Hey Folks,

Do you try or find it necessary to learn every trick in the book? I find RRTCM kind of dry and I have a dislike for any trick that requires a setup as it cannot be done impromptu. What do you do when you hit a section or trick that doesn't grab you? Do you bull through or skip it?

Cyar,

I tend to skip tricks I don't like - especially if they don't suit me as a person. I am a big fan of Card College, but don't really like some of the tricks Giobbi suggests at the end of any section - ie. the tricks for use with the DL.
I now tend to suplement Card College with some DVDs and other texts, but always refer to Card College for a deeper explanation of any sleight I need.
I find the same with DVDs, not all the tricks suit, but if I can get a couple I really like, I think the money is well spent.
As far as tricks requiring a set up - I never used to like them, as I prefer impromptu; however, some are really powerful, so I sometimes carry a pack set ready to go for a 'pre-set trick'. If I get chance I do that routine, if not I can do an impromptu routine anyway.

hope this helps.

Thanks Joker it does. I'm still a babe in the woods on all this learning, but I'm beginning to think for me that it's best to find things that turn me on and excite me. I have the RRTCM DVD set but prefer Born to Perform. I also own the Bobo Coin Magic DVD set but prefer David Roth's and Michael Ammar's instruction. Again, I'm still very new at this and I may come to greater appreciation of the mentioned materials as I grow.

That makes a lot of sense. There are a TON of tricks out there I'm unfamiliar with and must be at least a couple of pre-set tricks that, like you, I'd find worth the trouble.

Thanks for your feedback.

I quite like Ammar's instruction. I have just bought ETMCM Vol 1 (I already have Vol 2). The first routine is very simple and effective 'eight card brain wave' (attributed to Nick Trost). The set up is very simple, using eight cards - so almost a packet trick. A great trick. Probable a bit hard to feed those cards into a regular deck, just pocket and carry on with another deck.

cheers

Joker

As a newbie, I just got absolutely blessed by stumbling upon Mark Wilson's Course in a local used book store. I picked it up for ten bucks. It seemed like a "real" magic book of good quality tricks. I was pleasantly surprised when I researched what magic books I should purchase, after bringing it home, and finding that everybody recommends this book. Great stuff. I keep finding more every time I go back to it.

I enjoy the two Bob Longe books I have, Easy Card Tricks and World's Best Card Tricks. I got the Easy one first and learned some fun tricks. So far the World's Best is ok, but I feel it's time to start working on real sleights. There are enough in the Mark Wilson book to get me started.

This site is invaluable to me. So much good advice. I can save lots of time and effort coming here before making any more purchases. I want to start collecting the Tarbell books, but at $25 per book I'm hoping I can find them used.

Thanks for all the awsome tips!

Preston-

Thanks a lot for all the info in this thread, it has definately made book purchases a lot less daunting with the same basics being referanced again and again (the wallet doesn't appreciate my new wish list but hey that is how it goes). I'm hoping ya'll can help me out a little I'm about to have a lot of down time for about 7 months and would appreciate a few suggestions on books. THe problem is the only thing I know I will have readily available is cards and to a very limited extent maybe a few coins if I can make it the entire time with out losing them, however I would like to use this time to learn a lot of impromt. tricks that can be done with everyday objects (what better time than when your limited on supplies). Well what I'm wondering is if anyone knows of any books that would help with this?

Chris

For me royal road to magic is the best book to start with

I wish there were a place on this site where people could share or exchange/swap books, or sell books you no longer wish to keep in your library. It would be helpful to everyone I think.

My fist was Magic and Showmanship. I know, it's not meant to be a beginners book, but the person who gave it to me didn't know that.

It helped me to develop a thoughtful approach to magic.

I'll throw my vote with "The Magic Book" by Harry Lorayne. Not only did it teach the basic moves and sleights, the stories at the beginning of every chapter were a delight to read.

That's right... "a delight".

... the other thing... It's strange... reading everybody's posts about their first book is making me very nostalgic. I remember getting "The Magic Book" for christmas... I think it was 1976... I remember getting "The Amateur Magician's Handbook". And how crazy with excitement I was when the Mark Wilson Course (complete with rope, cards, a jumbo card-- and a close up pad!!!) came in the mail.

thanks for the memories.

Boy! I'm so impressed. People like Topov REALLY KNOW. harry lorayne.

I guess I got lucky, I found the magic Café and started reading the posts before I went out and started buying all kinds of tricks and books. I started with Mark Wilson's Complete Course book, I also have Royal Road to Card Magic and Modern Coin Magic. I know there are other 'must have' books out there, but these seem to be the best to start off.

Thanks to everyone for saving me time and money

When I first started in magic my favourite books to learn from were Roberto giobbi's Card College volumes. Highly reccomended. Like LordFelix I also delved into the pages of Mark Wilson's Complete Course, if you're just starting then the latter is probably the best as it covers all spectrums of magic from close up with cards/coins, to stage work.

And who can leave out the Royal Road to Card Magic!? For mentalists 13 Steps and Banachek's series are a must have, along with anythign by Anneman.

The best advice I can give a beginner is to hit the books and to forget about single effects and packet tricks until they become sufficient with coin and card work, etc. You can create an entire career out of one book which costs £30 - or simply entertain a few people with one packet trick for nearly the same ammount of money.

I'm fairly new to magic and learned by starting with RRTCM using both the book and Paul Wilson's video. I then purchased the entire series of Giobbi's Card College and am currently working through those. Like previous posters, I don't really like the a lot of the tricks in these books so I also purchased Ammar's ETMCM series. I think that is a great way to start and the only reason I choose this route is by researching the forums on this site before I started. Thanks Guys! When I'm through with Card College and polishing up on some of the tricks I like from Ammar's series I plan to study Erdnase. Sounds like a daunting book but I understand both Dai Vernon and Darwin Ortiz have annotated versions and there is a video series out now by Wesley James and one forthcoming from Alan Ackerman. Hope that helps anyone out there looking for a starting point.

Just reading 'DopeyDave' 's post. some good material there, from my reasonably limited experience.

Dopey Dave - plans to study Erdnase next - suggested by many, so no doubt a good choice.
I was wondering, as a quite inexperienced magician, when would more learned magicians recommend books such as Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz?
The reason I ask is that I just got hold of Strong Magic and Designing Miracles by Darwin Ortiz (both signed by the master himself, lucky me). I am working through Strong Magic, but have finished reading Designing Miracles. Designing Miracles taught me so much, it is easy to read. It adds so much to the art of magic, and really made me think about the structure of routines/tricks. It appears to me that such books as Strong Magic (a quarter of a way through and learning heaps from it), and Designing Miracles should be purchased quite early in the 'career' of a magician, whether this career is a hobby or as a profession.

any thoughts anyone?

I too have strong magic but haven't read it yet..curious to see what more experienced magi have to say about it.

Following up on Jokers post. I too prefer impromptu card magic but must say some packet tricks are very very cool and worth getting. I use Skinner's ultimate 3 card monte as well as color monte and NFW. All get great reactions and are not hard to do.

If have just received the card college volume 1, brilliant to start from.
Everything is explain in a decent amount of detail and the line drawings help out alot.
Would definatly recomend it.

What's the best place to find all the books everyone's mentioned??