Interested in learning magic? Here's a semi-pro magician's First Five books to check out!
Why books?
Books are portable, easy to work with, and you will get a lot more content in a $20 book than you will a $20 "instant download". You'll also find it easier to borrow books from your local public library without having to deal with the ethical question of whether or not that 'free' video you downloaded on line was really, uh, legal.
The Books themselves
Courtesy of the fine folks at Amazon.com
Klutz Book of Magic
This is the best book to start with if you're just curious and want to have some fun with magic. The good people at Klutz Press have put together a whirlwind tour of the "art", including tricks with cards, string, rings, coins, and a few other special bits.
The best part is, all the "special bits" you need that you can't find around the house are included in the book, in the time-honored Klutz tradition. You really can't go wrong with what you get here for the price. This is a great introduction!
Amazon Price: $11.53 (as of 11/07/2009) 
Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic
When people ask me where I got the tricks I used in my very first magic act, this is the book I point them to. No lie, this is where 90% of what I did the first year of my career as a part-time pro came from.
This book has it all - cards, coins, ropes, scarves, mind reading, big tricks, small tricks, and everything in between. If you're considering buying ONE book and ONLY one book... this would be the one to get.
Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 11/07/2009)
Tricks with Your Head: Hilarious Magic Tricks and Stunts to Disgust and Delight
"Mac King is a god!" - Penn & Teller
How do I explain this book? It's very funny and full of little impromptu things you can do with, well, your head, face, a few other appendages and some random things that most people find lying around the house.
It also lets you in on a very important secret: Magic can be milk-out-your-nose funny and head-shakingly appalling at the same time.
Mac King, by the way, is one of my heroes.
Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 11/07/2009)
Secrets of the Astonishing Executive
This little known book is being republished sometime soon - I include it because it does something not many magic books do - it puts these neat tricks into a context beyond "Hey, wanna see me do something cool?"
The context, in this case, is one of "stuff you can do at work and not get fired" - influence a client, get a free lunch, make your coworkers eyes bug out of their head...
This book was co-written by Paul Harris, who is one of the most creative minds in the business. Funny guy too - he wrote the screenplay for the movie "Nice Girls Don't Explode".
Amazon Price: (as of 11/07/2009)
Miss Charming's Book of Bar Amusements
Some of the things in this book fall clearly into the category of "stunts" rather than "tricks", but the book is the last of my "First Five" because, again, these bits are presented in context. In this case, being somewhere (a bar) with your friends and wanting to do something to amuse, entertain, or just cause people to look at you with their eyes all big,.
Amazon Price: (as of 11/07/2009)
So whatnow?
I've got these books, what do I do with 'em?
Magic books are a lot like cookbooks - each trick in it has its own "recipe" and you can put them together to make a pretty good meal - but you don't want to try and learn how to do all this stuff at once - even an all you can eat buffet has it's limits.I'm not suggesting that you sit down and learn *every* trick you see in all these books.. The books I'm recommending above would give you a very solid "jumping off" point if you want to pursue the art / craft / hobby / mindless obsession the way I did... and if not, they will at least give you a few neat things you can do to help make the world a little more amazing.
And remember - CHEAP MAGIC RULES!
More Magic Stuff from Amazon
Jumping off points for further exploration!
Here's what Amazon brings up when I ask it to riff on Mark Wilson's book...
Amazon Error: Could not open remote connection
Talk to me!
What do you think about this lens?
This is the first of what will probably be a BUNCH of "Magic Fives" from me - I'd love to get your feedback on what you think, thought, suggest, recommend, or if you know any good recipes for baklava. Type on!
theadequate wrote...
in reply to MindGuru Wow. There are quite a few faves - some of which I do and some I don't do (because of logistics, environment, "fit" and so on)... and that sounds like a darn fine thing to do a lens on, too!
Searching around for "magic" lenses, I see a lot which are teaching tricks - I feel a little odd *not* teaching 'em, but in a lot of cases the stuff I do has been published in the last 30 years by someone who created the routine, so I don't want to tread on toes...
Posted December 30, 2008
MindGuru wrote...
I like that you really know what these books are about and can give a personal recommendation. What are some of your favorite tricks?
Posted December 30, 2008
Myth wrote
in reply to theadequate And why is a coin purse at the Dollar Store, sale for say, oh, a Dollar. And the same Purse at a magic supply warehouse it sales for 10 dollars. Why does two pieces of cheap rope get thunderous applause and the $700 illusion that looked realy great online, get polite golf claps.
Why to I have thousands of dollars worth of Props and illusions filling my garage but my money making show fits in a medium size suit case.
Why! I'll tell you why. Because I learned too late that Good magic doesn't have to be expensive magic.
Preach on. Oh Adiquate one. So that some young Magician can avoid my fate.
Posted December 29, 2008
theadequate wrote...
in reply to Myth I'm planning on making a bunch more lists, including 'Things you might not think would be useful to a Magician, but are...'
... just as soon as I come up with a shorter title than that.
Posted December 28, 2008
Myth wrote
The Mark Wilson Book is a must. As one semi-pro to another. I still find myself going back to it from time to time. Also might think of some books on acting. Tricks are just tricks but the Magician is the magic.
Posted December 27, 2008
eBay - Another good source for magic books
Because, as we know, Cheap Magic Rules!
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
by theadequate
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