"Stripped and Stacked" book by Jon Thompson
Suggested Retail USD$18.13 (ebook available for £7.99)
Available direct from Jon Thompson
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"Stripped and Stacked", a book by Jon Thompson, is a delightfully thorough and enjoyable examination that breathes some life into the classic methods and gives the reader both something to think about and something to astound with.

'Course, I'm biased nine ways to Sunday on this one. No, it's not the fact Thompson is a columnist for this ezine (in fact, if ever there was an argument for why I wanted him writing for Visions, it's stuff like this); it's the fact that I rarely ever use what we would think of as a normal deck and, most of the time, my "abnormal" deck of choice is a stripper. Then, to further cement my biases, I'm prone to always use some sort of cyclic stack, whether it's Si Stebbins or Osterlind's. I'm just weird that way.

So here comes one of my favorite thinkers, writing a book about my favorite gaffed deck, and using it with my favorite stack. What? You think I'm not going to love it?

Of course I am. But I'm going to love it based on what it says and, in the case of "Stripped and Stacked", it says truckloads. Thompson's ideas are great ones, his thinking and creativity solid, and his effects... well, his effects are something else. But be warned that this isn't a book you can skim through and be done with: Thompson has done a herculean task here and put together over a hundred pages of his work with a stripped and stacked deck. At that length and with that depth, this is one tome that wants -- and deserves -- some careful study.

Luckily, Thompson was up to the task. The book is broken down into very logical pieces that make going through it both simple and enjoyable.

Thompson starts the book off with some basic and simple manipulations he advocates for use with the deck. As Thompson points out, any good routine with a stacked deck needs that deck shuffled at some point, so he begins by teaching his various techniques on false shuffles that make use of the stripper's properties to protect the stack. This part of the book alone is worth the price of admission as Thompson covers a range of false cuts and shuffles, from a neat overhand shuffle to a clever variation on the Charlier.

Once you've learned how to protect the stack, Thompson begins exploring the most popular and easiest to grasp cyclic stack, the Si Stebbins. Here Thompson goes bananas, but in a good way, as he details over a dozen different properties rarely thought about when it comes to the Si Stebbins stack. Some may seem interesting only as little oddities (Thompson admits for one that he has no idea what to do with it), but all of them serve to get the creative juices going and Thompson illustrates how to make the most of these properties with a few effects. This was the part of the book I appreciated the most: right when I thought I knew all I needed to know about the Stebbins stack, along comes Thompson with a handful of intriguing ideas I never knew existed. For purists, it should be mentioned that Thompson covers both the "three" and "four" stack here -- one can never accuse him of not being thorough -- so you're presented with a multitude of ideas regardless of your preference.

After learning the stack and what it contains hidden in its simplicity, Thompson concentrates on the application of the stack to things other than playing cards. The biggest concentration here is on Tarot cards (minor and major arcana are discussed), but alphabet cards and ye olde Rhine ESP cards are looked at as well. Again, not just the stacking of the cards but the inherent properties of those particular stacks are examined as well and are things to drool over.

From there, Thompson explores the use of partial stacks. There is some golden thinking here, especially when it comes to the "whys" and "hows" of using the method. It's here Thompson ties all the previous lessons and thinking together to create some powerful pieces of work that are at times absolutely mind-blowing. It's here you find the simplest things -- a card revelation here, a prediction there -- pack a whole new punch.

And speaking of new punches, the next section does exactly that, taking three older effects (from the '50s, anyway) and throwing the deck into the mix to make them much more powerful than the originals. These three examples show what bringing a stripped deck to the table buys you: some unbelievably clean actions and straightforward effects.

Finally, Thompson ends on a high note: creating your own partially-stacked stripper deck routines. Thompson discusses various ideas here, using previous effects to underscore his methodology, and goes into such things as presentational fine-points and audience involvement. With the advice here, and the background Thompson provided in previous sections, you're on your way to coming up with your own quite magical, quite astonishing, effects.

For an encore of sorts, Thompson also includes his method for marking and stacking envelopes which is extremely clever (and leaves you as clean as can be).

And that covers the material here. I told you "Stripped and Stacked" was thorough; that little summary of mine proves it. It's also fascinating reading -- some of the places Thompson's thinking takes him, and us, is wonderful territory to explore.

The only caveat "Stripped and Stacked" carries with it is one that can be expected: this isn't one for beginners. Thompson assumes you've got your feet wet with certain sleights and details of stacks before you dive into the more advanced work presented here. If you're not up on things like overhand shuffles and false cuts or setting up a stacked deck, then you're going to most likely be lost and a little frustrated. For those that can whip together a Stebbins stacked deck in a couple of minutes and know their way around a some common handlings, then they'll find themselves quite at home with "Stripped and Stacked".

"Stripped and Stacked" is one fine book and a collection of fine thinking. For my money, if you've got any interest in all in either stripper decks or stacks (and I don't necessarily mean just the Stebbins set-up), then this book is an absolute must-have. The ideas on the pages and the ones they put in your head are easily worth the price.

"Stripped and Stacked" book by Jon Thompson
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Material: 10
It's all about stripped, stacked decks and it's some great stuff. This book covers it all, from basic handlings and manipulations to some obscure properties of the Stebbins stack to how to use a stripped and stacked deck to your advantage to produce some truly mind-blowing effects. This is must-have stuff for anyone into using strippers or stacks.

Quality: 10
Thompson's writing style is clear, concise, and methodical, yet still fun to read. You'll have no problem picking up on his material.

Illustrations: n/a
Considering the topic, there aren't any needed beyond a table here or there.

Presentation: 10
This is Thompson's whole point of the book: using a stacked stripper deck to pull off things that look completely impossible. And he does so perfectly.


Shane