Evolution by Bill Goodwin (ebook)

Refined sleight of hand. Timeless construction.

Evolution is a collection of card routines and sleights developed over countless years of focused study and refinement.

Spanning 68 pages and featuring 132 instructional photographs, this ebook presents 16 carefully crafted effects – ranging from technically demanding sleights to visual, entertaining routines. Highlights include Pocket Calculator, which you may have seen Bill perform on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, along with contributions from FISM winner Helder Guimarães, Larry Jennings, and Gordon Bean.

While the work demands skill, these pieces are as much about discovery as they are about performance. Whether you're drawn to precise technique or structural elegance, Evolution is built for magicians who appreciate depth, clarity, and the satisfaction of serious practice.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Rotator

A new sleight with three applications.

The Tumblers

Feeling more comfortable when standing on their heads, the four Jokers magically turn upside down.

Crimp Hideout

A technique to show all four edges of the deck while concealing a crimped card.

Reversal Tutorial

With this final application of Rotator, the magician demonstrates the difference between the modern magician and those of the "old school."

Twinkle Twinkle

A handling of Bro. John Hamman's "The Twins."

Countback Aces

Larry Jennings

Two spectators freely construct four packets of cards.

Despite the fairness, the top card of each packet is an Ace.

Larry Jennings' streamlined take on Billy O'Connor's "After the Four Ace Trick."

Gordon Bean Handling

Gordon Bean's handling for Larry Jennings' "Countback Aces."

Helder Guimarães Handling

Helder Guimarães’ handling of "Countback Aces" streamlines the effect even further.

Count Back to Count Down

A simple extension of "Countback Aces."

Two spectators construct four packets and the top card of each reveals the location of the four Aces.

Addition to Count Back

Four packets are constructed by the spectator's actions.

The value of the top cards of each packet are added together and then these cards are magically changed into the four-of-a-kind equal to their total.

Random Locations

Four spectators each take a quarter of a shuffled deck, select a card from it and lose the card back in their packet while out of the magician's control. The packets are then shuffled together and four packets are constructed. The top cards of each pile are the selections.

Count One Way

Gordon Bean

This final trick inspired by "Countback Aces" is a strong, hands-off card location from Gordon Bean.

Duplex

A minimalist approach to Ed Marlo's classic Elevator plot.

Duplex Remodeled

This handling of "Duplex" offers a logical climax courtesy of Gordon Bean.

Duplex Addition

Gordon Bean

Gordon's handling of "Duplex" which inspired "Duplex Remodeled."

Pocket Calculator

The magician demonstrates how he learned arithmetic from a deck of cards. Two number cards magically locate an amount of cards equal to their sum and product.