Extracts from Tricks of the Mind Audio CD – 2009

I was at first a little hesitant to order an audio CD - what I'd gone looking for was the full book. But I went ahead with it and was glad I did. Derren gives instruction in three areas: Memory, Magic and Hypnotism and in each he is personable, affable and generally good company. With the exception of needing a paper and pen for part of the Memory course (he advises that you actually do the exercises, not just listen - and you'll find that they DO work) I was able to complete the rest of the course while driving on a long trip.In the Memory course he gives two solid, reliable techniques for remembering things perfectly and they don't rely on already "having a good memory." The Magic course is not only about tricks, but about the more-interesting part that is the showmanship that makes the tricks interesting. He does, however, teach you two tricks that are quite good: a card trick and a coin trick.The section on Hypnotism is not just about how to do it, but how to do it better and Derren spends a long time on the importance of doing it ethically. Not only to avoid damaging someone, but also to avoid an entirely-justified lawsuit.Througout the course Derren displays a stunning command of the language and you get to feel that you've gotten to know him a little and that he'd be a good guy to chat with.

Derren Brown's "Tricks of the Mind" is pure genius. This CD, an extract from his book, gives a rare insight into the talents of Brown, a national celebrity in his native UK. He is also revered by magicians and mentalists around the world for his groundbreaking techniques.The CD, narrated by Derren himself, is divided up into three catagories. They are memory, magic, or hypnosis. Each chapter is broken down into easy to understand elements that make the listener want to learn the techniques gathered by Brown's years of experienceI had the honor of being the first U.S. reviewer ofTricks Of The Mind for Escape Masters/Lulu Hurst Magazine, and can tell you that this CD and book will become an invaluable tool to anyone who wants to improve their memory, learn about hypnosis, or the presentation of magic.This book and CD will be an important part of your library that you will refer to often and consider a great investment for years to come.

If you're looking for an Audio book for Tricks of the Mind, then sadly this CD isn't it. Although there are many E-Books (and similar) claiming to provide short-cuts to Derren Brown's secrets, most are sadly not the genuine article and the best way of discovering his techniques is through reading Tricks of the Mind.What this CD is (in its own words) is 'Crumbs from the Table of the Master'; it is a taster of some of the best bits of the book in order to whet your appetite for the real thing.CD1 covers 'Memory' & includes 3 systems for remembering useful material, without rote learning or similar.The first system is very useful for lists of random objects, the second for speeches (without notes) and the third is about how to remember people's names at parties etc. With each, he gives practical tips in using them and I personally have found the latter surprisingly effective in customer services (where remembering names is the ultimate in flattery).CD2 is longer & covers two sections: Magic and Hypnosis.Magic, he teaches you a coin trick (which is the opening of the actual book) and elaborates on it to show how a trick can be made very sophisticated from a simple start.He also guides you through a card trick & reveals an important technique for magician's to exploit (Newton's Third Law of Motion).Lastly, there is Hypnosis. This is better covered in the book (e.g. the Dormitory Elephant), but the glimpse here is revealing into how to create and build a hypnotic 'trance'. Although he is brief, the material here can be used effectively to become an amateur hypnotist since all the technique requires is confidence.(As an important aside for motorists (such as myself): this section doesn't use any actual hypnotic techniques, so it is alright to use in the car.)So, this CD is not a complete work-through of Tricks of the Mind but is more a glimpse at its contents in order to draw you further into the mystery of his magic.If you, like me, enjoy audio material that is moderately stretching but not as cerebrally painful as Charles Dickens, then this CD is surprisingly enjoyable.If however you are after finding out his secrets (so that you can fool Clod-pates, Halfwits & Harlequins AND Charlie-sat-before-you), then you should get the book instead.Either way (to use one of the NLP techniques from the CD), it is difficult to avoid the allure of the mysterious...

Derren Browns books are not instructional as far as revealing how he performs the amazing things he does, but still quite enjoyable, and educational as far as insight for someone as a performer of magic or mentalism. I have read all of his books and all are well worth reading.