Customer Reviews

Magic: The Complete Course (Book & DVD)

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One doesn't judge a book like this by its style. This is too bad, really, because Jay's style is delightful. Nor does one judge it on the basis of such other "literary" criteria as humour, insight, or human interest, which is also unfortunate because, surprisingly, the book abounds in these as well. No, one buys a book like this for its ability to teach us, well, let's be frank, its ability to teach us how to make our friends look like idiots. (Sure, there are going to be some few who buy it to SERIOUSLY get a grounding in beginning magic, but, alas, they ARE few... and far between). Additionally, a large portion of the book's audience will probably be young people ("young" being in the eye of the beholder, but it has been my experience that we tend to lose either interest or simple dexterity as we age). So, the real tests of a book like this are: A) Are the tricks explained clearly and in an easily duplicable manner? B) Are there ENOUGH of them that DON'T require the hours of practice that any true afficianado of the art knows is necessary... but we really don't want to do? and C) Does it also contain a great DVD of over 2 hours in length that shows us how to do a lot of the tricks and, even if we don't want to do them ourselves, still is a heck of a lot of entertaining fun? The answer to all three of these is a resounding YES!!!!!! So, what are you waiting for? Buy this!

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!

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.

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.

THE BOOK

I have read many magic books but many books show WHAT is being done but not necessarily HOW to perform it. Joshua Jay is a masterful artist, performer and teacher. His talents are well beyond his years. This book covers tricks in various settings and with different props to include mealtime magic, magic out of ordinary things, magic with money, magic for kids, magic by kids, card tricks, magic in the office, magic for large audiences and even magic using the internet.

The book is well organized into major sections. Each trick is organized in a clear, concise and easy to follow format. A list of necessary materials, difficulty level of the trick, the effect of the trick, the secret of the trick and how to perform the trick step by step is outlined. Each section is well illustrated with high quality photography, easy to follow sequences and concise captions. One of my favorite sections of the book is a series of magic tricks that you can perform yourself and the estimated time of performance.

Throughout the book, there are inserts that cover interesting historical facts related to magic and legendary magicians. The book is entertaining, informative and a great resource on the subject. It is well organized that people of any age can perform many of these tricks.

THE VIDEO

An instructional 480p DVD includes a menu for watching magic, learning magic (27 tricks), extras that includes tricks with traditional magic props, and a special 5 minute clip on how to carry out your performance, "Talk Magic". The video is high quality, professionally produced and is worth the price of the book alone. The menus are easy to navigate, and you can watch all or just selected lessons.

Watching the videos shows his work in action. His ability to perform, communicate and demonstrate the lessons is excellent. Joshua Jay shows that he loves what he does and compels you to learn this art.

VERDICT

This is the definitive method, text, and system of learning the art of magic. Don't hesitate to get this book. It is the best in its class.

This would be a hard act to follow. Two thumbs up!

SHOPPING LIST:

There are items that the author lists to do some of the tricks. Here are just a few of them:

Folding Quarter - Magic Trick Prop

Folding Quarter Rubberbands - You need these rubber bands for refills for the Quarter, above.

Fantasma Toys Ultimate Magic Trick Three Deck Card Set

Bicycle Stripper Deck From US Playing Cards - The Magic Deck

Pro Brand Svengali Deck - Easy Magic Card Tricks

Reality Thumb Tip - Magic Trick Prop

10'' Linking Rings

Wonderful book at a very reasonable price, with a DVD to boot!! The chapter on the 10 best card tricks is fantastic, including Out of This World and Do As I Do, two venerable classics. There are some thoughtful and original touches and embellishments to the tricks and routines which enhance presentation. Fun to read, and beautifully illustrated with color photographs. A perfect book for the magic novice, as well as someone like myself; magic's been my hobby for about 40 years. Absolutely recommended!!

There's an exchange I heard on a tv show once -- "How do you figure out a magic trick?" "First, remember it's a trick." We know it's not magic, not really -- we do -- and you would think that a book that shows so very carefully how to do magic, with almost endless detailed photographs that actually show you precisely how, and instructions, would make you believe it's a trick even more.

Yet, Magic: The Complete Course, despite all that, makes you believe just a little more IN magic. Like the veriest Hogwarts student, you are given a capable and patient teacher who shows you just exactly how to become magic yourself.

Learn to tell the stories, learn to palm the coins, manipulate the cards, cut somebody in half -- it's all here, along with some history and introductions to famous magicians. Learn how to pop someone's eyes open wider than wide, and make them believe.

Become magic. :)

I didn't know what to expect when I got this book/dvd for myself and my son. What I got was a terrific book for anyone interested in magic. There are small tricks, large tricks, card tricks, effects, and so much more. 500 full color photographs in 280 pages show you step by step how to do the magic. With the photos, the book is very kid friendly. But even more so, there is a kid magic section for them. The dvd shows about a third of the tricks(around 35). This is really a must buy for any would be magician, or just if you have ever been curious how things are done. With all of the tricks out there, I hope to see Joshua Jay write a follow up to this 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.

This is a great place to start in magic. From the perspective of a full time professional magician who has performed over 2500 shows over the last ten years, I wish this book was around when I started. The material is very well presented and organized. This book is packed full of useful information and value. The DVD is a great complement to the book and is worth the asking price by itself. In an industry where the simplest secrets are jealously guarded, you now have a way in. Future books will be compared to this high standard that Mr Jay has set. Bravo!