It is undoubtedly true that published material on card tricks, be it books or articles, far exceeds all other magical publications taken together. What is the next most often treated special subject? Is it coins? Silks? Or is it mentalism? Although I cannot prove it, I think it is mentalism. So why another book on mental magic if there are already quite enough of them around and very good ones at that?

The answer is not easy to give. I have chosen aspects, or subjects, which are not easily found anywhere else, some of which are new and unpublished or some which just appealed to me. The proof of the pudding, however, is in the eating: if you, dear reader, enjoy the book it was well worth writing it. If not, I am really sorry I did and hope you'll forgive me for having taken up too much of your precious time.

There is one admission I have to make right at the start I do not consider the use of cards by a mentalist as mental magic, and I believe the audience thinks likewise: anything done with playing cards is a card trick. I may be completely wrong in my belief; nevertheless cards are excluded from this book.