Unexpected Card Book by Ed Marlo

At the height of his career, Ed Marlo was creating faster than the magic world could publish him. On David Solomon's suggestion, he began printing small runs of his own manuscripts, which passed quietly from one serious card worker to the next. The Unexpected Card Book was the first and most celebrated of these underground releases, and for decades it was one of the hardest titles to get your hands on. Now beautifully republished by Vanishing Inc., this edition brings together more than 80 tricks, sleights, and subtleties across eleven chapters. You'll move through overhand shuffle systems, prepared card effects, controls, faro and mathematical work, clock routines, and reworked classics, with material that still feels current more than half a century on. Highlights include Marlo's exceptionally clean take on the Balducci Cut Deeper Force, one of his strongest Wild Card routines, and his surprisingly practical center deal work. Often called "Volume Zero" of the Marlo Magazines, this book sits right at the turning point between his private manuscripts and his widely published output. For this release, every page was retyped, every illustration redrawn, and Marlo's own handwritten notes were folded in with the help of Mike Vance, making it the most complete version ever produced. A cornerstone title for serious card magicians, collectors, and anyone who studies the history of the art.