At just under 600 pages this book is worth the price even as a bookend.
Paul packs in over fifteen effects with astonishing detail and clarity. All of the effects have at some point been a part of Paul’s working repertoire and he provides all of the subtleties from these live performances.
Effects include:
Paul Brook’s Knight’s Tour:
Paul’s complete act that has until now been unpublished. This is one of Paul’s long standing stand alone events. He has earned upwards of £1000 using this fully scripted act, and now you have can perform it too.
Tossed Out Thoughts:
Audience members are asked to write down either a three or four digit number before the show without the performer being present. These slips of paper are then placed into a transparent bag which is kept, by a spectator, within the audience. The bag is then passed around the audience and at least ten people choose a slip of paper. The Performer is then able to tell each person the number on the piece of paper that he/she has chosen. The bag and remaining slips can be left with any audience member as a souvenir.
The Day Of Any Date:
A participant is asked to write down three important dates, from his past, on the back of the performer’s business card. In just over 60 seconds the performer has written the correct day of the week next to each date. This is a fast, fun, and effective way to know the day of any date that is given to you and is utterly impromptu.
Data Space:
A strong three/four phase routine.
The performer writes down something on a business card before asking the participant to name any two digit number. Amazingly the performer has correctly predicted the number the participant names. To demonstrate that this was not down to chance this process is repeated. The performer now writes down a star sign and tables the card. The participant names for the first time what their star sign is, the card is turned over (by the participant) to reveal that same star sign is written on the card. The participant now tells the performer his birth date and year, and within FIVE seconds the performer is able to tell the participant what day of the week he was born and what the weather was like on that day. This is checked via a mobile phone and found to be absolutely correct.
Please note that this effect requires no pre-show work and can be performed with a complete stranger at a moments notice.
Something Beautiful:
Two people are sat with the performer. The performer writes down something on a business card and tables it.
Person #1 thinks of a two digit number (this is never named) and through random calculations ends up with a three digit number. Person #2 now looks at the tabled business card and is asked to try and work out what the first person’s original two digit number was. Person #2 names the number and it matches the original two digit number that has never left the mind of Person #1.
This same card is turned around revealing to Person #1 the three digit number that he randomly created moments ago, even though this was written at the very beginning of the effect.
Any Word On Any Object:
You are sat with a person and you have her remove any item from her handbag that has a label. After she has done so, you ask her to randomly select a word. You are then able to tell her what word she has chosen. Genuinely impromptu and instantly repeatable with a different word.
Chrysalis Of A Polymath also includes the following effects:
- Â Â Impossible Memory
- Â Â Rainbow Memory
- Â Â The Mental Block
- Â Â ADDMBADD/Adam Bad
- Â Â Nin-e-sin
- Â Â Single Malt
- Â Â Double Malt Circa. 1119
- Â Â Code Read
- Â Â Tell Tail Sign
 The book also contains some great audience interaction tips and five fun mental giveaways.
Keith Barry –
NOTHING TO CARRY! Everything in this book can be done without props, a whole book of effects without props, fuck me how often do you see that?.
You’d be stupid not to click the buy button.
Lior Manor –
I own all of Paul’s books and there is always something to learn from him.
Phill Smith –
The Knights Tour. This is the killer app that sells this book. Lets face it, if you know what the knight’s tour is, you probably know how to do it, at least one method right? Paul’s real contribution here is the structure of what he does, and his in depth outlines and ideas for how to present the KT in a way that doesn’t just draw the punters in, it rounds them up, lasso’s them and practically forces them to be amazed. It is amazing, and reading Paul’s description I can really picture the electric effect it would have on an intelligent crowd.
There’s not much to ‘tip’ but without going into too much detail Paul’s presentation reaches outside the boundaries of a conventional magic ‘effect’ and creates something different. The real effort goes not into the performance of the actual piece but in the framework that sets it up and persuades people very powerfully that what they are about to witness is something genuinely rare and amazing. This ‘outside of the box’ stuff is which is where he is strongest as a creator and his KT has got it just right.
Paul’s writing is effective and inspiring.
Greg Arce –
Great stuff. Loved not only your routines, but all the little subtleties, touches and sneaky bits within them.
Fantastic, you’ve got another winner.
Alexander Marsh –
These effects are virtually propless – I highly recommend this book.
Harry Guinness –
The Chrysalis of a Polymath is excellent, it is like a cross between Harry Lorayne’s ‘How to Develop a Super Powered Memory, a little bit of Corinda’s ’13 Steps to Mentalism’ and Rain Man’s biography! Tossed out thoughts is, in my opinion, Paul’s greatest effect in publication and Data Spaced comes in a close second. Both will become regular features of my performances. TCOAP is right up there with The Alchemical Tools as essential reading for all mentalists.
10/10 pure and simple.
Ali Said –
FUN FUN FUN!!!
This is how I describe my journey reading “The Chrysalis of a Polymath”. It was fun. It was inspiring. And more importantly, it was different.
I already love mathematics and numbers. I already incorporate them in my shows. Many of my audience members are scholars, engineers, and students. I always look for effects that they can relate to and The Chrysalis of a Polymath has a plethora of such effects and principles.
I have performed The Knight’s Tour after learning from Paul Brook’s book. It was something different. Paul provides all the necessary documents to go along with the performance. This is not just a method. It is a complete act/presentation.
And Tossed Out Thoughts, where can I begin! My absolute favorite of the book. Mind reading at its finest.
I can go on and on. The book has it all: a super feat, stage, close-up, and even impromptu pieces all explained Paul Brook-style.
Great tome! Great release!