Dutch Illusionist Victor Mids' Newest Book: Worth Knowing About
Victor Mids, a Dutch illusionist and doctor, just released a new book in his best-selling MindF*ck series.
We're working hard to expand our magic news coverage beyond the English-speaking market. Over in The Netherlands, one magician (or illusionist, as they like to say there) has a long-standing TV series and multiple best-selling books.
Victor Mids’s new book MINDF*CK CHALLENGES brings a unique mixture of bar bets, illusions, and brain teasers. Yes, this is a book filled with tricks you can show off to your friends, but if you were to only categorize it as such, that would be underselling its worth.
Victor Mids is a Dutch magician and a doctor (non-practicing), and both sides of his knowledge are on display in his performances. A lot of his style includes breaking down the psychology of what’s going on at any given moment and giving a supposed peek behind the curtain. He even coined the term “Neuromagic”, which is the crossroads of magic and science. He is most known for his television show Mindf*ck, where he presents illusions to unassuming strangers while showing the audience the underlying principles that make the tricks magic.
His new book MINDF*CK CHALLENGES, named after his television show, promises 103 illusions, brainteasers, and bets. Instructional videos are also included to help readers visualize each bet or trick performed in a live environment. Mids’ creative partner Oscar Verpoort is a co-author of the book and has helped direct the television show over the years.
This is the next instalment in his trilogy of “Mindf*ck” books, and each volume includes entirely new material. The first book starts off with 101 illusions, the next 102, and now you can probably see how we are now at 103. This volume promises to teach you how to light a candle remotely, guess someone’s age by having them stand on one leg, and many more unique impossibilities.
While the book isn't intended primarily for magicians, we think it's important to cover due to the impact it's having on how magic is perceived in different parts of the world. Victor is very much the David Blaine or Derren Brown of The Netherlands, and it's interesting to see how he's been able to build this additional revenue stream in ways magicians elsewhere haven't quite been able to crack.
Where can I get Victor Mids' MINDF*CK CHALLENGES?
Good thing for you; the book was just made available on November 17th of this year. The easiest way to get the book is right off of Victor’s website. If you reside in the Netherlands, shipping is free. Currently, the book is not printed outside of the Dutch language, and there is no indication if there will be a future publication in a variety of languages.
If I am not a Dutch speaker, how can I still read MINDF*CK CHALLENGES?
If the book interests you, but you do not speak Dutch, it is still worth your time to go through the book with the Google Translate camera app. If that still seems like too laborious of a task, you can familiarize yourself with Mids’s work by watching old Mindf*ck clips on YouTube with English subtitles. Although it isn’t as extensive of tricks, it still gives you a good basis for how the book is.
If this is your first time hearing about Victor Mids, don’t expect it to be your last. His work is taking over The Netherlands, and we can expect his material to seep into the global magic conversation.
