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Stacking the Deck: Secrets of the World's Master Card Architect
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About Stacking The Deck: Secrets Of The World's Master
Product Description Written by the holder of several Guinness World Records for cardstacking, this is the first complete, fully illustrated guide to the art of building mind-boggling, multilevel structures with ordinary playing cards. In Stacking the Deck, Bryan Berg reveals the secret to successful cardstacking with his simple four-card-cell structure and expanded grid techniques. Using illustrations and step-by-step instructions, he guides readers on to more elaborate -- and incredibly strong -- creations. He covers a wide range of architectural styles, from classic to whimsical, and various types of structures, including pyramids, shrines, stadiums, churches, an oil derrick, and even the Empire State Building. Since first setting the height record in 1992, Bryan's built awe-inspiring card models of a Japanese shrine, the Iowa State Capitol building, Ebbets Field, and his latest tower, which is more than twenty-five feet tall! This book includes photographs of some of these amazing pieces, illustrating just how appealing and enduring a "house of cards" can be. Stacking the Deck will inspire everyone from youngsters experimenting with their first deck of cards to adults, who can create their own private skyscrapers. Once you've read Stacking the Deck, you'll never look at a deck of cards the same way again. About the Author Bryan Berg broke the Guinness World Record for card structures in 1992 at the age of seventeen with a tower fourteen feet, six inches tall. His latest record-holding structure is more than twenty-five feet tall. Touring regularly, Berg has stacked cards in virtually every major US city and in Japan, Denmark, and Germany. He has also appeared on CBS, ABC, CNN, and Fox. Berg has been on the architecture faculty at Iowa State University for three years, and is earning a Master of Design at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter One: Start Stacking People often use the phrase "house of cards" to describe something shaky and unstable. They haven't seen what I've been building with cards for eighteen years -- miniature versions of stadiums, landmarks, and futuristic cities. I've set six Guinness World Records for the tallest freestanding house of playing cards. Everything was built without folding, taping, gluing, notching, or otherwise joining any cards. Even so, my creations are incredibly strong. One of my structures supported 2,700 pounds of Las Vegas showgirls. Another held an entire Little League team -- complete with coaches. It sounds impossible, but as you read this book you'll see it can be done. This book will teach you to make strong, tall buildings that are also beautiful and, at times, whimsical. You'll become accomplished at techniques you never dreamed of. Or perhaps you'd rather just look over the stories and photos about the unbelievable things I've built. Stacking: It's in the Cards I'll soon show you how easy card stacking can be. Before you build, though, get the right cards and the right location. The best cards for building have standard thickness, standard size, and less than standard finish. Buy decks with a matte finish -- not a slick, glossy coating. The cheapest playing cards often are the best for building. Look for decks wrapped in cellophane. I use Pla-Mor brand from United States Playing Card Company, but any inexpensive, uncoated cards will do. Make sure they're flat, and toss any bent or wrinkled cards. The photo shows some of the Pla-Mor styles. The designs may vary, and Pla-Mors may not be available in your area. If you have difficulty finding them, visit www.cardstacker.com to email me, or write me at the address at the end of this book. Business cards, index cards, or recipe cards will work instead of playing cards. I like regular playing cards, though, because it doesn't seem real without diamonds, hearts, clubs, and spades. When I first did this crazy hobby for money, I built towers with
