top three magic books

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top three magic books

Postby Guest » October 16th, 2007, 3:12 pm

Was wondering what everyone thought should be the three magic books every magicans owns?

Rick Ruhl
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Re: top three magic books

Postby Rick Ruhl » October 16th, 2007, 5:47 pm

Tarbell
Greater Magic
The Magic of Robert Harbin

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » October 16th, 2007, 9:22 pm

Yo--your question is almost impossible to answer.

But I like those cocktail party games; "What c.d. or book would you want on a deserted-island, and who you'd want to be stranded with"...etc...

Just know that there are a LOT of magic books.

Does one name 3 historic tomes such as "The Discoverie of Witchcraft", "Our Magic", and (watch this curveball) "Encyclopedia of impromptu Magic"?...

Or other historic tomes like Robert Houdin's autobiography, "Sach's Sleight of Hand", and (watch this wacky choice) "Stars of Magic"?...

--Or try (ha!) to pick just 3 card books: "Expert at the Card Table", "Diverting Card Magic", and "Drawing Room Deceptions"...

--Or 3 books of great, inspired material such as "100% Sankey", "Tricks", and "Tangled Web"...

--Or 3 huge compilations bursting with material such as "Switch", "The Collected Almanac", and "The Jinx, issues 1-50"...

--Or how about 3 nutty choices just because you like them and they remind you of more innocent times such as, "Cards as Weapons", "Street Magic", and "The Right Way To Do Wrong"...

--Or how about the old "3 I-wished-I-had-when-I-was-starting-out-books" such as, "Strong Magic", "The Conjuring Anthology", and "The Paper Engine"...

I will now shut up, as there are so many books and authors I haven't named I am getting irritated.

Get THIS you new, video-magic generation: There are actually more books than there are magic dvds! And there is a sh** load of dvds.
So instead of worrying about reading the "right" or the "best" 3 books, dive in and read like a mofo, because there is so much information out there, you will never read or know it all.

One of the best bits of advice I have ever heard, was from Mike Weber many moons ago, and it applies to every walk or facet of life: "Read everything you can get your hands on".

"Reading" a book "activates" your brain. Watching video funnels all information into your inactive brain like an inert sponge. Don't be an inert sponge.

P.S. At the moment, I think I would want to be stranded with Shannon Elizabeth or Cassandra from the L&L audience...OH, or the Professor or Ed Marlo, of course...

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » October 16th, 2007, 10:11 pm

Originally posted by castawaydave:

...dive in and read like a mofo...
... exactly!

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Matthew Field
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Re: top three magic books

Postby Matthew Field » October 17th, 2007, 8:30 am

"Simply Harkey", "L.I.N.T." and "The Shank Shuffle".

Matt Field

Brandon Hall
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Re: top three magic books

Postby Brandon Hall » October 17th, 2007, 10:16 am

Modern Coin Magic, Stars of Magic, Strong Magic
"Hope I Die Before I Get Old"
P. Townshend

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » October 17th, 2007, 10:37 am

Originally posted by castawaydave:
P.S. At the moment, I think I would want to be stranded with Shannon Elizabeth or Cassandra from the L&L audience...OH, or the Professor or Ed Marlo, of course...
I'm leaning towards Charlize Theron and Derek Dingle.

Except, with my luck, Dingle would wind up with the girl...

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 13th, 2007, 2:44 pm

You would want to be stranded on an island with Marlo? Man...someone that ugly has GOT to smell bad.

I know...I'm going to hell.

Chris Marshall
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Re: top three magic books

Postby Chris Marshall » November 26th, 2007, 11:13 am

1) Revolutionary Card Technique by Marlo, 2) Encyclopedia of Impromptu Magic by Gardiner, and 3) The New Modern Coin Magic by Bobo. But then I'm biased.

Michael Feldman
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Re: top three magic books

Postby Michael Feldman » November 26th, 2007, 8:47 pm

I think regardless of the material you perform (though I will focus on close-up here) there are three books that every magician should study and own.

1) Five Points In Magic by Juan Tamariz
2) Tangled Web by Eric Mead
3) Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz

Independent of the material in them, I think all magicians should own these books because they will improve all of the magic you do.
--
Michael Feldman
www.magicmichael.com

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Kevin Connolly
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Re: top three magic books

Postby Kevin Connolly » November 26th, 2007, 8:59 pm

Tarbell
Greater Magic
Phone Book
:genii:
Please visit my website.
http://houdinihimself.com/
I buy,sell + trade Houdini, Hardeen items.

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Pete Biro
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Re: top three magic books

Postby Pete Biro » November 26th, 2007, 9:01 pm

Benson by Starlight
Dai Vernon Book of Magic
How to build a boat to get rescued.
Stay tooned.

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 26th, 2007, 10:04 pm

The Milbourne Christopher Library - II Magic, Mind Reading, Psychic Research, Spiritualism and the Occult 1901-1996. [catalog of the 20th century magic publications in the late Milbourne Christophers magic library]

Ninth Collectors Annual. [catalog of the late J. B. Findlays magic library].

Magic As a Performing Art: A Bibliography of Conjuring.

Granted, the foregoing titles probably don't address the spirit of the original question, but if you had these three books, practically the whole world of magic literature would be opened to you.

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2007, 4:03 am

Only 3 books????

1. Greater Magic

2. Tarbell ( All 8 - does that still count as 1?? )

3. The James File ( Again, hoping you will allow this as 1 )

If I could choose some desert island buddies, then it would have to be Paul Rosini, Al Leech and American Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard ( purely to catch our meals, naturally.)

Peace,

Darren

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2007, 5:02 am

Originally posted by bogd19:
Was wondering what everyone thought should be the three magic books every magicans owns?
The Structure of Magic - Bandler
Magic Without Tears - Crowley
The Books of Magic - Gaiman

Context pretty much decides what sort of cookbook of trickery would serve ones purposes.

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2007, 6:08 am

Language therapy, black magic and fantasy = fingertip coins across.

Context also pretty much decides whether or not a person is rather crackbrained

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2007, 6:27 am

Originally posted by Magicam:
Language therapy, black magic and fantasy = fingertip coins across.

Context also pretty much decides whether or not a person is rather crackbrained
Some in our community may have momentarily forgotten that:

An awareness that each person lives in their own world of perception and meaning is required to understand guile.

There must be an audience and a willful magician for there to be perception of magic (as opposed to nature) and this should be ecological for the audience. That's why we take on names, costumes etc. - and why we aren't asked to heal the sick or contact the long lost.

That shared context is required for there to be a perception of magic - and that context is well recorded in our literature of fantasy.

Of course even our beginners were taught these basics - so the list above is just a reminder of our first steps in this craft.

To our friend quoted above... Part of learning to read is to notice that each author writes to an audience and Crowley, like others of his time, had difficulties abstracting useful ideas from their social milieu.

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2007, 6:48 am

Originally posted by Magicam:
Language therapy, black magic and fantasy = fingertip coins across.
Bravo! Yes, Clay exactly.

The question I pondered was: Must one close one's hands do make the coins travel?

The coins travel as directed by the will of the conjurer (or in the published presentation - due to their own predilection to jump in a certain direction)

And yes of course it was inspired by reading fantasy - from E.T.A.Hoffmann to F.Lieber and many other authors in between - those wonderful stories where the narrator turns away for a moment and when they look back their company had vanished - later to discover that the person to whom they were speaking was known by others to be far away.

Big smile here - thanks for making my morning. :)

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2007, 7:08 am

the Bander book is an interesting selection

an empirical choice would be toward the huge tomes because the quantity is limited and one wants volume for options. If it were the desert island scenario I would want one that was somewhat conversational with editorial so I wouldn't seem so isolated - Henry Hay Amateur Magician Handbook is a candidate for each of those types also perhaps the Fitzkee trilogy but wouldn't it be frustrating to have a book reliant on certain items and there were no such items on the island to practice with?

a fun question...but my coffee break is over and I must get back to work.

Chris Marshall
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Re: top three magic books

Postby Chris Marshall » November 27th, 2007, 7:17 am

1) Charlize Theron 2) Heather Graham 3) Card College Light
That's the way to do it!

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2007, 7:42 am

Originally posted by Chris Marshall:
1) Charlize Theron 2) Heather Graham ...That's the way to do it!
are items 1 and 2 books and can you own them? If they were books would you still want to?

not much on papercuts here ;)

* right - the map is not the territory

Michael Pascoe
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Re: top three magic books

Postby Michael Pascoe » November 27th, 2007, 10:21 am

Tarbell is eight books. But if we are talking about sets and not actual books, then let me give my selection. With these sets, you dont need anything else.

Tarbell course in magic
Card College
The Secret Ways of Al Baker

Everything you would want to know is in those three sets. And since Im breaking the three book rule, let me add Bobos book on coins. With all of these, you have a foundation and have enough magic that will last you your entire lifetime and then some.

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2007, 10:26 am

Stars of Magic
Erdnase
Marlo in Spades

Jeff Haas
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Re: top three magic books

Postby Jeff Haas » November 27th, 2007, 1:22 pm

If I'm stuck on a desert island, I don't care if I have any magic books with me. Who am I going to perform for? Seagulls?

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 27th, 2007, 1:29 pm

Originally posted by Jeff Haas:
If I'm stuck on a desert island, I don't care if I have any magic books with me. Who am I going to perform for? Seagulls?
You can perform card tricks on the way back to port to help pay off the Coast Guard rescue charges.

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 28th, 2007, 10:44 am

In no particular order:

The Art of Astonishment
Card College
Stuart James - The 1st 50 years & The James File


Tom

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: top three magic books

Postby Richard Kaufman » November 28th, 2007, 10:53 am

If you're on a desert island, having a hobby and intellectual pursuit to fill your time is good ... you don't need anyone to perform for. How many of us read magic books and practice just for the enjoyment they provide? Many, I suspect.
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

Philippe Billot
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Re: top three magic books

Postby Philippe Billot » November 28th, 2007, 11:42 am

Is there still a desert island ? and without internet ?

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 28th, 2007, 11:48 am

Originally posted by Philippe Billot:
Is there still a desert island ? and without internet ?
Anyone up for writing a book on magic one can build from the available resources on Gilligan's Island?

Ian Kendall
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Re: top three magic books

Postby Ian Kendall » November 28th, 2007, 12:00 pm

When one considers that on such an island there would be a requirement for kindling and loo paper, I wonder how that might change people's choices...

Take care, Ian

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 28th, 2007, 1:11 pm

Ian..........


Good point, blimey, where do I start?

Well, everything by ###@@@ **&%$%$@

and most things by ?@*$ ""!%$&^

and the last 3 books by @*$&^ ?@)*@@^$"%

Peace,

Darren ;)

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 28th, 2007, 2:10 pm

"Lifesavers", "Now You See It, Now You Don't", "Super Magic", and Josie Maran (a nice girl from Menlo Park California):
http://www.nudygirls.co.uk/wp-content/u ... -maran.jpg

Ay carumba!

:eek:

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 28th, 2007, 2:19 pm

Originally posted by Ian Kendall:
When one considers that on such an island there would be a requirement for kindling and loo paper, I wonder how that might change people's choices...

Take care, Ian
If you are looking for books to wipe your back burner with, the complete James file would keep you chafe free for at least a year and a half.

Speaking of books, wasn't Matt Field writing the magic of Harvey Rosenthal books? What happened to that project?

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » November 28th, 2007, 6:30 pm

Mr. Haas: If you had somehow read my non-existant book titled "Castawaydave's Island Trickery", which I just made up, you would know seagulls make an excellent audience.
--The old "cut and restored worm" still goes over HUGE; and they flip OUT at the vanishing of a handful of birdseed (toppit).
Note: be prepared for a lot of pecking when you vanish the seed--They are naive but distrustful and can be grabby (or "pecky").

Note 2: You best not carry extra seed in your pocket, as they may gang up on you: reference "The Birds" by Alfred Hitchcock.

P.S. In fact, some of the most interesting impromptu feats can be done with the props readily available on an island: sand, humidity, sea-weed, palmetto bugs (reference Penn and Teller on Letterman)...

Aloha. ;)

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » December 7th, 2007, 9:03 pm

"The Art of Astonishment vol. 1", "The 'MAD' Book of Magic", "Variations Revisited", and Marisa Miller, a nice girl from Santa Cruz California:

http://www.wallpaperbase.com/wallpapers ... ller_7.jpg

You are welcome. ;)

P.S. Call me a wierdo, but there's something about incredibly hot women that interests me.

Guest

Re: top three magic books

Postby Guest » December 12th, 2007, 1:42 am

Originally posted by Jonathan Townsend:
Originally posted by bogd19:
[b] Was wondering what everyone thought should be the three magic books every magicans owns?
The Structure of Magic - Bandler
Magic Without Tears - Crowley
The Books of Magic - Gaiman

Context pretty much decides what sort of cookbook of trickery would serve ones purposes. [/b]
That contribution reminds of the Robert-Houdin quote, "a magician is really a pseudo-intellectual playing the role of a magician." Or something. I may have misremembered that lne.


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