I am not a beginner, but with the name Joshua Jay attached to it, I had to have a look at "Magic, The Complete Course".

Let me tell you, finally coming to review this is a bit of a daunting task. Every aspect of this product stands out as top of the league, and there a lot of aspects to this product!


Overview

The first thing that hit me with this product is how much product you actually get. This is a large 288 page full-colour paperback book including over 100 effects plus a lot more, including general tips, key vocabulary, routines, magic history, extensive crediting for effects both at the end of the DVD and after each effect in the book, and introductions to many of the big names in modern magic including Dai Vernon, Gregory Wilson, Tommy Wonder, Michael Close and many more. Furthermore, in the front cover of the book there is a sleeve containing a feature-length DVD (over two hours) of top quality teaching by Joshua Jay covering 35 effects from the book with multiple live performances for each effect, often in multiple settings.


Content

I was very surprised at the amount of newer material in this book. This is not just a book containing all the old classics that we see retaught again and again in beginners' DVDs and books. Some are familiar, and the essentials such as basic coin and card sleight of hand, linking rings etc. are all covered, but there are also many new ideas in here that can definitely see myself using. There is a really great variety of effects in here, including coins, cards, close-up, parlour and kids magic. There is even a section on effects using or done over the telephone! The name Daniel Garcia also came up, having contributed his paper-clip bending effect, "Telekeneticlip", to this book. Some of the ideas I will be taking away with me from this book include:

- A nice spoon bending effect in which a drawing of a spoon on a post it note begins to bend itself.
- A great routine for the invisible deck with a really nice audio and visual production of the deck and a much easier and n generally nicer way of handling the invisible deck than the norm.
- A nice simple prediction effect that will never leave you stuck when you are completely unprepared and are asked "Show us a trick"
- A novel use of a thumb tip to create a startling penetration.
- Josh's Rolling cut force, a highly deceptive and satisfying alternative to the riffle force
- A nice way of making people vanish from a photograph
- A way of stabbing your finger through a paper-clip in mid-air

...and many more.

Despite this being a book very much for beginners, even those at an intermediate or advanced level are likely to find enough in here to make it worthwhile.


Price

Finally, we come to price. I was surprised at the price when I first read the product description, but shortly after actually receiving it, I found myself repeatedly thinking, "Wait a minute... How much did I pay for this!?"

I paid £9.74. If you live in the US, you can get it brand new for $13.57.

I am still in disbelief at the value of this product. For the price of maybe a single effect download, even cheaper than most single and multiple effect DVDs, you could get this awesome book, which just so happens to have an awesome DVD with it. All the other beginner DVDs I've seen seriously pale in comparison to this book+dvd. Not only is this cheaper, it also significantly better in every way I can think of. Plus, including both a book and a DVD means that those who might not have approached a book as their first source will find the best of both worlds right here. It is great to be able to get used to learning from a book, as much of the best material out there is in a book.


Conclusion

I can't seem to say enough about this product. I don't take ratings lightly, but this gets a 10/10 all round. I don't like to write a review without writing some areas that could have been better, but I'm really struggling here... erm... The front cover is a tad busy?

If you still aren't convinced that you would benefit from this book, then make it your recommendation to anyone you know who is thinking of getting started in magic. It's really that good.

Hey Joe,

I cannot agree with your review more. In fact, I have this book down as one of my top books of 2008 (I think that's when it came out!).

Ben

This book is great for my little brother, that new to Magic......
for me, it's just collectible item....

I got this from Joshua at Blackpool this year, it was the last one and of course he signed it. Met his mum too she is so proud. I really just wanted Josh's autograph but when I started reading the material I was really amazed at now detailed the course was.
The best thing for me was the routining and the timing, this is something which is not taught often enough.
Very well done.

Got this a couple weeks ago. Love having the DVD as it illustrates some of the timing needed and some of the sublety that really helps the tricks work.

This book came out at the same time as another mass market book by Gabe Fajuri, "Mysterio's Encyclopedia of Magic and Conjuring. It's a hardbound book of over 300 pages and very well written and designed. The magic is outstanding. Some of the tricks between the two books are the same.

Check it out.

I took a look through it at the magic shop...Was going to buy it but a customer wanted it so I let him have it. Looked like it had some pretty decent stuff in there and cant wait to get it!

This is a great addition to the literature for the novice. My first magic book was Mark Wilson's inexpensive tome that still competes well with this new release. Jay's inclusion of a DVD is value added and makes for a great investment.

Josh's book is up to date with great material. But of you are buying by the pound, as many beginners do, Wilson is hard to beat.