The Genii Forum

I've always been a fan of the age-old college student's query of what books professionals and professors in a particular field of study are currently reading.

I'll list my three that my nose is currently in:

(1)52 Lovers by Jose Carroll (vols.1&2)

(2) The Death & Resurrection Show by Rogan Taylor

(3) Books of Wonder by Tommy Wonder & Stephen Minch (vols.1&2)

I am reading Higher Magic and Technique & Understanding Steinmeyer's new book.

I'm reading the book of all issues of 'Talisman' magazine published by Genii. (I renewed for three years and got it for $15!) I'm going through it and taking notes. Although not revolutionary, it's got some interesting ideas sprinkled throughout.

I am reading the back issues of Genii starting with 1949 because that is the first issues I bought as a kid. I like the old stuff so much I'm buying all of the Sphinx issues on DVD. Too bad Genii is not on DVD. Would make looking for stuff much easier. And yes, I'll pay big bucks for that, look how much the Sphinx is.
I am also reading The Exegesis of Philip K Dick, somewhat related but in another dimensional way.
My wife is unhappy I have my nose in the computer screen all the time.

How does being on a DVD make it easier to look for stuff?

Just wondering.

Joe Pecore wrote:How does being on a DVD make it easier to look for stuff?

Just wondering.

Because they are PDFs on a DVD and are searchable.

I'd imagine.

They are PDFs and searchable with the online version. (I'm only asking because since I don't know of any effort to distribute them on DVDs, I'm wondering how to make online version better)

Yes, all of Genii, and The Conjurors' Magazine, are searchable in our online database. Just enter "Vernon" in the search window and click and every page on which it appears will pop up with an abstracted line of text. Click on any one and the entire page will open up.

If you want to narrow your search to, say, Dai Vernon, then you just need to put the phrase in quotation marks: "Dai Vernon" and every instance in Genii in which the Professor's name appears in full will appear, and you can click on any one. I don't see any advantage to purchasing The Sphinx on DVD when you can join The Conjuring Arts Research Center for a third of the price for one year and have searchable access to the whole file.

Having it on DVD would be an advantage if you wanted to read it offline. Or can you download issues to your hard drive?

You can download pages as pdfs from Ask Alexander, but not entire issues or entire volumes--they consider that "scarfing."

This is the first I've heard of The Conjuring Arts Research Center.
The advantage of a DVD is you can go through an issue quickly and not have to wait for the next page to load. And you can read offline and not be dependent on the internet.

The Conjuring Arts Research Center is the one who hosts all those back issue of Genii on Ask Alexander you have been reading (http://conjuringarts.org/)

And to get back to the topic. I've also been reading through The Talisman book and just finishing reading Silverman's Houdini!!! for the second time.

I managed to read a bit of the Bucks' book "If an Octopus Could Palm," which I'm really enjoying--if you like palming cards, this is a great book. Have managed to skim a bit of Helder's new book as well, but the title escapes me.

I am reading and working my way through "A Book in English" by Woody Aragon. Good stuff!

I just finished Shattering Illusions by Jammy Ian Swiss. Great book. I have crossed feelings and a lot of things to think about ... not only in my magic, it will has effects in my daily live.
It deserves read it another and another time always with a notebook at hand

Currently reading Lorayne's Close-Up Card magic and loving it.

My wife just found a used copy of Table-Rappers: Victorians and the Occult by Ronald Pearsall and I just started it. It's interesting so far and will have to sate my desire for Teller & Karr's House of Mystery which I have been coveting for awhile. (Coveting ...The Colour Change e-book and A book in English, and Classic Collection and magical mathematics...etc etc)

-robert

Rather to go with any of the magic book, I love to read the book Jane Eyre and it always give me the better enjoyment and leisure spending way with it.

Cardini: The Suave Deceiver is currently on my nightstand. Before I acquired this book, Cardini's life and magic was a mystery. It contains many photos of Cardini performing his beautiful magic on stages all over the U.S. and Britain. When you study the photos, it makes you realize that he was as good as the legend implied. If you have any interest in this magician, much will be revealed in John Fisher's book. Some interesting tidbits:

1. Cardini did USO work during WWII but didn't stick around long because of the lousy pay and working conditions.

2. He appeared as the star of a murder mystery play titled The Ascending Dragon in 1935. By all accounts, his acting was good, but the play never caught on fire.

3. Cardini wrote an interesting letter to Al Baker in April 1931 describing an unbelievable incident. He had recently performed in Cleveland when an IBM member invited him to dinner. The next night, Cardini and his wife were also invited to a late night beer fest. That went down well so the Cardinis and other performers on the bill were again invited to a lavish party at a mansion somewhere in the Cleveland countryside. All the performers, including Cardini realized on arrival that they were brought there to perform for the party guests. One of them immediately called a cab and they all got the hell out of there.

I just finished the copy of Talisman I received on renewing my subscription. I recommend the book highly. Though no Apocalypse, it's got a lot of fun ideas, essays as well as tricks, and it gives a great impression of their magic scene at the time. It was a freakin' WEEKLY in the days of typewriters!

Now I'm going to reread Lorayne's Close-Up Card Magic, since Robert Meisch reminded me of it.

Nowadays: Steinmeyer's Hidding the Elephant. Very interesting pieces of magic history