The Progressive Book Test by Michael O’Brien (Handmaid’s Tale)

My absolute favorite mind reading tool is the Book Test. A Book Test is a special prop disguised as an ordinary book that allows you to read a spectator’s mind. With so many of these on the market, how can you possibly know which version of this prop to choose? For me, It all comes down to three simple things:

• Is it easy to use?
• Do I need to memorize anything?
• Does it have multiple uses?

So let’s talk about the Progressive Book Test!

Is it easy to use?
YES! I structured these books in such a way that the methods are very clear and intuitive. The mindreader will easily be able to divine any thought of words from the book with no fishing, guessing, needing to force a specific page, or asking a million questions. The book straight up tells you the word your spectator is thinking of! It is also easy enough for your spectator to navigate so they don’t feel any pressure on stage!

Do I need to memorize anything?
NOPE! If you are like me and have a terrible memory, your biggest fear is trying to memorize a ton of different words, codes, or patterns while also trying to focus on your presentation. With the O’Brien Book Test there is absolutely ZERO to memorize. Like I said, the book will tell you exactly which words they are thinking of!

Does it have multiple uses?
YES! Reading minds can get very boring very quickly if it is too repetitive. That is why I made sure to include multiple routines and variations spread across multiple different popular book titles to keep things interesting for both you and your spectators! The routines can be performed individually or strung together in a coherent routine that progresses from one to the next, increasing the impossibility and excitement!

What about the books themselves?
Like I said, there are multiple different titles to choose from. The methods are exactly the same across all 8 titles so you don’t need to stress out about remembering which book includes which method. The books are divided into 2 different categories based on the size: Closeup and Standup.

The book titles are designed to feel very “off the shelf” featuring a variety of sizes, cover finishes, page colors, and styles. You can choose the individual titles you like, or bundle them together for a bit of a discount!

What are the “Closeup” titles?
The Closeup titles are designed to be smaller and easier for the strolling mentalist to carry in their pocket. The books measure 5″ x 8.” and feature text at the 12pt. font size.

The following titles are included in the “Closeup” series:

• The Gentlemen (Soft Cover)
• 1984 (Soft Cover)
• A Tale of Two Cities (Soft Cover)
• Lord of the Flies (Soft Cover)
• Animal Farm (Soft Cover)

What are the “Standup” titles?
The Standup titles are designed to be easier to use in a more formal standup or stage mentalism type situation. The books are a bit bigger at 6″ x 9″ and the text is also larger at a 15pt. font size. The following titles are included in the “Standup” series:

• The Phantom of the Opera (Hard Cover)
• Fahrenheit 451 (Soft cover)
• The Handmaid’s Tale (Soft Cover)

What methods are included?
As mentioned earlier, the methods are the same across all 8 titles. These methods include:

• Flashback – Know the first word of any page without needing to force the page or even know the page number.
• Flashforward – Know a word on the first line of the next page. Again, without needing to force the page or even know the page number.
• Inception – Rather than fish for a thought of word, you can plant the word you want in the spectator’s mind instead! Surefire! Simple! Clean!
• Any Word on Any Page – Allow the spectator to choose a word from anywhere in the book. You don’t even need to be holding the book. It can be done completely hands-off! No peaking, forcing, or guessing! You can be in the other room when the word is chosen! It is so clean!
• The Progressive Book Test – Use a single book to divine 3 thought of words from three different parts of the book at once! Again, no fishing, forcing, or guessing! You instantly know all three words as soon as the spectator chooses a page. Each word gets progressively bigger and more impossible to know!
• Tossed Out Book – Toss out one or multiple books and read 6 spectator’s minds at once! Again, nothing to memorize and the words can be chosen from anywhere on the page making this one of the cleanest TOB routines out there!
• Bonus Phantom Method – Use the Flashback and Flashforward methods to divine a thought of image on the page as well! (This is only available in the Phantom of The Opera Book.)

I truly hope you enjoy and find inspiration from these books just like I did! Huge shoutout to Josh Zandman and Kaleb Wade for their contributions and inspirations for what ended up becoming the project you see before you.