Hi Jason

I have a liberary of 40+ books for about 3 years, but I could never finish any single one of them.
I'm wonder what is your approach when it comes to reading magic books. Do you read it cover to cover? with card in hands?
what do you think is the most efficient way to study magic books?

thank you

Morris

Morris,

I usually do read the book cover to cover and usually with cards in hand. I don't always work through every single routine, but it can be very instructive to do so. The only times I don't work through every single item is if I know conclusively that I won't perform the effect no matter what. For instance, I do very little coin magic, so I often skip over coin items in books that have a mixture of card and coin and close-up magic in them. If you do a wider variety of magic than I do, then you should probably read everything in the book.

There is no really "efficient" way to study magic books. You have to read them, you have to digest them, you have to practice the effects and theories within, and then you have to reflect and improve over time. That's not a rapid or efficient process, but it's effective.

Here is one thing I can tell you that might help: Although I've written in the margins of some of my books in the past, these days I usually put a piece or two of computer paper in the front of my books and take notes as I read. I leave those pages in the books and can tell at a glance which items I really enjoyed the last time I read through that book. This way I get all the benefits of taking margin notes, but I don't actually mark up the book.

Hope this helps.

Jason