The New Review:// Elixer of Life by Alvo Stockman

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Yup, the New Review is back with the promised review of Alvo Stockman's Elixer of Life. Spoiler alert, BUY IT!

What the homeslices say:

The Effect

Click here to listen to the Elixir of Life Demo

Go to your local coffee shop with a friend, and order green teas together. Explain to her that this is in fact the fabled Elixir of Life and the secret to your youthful good looks. If she looks skeptical, offer to try an experiment with her.

Have your friend write her current age on the bottom of her cup in permanent marker, and you do the same. Enjoy your teas together over stimulating conversation and mental acrobatics. When you’ve both finished and are ready to leave, you each look and see that your ages have decreased!

By A YEAR, TWO YEARS or MORE! Individual results may vary.

Naturally, everything is examinable and your friend leaves with an extra bounce in her step, feeling rejuvinated and ready to face the world.


[from the manuscript]

Introduction

The original “Elixir of Life” is a fabled potion that according to legend can actually make whoever drinks it younger. While it’s probably not real, people have been searching for ways to look and feel younger for centuries. And being healthy and looking youthful has only gotten even more attention in recent years.

What’s exciting about the performance of Elixir of Life, is that it gives back to your spectator by satisfying this very human desire to stay young. Not only by getting them to mentally feel younger, but by physically giving them a hydrating, healthy drink that is a clinically proven mood enhancer! On top of this, you’re performing an absolutely unexplainable miracle that makes the whole experience completely unforgettable.

Benefits

Positive

Elixir of Life is an experience that will leave your friend feeling good, both physically and emotionally. What you’re doing is helping her find the energy that is hiding inside her beneath the stress and pressures of her job or school work and bringing it out. When you’re finished performing, she really will feel more full of energy. In her mind, this will help her associate you and your magic with that good feeling. It will also draw attention away from how you accomplish your magic and direct it toward how pleasant it is.

Healthy

Much of what you will be explaining to your friend will actually be true. The various health benefits of both green tea and honey are documented both clinically as well as historically. They have both been used in treating illness in societies for centuries. Honey was actually used by ancient cultures as one of the first antibiotics! And green tea is much healthier than soda, coffee or even black tea, has tons of powerful antioxidants and zero calories, so if you do inspire a change, you may actually be helping to extend your friend’s life!




FAQ
Q: Are you making health related claims?
A: No, none. Everything in this description is very much tongue-in-cheek. That being said, happiness, positive thinking, placebos, human interaction and laughter are all proven to improve health. So by that measure, one could say that this trick does improve the quality of life.

God this thing is clever! I didn't have any idea in the world as what to expect when I picked this up for 5 bucks brand new at the magic convention. I am glad I did!

First Thoughts:

When I first started reading this, I was in the hotel at the convention because there were thirty minutes till the Pendragon show. So, I decided to read this.

When I read this, the method was so deviously clever and yet simple! Been used before, but never at all in this way.

Gaffs:

This trick comes with absolutly no gaffs. Just a booklet. The reason why is that it can't. Depending on the coffee shop, the gimmick will most likely be different. They are rather cheap to make (maybe a couple dollars for about 3) and yet they can be stored forever before using them.

Easy to make, SUPER STRONG impact.

The Booklet:

The booklet itself is VERY well made! It has a strong, hard paper cover with a nice font and some nice pictures to help you get along in learning this effect.

It is easy to read; nice looking; 25 pages.

The Teaching:

It's Alvo, people! Alvo is probbably one of the BEST teachers out there and has a VERY motivational writing style. Trust me, this is easy to learn; only problem is that it is hard to practice when you AREN'T performing it.

Good news is that it is fairly easy and if you have very basic audience control, it isn't that hard to do.

The Handling:

As said, pretty easy. Everything can be done on the off-beat (and should). REALLY nice concepts! Sorry about the all-Caps, but this is SO cool!

You can even set up when you get to the coffee shop with your friend.

Price:

This is only $20.00 on Penguinmagic.com; VERY worth it! I would have gladly paid that much for it! Sorry if it sounds like I am bragging that I got it for $5.00; actually, heck, I am bragging!

But again, I would be bragging to have bought this for $20.00.

Additional Ideas:

This book has an AWESOME extra ideas section. Trust me; this is well worth the price of the manuscript!

This SAME gimmick can be used to:

-Have someone draw a blob on the bottom of the cup. Have then swirl the coffee (or tea) around with their finger; and then viola'! You have a the blob changed into a swirl!

-Change the INK on the cup from saying; careful, this is warm to careful, this is hot.

-Draw a blue thermometer and have it change to red as the coffee (or tea) warms up!

-Make music come FROM THE SPECTATORS TEA!!!

There are many more ideas than that! Seriously, this takes this from a one trick wonder to a manuscript containing a BUNCH of really cool stuff.

Final Thoughts:

Man, I can't stress how cool this thing is! I might not even use it; but it is REALLY cool. Trust me; you buy this and it will inspire you to create TONS of stuff.

Please buy this. As it says in the manuscript; "Happiness, positive thinking, placebos, human interaction and laughter are all proven to improve health. So by that measure, one could say that this trick does improve the quality of life."

You can buy it at http://www.penguinmagic.com/product.php?ID=1828 .


NEXT WEEK IN THE NEW REVIEW:
Lit by Dan Hauss and Dan White