My top magic books of 2005 and 2006
One thing that I didn't expect when I started my journey in publishing magic books earlier this year was just how many people would ask me for recommendations for new books. With so many books being published now-a-days, it seems that personal recommendation is the best way to find out about what book to read next.
This past year has been a fantastic one for magic books and I thought I'd share my thoughts on the top few books that I've read over the past year or so. The list doesn't include the ones that I've published!
6. Overlap (Joshua Jay)
Although I had a hand to play in the editorial work of this book (and contributed a trick to it), it is still worth a mention. Josh teaches some fantastic uses of his Overlap gimmick, which was originally given away free to MAGIC magazine subscribers. The tricks are fantastic and the free extras make this book a bargain - you get a number of Bicycle gimmicks, some jumbo gimmicks and a DVD. I especially enjoyed watching Josh perform the tricks from the book on the DVD - in his hands they look amazing.
5. The Classic Collection (Harry Lorayne)
I've always admired Harry's work for the simple reason that his books always give me inspiration for my own effects. This book is a combination (and re-write) of some of his better books, with the addition of a few new extra tricks. Even though I already own the original books, I still felt that I got my money worth from this collection. I think you will too.
4. Secrets of an Escamoteur (Harry Riser)
While I truly enjoyed Harry's magic, there is one thing that made this book extra special: the stories. Almost all of the tricks in the book are prefaced with an amusing story about Harry's time with magic's greats, such as Charlie Miller and Dai Vernon. The book features a lot of Harry's Faro Shuffle work, which I also enjoyed.
3. Switch (John Lovick)
I think John first mentioned this book to me sometime in 1999 and he had been working on it long before that. If John wanted this book to be the final word on the $100 Bill Switch, he has achieved his aim - and more! There are so many excellent effects, by so many great magicians that I'll still be referring to this book in 25 years time.
2. Magic of Ascanio Vol. 1 (Ascanio and Etcheverry)
This book should be on the shopping list for every magician. It contains a number of fantastic essays by Ascanio, which provide an amazingly detailed analysis into his thinking behind magic. I'd suggest reading the book over a couple of months so that you can let Ascanio's thoughts sink in over time. I can't wait to read the second volume, which has just been released at FISM!
And my favourite magic book of the last year is ...
1. Dai Vernon: A Biography Vol. 1 (David Ben)
I love reading about Vernon's life and thoroughly enjoyed the chapters on him in David Britland's Phantom of the Card Table. Here, David Ben gives us a fantastic in-depth insight into Vernon's upbringing and life. I found that reading the book helped me understand more about what made Vernon think the way he did and why he made certain life decisions. It makes for a fantastic story and I read it at every spare moment I had.
I still have a large pile of books from the last year to read - with books on the works of Jim Steinmeyer, Roy Benson, Dai Vernon and many more; I'm certainly going to enjoy reading over the next few weeks. For now though, these are the books from the last year that I would recommend to any close-up magician. And with so many great books due over the next year, I think we're all in for a treat!
