I am looking to update my library and wanted to ask what Self Working Card Book would you suggest that I should have in my library?

Hello. In French, we have the "Petite anthologie des tours de cartes automatiques" of Richard VOLMER, in 9 volumes, it is a very good publication, but I don't know if these books exist in english ....

@Nirag, WOW those books you described sounds like a goldmine of material. What does "Petite anthologie des tours de cartes automatiques" mean in English?

I will start doing research let me know if you come across the books in English.

I am sorry ANJOMAGIC but my english is very too bad !!!! I could translate "Petite anthologie des tours de cartes automatiques" as "Little anthology of automatic cards tricks" I hope you understand me and this is that you want know. I think that it is possible to translate "automatic cards tricks" by "Self working cards"

Karl Fulves: Self-Working Card Tricks
Karl Fulves: More Self-Working Card Tricks
Karl Fulves: Self-Working Close-Up Card Magic
Karl Fulves: New Self-Working Card Tricks
John Scarne: Scarne on Card Tricks
Roberto Giobbi: Card College Light
Roberto Giobbi: Card College Lighter
Roberto Giobbi: Card College Lightest

These should keep you busy for a while.

I second Uli Weigel's recommendations, lot of 'self workers', and surely you will find something for you.
My advice is also to open some of these links, here
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......m=206&18
and take a look, most of times sources are indicated ( ah, I don't know if it's just me but the first two ones aren't working ! ).

Yes, the books mentioned above are the ones I would begin with. It will take time to sift through the less appealing effects, but there is a lot of material there to keep you busy and excited.

BTW, if you could buy just one... I would start with Scarne on Card Tricks.

Thanks everyone for suggesting books, I am actually in the process of looking to purchase Robert Giobbis series Light, Lighter and Lightest.

I have his Card College Series and I like the way he writes.

Scarne is the way to go.

Anjomagic,
The terminology "Self Working" almost makes it sound like you lay a pack of cards on the table and you sit back and they do their thing.
Getting that out of the way, I would suggest looking for card effects using "Sublety" as opposed to Sleight of Hand. Now for my suggestions:
1- The Card Magic of Nick Trost
2- Scarne on Card Tricks (as mentioned), a very underrated book.
3- Encyclopedia of Card Tricks by Hugard (before the Elmsley count)
There are others, but this is a great start.
Rennie

The Card Magic of Nick Trost - yes!

Giobbi is about sleight of hand, isn't he? Then it's not 'self working' or 'tours des cartes automatique'.

Card College, yes ; but the series Light is actually a collection of 'sleightless' card magic. At least, is advertised this way ( I own only the first volume ).

And the Giobbi 'lightest' can be done with your hands on your back?

Giobbi is about MAGIC. Sleight of hand is a MEANS, not an END. [caps used for emphasis, not shouting] Yes the Card College "main" series is at it says: "A course in sleight of hand card magic." Card College Light and its two successors are sleight-free. The effects contained therein are VERY strong.

Rennie, thank you for chiming in. It really is getting ridiculous that means to the effect overshadow the effect itself. Okay, end of rant. Here are some more suggestions:

Steve Beam's SACT series: do NOT believe what you have heard that all or even a great majority of the effects in this series require huge setups or are merely long and boring dealing tricks. Those who have stated this about the series have never READ the series. There are SOME moves in Beam's work, but NOTHING "knuckle busting."

Another magician's work to check out is Aldo Colombini. A lot of his material requires subtlety versus pure sleights. As a bonus, EVERYTHING he sells on his site is 10.00 USD.

A DEFINITE suggestion, and a very obvious one is the Master Stewart James. I would hope that there is no need to get into how influential James is, and how S T R O N G his magic is.

What I find amusing is the notion that some magicians tend to think that the pure sleight of hand magicians DON'T do effects that are sleight-free.

Partial list of those that have created sleight free effects?

Allan Ackerman, Ken Krenzel, Harry Lorayne, Peter Duffie, Ed Marlo, Dai Vernon, Darwin Ortiz, Daryl (Martinez) Easton, Larry Jennings, Paul Harris, J.C. Wagner, Roberto Giobbi, Theo Annemann ...

Try Larry Jennings' "Impossible", Nick Trost's "Intuition", Paul Harris' "Overkill", Stewart James' "Miraskill", Darwin Ortiz's "Zen Master", Daryl's "Untouched." NONE of these require ANY sleight of hand whatsoever and yet are among the most powerful card effects ever unleashed on audiences.

Anyhow, all of the books mentioned in this thread are excellent.

I think that The Encyclopedia of Card Tricks by Hugard, and The Card Magic of Nick Trost deserve a second mention as does Scarne on Card Tricks. While I DO sleight of hand also - remember, it is just a MEANS - you COULD be a VERY successful card magician just from the material in these three books.

I DO think however that if you are going to do magic, you should have SOME basic sleights in your arsenal. The more MEANS the better. And to the people that eschew sleightless card magic I say that they are limiting their horizons.

Ahimsa,
Vlad

I've said it often enough (TOO often, I think) - you can do miracles with only a good control, a good double turnover and a good palm. And, with very good sleightless effects. I've published more than enough of those. HL.

Amen!!

Sleight of hand is a mean, not an end. That's very tru. But if you are looking for info about self working tricks, and you end up with a book on sleight of hand, then you are not very happy. Of course sleight of hand is very handy, but a question about which self working book is the best, is not answered with a statement that sleight of hand works very well. But well, thanks for the suggestions.

I would add a vote for Scarne On Card Tricks. Not one single sleight in the whole book.
BTW, I think the original question has been addressed quite well. jmo