Guest article by Patrick Woolery
Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic
This belongs on every magician’s bookshelf. It is the closest we have to a single volume complete collection of magic instruction. From close-up to stage illusions, cards, coins, sponge balls, even some bar betchas, this book has almost everything. Except the vital ingredient, which is meaningful presentations. But for the mechanics, no other book gives better value for money than Mark Wilson.George Anderson’s Magic Digest
I think of this as a companion volume to Mark Wilson. The unique element here is that the book is written for the person who wants to entertain casually, though there’s also some excellent material intended for more formal shows. There are tricks in this book that I’ve never found elsewhere. Borrowed coin through a borrowed glass. No gimmicks. Dowsing rods in the mental section, for example. Anderson also wrote several booklets for the mentalism community and his performing experience informed some ideas in this book that are still worthy of attention. And there are some anecdotes in the margins that are also worth reading.The Complete Midnight Side of the Mind by Paul Voodini
This slim volume is all about one concept. There’s really no trick to it, but it is a fascinating performance piece. I knew what I was buying because I saw Voodini’s Penguin lecture and he performs it there. However, the book includes alternative presentations to make it remote viewing, past life regression, astral travel, or even viewing Jack the Ripper as he stalks a victim. It requires the performer to think on his feet and to make someone else the star for a while. If you are not comfortable with someone else in the spotlight, this might not be for you. If you want a totally propless piece of mentalism that could be the most powerful part of your show, whether you perform for one person or a whole theater, this one might be worth your attention.Paul Prater’s Embryos
This book has some excellent tricks in it, but the real value is that Prater deconstructs two entire shows he has done, explaining why these tricks were in the shows and why they occupied the place in the show that they did. Nothing in here is especially difficult, though some things require special props. It is a book that stimulates my thinking when I want to consider putting together a scripted stage show. And most of the routines include links to videos of Prater performing them. Great bonus.R. Shane’s Pentalogy
I have never performed anything from this book. But every time I read it, my mind fills with ideas and possibilities. This is bizarre magic, ranging from playful and clownish to deeply disturbing. If my house was burning down and I had time to grab only one magic book, this is the one I’d save. Almost no pictures, so some of the text descriptions of techniques can be hard to follow, but the framing of the tricks, the stories they tell, these things make the effort to read so worthwhile.
I’m an amateur performer with no aspirations to go professional. I like my day job and I get paid decently for doing it. I will perform when I have an opportunity, but I enjoy just doing it on my own terms. This colors my choices quite a bit. I have at least 60 magic books, but these 5 are the ones I come back to over and over. For now, they are my favorites.
