Most Overlooked Magic Book?

[Pepka]

Brain Food by David Parr

[Randy]

Sach's "Slieght of Hand". Mostly overlooked by younger magicians as a great resource for not just magic, but performing in general. Great stuff too.

[Guest]

The Living End. Sid Fleischman's Charlatan's Handbook. The Berg Book.

[Bob Farmer]

Let me change this topic slightly to "most overloooked author." Eveything Leo Behnke has written is wonderful. I have all of his books. Of particular interest are his Magic Bartender series and the marvellous MAGIC CITY LIBRARY OF MAGIC (a sort of economical Tarbell).

[Guest]

"Scarne On Card Tricks" is tremendous. Been around forever. Great stuff without the sleights. Some real gems in there that have ALWAYS fooled!

Gary

[Eric Rose]

Originally posted by Bob Farmer:
Eveything Leo Behnke has written is wonderful.

I second that opinion. His Professional Close-Up was so good that I recommended it to my non-magi wife as a general primer. She loved it.

[Guest]

Most overlooked author? Okay...but only if you promise not to tell anyone else.

Without a doubt, Lewis Jones of England. His book "Seventh Heaven" has put plenty of food on the family table.

[David Acer]

Originally posted by Mick Ayres:
Most overlooked author?... Without a doubt, Lewis Jones of England. His book "Seventh Heaven" has put plenty of food on the family table.

Actually, I find that a lot of British authors are overlooked and/or underrated here in North America. For example, I love everything I've ever read by David Britland, including his terrific little card books (Equinox, Deckade, etc.), but I rarely see his name come up on book-related threads.

That's actually one regret I have about the "Books Vs Videos" article I wrote for Genii a few years back in which 25 respected pros each contributed a list of his Top 10 Favorite Magic Books. I should probably have widened the scope a little and asked more non-North Americans.

[Matthew Field]

I mentioned Lewis Jones's "Seventh Heaven" in my original response.

One of the great joys of moving to England has been attending the monthly magic get-togethers at John Derris's home where Lewis Jones and Alex Elmsley are two of the six invitees. Lewis is just amazing.

Matt Field

[Guest]

May I modestly suggest Jean Hugard's Modern Magic Manual? There is a goldmine of classic magic here to update and use, for close-up, parlor, platform, and stage. The scope of material is wide, and this might be viewed as a "mini-Tarbell" in a single volume. It is light on cards, as well it should be, since card magic tends to run away with the whole of magic anyway, but there is some practical and very usable magic here that deserved to be re-examined. It is available now in the Dover reprint, but I got an excellent condition hardcover for less than the paperback at one of the internet used bookstores online.

Jon

[Guest]

My friend, Gene Grant, AKA "Phantini," has written several books dealing with mentalism.

Alas, none of them have been what one would call a best seller. Still, his works have a very devoted following among those who have happened upon them.

It would be impossible for me to say that any one book is "the most overlooked," but Gene's books would be high on any such list.

[Guest]

Originally posted by Matthew Field:
I mentioned Lewis Jones's "Seventh Heaven" in my original response.
Matt Field

Oops, I missed it. You had it buried among all those other excellent suggestions, Matt. Now I wish I hadn't brought it up a second time...it's nice having a whole volume of stuff that few people know about.

David, thanks for starting this thread...I love to read and study things that are well off the beaten path and I'm getting tons of leads here.

I just remembered another one of my favorite books that I never hear anyone else mention...Sid Fleishman's "The Charlatan's Handbook". Simple, straightforward plots and effects that rely more on presentation than skill. Plus, it is entertaining to read.

[Guest]

One more thing while we're on the topic of Lewis Jones' books...I have to mention "The Encyclopedia of Impromptu Card Forces".

It doesn't have the fully-developed routines as offered in "Seventh Heaven" or "Ahead of the Pack"...but it is packed with clever forces and ideas that are just screaming for a well-scripted plot to be wrapped around 'em.

Matt, I'm jealous you get to play 'Pass the Deck' with this guy on a regular basis.

[Leonard Hevia]

Kaufman's The Uncanny Scot was previously mentioned in this thread as an overlooked book. I purchased this text long ago when it first came out and I still love this book. Ron Wilson looks like a million bucks in that white dinner jacket.

My favorite part of this book are the performance experiences shared by Mr. Wilson. Why has it been overlooked?

1. I passed on his Color Changing Silk routine because it requires three silks and two dye tubes. After the first color change transpires, you have to go in your pocket to ditch the first tube. As soon as the magic begins, you have to travel south to your pocket. I always felt that Vernon's routine with one tube and two silks was more economical and elegant, and you can do it in a bathing suit.

2. Wilson's Ring Flight is great--but it can't be reset. Earl Nelson and Derek Dingle's versions are preferrable for repeat performances.

Years ago I performed the card effect (I can't remember the title and I don't have the book offhand) where a mentally selected card from a fan turns out to have a different colored back. After I thumb fanned the deck to a friend (a math professor) for a mental selection, he immediately noticed that many cards were missing. Of course, half of the deck was roughed and out of sight-but by no means out of mind to my spectator. I sometimes wonder if Mr. Wilson was also busted on this trick. I still love this book... :)

[Gord]

Originally posted by Gary F:
"Scarne On Card Tricks" is tremendous. Been around forever. Great stuff without the sleights. Some real gems in there that have ALWAYS fooled!

Gary

I agree whole heartedly.
I purchased this book last week on a whim and do not regret it. Tons of well thought out card magic. I haven't been able to put it down since I got it.

Gord

[Prakash Puru]

Jerry Sadowitz's material seems to have been overlooked as well. And, in recent times, Gary Kurtz's. And the Ibidem series.

[Matthew Field]

I agree with Prakash about both Jerry Sadowitz and Gary Kurtz, although I don't consider either of these gentlemen to have been overlooked.

Matt Field

[Guest]

For me the most overlooked magic books include:
The Amateur Magicians Handbook; Illustrated Magic; The Stars of Magic; and Ken Brooke's Magic - The Unique years.

PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat
AB Stagecraft
http://www.mindguy.com/store
Where you can find the overlooked books of Jack Dean

[Jeremy Medows]

Five Times Five (the Japan one) seems to be overlooked by many -- but I'm not sure how many people even have it. I've had a lot of joy learning, and in some cases making, the tricks in this book.

The paper clip ideas with an ambitious card are wonderful, and I have no idea why I haven't seen anyone perform them within an ambitious card sequence.
Jeremy

[Guest]

Originally posted by Jeremy Medows:
Five Times Five (the Japan one)

I acquired it recently. It's full of incredibly inventive ideas.

Though I must admit that I don't understand how Ken Kuroki's The Talisman could work. The gap between the staples on the card must be closer together than the width of a card, so how on earth can another card fit between them? Apologies for going off topic, but that one's been puzzling me for quite a while.

Dave

[Guest]

In my opinion Jose Carroll's 52 Lovers Volume 1 and 2 are overlooked.

[Guest]

How about, Lake Tahoe Card Magic, a really nice small book packed with good material.

[Guest]

In the subcategory of overlooked books for beginners is Bill Turner's How to Do Tricks with Cards, probably because it's out of print.

[Guest]

What about The Magic Digest by George Anderson? I've worn the cover off of it.

Tony Brent
Outta Control Magic Show
Orlando

[Bob Farmer]

I have a slightly different approach to this question. I'd pose it this way: which magic book contains a method everyone has overlooked but which will eventually become extremely influential?

For example, in Expert Card Technique there was some mention of the Faro Shuffle, but only years later did the full potential of this method become apparent.

My vote: Lew Brooks little manuscript, STACK ATTACK. There is also a DVD, but it is not as good as the manuscript.

Using his ideas, I've invented the following trick: a card is selected and shiffled back into the deck by the spectator.

The spectator then mixes the deck face up and face down all over the table. The deck is assembled in clumps -- which I shuffle -- then the deck is spread out and all the cards are now face down except for the two red aces which are face up. There is one card face down between them -- the selection.

Versions of this trick by Marlo and Pit Hartling require several perfect Faro Shuffles and a full deck. My version can be done with any deck, even one missing cards and it does not use any Faros -- just ideas from STACK ATTACK.

[Guest]

Not on point, but as a class of books, magic histories and biographies.

If you folks will permit the opinion of one who hasn't (really) performed in decades, how 'bout G. Buckingham's It's Easier Than You Think?

[Guest]

Most overlooked? I think categorically it is the old books or the ones that are by the people that do not perform anymore.

I think the reasons why many are overlooked is because so many want the E-Z way magic and not really invest the time to learn it (many of the great ones mentioned naturally assumed the reader would take time to practice), think 'newer is better' or they see the performer and then want their book so they can copy them. The most popular books usually contain the latter elements.

...inferred in all of this is the term 'useful' a lot of books of all ilks remain popular (not overlooked) due to being useful in the present day.