I have a theory and your first choice confirmed it. I think if you combined the Royal Road to Card Magic book with the R Paul Wilson RRTCM videos you would learn enough hand manipulations and magic theory to give you a really good start. And if you were like me and not a fan of card magic that would give you enough card material for life and the ability to entertain anywhere anytime. If I had to instruct someone that is where I would start and what I would do. It would be like learning self defense, I might never need it but it's there if I do.
Jeff, wow another great list! Whenever I run into anyone interested in starting magic I gift them my copy of Magic for Dummies and then go find myself another used copy online. This book is a little more contemporary than the Mark Wilson book and has so many great contributions by magicians we’ve heard of like Chad Long. One of my favorite tricks in there is the anti-gravity trick with a finger ring and a rubber band. It never fails to amaze. Quote from last time I performed this trick: “ Wow, I’m a scientist and I just don’t see how this is happening”
Quirky book that at first I didn't take to but ended up really liking it. I liked the lists and resources and think a newcomer would find them useful. One that I thought was good was what to do if someone wants to inspect your props. I always hate that professional magicians seem to blow this off so easily saying things like it never happens, etc. That list was helpful. Also, they say Daryl's Dream a Card, Any Card is one of the best things in the book.
@@EruditeMagic I don't know if it still works. I was a TV news cameraman for years so my back is shot anyway. Ed Murrow used to call his news film crew the 1000 lb pencil. In my era of 3/4" videotape I called it the 50 lb pencil :)
Great episode! Just wanted to add one book to the list--The Complete Illustrated Book of Card Magic by Walter Gibson. This book fails make anyone's list of favorites--either it gets less respect or is just less known--but it's 472 pages pack in a lot of card magic. Yes, it's out of print, but you can pick up a decent used copy of this for $7-$15 plus shipping and a quite well preserved copy with cover for around $25. Even though it was published in 1969, it is a monster resource, chock full of B&W photos illustrating a wide variety of sleights, from simple to advanced. It even includes a fair amount of material on card manipulation and has a number of good effects from simple/self working to sleight laden. It's not specifically a tutorial like RRTCM, but it is a great resource and--in spite of some slightly antiquated prose--is surprisingly easy to read and learn from.
Great episode. I would only add that several older used books can be bought for very little. Royal Road to Card Magic and Bobo’s hardbound books sell for less than $23. I would much rather have those than the Dover books. Used copies of Bill Tarr’s books can be bought for about $10. Those are my favorites.
LePaul is considered one of the greatest books on card magic ever published. If you can do half of what's in it, you're set for life-assuming you want to do card magic, of course :) I recommend it as a second book, after e.g. RR. It's available as an inexpensive paperback. I also highly recommend, for general sleight-of-hand, Henry Hay's excellent "The Amateur Magicians Handbook", if not already recommended.
Great episode. I think that while learning magic tricks and techniques is importnat, especially when getting started, at some point learning about the theory and philosophy of magic is equally valuable. There are a lot of books that fit this criteria but probably not in the “budget” edition, but ONE book and it’s totally fee (as a downloadable PDF): Magic in Mind by Vanishing Inc. It’s a collection of some of the best essays in magic written by some of the best practitioners. I think this should be in everyone’s library - budget or not!
@ I was lucky enough to actually find a printed edition for sale (Josh said that VI only printed about 100 copies) and snatched it right away. One of my proudest purchases and additions to my bookshelf
Jeff, this was a fun review and many of these were the first books I purchased in magic, although my very first was John Scarne's Scarne on Card Tricks in a Signet paperback in the mid-1970s. Some other inexpensive books I might recommend would be the series of Self Working books by Karl Fulves also available in inexpensive Dover editions unlike some of Fulves's other manuscripts which now command fairly high prices.
Loved the video and agreed with most of it as they are the books I have as well. I'd like to add a few to the list: Learn Magic (Hay) and Practical Mental Effects (Annemann).
@@EruditeMagic I don't know, I have a Dover addition so there must be plenty of them around if it is no longer in print. As you know from your interview, it was the book that put Mac King on the road to magic. I don't think Learn Magic gets enough credit in magic circles but I suppose part of that comes from being aligned with the AMH.
Great episode and I agree with all of your recommendations. You touched on it, but let me second your recommendation regarding used book stores. We are fortunate to have a used book “superstore” (my terminology) near us. While there are rare finds of “real” magic books, there are always multiple editions of the Dover books, because they crossed over into the mass market. They’re normally around $5 or less. They also regularly have multiple copies of the Mark Wilson and Joshua Jay mass market books. By the way, I actually scored a Harry Lorayne book and a Tarbell volume there. But they’re rare and you have to be very lucky.
I've seen a friend who has scored some *incredible* finds at a used book store. It all depends on where you are, I think. Thanks for the suggestion, Jim!
Very good episode, and I do like the 'gift' idea. I do think that downloaded videos are the current peak of introducing magic to young people, but if you are an older member of a magic club, why not give a presentation of one of your favorite books to the young members? We oldsters need to keep the flame burning!
![How did I miss THIS essential magic book?! [Practical Mental Effects]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/iBnkunj_USg/mqdefault.jpg)
![How did I miss THIS essential magic book?! [Practical Mental Effects]](/img/tr.png)
This video is a must watch for beginners and seasoned artists alike!
Thank you! 😃
I have a theory and your first choice confirmed it. I think if you combined the Royal Road to Card Magic book with the R Paul Wilson RRTCM videos you would learn enough hand manipulations and magic theory to give you a really good start. And if you were like me and not a fan of card magic that would give you enough card material for life and the ability to entertain anywhere anytime. If I had to instruct someone that is where I would start and what I would do. It would be like learning self defense, I might never need it but it's there if I do.
Good idea!
Very nice recommendation's thanks for sharing.
My pleasure!
Jeff, wow another great list! Whenever I run into anyone interested in starting magic I gift them my copy of Magic for Dummies and then go find myself another used copy online. This book is a little more contemporary than the Mark Wilson book and has so many great contributions by magicians we’ve heard of like Chad Long. One of my favorite tricks in there is the anti-gravity trick with a finger ring and a rubber band. It never fails to amaze. Quote from last time I performed this trick: “ Wow, I’m a scientist and I just don’t see how this is happening”
Quirky book that at first I didn't take to but ended up really liking it. I liked the lists and resources and think a newcomer would find them useful. One that I thought was good was what to do if someone wants to inspect your props. I always hate that professional magicians seem to blow this off so easily saying things like it never happens, etc. That list was helpful. Also, they say Daryl's Dream a Card, Any Card is one of the best things in the book.
That's so cool, Keith! And what a great book to gift
Lots of great magic in simple books!
Magic and Showmanship is such a great pick! Just a great joy to read and imagine new routines, themes, and full shows.
I haven't looked at it in decades. The one thing I remember was laying on your back to straighten your spine. :)
Glad to hear it's still helping modern magicians!
hahaha - does it help?!
@@EruditeMagic I don't know if it still works. I was a TV news cameraman for years so my back is shot anyway. Ed Murrow used to call his news film crew the 1000 lb pencil. In my era of 3/4" videotape I called it the 50 lb pencil :)
Magic and showmanship! One of Tommy Wonder's favorite books and a classic for a reason
absolutely!!
Excellent choice of books
Appreciate it!
Great episode! Just wanted to add one book to the list--The Complete Illustrated Book of Card Magic by Walter Gibson. This book fails make anyone's list of favorites--either it gets less respect or is just less known--but it's 472 pages pack in a lot of card magic. Yes, it's out of print, but you can pick up a decent used copy of this for $7-$15 plus shipping and a quite well preserved copy with cover for around $25.
Even though it was published in 1969, it is a monster resource, chock full of B&W photos illustrating a wide variety of sleights, from simple to advanced. It even includes a fair amount of material on card manipulation and has a number of good effects from simple/self working to sleight laden. It's not specifically a tutorial like RRTCM, but it is a great resource and--in spite of some slightly antiquated prose--is surprisingly easy to read and learn from.
Thanks for the suggestion!
The Learned Pig Project is also well worth mentioning, digital not physical, but totally free and full of great content.
I don't think I realized that site is still around!
Great episode. I would only add that several older used books can be bought for very little. Royal Road to Card Magic and Bobo’s hardbound books sell for less than $23. I would much rather have those than the Dover books.
Used copies of Bill Tarr’s books can be bought for about $10. Those are my favorites.
Great books, all, and if you can find the hardbacks inexpensively, it's never a bad idea!
I didn't get my start from the Mark Wilson Complete Course on Magic...I got my start from the Mark Wilson Video Course on Magic...on VHS!
📼 what's that?? ;)
I’d add the Fine art of magic by Kaplan and jg Thompsons my best
Those are good, but both are out of print, I believe, so a bit harder to obtain.
I have My Best, I thought it was a good book but I haven't looked at it in decades. I obviously have to get back to perusing my library
LePaul is considered one of the greatest books on card magic ever published. If you can do half of what's in it, you're set for life-assuming you want to do card magic, of course :) I recommend it as a second book, after e.g. RR. It's available as an inexpensive paperback. I also highly recommend, for general sleight-of-hand, Henry Hay's excellent "The Amateur Magicians Handbook", if not already recommended.
Both are great and widely available, but technically out of print. Thanks for suggesting!
Great episode. I think that while learning magic tricks and techniques is importnat, especially when getting started, at some point learning about the theory and philosophy of magic is equally valuable. There are a lot of books that fit this criteria but probably not in the “budget” edition, but ONE book and it’s totally fee (as a downloadable PDF): Magic in Mind by Vanishing Inc. It’s a collection of some of the best essays in magic written by some of the best practitioners. I think this should be in everyone’s library - budget or not!
Love Magic in Mind, and you're right - the price is right!
@ I was lucky enough to actually find a printed edition for sale (Josh said that VI only printed about 100 copies) and snatched it right away. One of my proudest purchases and additions to my bookshelf
Jeff, this was a fun review and many of these were the first books I purchased in magic, although my very first was John Scarne's Scarne on Card Tricks in a Signet paperback in the mid-1970s. Some other inexpensive books I might recommend would be the series of Self Working books by Karl Fulves also available in inexpensive Dover editions unlike some of Fulves's other manuscripts which now command fairly high prices.
The self-working series has quite a few good tricks in it. Thanks for the suggestion, Doug!
Loved the video and agreed with most of it as they are the books I have as well. I'd like to add a few to the list: Learn Magic (Hay) and Practical Mental Effects (Annemann).
Nice additions! Is Learn Magic still in print?
@@EruditeMagic I don't know, I have a Dover addition so there must be plenty of them around if it is no longer in print. As you know from your interview, it was the book that put Mac King on the road to magic. I don't think Learn Magic gets enough credit in magic circles but I suppose part of that comes from being aligned with the AMH.
Very true about it not getting enough credit
This is a great video with great recommendations 😊 I really appreciated when you contextualized erdnase’s relevance :)
Thanks for watching and taking time to comment, Sasha
Great episode and I agree with all of your recommendations. You touched on it, but let me second your recommendation regarding used book stores. We are fortunate to have a used book “superstore” (my terminology) near us. While there are rare finds of “real” magic books, there are always multiple editions of the Dover books, because they crossed over into the mass market. They’re normally around $5 or less. They also regularly have multiple copies of the Mark Wilson and Joshua Jay mass market books.
By the way, I actually scored a Harry Lorayne book and a Tarbell volume there. But they’re rare and you have to be very lucky.
I've seen a friend who has scored some *incredible* finds at a used book store. It all depends on where you are, I think. Thanks for the suggestion, Jim!
Expert Card Technique would be an excellent addition, a sequel of sorts to Royal Road.
Sure thing
Very good episode, and I do like the 'gift' idea. I do think that downloaded videos are the current peak of introducing magic to young people, but if you are an older member of a magic club, why not give a presentation of one of your favorite books to the young members? We oldsters need to keep the flame burning!
Nice idea to bring this to the magic club!
Is CFO Jeff saying these recommendations are on bugdet pricing? Must be an easter egg for those in the know….
🤣🤣🤣