The Particle System by Joshua Jay

Product detailed description

Joshua Jay is a respected and popular magician. He has created several hit magic tricks, including Out of Sight, which he used to fool Penn & Teller on their show Fool Us. After over a decade of work, he unveiled his long-awaited book The Particle System in late 2024.

The book revolves around Joshua's stack, a special order of cards that allows you to perform great magic. It belongs alongside other publications dedicated to memorized deck magic, such as Mnemonica or Memorandum.

The Particle System will teach you the deck order and everything that goes with it. How to quickly learn and memorize it, turn a new deck into a Particle System deck, replace a shuffled deck with a stacked deck, or several false cuts and shuffles to give the impression of a shuffled deck.

In addition to the techniques, Joshua will teach you the effects he has invented with this deck. They are divided into effects for close-up and parlour/stage performances. Fifteen of the effects described can be used with any stack.

Here is the list of the book’s contents:

• Before We Begin…
• Foreword
• Explanation of the Foreword
• Another Foreword
• Introduction
• Part I: The Particle System Explained
  • A Stack that Suits
  • Switching Stacks without Looking Back
  • The Particle System at a Glance
  • A Closer Look
  • A Problem, a Solution, and a Realization
  • Seamlessness
  • No Risk
  • Stack to System
  • Ready for the Fight
  • The Particle Stack at a Glance
  • Elements of the Particle Stack
  • Memorizing Particle Stack
• Memory Aids
• Getting into Particle Stack
• Particle Stack Subtleties
• Putting in “The Work”
• Marked Cards
• One Short Card
• Breather Cards
• Super Breather
• Memorized Deck Maintenance
• The Particle Pack
• False Shuffles and Cuts
• The Chili Shuffle
• The Group Shuffle
• Zero Gravity Shuffle
• True False Cut (Max Lukian)
• False False Shuffle (Lew Brooks)
• The Undo Cut (Andi Gladwin)
• Ose Trilogy
• The Messy Utility
• The Fractal False Cut
• Half Stack False Shuffle
• Disorderly Thoughts
• Use Better Techniques
• Present Your False Shuffles
• Super-Ultimate-Best-Ever-Deluxe-False-Shuffle 2.0
• Part II: Close-up Magic
  • Remember to Be Honest
  • Memorized X-Ray
  • Breather Cutter
  • Invisible Touch
  • Back in Time
  • Bigger Back in Time
  • Thoughts on Thought-of Cards
  • Riffing in the Particle System
  • One and Done
  • Technique vs. Premise
• Part III: The Parlor Show
  • Fooling About
  • Matching the Cards
  • Simulated Double Undercut
  • Memorized Multiple Selection
  • Dribblocation