiences, whether they are listening to the radio, watching television or in the room with you.

Follow along as Juan Tamariz tells you to take a few red and black cards from a deck and mix the colors in ways random, chaotic and independently determined. Yet, when you are finished, the colors magically separate! That's right, you perform Oil and Water for yourself and have no idea how it happened - just as thousands of people have done while listening to Juan Tamariz over the radio, on television and in live audiences.

People freely choose a card, lose it in a packet, mix the cards thoroughly, and then magically discover their own selections-without knowing how they did it. The magic leaves Tamariz's hands and settles in their own!

This book collects over forty such tricks and presentations, all refined and tested through professional performance. Close associate Gema Navarro, under the guidance of Juan Tamariz, has meticulously transcribed presentations from tapes of numerous radio broadcasts. The transcripts are so detailed, they first let the reader fool himself, and then give him the information necessary to entertain and astonish his audiences, and the tools to devise many other effects that happen entirely in their hands and heads.

Scattered in the literature of magic is a scant number of participation effects suitable for performance on radio and television; and those tricks are sought and coveted by professionals. In Verbal Magic Juan Tamariz reveals the largest body of such magic ever offered, while taking it in new directions and teaching new principles with wide-reaching possibilities for further application. He also shows that this type of magic is just as astonishing when performed close up and for theater audiences. As a final bonus, Verbal Magic provides the largest record yet, for non-Spanish speakers, of what it is like to be part of Tamariz's audience. Here is a long, in-depth look at how a master magician simultaneously entertains and mystifies.

Pages 176 - Deluxe Hardcover. Nominee Book of the Year Penguin Magic Awards 2020

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The perfect pandemic magic tool! Report this review
Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on July 28th, 2020
This book is just what you're looking for regardless of whether you're a professional magician or just an enthusiast looking to cheer up friends and family via a phone call or zoom call.

The only skill you need is to entertainingly present these tricks by talking them out to your remote audience!

When I first got the book - for a few minutes I was worried I got ripped off because it's simply filled with well written transcripts of Juan Tamariz's radio performances where he's doing magic with the in-studio DJs/hosts that he encourages his audience listening in to do in their own homes with their own cards.

The first trick in the book is a 10 card Oil & Water trick (5 red/ 5 black) and he talks the DJs through what he wants them to do with their own 10 cards that they shuffle and cut repeatedly and (seemingly randomly) and is encouraging the folks at home to do the same thing and then sure enough by the end of the trick magic happens in their own hands as the reds/blacks separate.

So, I'm excited thinking 'Wow, here's how to do Oil & Water remotely! I can't wait to see what the secret is.'

Then I turn the page looking for detailed instructions on how to do it and the next page is simply the next trick in the book! I was disappointed and re-read it to see if I missed something and couldn't figure out why they'd sell a whole book like this for a high price that doesn't even teach you how to do the tricks - and then it hit me:

***There's absolutely nothing to teach!***

If you follow & repeat Juan's patter - *THAT IS THE TRICK.*

He's already worked it out for you and it's a remote trick anyhow - so there's nothing for him to really teach!

I grabbed 10 cards and did the trick per his instructions in my own hands and it worked perfectly!

Then I took five minutes and wrote down each individual step of what he tells his audience to do and basically can now invent my own patter around his instructions.

If you can give clear instructions (like he did) - you can do this!

It's worth every single cent!

One other fun thing I forgot to mention: Gemma Navarro, who co-wrote the book (she did all the transcribing & worked with Juan on it) she made sure to at the end of each trick put in a paragraph detailing the historical path Juan traveled down to invent each trick. So if you'd like to search out the elements of previous tricks he sourced to combined into the trick you're doing, you can - which I thought was really cool.

And those basically are your explanations. While I admit it would be fun to read or even see a video of Juan talking through and explaining in detail how each of these tricks works based on previous tricks - it's simply not necessary. Again - it would be cool because he's taking elements from the 1930s/40s & beyond that aren't always easily available - but the trick works, and it's really just anecdotal.

Truly the only recommendation I have is make sure you brush up on how to talk to your audience. I've noticed things that we magicians understand sometimes could confuse kids / other audience members.

Example: The concept of cutting and completing a cut is sometimes lost on people that think you're telling them to cut the cards and put them down into a separate pile (something the audience is asked to do in this trick actually). So being clear on the actions you want them to take - even tho we know what this means is really important.

If you're doing this as a Zoom/Facetime/Skype trick - they can see what you're doing so it's easier - but remember - you can technically do this as a phone call, because Juan did it on the radio.

It's smart, easy and fun to do! I haven't done every trick in the book - but - it sure seems like I'll have time to now.

One last thing, I originally got this from a magic shop when Penguin was sold out. I love Penguin and will always support them, but if they do sell out again - make sure to search this out from a local magic shop to help them stay in business, it'll mean a lot to them!

Stay healthy & enjoy~
11 of 11 magicians found this helpful.
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One of my best purchase ever! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on April 11th, 2018
Wow! I like sleight of hand magic more than self working magic and I am not afraid to do difficult sleights.
I have read just a few of these tricks and I wouldn't say that they are really really strong(they're probably getting stronger as I go through the book) BUT its really fun to read because I do the effects as I read them and it amazes me first.
Now, you could say, that this is the case with every magic book, but the difference is that there are no sleights and the audience by hearing the instructions from you, can do these tricks and they can amaze themselves.
Summary:
- People can do these tricks without you being there
- Although the instructions are direct, there are many random choices they can make and these make these tricks real magic
You should get this book, it will open a new chapter in your magic!
7 of 7 magicians found this helpful.
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Excellent! Report this review
Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on April 17th, 2016
This is one fantastic book! It is wonderful to watch the magic happen in your own hands. Then, you can make someone else wide-eyed simply by giving them a few directions with cards or pencil and paper. Can't recommend it enough.
5 of 6 magicians found this helpful.
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Nice Book Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on February 26th, 2021
The first trick in the book is ridiculously cool. I did it twice in a row and thought to myself, "There is no way." I asked my wife to do it as I read to her. Her response was, "How is that possible?"

That was the first trick in the book. I cannot wait to get further in to discover the rest and to put one of these into the act.

This book deserves to be explored. I recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
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Self-Workers with a Tamariz Flair Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on August 21st, 2020
Any book by Juan Tamariz is a worthy investment and study. Juan is a perky, happy guy and is known for drawing out even simpler methodologies into a larger experience. The self-workers in this book are just that, simple and reliable principles, some his discoveries, others created by magicians such as Martin Gardner, Bob Hummer, Stewart James, and others which Mr. Tamariz expanded into a story or figures out extended procedures to that principle to put the main secret further back in the event. One of his goals in these is to stack enough activities the spectator partakes in where there's no way they can backtrack or recount the event and figure it out. If they do, it's part of the fun but Juan isn't going to make it easy for them. You should be aware that, like his Mnemonica creation, if you're going to learn the tricks verbatim, you'll going to be memorizing quite a bit. The methods are easy, the way Juan presents them is what's to be gained from this and you'll need your happy pills and willingness to study to get the full benefit.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
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Great book! Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on April 20th, 2018
Well, this is a great book indeed. You will find self-workers in this book, the difference is compered to any other books with self-workers, that your audiance can do it EVEN if you are not in the room with them.
To me this makes it so powerful, and unique.
Buy it, share it, perform it, and make your audience go crazy!
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
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Top notch no touch magic Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on January 2nd, 2022
A fascinating book that was a pleasure to translate, wonderfully edited by Stephen Minch. Suited to all levels and useful for remote as well as for live performances.
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
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brilliant as everything from the greatest magician alive Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on October 7th, 2021
If you are looking for strong magic from a distance/in their hands: here is the book for that. highly recommended (greetings from germany)
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
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OMG This is Amazing Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on July 6th, 2021
I picked this up because I was sent a discount code for it. It really wasn't on my radar. I read the first couple of chapters describing the content of this book and thought, ok can this really work.

So I decided to follow along with the first trick (a 10 card oil and water routine) and wow, it really worked. So I decided to try it again and it worked again.

I told myself, I am going to have to write down the steps on a cheat sheet so I can perform it away from the book.

I decided to try the next trick and followed along and BAM the ending made me laugh so hard I was crying. I think this might be the first magic book I will read in its entirety and will probably be carrying it around with me to read while I am out and about.

It is a really fun book and since it is not dependent on sleight of hand, you don't have to study it when trying to master the moves. You just read along and do what Juan says to do and the trick will work itself out.
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
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Verbal Magic by Juan Tamariz Report this review
Verified buyer Pro Privacy ON (login to see reviewer names) on May 27th, 2021
AS others have noted, this book contains some gems although the format is a little unusual as it is basically transcripts of radio broadcasts. This means you need to read along and take notes / follow the instructions yourself to fully understand what the trick is really about. But this is easy enough to do and the results are often worth it.
The history of each trick is provided so, if you are new to magic as I am, you have a starting point for follow up.
I've only given it a rating of 4 due to the format of the transcripts and the absence of explanatory notes - but the content is worth more. Money well spent.
1 of 1 magicians found this helpful.
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