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This work is so important we asked Kenton himself to talk a bit about why you need this material.
I am passionate about everything I release, but some works are life-works. This book contains one of the most important secrets in mentalism, magic and all artistic endeavors.
Like Wonder Words, when this first came out it was not easily categorized or understood. At first Wonder Words sold only to the true insider, and deepest thinking performers. The rest of the world thought Wonder Words was "just patter routines." So it is with "Mystery By Association." People cannot easily explain it or categorize it, but the few who have this work swear that it changes all that they do.
We are told that we ought to make magic and mentalism more meaningful, more artistic. We are reminded to relate what we perform to an audience in some way. We are told to engage spectators and have our magic and mentalism be about something more than props or ego.
The trouble is most books don’t tell you HOW to do these things in a detailed and practical way.
Association is the secret simple principle that allows for all of this and much, much more. You will discover you can create your own tricks, and do so with ease too.
By using association in your presentations, you get spectators to stop being spectators. Association actively engages onlookers, causing more of an experience and relationship with your audience.
Rather than preach, instruct, tell stories or bore an audience, association quickly and easily creates meaning out of even the most basic effect. The audience becomes an active force in your performance. They do not feel left out of the act. With association, the audience is a willing and active participant, rather than an antagonistic force to be won over by manipulation.
Best of all, magic and mentalism can easily be made into legitimate art by applying association to standard tricks and presentations. In a sentence or less, with one object, or less, association casts its spell. Immediate ART and MEANING can be had without hard work, once you apply this underused and oft ignored principle of association.
I know these sound like impossible promises, but they are true. Artists and psychologists have proved these claims reliable for ages.
Association is the secret standard used in video, persuasion psychologies, advertising, art, music and theatre. Yet mentalists and magicians use it unknowingly, as if by happenstance. We are taught surface aspects or effects of the principle only, but rarely are we taught the actual principle itself.
This is perhaps the most hidden of all of my works, as it, like Wonder Words, can't easily be explained in advertising sentences. Like Wonder Words, once you learn what is in this work, it will change how you perceive and perform everything.
I am speaking from personal experience.
Here is what I consider one of my greatest teachings.
What more need I say to the wise?
Kenton Knepper
TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE CONTENTS IN THIS WORK!
MYSTERY BY ASSOCIATION
BARKING UP THE RIGHT TREE
ASSOCIATION BY REPETITION
IMPLIED ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION
OPERANT CONDITIONING
CLOSE ENOUGH
NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT
FILLING IN THE BLANKS
PROP ASSOCIATION
COMPARISON, SIMILARITY AND CONTRAST
PROP RELATIONSHIP
SOUND – VIBRATION ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATION PRACTICE
MY FAVORITE USE OF THE PRINCIPLE
A SIMPLE SYSTEM
AUDIENCE ASSOCIATION And Plenty of TRICKS AND EFFECTS TOO including...
AROUND THE CORNER (one of Kenton's most devious and impromptu card in anything)
YOU CAN PICTURE THIS
IT RINGS A BELL
PLAYING IT LARGE
WATCH ME PULL A RABBIT OUT OF MY HAT! (A new comedy classic used by some of the top magic comedians in our business!)
CLEARLY GIBBERISH
LICENSE PLATE PREDICTIONS
LEONARDO SILVERIO’S NIGHTMARE FORETOLD
ALLEN ZINGG’S WHAT DREAMS MAY COME
J. TANK’S MAGIC MAKER
NOTES FROM STUDENTS OF THE S.E.C.R.E.T. SCHOOL INCLUDING
ENRIQUE ENRIQUEZ
ALLEN ZINGG ON ASSOCIATION
More.
Hard copies still available for a limited time at $45 each. See the Literature section of our website for those.
Over 100 full size pages in length
This special introductory price is for the download version only. Isn't it time you got caught up on one of the things Kenton himself feels is most important?
Review and Comments By Jheff at JMOM
When I first read MYSTERY BY ASSOCIATION, I felt this was a very important technique that most professionals my be aware of but that it wasn't deliberately explored. Kenton has done just that and that makes this a very important work dealing with the psychology of the stagecraft and of the routine, to simplify what this is. (It's actually much, much more) Highly recommended.
The advertising blurb pretty much explains this as much as I can. This is a theory book, but a very important one. It explains why having something associated with what you do or what you say during your performance is practically essential to the working performer. Be warned. This is not light reading. And there are a couple new effects, but mostly the discussion is around classic magic and mental effects and how association can work with them.
Interestingly, the blurb says that "you will wonder how mystery performers ever performed without this incredible principle." I disagree. The best performers know, at least instinctively, about this. I even recognized examples in my act that I used for effect. I knew it worked, but didn't name it or explain it. Now I can.
Obviously, this is a very important, mature work. As I said, this is not an anthology of mental routines. And this is not something that is going to convince you to radically change all the effects you now perform in your act. Rather, you will take this information and apply it where you can into your act. Doing so will elevate your performance into something much more professional, much more entertaining, and much more effective.
Beginning mentalists should put this on their list of must things to read after they've done many performances and feel comfortable performing mentalism. If you're an experienced mentalist, and constantly looking for ways to improve your act, I highly recommend you study this book.
- Jheff
