As you may know, I learned magic from books and I have a lot of books and e-books on magic. Unfortunately, I don't find all the material that's in there useful. There are just a lot of bad tricks in there that are not really performable in shows.
There are a lot of bad magic books out there. Some have bad photos, bad instructions and the worst is a lot has bad tricks in them. With a lot of bad things in a lot of magic books, I really can't blame those who prefer to learn from videos.
The solution I could see is to include the following things in the description of a book.
1. List of tricks with descriptions.
This may not be applicable to beginner's magic books but for intermediate or advance books (especially e-books) this would really be helpful. I have books that contain over 50 tricks that are most of the time essentially the same. I think having descriptions would help us to know if your book is really worth buying.
2. Simpler instructions
Okay here is something that not all may not agree with me. I have to say that most e-books have instructions that contain a lot of jargon. Well they expect you to know how a sleight for a trick is done however they don't even care to explain how it is done. Even worse is that they keep on using acronyms or abbreviations for a sleight mentioned at a beginning of the trick. Example of this is something like "DL top two cards then do the DS then cull the rest..." I wish they include even a simple explanation or method for any necessary sleight for the tricks.
3. Clearer pictures
Here is a problem with a lot of books. Either they have bad drawings or really blurry pictures. I really have to say that I hate e-books with bad photos that you can't even understand if a picture is explaining something necessary. Also something related with this is that if a photo is placed beside a text only to see that the photo is for an instruction for another page. I think that if you can't place a good photo, don't place it at all.
I just have to say that these are the things that I wish I could see in magic books. In this way I could really appreciate not only the tricks in it but also the magician who took the time to write a book.
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Mar 22, 2011
Sep 6, 2010
Magic E-books for learning
I actually download a lot of e-books over the internet. Unfortunately not all are good material and worse some are really just a waste of money. I'm writing this post to give fellow magicians advice on the things to consider when buying an e-book.
Tip # 1: Always buy from a reputable site
Buying an e-book is the next best thing on how to learn from books. Getting it from a good website and not from torrent downloads, not only supports the magician who spent time and effort, not to mention cash, in building a great website, but also protects your computer from malware and other viruses.
Tip # 2: Don't get too tempted with the "blurb"
A blurb is more like a testimonial on what the book is all about. Mostly they are true but sad to say some are really exaggerated. Also be careful when reading an e-books description, what you should look for is the content of the book. Try to look if there is a preview of the contents and if possible a description on each effect in the book. In this way you could see what your money’s worth before buying the book.
Tip # 3: Buy a book that suits your level
Most e-books on magic either teach one effect (usually priced from US$1-5) and those that teaches a lot (from US$10-20). Usually I go for the one with more material as it offers me a variety of things to learn and usually it has better effects than those that teach only one. Also if you’re going to buy one make sure that you have a good grasp of the basics in magic as most of these books expect you to know already what the sleights that are mentioned in the book.
I hope these tips help before you go purchase and e-book.
Tip # 1: Always buy from a reputable site
Buying an e-book is the next best thing on how to learn from books. Getting it from a good website and not from torrent downloads, not only supports the magician who spent time and effort, not to mention cash, in building a great website, but also protects your computer from malware and other viruses.
Tip # 2: Don't get too tempted with the "blurb"
A blurb is more like a testimonial on what the book is all about. Mostly they are true but sad to say some are really exaggerated. Also be careful when reading an e-books description, what you should look for is the content of the book. Try to look if there is a preview of the contents and if possible a description on each effect in the book. In this way you could see what your money’s worth before buying the book.
Tip # 3: Buy a book that suits your level
Most e-books on magic either teach one effect (usually priced from US$1-5) and those that teaches a lot (from US$10-20). Usually I go for the one with more material as it offers me a variety of things to learn and usually it has better effects than those that teach only one. Also if you’re going to buy one make sure that you have a good grasp of the basics in magic as most of these books expect you to know already what the sleights that are mentioned in the book.
I hope these tips help before you go purchase and e-book.
Sep 2, 2010
Product review: Sleight of Hand and a Twist of Fate by Joshua Jay
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I really think that Joshua Jay is one of the best magic mind out there. His effects are really stunning and the originality of his ideas really make it suit the magician of today. There are a total of nine effects on a 65-page e-book and I think it's worth every cent of it. Honestly, I think this book is suited for intermediate level magicians as some of the terms listed as well as the effects need a better basic understanding on the fundamentals of magic. The photos provide a good view of the methods, however the text related to it could have been explained more clearly. Over all this e-book gave me new insights as well as powerful effects that I will surely add to my repertoire.
The e-book is available for US$15.00 on Vanishing Inc Magic
Aug 25, 2009
Want to Improve on Magic? Ditch the DVD and Buy a Book
In today's age of Internet and other Multimedia such as DVD and video downloads, Magic is much easier to learn now. The problem however is that less time is being dedicated by the learner to actually polish the things he/she have learned.
That's why in my opinion studying magic with a book is really better than most magic in multimedia format. Unlike most DVDs nowadays that are one trick ponies, books always have more to learn and most of the time gives better insights than most video downloads or DVDs out there.
Another thing is that when you buy a book on magic you are sure that it was written by someone who has the experience in magic. Unlike those videos which almost anyone even some inexperienced teenagers could make. I read reviews of some DVDs which were made by inexperienced people and my it was really bad.
As I have mentioned earlier most DVDs teach one-trick ponies that teaches how the trick is done rather than how to do it. With exception of very few DVDs that really teaches down to the smallest detail and advance handling, I think that most DVDs are just exaggerated to be marketed for some people's profits.
So now which would you choose? A one trick pony DVD easy to learn, hard to perform or a book that takes effort to learn but gives better insight for a better performance.
Until then,
That's why in my opinion studying magic with a book is really better than most magic in multimedia format. Unlike most DVDs nowadays that are one trick ponies, books always have more to learn and most of the time gives better insights than most video downloads or DVDs out there.
Another thing is that when you buy a book on magic you are sure that it was written by someone who has the experience in magic. Unlike those videos which almost anyone even some inexperienced teenagers could make. I read reviews of some DVDs which were made by inexperienced people and my it was really bad.
As I have mentioned earlier most DVDs teach one-trick ponies that teaches how the trick is done rather than how to do it. With exception of very few DVDs that really teaches down to the smallest detail and advance handling, I think that most DVDs are just exaggerated to be marketed for some people's profits.
So now which would you choose? A one trick pony DVD easy to learn, hard to perform or a book that takes effort to learn but gives better insight for a better performance.
Until then,
Aug 6, 2009
Review: Magic The Complete Course by Joshua Jay
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Honestly I thought that it would be impossible for me to actually procure this book from where I live. Fortunately thought yesterday as if through some stroke of magic my feet just lead me to a bookstore and as soon as I turn into the next corner there it was at the top shelf along with other books not related to magic.
I bought the book without hesitation and hurried home to read it. I was surprised on how much insight Joshua Jay has regarding magic and every little thing about it. I really liked how he is actually bringing the "context" into the effect.
Now regarding the book, I should say that it is really a very useful book not only for beginners but also for the more experienced ones. The effects on the book though not all are new actually gives a new and better dimension to what we could say as outdated effects.
With clear photos detailing how an effect is done, the book makes it easier to learn the said effects. What I really like about how Joshua Jay teaches the effects is that besides putting it in the proper "context", he provides the script thus giving the reader an idea on how the effect should be performed.
The organization of the effects we could say is situational which is quite different from most books which are categorical. I say this is a great help for those who actually find it hard to choose which tricks to perform. In addition to this Joshua Jay actually suggests a number of tricks to perform for a show, including preparations and the flow of the whole show.
I'm still about to view the DVD that comes with the book and hopefully I could write a review on it sooner.
Until then,
Feb 21, 2009
The weekend was great and the magic was better
Last Friday, I went home immediately upon the news that the package that I have been waiting for has finally arrived. Upon arriving home I got the package, opened it and started tinkering with my new "toys"
I was really surprised that there were a lot of extras in the package and of course as part of sharing the magic I gave one extra: the wonder mouse to my younger brother. (He collects by the way prank stuff such as a sticky mouse, a fake cockroach etc.)
I had fun with the Party Magic which I won at Club Magicians during the anniversary week. I had fun producing a flower out of an empty pot, refrigerator, and even on a shoe. Also I had fun with the wand which doubles as a blowgun for hecklers LOL. NO just kidding the wand is really something useful in the kit.
Anyway with the other package I received (something I wouldn't want to reveal as of the moment) I was really surprised with it on how simple it is despite the effect it brings. Also what I loved about it is that it is also very versatile in terms that you could use it other than it's original purpose.
I really love these two new toys of mine and I'll be posting a video of me doing what I learned from these.
I was really surprised that there were a lot of extras in the package and of course as part of sharing the magic I gave one extra: the wonder mouse to my younger brother. (He collects by the way prank stuff such as a sticky mouse, a fake cockroach etc.)
I had fun with the Party Magic which I won at Club Magicians during the anniversary week. I had fun producing a flower out of an empty pot, refrigerator, and even on a shoe. Also I had fun with the wand which doubles as a blowgun for hecklers LOL. NO just kidding the wand is really something useful in the kit.
Anyway with the other package I received (something I wouldn't want to reveal as of the moment) I was really surprised with it on how simple it is despite the effect it brings. Also what I loved about it is that it is also very versatile in terms that you could use it other than it's original purpose.
I really love these two new toys of mine and I'll be posting a video of me doing what I learned from these.
Dec 11, 2008
Download Free Magic E-books!
Yup I admit I'm a sucker when it comes to free stuff. My search for new knowledge has brought me to the far and wide corners of the worldwide web. So far I've seen a lot of e-books on magic both for free and for a fee.
Of course between the two I would choose the free one. However most of the time the free e-book that is given to you gives you something that either you already know about or something that everyone knows already. That is really quite frustrating and of course I feel that I wasted my time actually going to that site.
However there are good sites too that provide quality e-books and they are really a goldmine when it comes to magic knowledge. I was lucky to find a website that has that repository of over 100 classic books of magic and surely that is something for a magician like me.
There is another site that I found that offers e-books for a reasonable price (meaning cheap in my vocabulary)Well I purchased some e-books there and some were even under a dollar and also if you look carefully into the site you could get their free e-books too.
Anyway I'm not mentioning the sites where I got my e-books from simply because I don't think telling about them would be a good idea because if anyone could purchase the trick the someone who isn't a magician who bought it might expose it to others too.
Anyway I'm just telling you my experience about e-books and magic. If you want I have uploaded some in my other blog Learn Classic Tricks. Just follow the instructions on the Request Password page.
Of course between the two I would choose the free one. However most of the time the free e-book that is given to you gives you something that either you already know about or something that everyone knows already. That is really quite frustrating and of course I feel that I wasted my time actually going to that site.
However there are good sites too that provide quality e-books and they are really a goldmine when it comes to magic knowledge. I was lucky to find a website that has that repository of over 100 classic books of magic and surely that is something for a magician like me.
There is another site that I found that offers e-books for a reasonable price (meaning cheap in my vocabulary)Well I purchased some e-books there and some were even under a dollar and also if you look carefully into the site you could get their free e-books too.
Anyway I'm not mentioning the sites where I got my e-books from simply because I don't think telling about them would be a good idea because if anyone could purchase the trick the someone who isn't a magician who bought it might expose it to others too.
Anyway I'm just telling you my experience about e-books and magic. If you want I have uploaded some in my other blog Learn Classic Tricks. Just follow the instructions on the Request Password page.
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