Well, I first want to fix a misconception. This book is NOT 130+ pages. From the first printed page to the last printed page is 128. And even that number is misleading, as there are 22 pages that are strictly pretty pictures and a quote.

Now, the quotes are good, and the pictures - heck, the book in general is gorgeous....but this is NOT a 130+ page book. It's 105 by my count.

And of the 105 pages, some of the pages are dominated by a large picture - sometimes "performance photos" and sometimes fairly redundant ones, such as showing a spread of cards before AND after dividing the spread into reds and blacks.

Secondly, I bought the book because I love parlor and small stage magic, and the book was touted as having some parlor.

Well, certainly not much parlor, which for me raises the cost per page quite high.

The close up material certainly seems eminently do-able, but not my cup of tea.

Today I received Ryan Schlutz's book "False Anchors." As soon as I read his first effect I knew that I had spent my money well. I manage a show in STL and perform restaurant magic weekly. I see myself performing these effects in both environments. After the pandemic and the world returns to normal, I look forward to performing these routines and especially have my sights on "I Love You," "In-Air Transpo," and "The One with the High Five." I feel that Ryan put lots of care, effort and attention to detail in this project and shares with us only excellent material.

I don’t normally leave reviews, but this book is too important to not leave a review. You may see the price and shy away from the purchase, but you shouldn’t. I know the price is high, but the ideas and principles locked in these pages is worth every penny.

If you’re a working pro, just the addition of one of the tricks in this book will allow you to raise your rates, thus covering your investment in this book. If you are just starting out, you will be starting with a huge advantage over everyone else.

This is god level magic, without the god level skill required. This will become one of the most sought after books on magic, guaranteed.

This book is amazing on all fronts. It looks amazing. There are full-color pictures and really in-depth explanations. The routines themselves are geared toward beginners but don't let that suggest that they are "weak" or anything less than mind-blowing. It is apparent that Ryan put a lot of time into making these routines accessible to beginners. An amazing book that is definitely worth the price.

I am a really huge fan of Ryan Schlutz. I love his many self working effects. However, I am reluctantly giving False Anchors a personal four and 1/2 stars. Not because the book is not excellent but because its contents are not a perfect fit to my performance style as an amateur magician. (Okay, that is a bit picky, there is a lot in it that I will use!) I really like "The One with the High Five" As an amateur I will probably only perform it once at our local magic fellowship. I am constructing the props for that one time performance! (Maybe I'll get a chance to perform it in act someday, too!)

As for the rest, lots of excellent moves and easy "sleights" which makes the book a worthy addition to my book shelf.

I’ve just finished to read the first effect. It is worth the whole price of the book in my opinion. The whole concept of “false anchor” is what every magician should reach to achieve the most perfect act or show (or at least something very similar to perfection, in the spectator’s mind). The quality of the book is really good, not a surprise coming from Vanishing, as all the books they produce are top quality. It is a thin book, but with some really good content. Worth the buy.

Good book with excellent production value. The gimmick is sturdy. It is a small book with great material. Some people may be put off due to the price tag. It is still value for money if you want great card magic. If you want more tricks for the same money, then you could look for unanchored by the same author.

This book is a compilation of previous limited editions booklets that are no longer available. It is a fine book with a very dense content, nicely laid out and carefully produced. The tricks described in the book are easy to perform, and produce a considerable effect on spectators, almost effortlessly, thanks to clever, underhand tricks. The ideal complement to this purchase is the big blind media videos in which Ryan Schlutz performs some of these tricks. A very good investment, available to almost everyone. My favorites : Equifinality, Forget to remember, and Clearly see-through.

Have you ever had a thought then quickly forgot it? If you're like me, the reason you forgot it in the first place is you didn't create an anchor for it in your mind.

The title of this book is indicative of the author's paradigm on performing magic. A memory is created in the spectator's mind of what they consider important. However, during the performance a procedural aspect of the effect is erased...a false anchor was created. In essence, the audience has a fictious memory on the how the effect was accomplished.

A common thread from other reviewers of this book is the very first effect. After I read the methodology, I was amazed how simple the False Anchor concept is applied. Briefly, a spectator shuffles the deck before and after choosing his/her card. The magician is then able to reveal the selection.

A while back (like a looong time ago), I read about daub from one of Ed Marlo's books. The amazing part of the methodology is while the spectator is doing all the work he/she applies the daub without being aware of doing so. The procedural aspect of this presentation creates false memories in the spectator so he/she cannot decern what they did to tip off the magician to their selected card.

The other effects are as impressive as the first. The included gimmick is exceptionally well made and will last...forever. Ryan Schlutz writes well and explains his methodology just as well. As the description indicates, once these books are gone...no more will be printed. If this book is still available when you're reading this...I highly recommend you get it now!

Really good read and I’m learning lots of great tricks