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Dr. JK Inner circle Sandusky, OH 1191 Posts |
We're [almost] all acquiring new books all the time; some we read and some just sit on the shelf. However, there's another category of books altogether: the ones we re-read frequently. In this video, I share my top 5 most re-read books and inquire about yours.
If time is one of our most precious commodities, it stands to reason that any book that can get more of your time is one of the top sources of value for you. Enjoy! https://youtu.be/IsviheilzXM |
Rspangl New user Ohio 54 Posts |
Thanks, Jeff
I enjoyed this review. I actually ordered Stars of Magic a few weeks ago for my mom to give me for Christmas. I've seen some of the single pieces over the years, but not the complete set all in one place.
Ron Spangler
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Magical Moments Veteran user 338 Posts |
For me, the books I have gone back to the most over the years are the following. There are others but many are magic history.
* TARBELL- some volumes more than others * STARS OF MAGIC * ROYAL ROAD TO CARD MAGIC * ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CARD TRICKS * MAGIC TRICKS AND CARD TRICKS- the Wilfrid Jonson book (compilation) * BOBO MODERN COIN MAGIC I could list many others but these are the ones which I thought of first so maybe the most important ones. They are books I have owned for a long time. |
David Todd Inner circle 2328 Posts |
I have read these books frequently:
The Tarbell Course in Magic - Harlan Tarbell, et al. Roy Benson by Starlight - Levent and Todd Karr Magic With Faucett Ross - Lewis Ganson Classic Secrets of Magic - Bruce Elliot Magic and Showmanship - Henning Nelms The Book - Gene Anderson The Magic of Alan Wakeling - Jim Steinmeyer Jack Gwynne: The Man, His Mind, and his Royal Family of Magic - David Charvet (Ok,yes, that's more than 5 , but just the Tarbell Course could count as more than 5 ... ) |
mindmagic Inner circle London 1740 Posts |
I'm going to make a point of listing classics that no one else has mentioned.
Hugard - Modern Magic Manual Hay - Amateur Magician's Handbook Kaye - The Complete Magician Annemann - Practical Mental Effects Corinda - Thirteen Steps to Mentalism Barry |
shomemagic Inner circle Missouri 2232 Posts |
Strong Magic
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Greg Arce Inner circle 6732 Posts |
Every year I reread: 13 Steps, PME, MM & M, all of the Psychological Subtleties and then I'll randomly go back to others like Mind Warp or books by Osterlind.
Greg
One of my favorite quotes: "A critic is a legless man who teaches running."
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dalo New user 77 Posts |
One book that seems to be less well known is "The Arcana of Bizarre Magick" by Jim Magus.
It has a lot of good articles about performance but also more than 50 different effects of very high quality. Even if it is about Bizarre Magick which really is just a performance style, it contains a lot of very good and clever effects. . |
Kjellstrom Inner circle Sweden, Scandinavia, Europe 5203 Posts |
Books by Darwin Ortiz.
His cardmagic is very strong. |
dalo New user 77 Posts |
Come to think of it two books I have read a lot of times is
Maximum Entertainment by Ken Weber, if you thinking of performing for a group at all this is the book to read. It is a very well written book filled with valuable information and it is also a pleasure to read. Magic and Showmanship by Henning Nelms - My ex is nearly falling apart. This is invaluable and really gives you the facts about how to present magic from an author whit a background in theater. |
Sigurdur New user 2 Posts |
Here are a number of books I keep coming back to for various reasons:
Theater of the Mind - Barrie Richardson. Wonderful routines, stories and ideas. Fantastic presentational plots. Act Two - Barrie Richardson. More of the same from Barrie Richardson. Dear Mr. Fantasy - John Bannon. This book is filled with fantastic card magic and I love the way it is written. Roy Benson by Starlight - Levant and Todd Karr. One of the best books on magic ever written. Forte years of research - Steve Forte. These books changed the way I think about card handling. Cardshark - Darwin Ortiz. Full of fantastic ideas. I am a big fan of Darwin Ortiz. Mnemonica - Juan Tamariz. Ever since I saw Juan keep a room full of magicians amazed with only a deck of card for a whole hour at FISM 2006 I have been in awe with Juan. Mnemonica is his masterpiece in my mind. The Ascanio books 1-3. There is something about the magic of Ascanio that I just keep coming back to. Stars of Magic. Material that is still as fresh today as it was back then. I also have to mention the many books of Harry Lorayne, The Essential Dai Vernon and Revolutionary Card Magic. However, I don't read them in the same manner as the ones above. I use them more as reference books or to look up one move/routine here and there. |
magicthree Special user 619 Posts |
Harry Lorayne Apocalypse-Steve Beam S.A.C.T.-Alex Elmsley volumes
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Chris K Inner circle 2544 Posts |
Quote:
On Dec 22, 2021, Greg Arce wrote: Man, that is a lot of re-reading to do annually. I usually go through PME every 3 years or so, it's not that long but so dense. I often find things I wasn't ready for. I go through the PS books about the same (also used as a reference). I do not have the Psychological Subtleties 1 book however. I have the original Psychological Subtleties before the re-write/re-release. MM&M is too big to go through every year, for me at least. That's more something I keep in the office and read parts of during the year. Pretty sure I don't go through the whole thing. Others I like to review, perhaps not annually though: - Dear Mister Fantasy - Art of Astonishment series - Theater of the Mind series - Books of Wonder - Architect of the Mind |
rrubin98 Veteran user Cogito, ergo sum scripsit 357 Posts |
Magick by Bascom Jones (5 volumes)
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mysticmelville New user Scotland 51 Posts |
The Magic Rainbow by Tamariz and The Jinx. Basically books that to me are nostalgic and books that engage the imagination.
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jsbosco New user Detroit, MI 64 Posts |
Big second (third, fourth) to Tarbell. Invaluable collection, filled with magic even in the bits you want to skip! I have found over and over that if I take the time to read the bits of Tarbell that I avoid (because I don't do that sort of magic, for instance) I find hidden in some paragraph a tip or sleight that is hugely applicable to other routines! Read and re-read!
CLose-Up Card Magic by Harry Lorayne is a book I have kept close nearby even in the years I was not actively pursuing the practice of magic. There is so much to learn in these pages! |
Stunninger Inner circle 2819 Posts |
Annemann's Practical Mental Effects and Corinda's 13 Steps to Mentalism were the two books I re-read for years.
Now I re-read Banachek's Psychological Subtleties volumes 1 - 3, The Artful Mentalism of Bob Cassidy volumes 1 & 2, Elliott Bresler's Switchcraft, and my small library of Scott Creasey books: - Minimalistic, Metaphysical Mentalism Volumes 1 & 2 - Secrets - 22 - The Mentalism Factory - The Mystic Square - Multidimensional Q&A . |
emyers99 Inner circle Columbus, Ohio 4741 Posts |
Theater of the Mind is definitely worthy of this list. Another book I enjoy re-reading is Conjuring Anthology by Steinmeyer.
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