Da Vinci Zone

THE BLURB:
A Mind-Blowing Book Test With The Da Vinci Code!!!

Featuring Max Maven's latest booklet: Exploring the Zone:
Performance Notes for The Da Vinci Zone

    * Uses a real copy of The Da Vinci Code.
    * Multiple word revelations.
    * Easy, convincing handling.
    * Clever built-in safeguards.

The Da Vinci Zone is powerful, hip mind-reading at its best!
Give your spectator a choice of three popular books. He ends
up with Dan Brown's best-selling The Da Vinci Code (thanks
to our simple surefire force).

Have anyone call out a page number from 1 to 454... he can
choose any page. The spectator turns to that page and looks
at the first line. With just a blank piece of paper and a
pen, you concentrate and silently jot down a few notes. You
now dramatically announce to the spectator the first word in
the line. You concentrate again and correctly tell him a
second major word in that line (or, if you prefer, you can
divine the concept of the line).

If you choose, you can now proceed to a second phase and
have the spectator concentrate on the opposite page, and now
you reveal two words on that page as well!

The paper is really blank and totally normal... in fact, we
provide you with a method in which you don't have to write
anything but seem to simply pull your spectator's thoughts
from the air.

No phony-looking force books: You're using a real Da Vinci
Code and not suspicious fake books no one recognizes.

No Page force: Any page number can be chosen.

No word force: The spectator doesn't have to be steered to
"the longest word," etc.

No awkward moments: Our system tells you if a page is the
start of a chapter, so you can tell the person to ignore the
headings and concentrate on the first line of text. If a
line begins with a hyphenated word, you'll know that, too!

No bulky gimmicks or sleight-of-hand: You can borrow the
piece of paper... no need for clipboards or slates, and no
fake dust jackets. No palming required. Nothing to get rid
of, because the secret is hidden in plain sight!

No anagrams or fishing: You can directly divine from the
text from the book. Why monkey around guessing the word
letter-by-letter or asking the spectator for information?

No set routine: The words are different every time you
perform. You can also customize your routines in any way you
wish, using fewer words, choosing concepts instead of words
or letters, or working with additional pages.

Unravel the mystery of The Da Vinci Zone now!

The Da Vinci Zones comes to you complete with an actual
hardbound edition of The Da Vinci Code, Max Maven's
Exploring the Zone technical guide, our custom-made device,
and Collectors' Card number 4.

Pages 454

MY COMMENTS:
The blurb certainly seems to make this method too good to be
true, but it is performed exactly as described. In
discussions of this on Internet forums, some of the more
savvy readers have already correctly guessed the methodology
behind this, though not the specific identity of the
gimmick. Read the blurb closer. It's not in the paper
used, the book (which is indeed ordinary), or any clipboard
or writing pad. But it is something which is used in the
routine and in plain sight most of the time. (Ah, that
should give it away, eh?)

And it is this gimmick that is one of my concerns. In the
technical manual, written by Max Maven, there are handling
tips so that the gimmick will last. But I know a mentalist
who already explored this gimmick for use in booktests and I
trust him when he says that they are fragile. Even under
good care, the gimmick may not last long. Black Rabbit
Magic has the gimmick fully guaranteed for about eighteen
months (as of this writing in July 2006). That certainly
shows generous support of their product. But how many will
have to be replaced and what about after that period? To be
fair, if this product were cheaper and easier on the
pocketbook to replace (or stock up on), I probably wouldn't
be as concerned about this. And, to be fair, Todd Karr,
from Black Rabbit Magic, has assured me that his gimmick
has lasted him several years and that he plans on replacing
any gimmicks for a fair place as long as he able to.

As to the "instructional manual" that the blurb promotes as
Max Maven's "latest booklet," some have thought that it
contained a wonderful discussion of booktests and their
history. It doesn't. In fact, Max does write up some
credits, but it's not intended to be a thorough encyclopedic
history of the art. The history covers two of the sixteen
pages in the instruction manual. This booklet is, however,
a quite thorough exploration of using the product and there
are some brilliant insights that can be applied to other
booktests, but they are not necessarily unique to this
booklet. Nor can this booklet stand alone, as it's designed
specifically for this effect. It is, though, a very
thorough and lengthy technical manual that covers just about
everything, including a justification for using the gimmick
and alternative presentations for this effect.

On the Internet forums, some have asked if this gimmick can
be applied to other booktests, or to the paperback version
of The Da Vinci Code. Sorry, but no. It can't. The
gimmick can only be used for the hardback copy of The Da
Vinci Code. Now, once you find out about this gimmick, you
can certainly search the Internet, order "blank" ones, and
use them for other books or effects. However, the gimmick
set included with the package cannot be altered or modified.

Okay, so the gimmicks are nicely made and possibly fragile.
And this is not an impromptu method. You must have the
gimmick with you (and the Da Vinci Code available). Compared
with some of the other book tests currently available, it's
obvious that it is higher priced than most. But this product
certainly does what it claims to. The effect is handsomely
packaged in a box that contains a hardback copy of the book,
the gimmick set, and a 16-page 8.5" by 11" technical manual
printed on glossy paper with about a dozen color photographs
and written by the incomparable Max Maven. This is a
well-thought out, very practical, and well-made gimmick
that delivers what it promises: a very straightforward
and effective method to revealing words from an ordinary
book.

Oh, yeah, and you get a collector's card featuring actress
Vanessa Lauren, one of the Magic Castle's favorite and
sexiest employees. Now, if this is a major selling point
for you, then go for it . . .