Sold Out!

Encyclopedia of
Impromptu Card Forces
500 forces with a borrowed deck

Lewis Jones

(Revised edition, 2004)
With over 100 illustrations
LIMITED EDITION — 300 COPIES ONLY

There has never been a book quite like this before. It is the first-ever encyclopedic collection of card forces. Many of them are well off the beaten track, and some are so new that they have never appeared in print before.

The word "impromptu" in the title means exactly what it says. These forces don't make use of gimmicked cards of any kind. The test for entry into this book has been a strict one. It assumes you may be away from home, with not a single magical aid of any kind in your pockets. Someone comes up to you and thrusts his own shuffled deck into your hands. If a force is usable in this situation, it passes the test. Otherwise it has been rejected.

The assumption of borrowed cards has brought other constraints. No pre-arranged decks. No defacing or marking of cards. No nail-nicks. No writing on cards. Not even a crimp or bridge.

This new, revised edition has been completely rewritten and extended. It now contains over 500 forces, and 100 specially photographed illustrations.

What they say:

• Lewis Jones's hardbound Encyclopedia of Impromptu Card Forces (subtitle: 500 Forces with a Borrowed Deck), weighing in at a whopping 294 oversized pages, is all its title and subtitle claim it to be. And to repeat that number, it's five hundred practical forces... This is a grand resource, and my understanding is that only 300 copies have been printed. Woe to he who waits until this is on eBay.
  — Steve Bryant Little Egypt Magazine

• Mr. Jones is one of the few authors in magic who I purchase everything he has to say on the subject ... If you are looking for better ways to force yourself and your cards on future audiences, this book is for you. If you are passionate about card magic in general and promise not to read it all in a single sitting, this book is for you ... Highly recommended.
  — Steve Beam The Linking Ring

• ... the experienced card enthusiast who enjoys experimenting with various techniques and constructing his own routines will certainly find the information in Encyclopedia of Impromptu Card Forces to be of value.
  — Michael Close Magic

• Those looking to study a wealth of forces do not have many specialized books to turn to, so Mr Jones has provided a unique service ... Mr Jones provides improved developments and I frequently found myself with cards in hand, smiling at a subtlety that was hard to grasp from the printed page alone. For this reason, before I was done reading 10 pages I was happy I owned this book ... This is a book made for a yellow highlighter and dog-eared corners, because every reader will find his or her own buried treasure ...
  — David Regal Genii

• In 1994 the creative Lewis Jones published The Encyclopedia of Impromptu Card Forces as a 175-page book with no illustrations, save the full-page chapter headings. Even with the dense text, the book was remarkable for detailing 400 forces with a borrowed deck.
  Jump ahead to the present and we find a completely rewritten Encyclopedia, now with over 500 forces, almost 300 pages, and excellent photographs to accompany the fine descriptions ... It is a masterly accomplishment and a welcome addition to the serious card student’s library.
  — Matthew Field The Magic Circular

11” x 8½” Illustrated hardback 2004.
294 pages

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