100 Books Every Magician Should Read Before They Die

The 100 magic books that we – and other magicians – simply cannot recommend highly enough; books that we’ve all loved reading. Books that you have to read before you die…

This list is the product of 100 exceptional magicians, each with their own unique style, understanding and love for magic, voicing their thoughts on the best magic books of our time, combined with our expertise and in-depth analysis at The Daily Magician. We aim to bring you the ultimate resource to fall on as a magician.

These 100 magic books will CHANGE your magic forever. You could build a whole career out of these books, and some people really have.

This list caters to all types of magicians (beginner, amateur, and professional) and will provide you with a lifetime of resources in whatever area of magic you love (Coin, Cards, Mentalism, even Lock picking. It’s all here).

Are you ready to start your journey in the school of magic..

1: Card College by Robert Giobbi (Volume 1-5)

Card College is a life ring in the ocean of magic junk. You can drown in magic junk. Trust us, we’ve had a near death experiences, spluttering and choking our way through magic.

Many regard The Card College books as the modern cornerstone of all of card magic (If card magic isn’t your style, don’t worry, we’ve still got plenty of books to keep you busy with).

Recognized around the world as the most remarkable course in sleight-of-hand card magic ever offered, Card College features engaging, detailed writing with clear drawings for gaining mastery over a deck.

Card College teaches up-to-date information and the best methods.

Are you ready to go to the college of card magic?

If your answer is an enthusiastic YES, then you’ll receive a complete set of the world’s most influential course in sleight-of-hand card magic.

A total of 1’420 pages of sophisticated and advanced techniques, tricks, presentations and theories.

5 books, typeset and bound in quality hardback, with colour dust-jacket and ca. 1’500 explicit illustrations.

Tuition Fee: £34.49 (Volume 1)

Tuition Fee: £173.45 (Volume 1-5)

2: The Expert at the Card Table by S. W. Erdnase

The Bible of Magic…

Read it.

Study it.

Learn from it.

Feast upon it.

Treasure it.

There is nothing else like it.

Tuition Fee: £17.99

3: Maximum Entertainment by Ken Weber

This is a fan-favourite among magicians because the information in it is useful, no matter what stage you are at in your magic career. It’s a book that you should constantly go back to and re-read. It is an undisputed classic and essential to read if you are serious about performing magic. This is a book that will always be relevant to magicians and will never fail to help you.

There are no tricks in this book. But it will teach you…

• How to Be Your Own Director!
• How to climb the Hierarchy of Mystery Entertainment!
• How to target the “Big Three” Reactions!
• Discover the Six Pillars of Entertainment Success!
• Learn powerful tips for Scripting and Rehearsing, and Choosing the Most Powerful Material!
• Discover invaluable Voice tricks and Language Skills!
• Do you know the best way for magicians to be Funny? This book will show you!
• Immensely practical tips on Sound and Lighting!
• Find out what the most successful performers do Before, During, and even After every show!
• Special problems faced by Close-up magicians and Mentalists!

“Little hints and big ideas combine until literally every page is sprinkled with priceless information!… The chapters on ‘Lights’ and ‘Sound’ should be required reading for anyone who performs on stage.”

– Eric Mead (Genii magazine)

Tuition Fee: £35.49

4: The Tarbell Course in Magic (Volume 1-8)

You hear this set talked about often, and it’s one you should own. But in the interest of honesty, let us tell you WHY you should own it, which may not be the reason you’re thinking of. 

There’s very little in Tarbell you can read and perform AS IS. It was written long ago, and the style is quite brief in most cases, covering a huge amount of material and not leaving a lot of space for each item. Tarbell is also not a series of books you can read cover to cover, page by page.  

But, they are CLASSICS for this reason: you can grab any Tarbell book, open to ANY page, and find absolute GOLD, absolute cleverness, and an idea you will have never heard of.

If you can, get the whole set: that’s where the value is. You’ll have the most valuable reference tools in magic that also happens to look GREAT on your shelf.  

8 hardcover volumes in all. More than 100 detailed lessons in all aspects of magic and magic performance. Totalling more than 3370 pages! 

The classic volumes cover every aspect and interest in the art of magic performance. A must have for every magic library!  

“If you can, buy them. No better book on magic can be bought.”

Rastislav

“You could buy this set of books and be set for life. You’ll learn more from these books than any other DVD or download. I’m 16, have been doing magic since I was 5 and I’m so glad I got these books. No, you’re not gonna perform and use everything but like the advert says, if you need references and some killer routines, this is where to find them. 10/10.”

Charlie

Tuition Fee: £269.95

Note: You get the most bang for your buck on Magic Shop! They have all eight volumes downloaded into one epic eBook for just £21.49.

5: Stage By Stage by John Graham

Stage by Stage is the greatest personal guide to building a stand up magic show.

What makes Stage by Stage unique is the scope and intention of this remarkable magic book.

This is not merely a book on parlour and stage magic (though it contains more than a dozen complete parlour pieces). This is a book for those wishing to transition from close-up to stage.

It’s a one-of-a-kind roadmap that takes you through the nuts and bolts of how to design an act. Stage by Stage is an equal mix of essays and routines, gorgeously illustrated and designed.

You’ll learn how to convert the magic you already do to parlour situations, and make those same tricks play for audiences twenty times the size of a close-up crowd. You’ll learn about prop management, and how to create a show that is modular (so that you can swap tricks in and out, without sacrificing the feeling of a cohesive show).

Tuition Fee: £51.49

6: Expert Card Technique by Gene Hughard and Frederick Browie

Difficulty: Very advanced (gives me headaches…)

Expert Card Technique was written by two authors, Frederick Braue and Jean Hugard, a little later down the line in 1940, so it is also pretty old. However, the techniques are still employed by many working magicians today.

Expert Card Technique and Expert At The Card Table are often called the ‘Bibles’ of card magicians.

Why?

They contain almost ALL of the techniques and sleights possible with a deck of cards. This might not sound like much but it is an incredible resource; it’s like a dictionary for magicians.

When they’re stuck on a move, they open up the book at find what it has to say about it.

For example, stuck on your pass?

There’s a full chapter dedicated to that move!

And even better, these books aren’t just dedicated to sleights but also include some of the highest level tricks and routines.

Surely, with all this information, these books must be expensive?

That’s what I expected too but you can actually find this for an absolute steal on Amazon. If you’re happy to buy used, you can go as low as a few dollars.

Imagine that! All of card magic’s secrets, for only a few dollars. Crazy.

Tuition Fee: £14.49

7: Modern Day Coin Magic by J.W. Bobo

Modern Day Coin Magic by J.W. Bobo is the best book on coin magic in the world. So darn good that it should be used as the golden manual for amateur coin magicians, an encyclopaedic source for professionals, and a bible for all magicians.

Coin magic is arguably the most impressive form of sleight of hand, which gives you every reason to study Modern Day Coin Magic to the nth degree.

All the tested, traditional methods of coin magic are here…116 Coin Sleights and 236 Coin Tricks.

Bobo has added to these the best of the modern innovations, while eliminating all the out-of-date and impractical sleights of his sources. You will learn all about palms, holds, flips, switches, change-overs, steals, cuffing, sleeving and other sleight-of-hand techniques; coin tricks requiring special devices are also included.

The author guides you systematically from basic techniques, concealments and vanishes, through integrated tricks, to complete routined acts (18 in all). His clear explanations are splendidly complemented by 510 illustrations.

This is an easy-to-follow manual, that with regular practice-is the surest route to professional level competence. For professionals, this volume is a convenient encyclopaedic reference that gathers in one place all the best coin magic from antiquity to modern times.

Tuition Fee: £10.99

8: The Royal Road to Card Magic by Jean Hugard

The Royal Road To Card Magic is one of the most popular card trick books for beginners; and that’s for a reason. It is an easy to understand book that walks you through classic tricks and sleights.

The great thing about this book is that it doesn’t just teach you moves, but how to actually use these moves in tricks. So you’ll receive training on the different shuffles, controls and all kinds of sleights PLUS how to use them in over a HUNDRED different tricks.

This book was published originally in 1949! It has been updated since then but if you’re intimidated by the old-fashioned writing style feel free to go for a more ‘modern’ book on this list.

The important thing is that the actual card tricks and techniques taught are JUST as relevant and useful now as back in 1949. If anything, it’s a testimonial to the book that it has managed to remain a classic over the years.

I know this is what many magicians recommend to people starting out in card magic, so it is definitely a safe bet. You might not be blown away but you will 100% find some tricks you can learn and enjoy.

Tuition Fee: $8.95

9: Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic

This is the one of the safest bets in my eyes. It might be a little higher priced than some of the other books but you’re paying for quality and quantity here.

This book manages to strike a great balance between being too hard for beginners and too easy for magicians with a bit of experience.

It was first published in 1975 and has since established itself a reputation as one of the best complete courses in magic out there.

What do you get?

Over 500 pages of expert instruction from professional magician Mark Wilson with more than 300 techniques shown, 2,000 illustrations, and a whole host of incredible tricks and routines.

The truth is, it isn’t just card magic you’ll be learning here. You’ll also get awesome training on coin, rope and other types of magic that you perhaps wouldn’t have considered exploring otherwise.

Tuition Fee: £26.49

10: Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz

This book is in the Top 10 because of one main reason.

The others all teach you how to DO the tricks. But this one really teaches you how to PERFORM them.

The biggest difference between a bad and good magician is that the good magician knows how to perform. In fact, it often has very little to do with how ‘advanced’ the tricks are; many of the best magicians in the world use incredibly simple tricks and techniques.

The secret lies in being able to perform and work an audience. And the best way to master that art is by reading and implementing the tips in this book!

Think of it like playing the Piano. It’s one thing being able to know which notes to play, and it is another skill altogether to know HOW to play them; playing them softer or louder, crescendo or diminuendo, etc.

It’s the same for magic. Just learning the tricks and moves themselves is no guarantee that you’ll be able to wow people. The key to wowing them is knowing HOW to sell the tricks and perform.

Tuition Fee: $39.95

11: The Magic Rainbow by Juan Tamariz

Who doesn’t love Juan Tamariz? 

This book is the most important theory text Tamariz has shared with the magic community. Possibly even the most important magic book on theory ever written. It combines essays, insight and analysis drawn from over forty years of thought by the most loved and respected magician in the world. 

Here’s what it covers:

• In the Magic Rainbow the Maestro himself shares his incredible and original methods to erase the spectators’ memories. Making the chances of them being able to back track to a method impossible.
• He provides techniques to create memories that heighten the impossibility of the trick. Not only now, but also in the future.
• He shares his own strategies for coping with mistakes that can happen during a performance.
• He teaches you how to combine comedy and drama in ways that make your magic better.
• He also highlights areas these two areas should isolate to make them stronger. 

“The Magic Rainbow is a ballad to magic and magicians. With lyrics that will steer your performances to heights you had never considered achievable.” – Vanishing Inc

“I’ve waited more than twenty years to read this book, and the wait was worth it. If you’ve spent years looking for magic but have only been finding tricks, this book may contain the secrets you’ve been searching for.” – Mike Weber

“The brilliance of Juan Tamariz, the greatest and most influential card magician alive, is the reason I can’t wait to read this book, cover to cover.” – David Blaine

Reviews

Tuition Price: £133.49

12: Scripting Magic (Volume 1) by Pete McCabe

For many magicians the thought of chaining themselves to a card table for 20+ years to learn sleight of hand is much more appealing to speaking in front of an audience. 

Pure tongue-tied terror.

When Scripting Magic was first released in 2007, it was an immediate, surprise sensation. Magicians around the world, hungry for ways to improve their magic, were thrilled to have a volume dedicated to the vital question: what do you say when you perform? 

Tuition Fee: £44.49

13: 13 Steps to Mentalism by Corinda

This book is for those of you that perhaps are more partial to mind reading or clairvoyance than you are to card magic. Often regarded as ‘the Bible of mentalism’, 13 Steps is the best book on the market for amateur mind readers.

Originally published as 13 individual booklets on different topics of mentalism, they were eventually combined to form this book. The techniques included range from ESP to telepathy, covering the secrets that magicians like Derren Brown still use today!

Note: Mentalists. Your going to want to read this (or watch this, I should say)

Magic Shop are selling a comprehensive video series, where the modern-day master Richard Osterlind performs dynamic effects from each step of 13 Steps to Mentalism in front of a live audience.

Then, along with co-host Jim Sisti, digs deep into the principles and concepts that make this material so strong and timeless. This video set ably demonstrates why Corinda’s 13 Steps To Mentalism will always be a fundamental and substantial part of any mentalist’s education.

There isn’t as much Mentalism magic material out there as coin and card magic so if your interested in mind reading then I’d think this would be a really smart learning investment.

Beginner Mentalists! Read the book. Then watch the series. You’ll have all the groundwork laid out for you!

Welcome to the School of Mentalism…

Total Tuition Fee: £156.98

14: The Encyclopedia of Mentalism and Mentalists 

The Encyclopedia of Mentalism and Mentalists is the ultimate resource for mind readers.

This Encyclopedia contains nearly 600 pages of must-have information on performing feats of Mentalism. 13 chapters teach you step-by-step instruction through text and illustration. Also contained in this volume are an additional twelve fascinating chapters detailing the lives of Mind Readers and Psychics past and present.

Disclaimer: This book actually contains 13 Steps To Mentalism. So If you are a mentalist I wouldn’t buy both. Just buy one or the other. I’d recommend getting this one because it’s much cheaper and contains Masters of Deception.

Your about to earn your graduate in mentalism…Are you ready to turn pro?

Tuition Fee: £28.99

15: Art of Astonishment Series by Paul Harris

A Total of 222 Effects. 73 Brand New Creations. 

The Complete, Ultimate Paul Harris Collection.

This three-volume set of books contains all of Pauls classics, updated and refined, as well as 73 brand-new creations! All in all, these books contain over 900 pages of Paul Harris including a ground-breaking essay discussing the feeling of astonishment as our natural state of mind.

“I’ve studied and performed magic for 50 years. In these books you find thousands of dollars worth of genius effects for $135. What are you waiting for?”

Tuition Fee: £39.99 (Volume 1)

Tuition Fee: £119.97 (Volume 1-3)

16: Magic and Showmanship by Henning Nelms

Magic and Showmanship and Maximum Entertainment are must have books if you are serious about taking your performances to the next level.

Magic and Showmanship is a handbook for conjurers, packed full of great information on how to perform for your audiences.

Without having mastered the art of presentation or “showmanship” however, even the most competent sleight-of-hand artist can fall short in performance. With this in mind, Henning Nelms goes beyond the basics to show how techniques developed for the stage by playwrights, directors and actors can heighten the dramatic effect of a magician’s performance.

This book is indispensable.

Tuition Fee: £13.49

17: A Collection of Drawing Room Perceptions

Drawing Room Deceptions did not become the publisher’s fastest selling book ever just by chance. No, the sheer mass of sales, was specifically interrelated with the breath-taking beauty of the book cover.

At least in my case it was..

Tuition Fee: £39.49

18: How Magicians Think by Joshua Jay

How magicians think is Joshua Jay’s love letter to magic and the greatest magicians in the world. 

There are fifty two chapters in total (Same as a card deck) and each one answers a core question that people have about the art of magic.

• Have you ever screwed up a trick? 
• Who’s the best magician in the world? 
• Was Houdini really as good as people said he was? 
• Why do magicians have big ego’s? 

It’s an incredibly fascinating love letter. Ahem book, to read and one I couldn’t recommend highly enough.

Tuition Price: £23.99 

19: Grandpa Magic: World’s Best Magic Book for Grandparents?

This will be cemented into the realm of legendary magic books.

Grandpa Magic contains 116 tricks, stunts, and brainteasers that will engage the grandchildren and provide giggles, jaw-dropping awe, and wonderful memories.

This book practically guarantees you to make grand-parenting even more fun, Grandpa Magic is sure to entertain-and crack up- the grandkids. From the old pull-a-quarter-from-behind-a-kid’s-ear trick and “removing your thumb” to card tricks, stunts for the dinner table, and verbal puzzles that surprise and delight, there’s something for everyone. Step-by-step illustrations make them easy to learn.

I plead you to buy this for your quirkiest grandparent this christmas!

Cost: £16.49

20: Greater Magic  by John Northern Hilliard

Ugh. Many of you will fall asleep reading this, I can testify from personal experience.

But for all you magic scholars our their Greater Magic explains the most practical methods of performing new and startling feats of magic. It covers the whole field from pocket tricks to stage illusions. In its profusely illustrated pages are detailed explanations of all that is worthwhile in magic, written with the definite purpose of showing the reader just how to do them properly. It’s a monolith of a book and one to respect.

Tuition Fee: £109.99

21: Joshua Jay’s Amazing Book of Cards

This is the best book on the list if you’re picking a book to get your kids started with.

The difficulty with learning magic is that the majority of the teaching books are REALLY old and quite often, REALLY boring.

Luckily, we have books like Joshua Jay’s that help create a more fun and engaging way to learn some cool magic tricks.

This book has all the teaching you need on learning different shuffles, moves and flourishes PLUS a whole bunch of awesome tricks that are guaranteed foolers.

You also get an instructional DVD along with this product which is another plus. One of the big problems people have with magic trick books is that sometimes the text instructions just don’t cut it. It can be really hard to visualise what is meant to be going on, but that is solved with the addition of the DVD to the book.

Tuition Fee: £14.99

22: By Force Unseen by Stephen Minch

Rarely does card magic come along as strikingly original as that found in this book.

Among the effects taught in this truly remarkable volume you will find chosen cards that fly from the deck when you clap your hands, cards that materialise at your fingertips when someone concentrates on them, selections that pop from the middle of the pack with a flick of your wrist…and 17 other extraordinary events.

Behind the shimmering veil of magic you will discover a rich body of innovative sleight-of-hand that includes motionless one-handed bottom palms, slow-motion fingertip card steals, in-detectable palm-to-palm transfers, refined riffle-shuffle work and more.

Seldom does one find a work of such determined invention and artistry. If you delight in baffling card magic and exquisite sleight-of-hand-in magic that puts you a running cut ahead of your competition-you’ll want By Forces Unseen.

Tuition Fee: £42.99

23: Coin Magic: The Complete Book of Coin Tricks by Jean Hugard

If you’re looking for a quick read this might be the coin magic book for you! At around 90 pages it’s certainly something you can easily get through on one particularly long bus ride…

The tricks themselves well… 

Maybe that’ll take you longer than just the one bus ride. It’s a very detailed book despite the fact that it’s not as long as one might have expected. Some great tricks, well explained and relatively easy to learn once you begin to master the basics!

This is the cheapest book on the list so far!

Tuition Fee: £5.99

24: Blomberg Laboratories by Andi Gladwin

This book takes a lot of classic plots and adds original sleights to make them super fooling. Open the book at any page and you’re going to find a pretty stellar routine. 

Sleight of hand fans are in for a treat as the book is full of new effects and techniques. In particular, pay attention to Tomas’ work with the spread double lift: this refined technique has been used by card magic’s elite for many years and it is finally published here, for the first time, along with five effects using it.

Tuition Fee: $59

25: Apocalypse Deluxe 16-20 (Volume 4)

This is the deluxe collector’s limited edition which was signed by Harry Lorayne.

With over 325 card and close to 70 coin effects, routines, ideas, and over 110 other effects with: bills, bottles, boxes, candles, card cases, business cards, keys, matchboxes, rings, roses, rubber bands, scrabble tiles, silks, spoons, balls, shoelaces, thimbles, wallets, gambling demos, sugar packet, book tests, chain loops – and more, Apocalypse #4 continues in the tradition of volumes 1, 2 and 3.

“One could easily become a professional sleight of hand magician with just the information in those volumes.”

Hermit Magic Magazine

Tuition Fee: £145.25

26: Introduction to Coin Magic by Shigeo Futagawa

If you’re a beginner at coin magic like I am, this is the book for you.

This Japanese wizard has certainly got your back – his name is Shiego Futagawa and this is his book introduction to Coin Magic.

It must be noted that this book was translated from Japanese but I didn’t even really notice until I looked the actual guy up myself.

It’s well diagrammed, clearly explained and at 200 words a bit more in-depth than the previous book on coins I noted.

Tuition Price: $19.99

27: Revolutionary Card Technique by Ed Marlo

Here it is-the legendary Ed Marlo’s entire Revolutionary Card Technique series all together in one volume! 

By all rights it should be lower on the list with over 500 pages, more than 1000 illustrations and 14 chapters covering all aspects of advanced manipulation, this is the most complete single reference book on Ed Marlo’s card magic available. 

Tuition Price: £66.99

28: The Books of Wonder by Tommy Wonder

Never has there been a more articulate manifesto declaring magic a true art. And never has one man offered a more detailed and coherent plan for achieving art by the practice of magic.

This set contains both Books of Wonder – a treasure trove of amazing magic and theory.

Through a series of tricks, routines and essays, Tommy Wonder provides a clear blueprint for an uncompromising brand of magical theatre. Along the way he explains his professional routines for Close-up. Stand-up, Walk-around and Stage.

Tuition Price: £76.99

29: Which Hand Method & Philosophy 

Which Hand Method & Philosophy is a secret that I would have taken to my grave…

But now that he’s whispered the method to us, it’s up to us to keep it a secret. 

“I saw this effect about 5 years ago when travelling through Holland and it fooled the s**t out of me. My only guess was that Timon was guessing, I was wrong, he knew! When I found out the method I smiled without saying a word for about two minutes. I Highly, highly recommend it.” – Peter Turner

“You’re a f***ing idiot. I’d have kept this a secret forever.” – Colin McLeod

Tuition Price: Priceless

30: Magic by Misdirection by Dariel Fitzkee

Understanding how to apply misdirection to your magic tricks is probably one of the most useful ways you can dramatically improve your performance. 

Magic by Misdirection teaches in detail the psychology of misdirection and ways you can use that in your magic tricks. The finest minds of magic have recognized it as a vital core text on the subject.

It teaches you the psychological techniques and methods you can use to fool your audience:

• Disguise
• Attention Control
• Simulation
• Dissimulation
• Interpretation
• Maneuver
• Pretence
• Ruse
• Anticipation
• Diversion
• Monotony
• Premature Consummation
• Confusion
• Suggestion… and others!

Fitzkee also gives you examples in the form of magic tricks that incorporate these techniques.

Tuition Price: £18.99

31: Absolute Magic by Derren Brown

Absolute Magic offers the profoundest thinking, expressed in the most memorable and vivid prose, and is a necessary modern classic for the magician or mentalist striving to make his performances more powerful.

This is a manifesto for performing excellence, not a mere collection of routines. Those who study it carefully will find much practical information, not only on close-up magic (Derren’s emotion packed presentation for the floating ring, for example) and mentalism, but also his unique approach to theatrical pick-pocketing.

Tuition Price: $1,633.91 (Ridiculous…)

32: Foundations: The Art of Stage Magic

Although the art of magic does not only consist of tricks and technique, roughly 99% of all magic books mainly deal with these topics.

“New” tricks, techniques and moves, those seen by the lay audience, upstage all the other, behind the scenes, backstage elements, which are equally if not more important to a successful presentation.

The book is a basic work in which no tricks are explained, but however, it contains everything you have to know for the magic and performing arts.

Foundations is a book about the development and composition of a magic act.

Tuition Fee: £50.25

33: No Man’s Land Series (Volume 1) by Mr Kiyoshi Satoh

No Man’s Land is a collection of treasured works by Japan’s King of underground magicians, Mr. Kiyoshi Satoh, from the past 40 years, previously unavailable to magicians outside of Japan. Now you can have it.

What’s inside the book?

No Man’s Land series progresses from simple to profound, with detailed notes on all the techniques involved.

No Man’s Land Vol 1 contains:

• Two core techniques.
• Two pure sleights of hand packet tricks.
• Seven packet tricks utilizing gaffed cards.
• One interview.
• 155 pages: Full colour printing – Hardbound
• 46 Illustrations.
• Comes with all the special gaffed cards for you to start learning right out of the box.
• Performance video of each routine. (Performed by Chinese underground magician Peter Gao)

Tuition Fee: £51.49

34: Mysterious Stranger: A Book of Magic

In this book David Blaine offers a fascinating foray into his unique realm of magic, which relies upon meaning, not props and costumes, allowing readers to learn about optical illusions and magic effects that stimulate the mind in a per-verbal way, the skill of mind-reading, the history of magic and the legendary illusionists who inspire him, and techniques that will amaze and confuse others. 150,000 first printing.

Tuition Fee: £34.54

35: Preserving Mystery by Jamy Ian Swiss

This 250-page volume is a collection of 18 thought-provoking essays about the art, craft, and history of magic that is likely to stimulate, inform, excite, entertain, and perhaps occasionally enrage any serious magician.

Tuition Fee: £30.99

36: Shattering Illusions by Jamy Ian Swiss 

Perhaps no book ever written on the subject of magic has been so controversial and debated as Shattering Illusions, and it remains relevant and topical today. This book is a neo-classic and worthy of careful study.

Tuition Fee: £32.99

37: Devious Standards by Jamy Ian Swiss

Devious Standards is the second essay collection from Jamy Ian Swiss, and it contains twenty of the most acclaimed essays from one of magic’s most distinguished and celebrated authors. 

Highlights:

• The Method Is Not the Trick
• Discovering Importance and “Empathy
• Tributes to Billy McComb, Bob Read, and Martin Nash.
• A Dissertation on the Double Lift
• Roadmap to improving your own double lift.
• The JS Rules of Magic.
• The Last Layman

Tuition Fee: £30

38: The Works by Jamy Ian Swiss

Yes, we’re slightly cheating here but you can also buy all three books in an incredible 3-part series from one of magic’s most respected thinkers Jamy Ian Swiss that features challenging, informative, stimulating essays designed to elevate magic from craft to art.

Tuition Fee: £90

39: Designing Miracles by Darwin Ortiz

Designing Miracles is the sequel to Strong Magic, and it too is an absolute must-read.

Many have argued convincingly that it’s a more important book than Strong Magic, only because it tackles a subject never before covered in such depth: How to structure a magic effect for maximum impact.

Here Darwin leaves presentation to focus on the actual mechanics of a trick’s plot, and how to squeeze as much impact from a trick as possible.

Tuition Fee: £36.25

41: The Magic Way by Juan Tamariz

From the moment it appeared in 1987, The Magic Way was recognized as one of the world’s great books on magic.

In The Magic Way, Juan Tamariz teaches in full some of his most prized tricks and routines. Among them are…

• The Tamariz Ambitious Card routine
• His Magazine Test with Spirit Slates
• His remarkable Oil and Water routine
• Nineteen additional and original Oil and Water sequences
• And Juan’s version of Al Koran’s “Miracle Divination”, in which, under the fairest-seeming conditions, someone freely thinks of a card in the deck and, without touching the cards, the performer swiftly and unerringly names the one thought of.

All these effects pull audible gasps from the public and magicians, and they have been perfected through hundreds, if not thousands of performances.

Tuition Fee: £44.49

42: Magic in Mind

What if I told you there is a book with contributions from Derren Brown, Teller, and Juan Tamariz? How about if the book also included contributions from John Carney, Darwin Ortiz, Tommy Wonder, Pit Hartling, Rene Lavand, Tom Stone, and nearly thirty other magic luminaries?

And what if I told you that this collection was entirely free?

Tuition Fee: £0

43: Card College Light by Roberto Giobbi

This is the first of two books in the “Light” series. It’s a collection of card tricks that require absolutely no sleight of hand. Instead they rely in clever structure, subtleties and routining.

The 21 tricks have been compiled into complete routines, each lasting around ten minutes. So not only will you learn some great tricks – you’ll also learn some complete performance pieces with great patter and presentation.

Tuition Fee: £39.99

44: Card College Lighter by Roberto Giobbi

Following in the footsteps of his Card College Light, Roberto Giobbi teaches the secrets of professional-caliber card magic, providing insights into the presentation, psychology and routining that make these simple tricks into seeming miracles. He gives the reader all the tools necessary for a professional-quality performance.

Tuition Fee: £29.99

45: Card College Lightest by Roberto Giobbi

Card College Lightest is the final volume of Roberto Giobbi’s acclaimed ‘Light’ trilogy. In it are taught 18 thoroughly astonishing tricks of professional quality, complete with performing psychology, presentations, valuable tips and insights, all of which contribute to making these sleight-less effects into near miracles.

Tuition Fee: £30.99

46: Verbal Magic by Juan Tamariz

Using only a few playing cards, pieces of paper and other common objects as props, Juan Tamariz and Gema Navarro lead you through a variety of entertaining processes that provoke utter amazement in Verbal Magic.

Tamariz combines clever principles, old and new, with cunning psychology and ground-breaking strategies, to make magic happen in your hands. He fools you into amazing yourself!

Tuition Fee: £42.99

47: Approaching Magic by Dominic Reyes

While this book isn’t as renowned as most of the others on this list, it’s a unique insight into maximising your magic practice so it doesn’t control your life. It also happens to be free…

Have you ever felt that you practice your magic regularly, but fail to get the results you want? 

This book will you teach you:

• Why magicians waste so much time getting little result
• How to avoid the ‘pitfall of choice’
• A structured, focused practice program
• Ways to stay motivated
• How to judge your progress
• The psychology of practice techniques
• How to spot and correct errors
• Example study programs
• Ways to Improve your existing material
• How to build a presentation into your practice
• The 20/20/20 method of practice
• Techniques to avoid performance drift
• How to set practice goals
• The best way to remove a practice plateau
• And much, much more

Tuition Fee: £0

48: Confronting Magic by Steve Cohen

While “Confronting Magic” does not dive into secrets or methods, the more than 100 exclusive illustrations perfectly embody the jubilance felt by every audience and allow the reader to understand why people from around the world continue to return to Cohen’s magical parlour time after time.

While music can make you dance and comedy can make you laugh, “Confronting Magic” explores why only magic can make you wonder!

Tuition Fee: £51.49

49: Mysterio’s Encyclopedia of Magic and Conjuring

This book is an illustrated step-by-step instructions for rope tricks, money magic, mind-reading effects, stage illusions, everyday magic, and plenty of all-new card tricks. Readers will learn how to bend spoons, stretch handkerchiefs, levitate glassware, make small children disappear, shuffle playing cards with aplomb, and much more-everything from simple street-magic effects to epic on-stage illusions.

Tuition Fee: £16.49

50: 50 Secrets To Successful Magic

Being a magician these days requires more knowledge and inside information than ever. There are more types of venues, more types of audiences, and you need not only the skills of a magician, but the foresight of a business man, the creativity of a marketing expert and the social expertise of a master diplomat. And that’s just for starters.

Tuition Fee: £30.99

51: Magic With A Smile by Ralph Dell

A very rare and sought-after book. This book contains some fantastic magic featuring: Automatic Ambition, Black & Tan, China Tea, and Serpent Rope plus much, much more.

Tuition Fee: £29.49

52: Practical Mental Magic by Theodere Annemann

In this volume, one of the greatest of all mental magicians reveals the secrets behind nearly 200 astonishing feats of mental magic.

The included routines encompass 12 major categories:

• Effects with Billets and Pellets
• Publicity Effects
• Dead or Alive
• Book Tests
• Thought Foretold
• Envelope Necromancy
• Miracle Slate Routines
• Money Mentalism
• Blindfold Reading
• Mentalism with Cards
• Psychic Codes
• Miscellaneous Mental Masterpieces

Tuition Fee: £14.49

53: Stand Up Magic by Paul Romhany

“What makes STAND UP MAGIC stand out as a publishing coup is that the routines were not assembled merely to fill out the pages, these are routines that have been created for the sole purpose of actually performing them! Romhany has done his homework very thoroughly, and is very gracious in sharing thirty years of research about what to do and why it works These thirty routines have been the foundation of Paul’s professional career, and it is very rare that a performer is willing to share that kind of information.”

– Nick Lewin

Tuition Fee: £149.99

54: Mathematics, Magic & Mystery by Martin Gardner

No skill at sleight-of-hand is needed to perform the more than 500 tricks described. Mathematics guarantees their success, they will work for anyone.

Mathematics Magic and Mystery includes detailed examinations of laws and their application permits you to create your own problems and effects.

Tuition Fee: £10.49

55: Turn Magic Into Money by Chris Burton

This is a guide I think most amateur magicians wanting to earn money really need…

His aim for writing this book was for magicians that would love to be able to start performing magic for money and become a professional magician.

Tuition Fee: £10,000 £14.99

56: Thrilling Magic by Leonard H. Miller

Thrilling Magic is filled with hard-to-find and very rare effects in the world of fire effects, side show feats, and the like. Some of the effects taught:

• Eating a Ball of Fire
• Human Volcano
• Chewing Molten Lead
• Swallowing Burning Oil
• Fire Eating (Chinese Method)
• Sword Swallowing
• Driving a Spike into Head
• Human Pincushion
• Eating Glass
• Temperature Rising

Tuition Fee: £17.99

57: The Top Change by Magic Christian

In this book you will learn tools that can elevate your card magic to new heights. You are about to enter the royal court of card magic’s reigning monarch.

Tuition Fee: £35.49

58: The Magic Menu (Year 1-10)

Throughout this huge volume, performers like Michael Close, Kirk Charles, Jay Sankey, Simon Lovell, David Acer, Gregory Wilson, David Harkey and many, many others share their experience and magical ideas and, in the process, help equip you to be a better performer.

Tuition Fee: 85.98

59: O.O.P.S. Magic and Mentalism by Paul Hallas 

Effects in this collection demonstrate time travel, remote viewing, causing thought-of cards to travel inside a spectator’s wallet, the hypnotic qualities of rare berries, and demonstrating that love conquers all with a few alphabet cards. And there’s a lot more! It’s Paul’s most diverse collection since Magic From The Overground.

Tuition Fee: £26.49

60: Encyclopedia of Egg Magic by Donato Colucci

319 large pages containing more than 270 tricks and routines gathered form hundreds of sources, plus nearly 50 more articles pertaining to the performance of uncommon and amazing things with the common and humble egg, supplemented by over 490 illustrations by J.K. Schmidt. Of special note is a wealth of material for the parlour and stage magician.

Tuition Fee: £51.49

61: Magic With The Rubiks Cube by Nicola Lazzarini

Magic with the Rubik’s Cube is an incredibly useful book for magicians wanting to learn Rubik’s cube magic. It teaches revolutionary techniques, and innovative ideas to expand your magical repertoire through the use of the Rubik’s Cube.

Tuition Fee: £25.49

62: The Award-Winning Rope Magic by Francis Tabary

Master one great rope trick and you will have a piece of magical entertainment that will serve you well for the rest of your life under almost any performing conditions. Rope Magic is the ultimate “packs small, plays big” effect. In The Award-Winning Rope Magic of Francis Tabary, not only will you learn the rope routine that won him the title of World Champion, but you will learn enough high-quality, stunning rope magic to keep you busy for a lifetime!

Tuition Fee: £55.99

63: The New Modern Coin Magic by J.B. Bobo

If you are looking for a more modernised version of Modern Day Coin Magic then this book is for you.

This book is the World’s Most Complete Text Book of Coin Magic in its 14th printing!

Highly recommend for coin magicians!

Tuition Fee: £42.99

64: Magic: The Complete Course by Joshua Jay

MAGIC: The Complete Course by Joshua Jay is one of the best books for beginners in magic. Featuring an incredible variety of amazing magic tricks, this magic book has taught and inspired countless magicians around the world.

Tuition Fee: £16.75

65: Unanchored by Ryan Schultz

Unanchored is a compilation of Ryan Schultz’s best routine and tricks from prior to the start of his popular False Anchors brand.

This beautiful hardback book has more than 250 pages and 250 images. There is a trick (or ten) in here for every magician’s repertoire. While it’s largely related to close up card magic, there are even some parlor magic routines and accompanying performance videos.

Tuition Fee: £133.50 (Comes with a gorgeous deck of cards…)

66: The Wondrous World of Pick Pocketing

The idea of learning pickpocketing is a skill that scares many magicians. Luckily, there is a way to build up your confidence without ever needing to really steal anything. In this incredible book, FISM-winnner Hector Mancha introduces you to the art of theatrical pickpocketing.

There are definitely real pickpocketing skills in here. You’ll learn how to steal watches, belts, ties, glasses, etc. This includes specially-designed practice drills and routines. But, the true value comes from the ***psuedo-pickpocketing*** techniques you’ll learn.

Tuition Fee: £35.60

67: The Mendez Principle by Frazer Parker

“The Mendez principle is such a unique piece of Mentalism, NOT just because of the effects it now makes possible to perform prop-less but because of the method itself – It’s very hard to describe what it feels like to perform this other than; THE REAL thing!

When Fraser told me the method I didn’t believe him, until we performed it on each other over and over again, with great success.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants their Mentalism to feel real, NOT just for their audience but for themselves too!”

– Dreygon Hibbler

Tuition Fee: £40.05

68: Classic Quintet

Two classic books now combined into one completely revised and re-illustrated volume!

This wonderful new book contains five of Richard’s earliest routines that originally appeared in two books that have long been out of print and have always been in great demand.

Tuition Fee: £44.50

69: Mentalism Presentations

We tend to forget that it’s only our words that stay with our audience. Therefore, Aazan has filled this book with scripts hoping that with the help of presentations will aid performers to justify their procedures.

Justifications for such as:

• WHY should the spectator write down their thought?
• WHY do we touch the billet?
• WHY do we need to tear the billet for a center tear?
• WHY do we put the billet inside our peek wallet?
• WHY do we go back to the wallet?

Tuition Fee: £53.45

70: Lock Picking Book (Volume 1-2)

Lock Picking Volume 1 & 2 is the best book on escapology and the art of lock-picking ever. Period.

Here’s what you’ll learn…

Volume 1:

• The warded lock
• Pin-tumbler and wafer locks
• Wafer locks
• The tension wrench turning tool
• Raking pin-tumbler and wafer cylinder locks
• Picking locks without a turning tool
• The lock gun
• The lock master
• Pure picking
• Opening locks without picking
• Rapping open locks
• Tools and apparatus

Volume 2:

• Impressioning
• Easy impressioning
• Removing the front of a lock
• Levered cabinet locks
• Turning tools
• Electric opening device
• Snap-closed padlocks
• The high-speed wizard
• Padlocks and cabinet locks
• Removing broken keys
• Tubular locks (advanced)
• Combination padlocks (advanced)
• Shimming open a lock (advanced)
• Wafer cylinder locks
• Beating wafer locks
• Spring-loaded padlocks

Tuition Fee: £22

71: Stars of Magic by Various Authors 

If you have not read and learned the magic contained in this book, you are not yet a full-fledged, close-up magician. 

This book is called ‘Stars of Magic’ and it’s a collection of the ‘greatest hits’ from many of the greatest magicians of the 20th century. The contents read like a ‘who’s who’ of magic—featuring contributions from Dai Vernon, Slydini, Scarne, Betram, Malini, and more.

You’ll discover over 40 of their most fooling routines and secrets, from a mind-melting slow-motion Ace Assembly to Vernon’s legendary Ambitious Card.

Many of the best magicians I know (the modern-day masters) credit their success to this book. In fact, the official dealer copy says “If you have not read and learned the magic contained in this book you have no business calling yourself a close-up magician.”

Ouch. But not far from the truth.

Tuition Fee: £30.99

72: Repertoire by Asi Wind

This volume presents an extensive collection of Asi Wind’s repertoire that stretches over the last two decades.

​Asi’s style of performance has led him to devise magic that seems as fair as it gets and magic almost happens by itself. These routines that have been kept under wraps for many years are laid out here for the first time in great detail. ​

Asi also revisits several routines he published in the past and brings them up to date with added details and features that he developed over the years while performing them.​

This elegant leather-bound book, written by Asi Wind with John Lovick includes nearly one hundred original watercolour paintings by Asi, illustrating twenty-one routines.

Tuition Fee: $100

73: Performing Magic by Tony Middleton

This is a Handbook on Performance for Magicians…

This is a book for those who want to perform magic successfully in the real world.

It is the only magic book in history that teaches you, step-by-step, how to create a magic act from start to finish: from initial conception to walking out in front of an audience.

Tuition Fee: £34.99

74: Principia by Harapan Ong

Principia is Vanishing Inc.’s best-selling magic book of all time. Jam-packed with 60 radically innovative, fun and practical card tricks, Principia offers something for everyone from for beginner magicians to card magic with gimmicked playing cards for more advanced card handlers.

Tuition Fee: £43.75

75: Distilled by Ryan Plunkett

This gorgeous book is bursting with practical and professional material that has been carefully refined (or distilled) like a fine whiskey over countless performances in front of live audiences.

Featuring a fascinating mix of entertaining plots like his vanishing deck of cards effect known as the “Gravity Deck” or his versions of classic card tricks like Dai Vernon’s “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”, Distilled is a book that is sure to intrigue any card magician.

Tuition Fee: £40

76: Game-changer by Jason Ladanye

Beyond highlighting his technical prowess at the card table, such as his acclaimed work on the Pinky Count, this book offers 18 powerful, audience-tested card magic tricks that showcase Jason’s incredible creativity. While Game Changer is definitely best suited for intermediate to advanced card magicians, all of the sleights and tricks are taught with explicit detail and high-quality photos to ensure they can be easily understood by every magician.

Tuition Fee: £43.75

77: The Illusioneer by Carlos Vaquera

The Illusioneer offers a rare look into the mind of a master magician and was a massive success in its original French language. So much so, Vanishing Inc. worked directly with Carlos to bring this critically-acclaimed book to an English-speaking audience.

In addition to the more than 30 direct and powerful card tricks included in this amazing magic book, The Illusioneer features a collection of insightful essays about the art of performing magic that any magician will benefit from reading.

Tuition Fee: £35

78: Ambitious Card Omnibus

The Ambitious Card Omnibus by Stephen Minch was a slim but dense volume dedicated to all the best phases of the Ambitious Card plot. There are standard handlings as well unusual phases that have been largely forgotten since its 1987 publication. The book is written by magic’s foremost author, Stephen Minch, so you can expect high-quality and detailed instruction. And Daryl is at the center of the book, thanks to his FISM-winning handling of the Ambitious Card routine.

Tuition Fee: £43.75

79: Pure Imagination by Scott Robinson

Scott Robinson creates some of the most interesting visual close-up magic that we have ever seen. In his hands, coins appear in three separate locations at once and cards dematerialise in ways that we never thought were possible.

His magic is the rare complete combination: deceptive, entertaining, and visual. In his introduction, Steve Beam called him “one of his favourite magicians” — and we understand why.

Tuition Fee: £43.75

80: Interpreting Magic by David Regal

There is no doubt:

• You will be a better magician after reading Interpreting Magic.
• You will discover new material for your performances.
• You will be inspired.

Tuition Fee: £60

81: Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown

In this book Derren teaches you how to read clues in people’s behaviour and spot liars. He discusses the whys and wherefores of hypnosis and shows how to do it. And he investigates the power of suggestion and how you can massively improve your memory. He also takes a long hard look at the paranormal industry and why some of us feel the need to believe in it in the first place. Alternately hilarious, controversial and challenging.

Tuition Fee: $54.99

82: Self-Working Card Tricks by Karl Fulves

Individual tricks in this book have sold for more than the price of the entire book. Amateurs can use them to get a start in magic and to feel, at once, the rewards of giving a professional performance. Advanced and professional magicians will find tricks to add to their acts or informal routines. Author Karl Fulves is one of the best-known writers and editors in the field of magic.

Tuition Fee: £5.99

83: 101 Clever Card Tricks by Cara Frost-Sharratt 

This simple step-by-step guide makes magic easy no matter what your age.

From easy illusions that can be mastered in minutes to more elaborate sleights of hand that will test your speed and brain power, 101 amazing tricks is for everyone.

Tuition Fee: $7.71

84: The Magic Book by Harry Lorane

“The Magic Book” reveals the secrets of magicians―the simple techniques that will enable anyone to perform seemingly complicated magic tricks with relative ease. Clearly written and heavily illustrated―there are over 200 illustrations in all―this book guides you through the basic principles of magic using only common household items: a deck of cards, coins, rubber bands, and even a potato. The author then provides simple step-by-step instructions for hundreds of amazing tricks which he has perfected after forty years of painful trial and error.

Tuition Fee: £16.99

85: Self Working Coin Magic by Karl Fulves

Clearly worded instructions and 251 illustrations show beginning as well as veteran conjurers how to pluck a seemingly endless number of coins from the air, make a coin penetrate a tabletop and perform psychic tricks with coins and bills.

Tuition Fee: £6.99

86: Self Working Number Magic by Karl Fulves

With Self-Working Number Magic, you can perform show-stopping tricks, stunts and routines that are sure to delight audiences because they capitalize on our natural fascination for numbers. Karl Fulves, well-known writer in the field of magic, presents 101 baffling tricks that are so easy-to-do, they practically work by themselves.

While all the tricks involve basic mathematical principles, the mathematics is not discussed here; rather, emphasis is on performing and perfecting the tricks. They can be learned quickly and put into operation immediately, and best of all, they really dazzle an audience!

Tuition Fee: £7.49

87: The Long Goodbye by Stephen Minch and Stephen Hobbs

The Long Goodbye presents all of Latta’s known coin magic, published and unpublished. It is a record of brilliant innovation that coin-magic aficionados will be absorbing, mastering and emulating for years to come.

“He was that good. No, he was better–because no story, no book, no photograph, not even video, will ever truly capture what it was like to see those hands up close.”

Jamy Ian Swiss

Tuition Fee: £70.99 (Includes free DVD…)

Ok, you’ve waited long enough. If you’ve stuck around this long and your reading this you are in for a treat. It’s time for the memorised deck.

88: Card Fictions by Pit Hartling

Card Fictions has become a modern classic. It’s our pick of the best magic book of the last five years and one that you really must read. The book contains these seven amazing fictions:

Card Fictions will not enable you to do any of those things. Most of them are, after all, impossible. Fortunately, however, we can make our spectators experience these impossibilities anyway. We do that by creating fictions; in this case Card Fictions.

1. You sense the colours of playing cards through a solid table.
2. You stack four Poker hands in less than ten seconds.
3. You kick any named number of cards off a tabled deck.
4. You put chaos to order.
5. You magically move cards to any positions in the pack at will.
6. You transpose a card from between a spectator’s hands to under his watch.
7. You instantly memorize the order of a shuffled deck.

Tuition Fee: £32.75

89: The Buena Vista Shuffle Club by Matt Baker

The Buena Vista Shuffle Club is the debut effort from Matt Baker, a mathematics professor by trade and a creative magician by night.

Mr. Baker brings his analytical background to his approach to magic, and the results are an intriguing, satisfying array of tricks that are not at all difficult to perform.

Instead, most rely on clever principles, gripping premises, and subtle methods to accomplish astonishing results. You’ll find over 100 pages dedicated to memorised deck work, which is our favourite section of the book.

Tuition Fee: £44.49

90: The Memory Arts by Sarah & David Trustman

This new book shows you how to memorise any deck in less than an hour!

No prior memorisation is necessary!

The Memory Arts is our most beautiful book to date. Full-colour, with pictures on every page, this book details the simple, secret formula that will allow you to remember things better – and not just in magic.

The best part is that once you read the book and incorporate their system, you’ll be able to remember ALL SORTS OF THINGS. Not just the Aronson or Tamariz Stack, but other things from your life: phone numbers, to-do lists, your children’s names. 

“This book makes Memory Training fun!”

Dominic O’Brien (World Memory Champion)

Tuition Fee: £36.25

91: Mnemonica by Juan Tamariz

Juan Tamariz, arguably the finest magician in the world, explains in great detail his own stack, how to memorize it, and many tricks with it.  

The advantage of Mnemonica stack is that you can get into it (and out of it) with new deck order. This makes a colossal finish, or allows you to get into the stack when you open a fresh pack. 

Tamariz teaches you how to memorize the stack-forever—in as little as three hours. 

Whether you’re new to memorised deck work, or whether you already know a memorised stack, we think you’ll enjoy Tamariz’s great work.

Tuition Fee: £55.99

92: The Aronson Approach by Simon Aronson

This is Simon’s first hardbound solo effort, is perhaps the least-discussed and most under-rated Aronson book. It has two FABULOUS memorised deck pieces, “Bait and Switch” and “Four Part Harmony,” which both utilise important memorised deck principles you’ll come back to again and again.

Tuition Fee: £22

93: Try The Impossible by Simon Aronson

This book was released to enormous critical acclaim. Aronson fans around the world were delighted with both the memorised deck sections and the new tricks debuted here.

If memorised deck magic is your interest, this book has a chapter full of terrific magic. But be warned: in this case, the magic is SPECIFIC to the Aronson stack. Most of these tricks will not work with other memorised decks.

Tuition Fee: £34.49

94: Bound to Please by Simon Aronson

If you decide to buy Simon Aronson’s books separately, start with Bound to Please.

This book is actually four books combined into one (“bound” to please, get it?). It’s all of Aronson’s early works, including A Stack to Remember, which gives you all the introductory tips and techniques to memorising a deck, as well as some great yet simple tricks using the memorised deck stack.

Most importantly, this is the only place that all the HIDDEN SECRETS Simon built into his stack are explained. There is a reason that cards 48 and 50 are what they are, and there’s a reason the Aces are at 6, 10, 18, and 22. Find out why…

The Aronson Stack: Everything You Need To Know

Tuition Fee: £29.99

95: Temporarily Out of Order by Patrick G. Redford

This stack was created by a magician who goes by the name of Patrick Redford (hence the name of the stack.)

Patrick Redford is one of the more underrated magicians that most people haven’t heard of—but he’s a true genius, and anyone who’s read his work will instantly recognise that!

Without going into too much detail, let me just say the following…

If you’re even somewhat familiar with stacked deck magic, you’ll know that the ‘Si Stebbins’ stack is one of the oldest stacks in the book—full of interesting ‘built-in’ magic. 

In fact, you might be wondering why Si Stebbins doesn’t feature on this list. 

Well, here’s the absolutely beautiful reason I haven’t listed Si Stebbins…

…the Redford stack can be ‘transformed’ into Si Stebbins in about 20 seconds…and vice versa!

How cool is that?

The stack itself is full of great built-in effects AND you can switch back and forth to the Si Stebbins stack at will. 

I think the strengths pretty much speak for themselves at this point. 

Tuition Fee: £53.49

96: Memorandum by Woody Aragon

In his new book, MEMORANDUM, Woody reveals his revolutionary work on the memorised deck. He thoroughly explains:

• – His Memorandum stack: A memorised deck that contains all the properties of Tamariz’s Mnemonica and Aronson’s stack, plus a lot of new concepts that makes it one of the best stacks created.
• – His method to memorise: You will be able to begin memorised deck magic and tricks in this book after 30 minutes!
• – A series of new ideas combining memorised deck and mathematical principles that will allow you to do real miracles.
• – More than 50 tricks and some chapters about tips and new ideas to apply to your memorised deck magic.
• Indulge yourself – with this expert instruction in MEMORANDUM, you’ll be on your way to performing with a memorised deck!

Tuition Fee: £53.49

97: In Order To Amaze by Pit Hartling

Again, here at the Daily Magician, we’re massive fans of Pit Hartling and especially his book: ‘In Order to Amaze’s

Which is full of beautiful routines and innovative principles.

We’ve read a lot of memorized deck books and there are a LOT out there, but none quite like this one.

What intrigued me most about this book is it feels like a book that shouldn’t just be read by memorized deck magicians… 

Not even just by magicians. 

This is a book that should be read by everyone, everywhere! 

In this amazing piece of work Pit Hartling Explores (in his own words):

A wide range of original effects, plots, and methods for the memorized deck (of the twenty-one routines,

three require the Tamariz Stack)…

Tuition Fee: £43.75

98: Scams & Fantasies With Cards by Darwin Ortiz

Scams & Fantasies with Cards is destined to take its place alongside these others as a modern classic. In this new, hardbound 235-page book he reveals thirty of his finest card creations yet. Highlights include:

• Great new work with a memorized stack. Not just mental effects, but commercial and mind-blowing effects accomplished with your favorite memorized stack.

Tuition Fee: £32.75

99: The Skyscraper Method by Benji Wilkins

Coming Soon...

I will admit that this is a piece of blatant and shameless self-promotion…since this is OUR book that is coming out next next year.

However, that said, I also think it would be fair to say…

…this book will be one of the most innovative and groundbreaking memorised deck books of all time!

Many magicians have heard of the memorised deck, and they know it’s rumoured to be THE best tool for achieving the most powerful effects in magic.

But many magicians also have no idea how THEY can start using the memorized deck.

The Skyscraper Method is a complete course in mastering the memorised deck…walking you from being a beginner that doesn’t even know how to memorize the deck, to a wizard performing the same effects as magicians like David Blaine, Juan Tamariz, and Chan Canasta.

100: The Boy Who Cried Magic

Andi Gladwin is the co-founder of magic company Vanishing Inc. Over the last decade, he’s published hundreds of books from other magicians.

But this year, finally…

…it was Andi’s turn to publish his own work!

This book is Andi’s complete professional repertoire. 16 routines from one of the smartest magicians alive.

It’s also gorgeously produced and FEELS like a magic book.

We actually recently had Andi on our podcast, Of Sleights and Men.

To hear Andi talk about this book with us, check out the podcast below:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/of-sleights-and-men/id1531579762

Here’s what other people have to say about this book…

“The Boy Who Cried Magic is a perfect magic book, written by the best writer in magic. The tricks are world-class performance pieces, and the book itself is stunning. Every magician should own it!”

– Dynamo

“The Boy Who Cried Magic is one of the most beautifully-designed magic books in recent memory. It looks and feels like something you’d find in an art bookstore. As for the magic, Andi Gladwin’s Undo Cut is a highly deceptive false cut that is going straight into my act.”

– Steve Cohen

Tuition Fee: £44.49

That’s probably enough to keep you busy for a 1000 years.

Our challenge:

Read them all before you die!

Enjoy!