The Geoff Williams Vol 1 makes graduate-level (if there were such a think as a college of magic, well, other than "Hogwarts" :) ) illusions do-able for novices such as me.

Mr. Williams is as fun to watch as Jay Sankey. I like watching he and Mr. Sankey as much as I enjoyed watching "The Munsters" as a child--they just make you laugh... even on the re-runs.

I am older now so I can't instantly retain new information like I did years ago. I have to take my time and repetitively watch most DVD lessons several times one day and then a few times the following 2 or 3 days to really have the concept down and stored.

Geoff makes the rewinds something to look forward to. My goal is to master the "David Copperfield" and "Ultimate T & R" to add to my list of 24 magic tricks I want to have ready to go at all times; at a moment's notice. (I just think 24 is a good number that should land me quite a few free lunches and dinners if times get hard again :))

I will stop being silly for a moment and just say from my heart that I am grateful to the Lord to have the chance to learn this calliber of magic from the legends like Geoff that Penguin makes avialable. Years ago the incredible skills and talents present in the field of magic were just unobtainable to someone like me.

Of late, I have bought thousands and thousands of dollars worth of DVDs and other items from Penguin. If I knew at the beginning of my spending spree :) what I know now, Miracles for Mortals would have been one of my earliest purchases.

I have purchased WAY more magic than I will ever be able to learn but the content on THIS DVD is content I will make time to learn!

If your are a beginner in magic, this DVD is an incredible place to begin because Mr. Williams will teach you several skills that I'm sure you will find valuable for other illusiions PLUS the effects he teaches will have people remembering you as: "You know: that magician that was in here the other day".

The Pros already praise Mr. Williams talents and teaching sincerely and often. But for those of us who didn't know him...BOY is he worth knowing and this DVD is a great place to meet him.

When you purchase this DVD, and I hope you can, pop it in to watch...grab some popcorn, kick up your feet, and be ready to laugh, smile, be amazed and walk away with some incredible feats of magic to perform under your belt.

A wonderful DVD! This DVD is jamb packed with real world Magic effects. Most items are improvements on other peoples work. I've performed the Omega bet many times now, and it KILLS! This one effect is worth the cost of the DVD! Only one effect "Electric Artlet)requires you to build something. I did build the prop (I spent under .00) and it proved to be a well accepted routine that I've performed many times for a variety of audiences. It plays big, packs small and is a joy to perform. There's a nice mix of close up and stage effects, something for every one, REALLY. Geoff even gives full credit to the originators of these wonderful effects, something you don't see much these days. I give it a five star rating. ADD TO CART NOW! You won't be disappointed.

Great tricks on this DVD. For me the best tricks on here are: Electrical Artlet, David Copperfield, Miracle coin, and Torn and restored card.

In the bonus section of the DVD, the Invisible deck finesse isn't an actual trick, but some very useful tips for an I-Deck that I found to be excellent. The forklift was nothing special at all, and 4-way coincidence was OK... a pretty decent Impromptu card trick with a fairly shuffled deck.

I consider this to be one of the highest value DVDs I've ever purchased. The 4 tricks I mentioned before are great for close up shows.

Just one heads up though - Electrical artlet is actually a fantastic trick! I'm going to add it to my show right away. However you will have to buy some extra materials for it... depending on what you have in your house right now, I'd say it would be between $0 - $40. Totally worth it though :)

Man, if you want a TON of practical, powerful material for a SMALL amount of money, look NO further than Geoff Williams.

Electrical Artlet is INCREDIBLY clever and something this is going STRIAGHT into my parlour show.

And of course, I hate David Copperfield trick is worth the PRICE of the DVD (as it is sold elsewhere BY ITSELF for 15!).

Buy this NOW.

Electrical Artlet (Rating 7 out of 5) - This is beautiful. If you do a parlor style act, then do this effect. Period!

Uploopted (4/5)- I'm guessing you can guess the method by the name. However, it's a clever usage of this prop. I'm not a fan of this prop, but if you use it (and I know many of you do), then you'll get a kick out of this application.

The "I Hate David Copperfield" Trick (5/5) - Sorry Mr. Jennings, but this is a better version. I know - I'm a heretic, but it's true. Whether you currently do the Jennings effect or not, do this one!

The Omega Bet (4/5) - Yet another application of that freaky Gil***** principle. Seriously freaky. The routine is a little long and drawn out, but the concept is freakin' brilliant.

More On "Oil & Water" - Funny, I don't remember this one. I'm not a fan of this plot to start with, and the fact that I don't remember it likely means that it didn't really speak to me, and I'm too lazy to go back and watch it again.

Miracle Coin Vanish (4/5) - Fooled by a classic. I love it when that happens. This is new handling on an ancient idea. Even if you suck at coins, you can do this. It's one of the cleanest and purest vanishes of a coin I've seen, and this is coming from the guy who created the S.S. Vanish. :)

Just A Bit More Ultimate Than John Mendoza'S "Ultimate Torn & Restored Card" (7/5)- This is, HANDS DOWN, the best torn and restored card I've ever seen. The thinking, design, handling, presentation, everything is perfect.