Second Thoughts
Ramon Rioboo
Penguin Magic (V)
- R. Paul Wilson
"Ramon Rioboo constructs card tricks with so many devious and interlocking layers of deception you just can't crack the code."
- Steve Beam
"Wow! This new book is an incredible compendium of some genius-level thinking about card magic. Ramon's forte is methods based on hidden mathematical principles, cunning psychological ploys and crafty stacks. Add in several innovative new sleights, some inspired use of gaffs and some extraordinary yet commercial presentations and you have a collection of fabulous new material that will be used by magicians for decades to come. But this book contains so much more. The theoretical underpinnings of Ramon's style and approach are thoroughly examined and explained. And keener students will be pleased to know that's just the start; Ramon discusses much of his philosophical research and conclusions about what makes for strong magic, powerful tricks and successful magicians.
If you like fooling other magicians, then this book has your name written all over it. If you are a professional performer, there are at least half-a-dozen killer tricks that you'll want to add to your repertoire immediately. And I finally have an answer to my question: 'If Einstein had been into card magic, I wonder what kind of book he would have written?' Now I know. Highest recommendation."
- Mark Elsdon
"Every card magician will be fooled by his creativity and deeper concepts and thinking about card magic. I suggest you get his book before you become fooled, fried and Rioboo'd by somebody else."
- Raj Madhok
"I was super impressed. Not just the volume of tricks (which there were a ton of!) but I found very often I was highlighting things throughout the book. Tools and insights within those tricks that I can apply to other areas. If you're looking for a book with a lot of really great material plus a lot of nuances you can apply to other areas of magic that you do, check out Second Thoughts."
- David Corsaro
Ramon Rioboo has a reputation as an innovator of card tricks capable of fooling and entertaining the most knowledgeable audiences, whether magicians or the public. His methods defy the common expectations of mathematically based solutions. They are at the same time simple and sophisticated, often seasoned with a touch of sleight-of-hand. His constructions make the math and the manipulation invisible. They are pointedly designed to fool everyone, and they do. Riob