Not sure where to start when buying a magic book?
Don’t worry I’ve done the hard work for you. Follow my advice and you’ll confidently be buying magic books that are right for you in no time.
Buying magic books is so addictive.
Why? Well, in a magic sense – all of us have had a moment where we thought one routine, one gimmick, or one move would FINALLY make us the magician we’ve wanted to be.
However, after learning them, we simply move onto the next new thing, not content with our lot.
It’s a dangerous cycle to be caught in.
The same vicious cycle of consumerism can be applied to buying magic books that can result in a brutal burnout or feeling inadequate, and at worst…an empty bank balance.
Thankfully there are a number of ways to ensure you pick the perfect magic book for you.
Five things to consider before buying a magic book:
- Your Age:
- The Level of Difficulty:
- What’s Your Style:
- Practise VS Theory:
- Relevance:
Are You a Child?
Magic books aren’t always inclusive to all age groups…
If you’re a child or reading this with a young child who loves magic then you need to be really careful before buying a magic book: Most magic books are incredibly boring and can often lack the necessary amount of visuals to spike curiosity and imagination.
Here are some of my top recommendations:
Top 3 Magic Books for Children:
- Joshua Jay’s Amazing Book of Cards:
- Big Magic for Little Hands (by Joshua Jay…)
- Magic Tricks for Kids:
Recommended Pick: Big Magic for Little Hands
Rating: 5/5
This book was written with a younger audience in mind and 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.
Here’s just a few tricks that are guaranteed to deliver big applause and big fun:
- Conjure an egg.
- Vanish a teacup.
- Teleport a glass of juice.
In this book you’ll get some expert teaching. Joshua Jay is actually a full time magician who is regarded as one of the best up and coming magicians in the world right now! He fooled Penn and Teller, set a Guiness World Record for card tricks, and has won multiple awards!
“There’s real power in magic. Your child won’t just be reading, practicing, and interacting with adults and peers—he or she will learn public speaking skills and attain real confidence. And your dinner parties will have a headlining magician, free of charge!”
What’s Your Style?
There are many types of magic out there…
(Here are just a few…)
- Card Magic
- Coin Magic
- Mentalism
Reading the books on the type of magic you love makes it more likely that your going too…
- Read it.
- Enjoy it.
- Learn from it.
Helpful Resources:
– Best Magic Book for Mentalism
– Best Magic Books for Card Magic
– Best Magic Books for Coin Magic
– 100 Books Every Magician Should Read Before They Die
How Good Are You…Honestly?
While it may seem exciting to learn what the pros are reading your probably slowing down your progress as a magician and wasting your money.
Learning tricks that challenge you BUT are POSSIBLE for you to learn is the surest way to improving your magic instead of trying to attempt the impossible and getting discouraged.
(You’ll save a lot of money this way and keep your motivation high…)
Levels of Graduation:
Level 1 (Beginners…): The Royal Road To Card Magic
Rating: 4/5
The Royal Road To Card Magic is the King of classics and is a rite of passage for beginner card magicians. It is an easy-to-understand book that walks you through classic tricks and sleights.
A great thing about this book is that it doesn’t just teach you the moves, but how to actually use these moves in tricks! You’ll receive training on different shuffles, controls, and all kinds of sleights plus how to use them in over a hundred different tricks.
This potent collection of card classic materials 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.
This is the most recommended card book for beginner magicians so it’s a safe bet.
Level 2 (Intermediate…): Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic
Rating: 5/5
This is the safest bet 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 just easy enough for beginners and challenging 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.
Level 3 (Advanced…): Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz
Rating: 5/5
This book is mainly targeted at magicians who are looking to take it to the next level, rather than people looking to just get started. The majority of this book is focused on theory rather than actual tricks.
But if you’re a magician who’s hoping to go pro at some point, this is a must have!
What do you learn?
Too much to put into a list!
Some of the most valuable insights I gained from this awesome book revolved around building a routine and above all, persona (or brand) for your magic.
For example, Darwin talks about the importance of using a ‘hook’ within your magic. A hook is a quick and visual trick that gets the audience’s attention. For example, the floating card is a great hook because it is very visual and doesn’t require any talking or discussion.
Once you’ve got their attention with your hook, you can go into your routine that you’ve set up.
This is just the kind of thing that you will learn in the book; loads of tips and hints like this are dropped throughout every chapter.
Practical Magic VS Magic Theory:
You’ll find that magic books usually fall into one of two categories:
- Practical Magic:
Books with pictures, tutorials and clear descriptions on how to perform innovative magic tricks: You learn to perform magic alongside reading.
- Magic Theory:
Books like Strong Magic: Teaching you HOW to become a better magician through theory.
Being able to identify what categories books fall into helps in choosing a magic book that is right for you because it gives you an easy framework into the type of magic you’ll be reading.
This leads me onto my next point…
Is it relevant…really?
One of the most useful concepts to think about before buying a magic book is deciding whether it’s relevant to you right NOW.
Let me explain…
This principle is kind of intertwined with all of the tips above. It’s all about picking books that are right for you at this CURRENT TIME.
- Pick books that are right for your age.
- Pick books that are right for your style.
- Pick books that are right for your ability.
- Pick books that are right for your practice.
Summary: Read ‘Just in Time Books’ instead of ‘Just in Case Books’
Pick what you need to read and don’t waste your time reading books that aren’t relevant.
Thank you for reading how to choose the perfect magic book for you.
We hope you found it helpful.
Happy Reading!
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