Magic: The Complete Course: How to Perform Over 100 Amazing Effects, with 500 Full-Color How-To Photographs [With DVD]

In the beginning of this book Joshua Jay askes you to look at a cartoon drawing of New York City for thirty seconds then to turn the page. He then asks you a few simple questions. I'm a pretty observant person and was sure there was no way he could trick me. He did, because he asked me a question about something that wasn't there. It should have been, I imagined seeing it as soon as he asked me, but it wasn't there. Right then I knew I was in the hands of a man who knows his stuff. And Joshua Jay's stuff is Magic. Not only does Joshua teach his readers a plethora of effects (tricks), he teaches you a respect for the craft. Anyone, as he says, can do magic, but it takes more than reading a book as he points out. It takes practice, but don't let that put you off, some of the effects are simple and you can learn them in a very short time, others, even though you know how to do them, take time. But if you invest that time, you'll amaze yourself. And here's a bit of advice from me, don't tell anyone you're learning magic. Spend twenty minutes or so with this book every night for a couple months, master, really master some of these tricks, then when you're out with a group of friends, casually perform one, like it's no big deal. Then do it again at another time. You will amaze them. You will amaze yourself too. And you might find yourself wanting to go further with magic. If so, you started with the right book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, in that it is a nicely illustrated, easy-to-follow collection of about 100 magic tricks (or if you prefer "effects" ) that includes instruction both on "how to do it" and also the "how to present it." The tricks are well chosen and include lots of different effects, including tricks at the table, the office, card tricks, tricks you can do with kids, etc. The suggested presentations are fast moving and entertaining -- there are no tricks where spectator spends endless amounts of time counting cards, etc. The DVD is very helpful in terms of showing both how to set up or do the trick (what the sleight of hand or misdirection is) and also what the presentation is as seen by the audience. Joshua is a good magician (you can see him at work on YouTube) and I enjoyed seeing how he presented old favorites such as the "Out of this World" card trick (truly a great trick in which he has added a very simple bit of misdirection that covers the one clunky bit in the standard routine). This is a great book that a child (say around 10 ) could use -- tricks are graded by difficulty -- or that an adult familiar with magic would find interesting. My only (small) complaint about the book is its very short "references" section -- It seems to cite only a few books (and no DVDs) aimed at the specialist (e.g., the 8-volume Tarbell course). Of course, there really aren't that many good intermediate books out there, but I would have added Bill Tarr's sleight of hand books or maybe "The Amateur Magician's Handbook" (out of print I believe). This is a great book though at a great price, especially with the addition of the DVD.

This is really a neat book. Joshua Jay tells how magic is performed and shows you how to do it. If you want to astonish your friends with some magic of your own, this is the book to teach you how. The directions are really easy to understand and the great pictures show you exactly how. There is magic for kids to do, magic to perform on kids and adult magic. There are tips on where to look on the internet for magic too. There is even magic you can perform at the office and Joshua even gives tips on how to set up your own show for schools or private parties. There over over a 100 magic tricks shown in book plus a dvd that shows 35 effects performed. The book has a dvd symbol on pages that are also on the dvd so you will know you can practice along with it. The dvd is 132 minutes long. Best of all is the magic tricks are performed with stuff you usually have around the house so you don't have to rush out and start buying a lot of stuff. Even if you aren't interested in performing professionally, you will enjoy knowing how others do it. And even though you know how they are doing it, you will still believe it's magic! A great gift for the magician in your family and it's worded so even a child can understand it. 278 pages and since it's a large softcover book, it is easy to lay open so you can practice and still read it at same time. There is also boxes in corner of quite a few pages telling about past magicians and their acts. A really interesting book!

Joshua Jay's Magic: The Complete Course lives up to its ambitious title. As you go through its pages, you pick up a thorough history of the practice of magic. The author is careful, while explaining, to give credit to those who developed a trick or illusion, often with an illustrative story from the distant past. The book offers clear descriptions of how to accomplish tricks before any audience - any age, any place, any set of tools. The book's photos provide a visual counterpart to the step-by-step explanations, and the sense of humor that pervades its pages make clear the real purpose of magic, to entertain with a shiver of the unexpected, to rattle our pedestrian notions of the world with a surprise and a laugh. Most valuable, for those who want to get better at magic, is the running commentary on how a magician can develop the necessary physical and psychological skills. He or she must be both an actor and a distracter, manipulating and upsetting the audience's expectations. There are hundreds of fascinating examples, from 2000-year-old mathematical gimcracks to illusions that are as contemporary as tomorrow. Perfect for anyone who once was or is now a bright-eyed child.

If you could only buy one book on magic, this is the one. The price is a bargain for the information being provided. One of the many great features is a DVD which covers (i.e., presents & demonstrates) about a third of the effects addressed in the book. The quality of the book's language and photos is likewise outstanding. Joshua Jay can be proud of himself and his really wonderful book which is sure to become a classic in magic literature. He hits the nail on the head when he points out that people don't simply want to learn the secrets...but to learn how to perform the magic itself. I am trying to adopt many of the effects myself so I can share them with family and friends. The wonder of magic for me and many others is to allow ourselves to be children again...and Joshua Jay is helping many amateurs such as myself to share that joyful experience with others. Well done, young Mr. Jay!