books

May 25, 2015
4
0
Hey everybody, I've been doing magic for about a year now, and I was wondering what books would you recommend? I have
  • Expert at the card table
  • Mark Wilson's complete course in magic
  • magic the complete course by Joshua Jay
Any books will be appreciated thanks in advanced!
 

Colin

Elite Member
Jan 25, 2013
152
22
What type of magic are you most interested in? The Tarbel Course in Magic is an excellent series, if you like cards the Card College books by Robert Giobbi are a great investment. Paul Harris' Art of Astonishment books have some truly astonishing effects.

Dover (who most likely published the edition of EATCT that you have) have a great catalogue of magic books including Bobo's coin magic, The Royal Road to Card Magic, Anneman's mental magic and many more that are all quite inexpensive.
 

Duncan F.

Elite Member
Apr 26, 2013
115
39
If you're looking for books on just card magic, I would highly suggest Card College as well, but if you're looking for some challenging sleight of hand, then you should check out "By Forces Unseen." The Convincing Control taught in that book is by far my favorite control.
 
May 25, 2015
4
0
What type of magic are you most interested in? The Tarbel Course in Magic is an excellent series, if you like cards the Card College books by Robert Giobbi are a great investment. Paul Harris' Art of Astonishment books have some truly astonishing effects.

Dover (who most likely published the edition of EATCT that you have) have a great catalogue of magic books including Bobo's coin magic, The Royal Road to Card Magic, Anneman's mental magic and many more that are all quite inexpensive.
I do mostly close up magic so anything in that nature
 
Sep 20, 2009
445
83
A little of both

Many Books are 'Hit or Miss'. one persons Favorite might not benefit your performance style or Atmosphere of performance. Unless you have access to Magic Libraries Like at The Castle, or Magic Circle it's a lot of Trial and Error.

Once you have a 'core selection' of sleights that you fancy you can apply them to other routines and begin adapting them to create variants that will benefit various performance situations.

Next Question: What are your favorite Plots in Magic?
 
May 25, 2015
4
0
Many Books are 'Hit or Miss'. one persons Favorite might not benefit your performance style or Atmosphere of performance. Unless you have access to Magic Libraries Like at The Castle, or Magic Circle it's a lot of Trial and Error.

Once you have a 'core selection' of sleights that you fancy you can apply them to other routines and begin adapting them to create variants that will benefit various performance situations.

Next Question: What are your favorite Plots in Magic?
I wouldn't say I have a favorite per say, but I really enjoy Torn and Restored
 
Sep 20, 2009
445
83
I wouldn't say I have a favorite per say, but I really enjoy Torn and Restored

What Variation do you perform? and do you only perform it in 'Card Format'?

As far as books go, you mentioned Close up Magic, are you focused on cards? coins? or just a variety of Magic? Where do you normally perform for? what venues? how concerned are you about angles? are you looking for Just Books or DVDs also?
 
May 21, 2015
5
0
I do mostly close up magic so anything in that nature

The book 'By Forces Unseen' by Stephen Minch is great for close up magic, and it's filled with some of the most challenging material I've come across so far.

The Fitzkee trilogy (Magic By Misdirection, Showmanship For Magicians, and The Trick Brain) though only two out of the three are recommended by other magicians.
 

Colin

Elite Member
Jan 25, 2013
152
22
Is there a IBM ring or SAM assembly where you live? The clubs often have a library and even if there don't the members will be able to help with recommendations (or possibly even lend you things while you discover what path you are headed down).
 
Dec 29, 2011
703
17
The only books I could really recommend are by Tamariz or Derren Brown. By Tamariz there is Mnemonica, which is fantastic and absolutely exploding with content, make sure that the memorised deck is the direction that you want to move into before you buy it however, there is also 5 Points in Magic. A good read no doubt, however its quite short and as the Tamariz books are pretty collectible, 5 Points probably isn't worth the price if you are only looking for some new tips, which is what it contains, with that being said its content is also great, and really ssets out a good foundation for performing natural looking magic. These are the only Tamariz books I can personally vouch for.

On the other hand: Derren Brown. Absolutely my favourite author, Tricks of The Mind, Absolute Magic and Pure Effect are his books that contain actual magic content, his autobiography Confessions of a Conjurer is also excellent, but I don't think its what you're looking for.

Tricks of The Mind, this book is written for the uninitiated, it takes a beginners look at 5 topics, magic, memory, hypnosis, pseudo science, and body language/reading. For the magician, the magic section teaches a basic coin vanish, some psychology behind magic, and general themes, all useful even if you have experience. The other topics a comparable in their own fields, each offers basic introductions, and very much "The Truth" regarding each topic, or at least Derren's own and quite objective opinions regarding each theme.

Absolute Magic is a collection of writings regarding the relation between theater and magic, and artistry and magic presented as a kind of model for creating the most emotively powerful magic performance you can. Contains some specific examples and a little routining, but not really any magic techniques, let alone sleights or methods. There are some particularly fascinating bits, some essays and definitions that explore the idea of magic as art, and tries to find a definition to the art of magic, in comparison to visual art, other performance art and abstract art. Its very sophisticated and reads a little bit like a textbook, it can be a bit heavy to get through in sections, but still delightful. (You might want to keep your dictionary handy)

Pure Effect is much more on the traditional side, in depth explanations of mostly close up magic routines Derren used to perform and some original creations. Still not purely sleights and methods, also a fair bit of theory and explanation of structure. There are some very sought after routines in this book, a lot of which is very practical information.

Pure Effect and Absolute Magic are quite collectible also, and can fetch very exorbitant prices (I would know), so a little like with the Tamariz books the price will probably scare you away if you aren't in it for the purpose of collecting books beside the magic content (And fantastic books they are to collect), or also the second biggest Derren Brown fan in the world. But I paid the current going price for them, maybe a little less, and I have found them absolutely delightful and worth every cent.

So there you go, I feel like these probably arent exactly what you're looking for, having only a year of experience, but I hope you've gained something from my rambling! Enjoy your reading.
 

zstonish

Elite Member
Apr 26, 2013
3
0
Lot's of great book recommendations in this thread! Here are some that I would recommend. If some of these were also mentioned above then that's even more the reason to get it! Thanks for reading!

Cards -
Card College by Roberto Giobbi (As mentioned above - these are awesome!) Book #2 has some nice theory in it!
Royal Road to Card Magic by Jean Hugard & Frederick Braue - Great classic fundamentals, and easier to understand than Expert at the Card Table

Mentalism -
13 Steps to Mentalism by Corinda - This book is old, and somewhat outdated, but I still consider it the bible for mentalism. Lots of great methods, principles, and such that can be revamped and applied to modern times.

Practical Mental Effects by Annemann - Also an oldie, but a goodie!

PRISM by Max Maven - This was one of my favorite books when I was in high school, and I still perform things from this book regularly. If you're into mentalism this is worth looking into.

Overall must reads:
Designing Miracles by Darwin Ortiz - My words can't give this book justice. Please do yourself a favor and just read it!

Maximum Entertainment by Ken Weber - Whether you're a professional, or just getting started, this book is worth rereading several times throughout your career. Even if it's information you may know, it always good to refresh your memory.

Also mentioned in the above comments, all three Art of Astonishment books by Paul Harris. I highly recommend these. The first essay on astonishment is something I read regularly. Very inspiring and motivational.

That list should give you the perfect start. For many months and years lol. Let us all know how your progress and when you're ready for more books!
 
Sep 20, 2009
445
83
The book 'By Forces Unseen' by Stephen Minch is great for close up magic, and it's filled with some of the most challenging material I've come across so far.

The Fitzkee trilogy (Magic By Misdirection, Showmanship For Magicians, and The Trick Brain) though only two out of the three are recommended by other magicians.

Do you perform any effects from "By Forces Unseen" Live?
 
Jul 13, 2010
526
34
By Tamariz there is Mnemonica, which is fantastic and absolutely exploding with content, make sure that the memorised deck is the direction that you want to move into before you buy it however, there is also 5 Points in Magic. A good read no doubt, however its quite short and as the Tamariz books are pretty collectible, 5 Points probably isn't worth the price if you are only looking for some new tips, which is what it contains, with that being said its content is also great, and really ssets out a good foundation for performing natural looking magic. These are the only Tamariz books I can personally vouch for.
I would add Tamariz' "The Magic Way". A must-read and recently reprinted and reworked http://www.hermeticpress.com/product_info.php?products_id=101
"Sonata" is also one of my top 3 Tamariz book and contains my favorite card effect. This is hard to find and out of print (used copies sold for ridiculous prices), but you can still find spanish copies of it.



For general Close-Up I would vote for "Stars of Magic". A classic book which should be in any magicians library.

If you're looking for tricks/effects, "Apocalypse" by Harry Lorayne is a fine resoucre with enough material for several lifetimes. Or similar collected periodicals.
These offer a wider range of tricks than most books because the focus isn't on one magician or form of close-up.
 
May 17, 2015
37
7
"Apocalypse" by Harry Lorayne is a great book, I also recommend it. Tons of effects, just need to make up some patter and easily could make several great routines. 5 points in magic by Juan T. is another good pickup, it is more about how to enhance your performance and make it better for the audience.
 
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