Dracula Book Test

Thought I'd share my variation on the Dracula Book Test presentation. It eliminates the need to know the p### n##### and takes the focus off of the book pretty earlier on. I mostly use it in a close-up environment, but could also be adapted for stage using a white board.

I bring out the book and a stack of 3x5 cards. I'll have someone flip through the book, note how many pages there are, talk about how everyone knows the story of Dracula, right? Next I have them turn to any page and remember the first word. I hand them a 3x5 card to book mark that page. Then I tell them to call out 8 to 10 different words that could be in the book. It doesn't matter what the words are Ð'-- small words like "the" or "and", bigger words like "coffin" or "blood", whatever they want. If they need to flip through the book to get an idea, that's okay (adds more legitimacy that it's a normal book). One of the words they call out has to be the word they are now thinking of, but when they call it out, they aren't to give any indication or clue that this is the word they've chosen. It can be the first word they call out, the fourth, the sixth, again, it's up to them. So they begin, and each word they call out, I write down on a separate 3x5 card. Once we have 10 words, I stop. I spread out all the cards in front of the person and recap Ð'-- one word they are thinking of, the other 9 are random words. I tell them I'm going to try and pick up subtle, almost imperceptible cues that they give off to try and determine their chosen word. Their goal is to hide those cues, and If they want, they can even lie, or try to throw out false cues to try and confuse me. I then go through a series of comments about the cues I'm picking up off of them. For example, with the 3x5 cards spread out on the table, I'll say that I noticed how when they looked at all of the cards, their eyes quickly darted down and to the left. That indicates to me that they were unconsciously looking away from their word. I'll reach over and take half of the cards that are on their left, leaving five or so on the table. The cards I pick up, I tear in half and say "The word you're thinking of is still on the table, right?" Now, they can answer truthfully or not (but the fact is you know it is still on the table because you already know the one word out of 10 that they selected). I'll keep reducing it down. This can be played out quite a bit for fun. I end up with two cards. I'll hold both up, side by side, have the spectator just stare at them as I rapid fire call out the words back and forth Ð''' "blood, today, blood, today, blood, today, blood, todayÐ'..." I act as though I've picked up something off them, and set the "today" 3x5 card in front of them, ripping the other card in half. "That's the word you're thinking of, right?"