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This is not a list of good books, it's a list of books (or DVDs) that it would be irresponsible not to have read (or watched).

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General Magic
==========

Complete Course in Magic - Mark Wilson
The Secrets of Alkazar - Kronzek

and the comprehensive (and expensive)

Tarbell Course (8 volumes) - Harlan Tarbell


Card Magic
========

The Royal Road to Card Magic - Hugard and Braue

THEN

Expert Card Technique - Hugard
and such things as
Expert at the Card Table - Erdnase
Card Control - Buckley

OR

the more comprehensive, contemporary and expensive

Card College - Giobbi


Coin Magic
========

(New) Modern Coin Magic - Bobo
then
?????????


Rope
====

The Rope Magic of Tabary vols 1 & 2 (DVD)


Magic Theory & Presentation
====================

The Secrets of Alkazar - Kronzek (also above)
Magic and Showmanship - Henning Nelms
Strong Magic - Darwin Ortiz
(at least the last two in order)


Trick Compilations
=============

The Art of Astonishment (3 volumes) - Paul Harris
Apocalypse (4 volumes) - Harry Lorayne


Mentalism (General)
==============

Practical Mental Magic - Annemann
13 Steps to Mentalism - Corinda
then
Sleight of Mind and Geist - Harding & Nyrup
and
Mind, Myth & Magick - T.A. Waters


NLP
===

Frogs into Princes - Richard Bandler
and
?????????????
also in
Sleight of Mind - Harding & Nyrup (above also)


Stage Hypnosis
===========

Encyclopedia of Stage Hypnosis - Ormond McGill
then
Sleight of Mind - Harding & Nyrup (above also)


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I'm going to maintain this list by editing the top post (this one) and I'd love for people to contribute to the discussion. Once again, it's not good books, it's important books. So, the idea is to give one or two starting books and maybe an advanced in each field. Please feel free to discuss the list, make suggestions, etc. I'm not an expert in all of the fields, so help me out here. Hopefully, this will form the basis of a beginner's book list, so people know where to start.

For NLP, you could add "Sleight of Mind" by Harding and Nyrup

I've heard such great things about it Tomo. Is it principally an NLP book or a mentalism book?

Tomo wrote:For NLP, you could add "Sleight of Mind" by Harding and Nyrup

I second that. It's more of a Mentalism book, as is "Mind, Myth & Magick".
Surely the Tarbell Course should be in the magic section?
Excellent books, so much great stuff in there. And Harry Lorayne's 'Apocalypse' series.

Marvell wrote:I've heard such great things about it Tomo. Is it principally an NLP book or a mentalism book?

It's really the bits of NLP that work (eye access cues, anchoring, etc) and a course on hypnosis rolled into one specifically for mentalists. It's a good read but it's up to you as an intelligent, thinking person to find applications for it all. That's the fun part.

Lord Freddie wrote:I second that. It's more of a Mentalism book,

Is it a Bible? Is it an absolute must read, or is it just good?

as is "Mind, Myth & Magick".

Is that a more advanced Mentalism book? Again, is it a "must read"?

Surely the Tarbell Course should be in the magic section?

Would one progress top that from Wilson, say?

And Harry Lorayne's 'Apocalypse' series.

In what section and at what level?

It occurs to me that the above is quite technique oriented. Things like Apocalypse and Art of Astonishment being in a section is going to cause a riot of "no, this is better than that" type things. Maybe trick books aren't really "must reads" at all?

I'm not really sure that you can have a book that's going to be a 'must read' for everyone. People vary alot depending on their style.

One I'd like to add though for rope magic are the Frances Tabary DVDs.

Lady of Mystery wrote:I'm not really sure that you can have a book that's going to be a 'must read' for everyone. People vary alot depending on their style.

Thankfully, a "must read" like Strong Magic, is all covering and if you're not into coins, then don't buy coin books.

One I'd like to add though for rope magic are the Frances Tabary DVDs.

Is this a beginner thing? What's the exact name of the DVDs?

I'll happily add sections for escapology, pick pocketing, rope, sponge, etc. if people want to make suggestions.

Marvell wrote:

Lord Freddie wrote:I second that. It's more of a Mentalism book,

Is it a Bible? Is it an absolute must read, or is it just good?

as is "Mind, Myth & Magick".

Is that a more advanced Mentalism book? Again, is it a "must read"?

Surely the Tarbell Course should be in the magic section?

Would one progress top that from Wilson, say?

And Harry Lorayne's 'Apocalypse' series.

In what section and at what level?

I think Sleight of Mind and MM&M are logical progressions from 13 Steps and Anneman, but in my opinion are important reads.

As good as Mark Wilson's book is, the Tarbell Course is far more comprehensive and is definitley a must-read in my opinion. I refer to these books more than any others.

Apocalypse has all kinds of effects, cards, coins, rope, mentalism and varies in level but is a vast resource of great effects from some great minds.

Would it be fair to say that the Tarbell Course is to Mark Wilson what Card College is to RRTCM? Card College is an interesting point and I expect someone is going to call it a "must read". Would be fair to say that Card College is a must if you've not already got the other ones, like Expert Card Technique, Expert at the Card Table and Card Control, say. Is it a comprehensive course which could replace these other volumes if one so chose?

Tarbell covers things that Mark Wilson barely touches upon.
The sections on card flourishes and sleights are some of the best I've read and there is some great sections on escapology. Lots of classics, such as the Razor Blade Trick are in there. Comprehensive is putting it mildly.

Tarbell is also avaiable on CD at a much lower cost than the printed books.

Hopefully, this will form the basis of a beginner's book list, so people know where to start.

A book rarely suggested but by far and beyond the best beginner's book out there is "The Secrets of Alkazar" (Kronzek). It covers the building blocks of magic and while adults may find the format and writing to be puerile, Kronzek teaches more about magic, and the performance thereof, in those pages than 90% of all books out there (and that's a conservative guess).

Mike.

I've figured the Art of Astonishment serires by Paul Harris is something every magician should read. (well, at least most of them)