Magic Should be Simple

[@EruditeMagic]

😲Fool Yourself with Self-Working Magic ▶ kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2S1daOheKetnqs

[@SeanDevine]

Scarne on Card Tricks is so good. One little gem in there that deserves more love is The Stapled Card. The guys over at Big Blind Media took that trick and totally revolutionized it! You oughta check it out. It's in their Ultimate Self Working DVD series. Heck, everything in that series is gold.

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks, Sean!!

[@lenhibbard4688]

Brings back great memories watching this today! I purchased Scarce on Card Tricks as one of my first books back in the 70’s. In his book is a stacked deck deal for dealing four Royal flushes. That was one of the first tricks I learned. Over the years I’ve modified it to fit my style and to include a few false shuffles, but many decades later, that trick still absolutely kills. Thanks to watching today, I now find the need to dig out that book once again. There are truly great treasures in these “classics”. Well done, as usual.

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks, Len. Glad to bring you back some happy memories and to cause you to go back to your library!

[@kalvinhepple5975]

That presentation was brilliant!The content superb!Take a bow !👏👏👏 Thanks Jeff.

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks, Kalvin - glad you liked it!! 🕴️

[@georgeyounts9391]

Scarne on Card Tricks #: 3, 30, 51, 57, 59, 61, 63, 87, 98, 104, 113, 123 & 152. Have fixated (@ times in life) over #30/63 & Threesum by Jonathan David (P3 DL) is probably the best using the method. Loving that you talked about these old classics. Fulves 1976 SWCT was the first book I ever bought. As a little boy I thought I had arrived when I was able to perform the card trick on it's cover- Quick as A Wink. Thanks again for another great post. :)

[@EruditeMagic]

Awesome, George!! Thanks for sharing 👍

[@lenhibbard4688]

BTW, in addition to his many accomplishments, in the movie “The Sting”, it was John Scarne’s hands filling in for Paul Newman’s hands in the card manipulation scenes.

[@EruditeMagic]

I became aware of that a few years ago - incredible! Thanks for sharing, Len.

[@dougclark4146]

Great video! All of these are wonderful books. As I mentioned in an earlier response to a previous video, Scarne on Card Tricks was my first magic book, bought in the mid-1970s. When I got back into magic in the mid-1990s, my first purchases included RRTCM (where I learned an Ambitious Card Routine) and the Self Working series by Karl Fulves. I also picked up a few heavier duty books such as The Vernon Chronicles: The Lost Inner Secrets , Volume 1 published in 1987 and Greater Magic, republished by Richard Kaufman in 1994 (He is currently working on an expanded and revised version).

[@kennomagic]

Another excellent discussion surely Teed up.

[@EruditeMagic]

I hope so!

[@davidcupps991]

Your videos have quickly become my favorites to watch. Great insights and advice. Keep up the good work!

[@EruditeMagic]

Thank you, David - so kind of you to say! 🙏

[@ScottRSmith1964]

These Dover books are great! I started with many of them and still have them years later. One book that is no longer printed but found easily for about $5 is Bill Tarr’s now you see it, now you don’t. As well as his other books. This was my first book that I started with. I keep extras on hand to give away to new magicians especially young ones.

[@EruditeMagic]

That's awesome that you keep books on hand to give away, Scott! Bravo 👏

[@twatmunro]

I tend to read more magic history than I do books of 'tricks'. Before I started hoarding them, I'd always read them and then pass them on to children interested in magic when I'd finished them. I kind of regret it now. Many of the books I gave away are now hard to come by, and I've got a strong suspicion that the kids would have been much happier with cheapo public domain Dover books of tricks than with first edition hardcover Ricky Jay, David Britland, Jim Steynmeyer, etc.

[@ScottRSmith1964]

@@twatmunro I understand, I only give away Dover type books. I love to give away Bill Tarr books like Now you see it, now you don’t. I can pick those up for $5 or less. It was my first book.

[@patrickhumeniuk5113]

Scarne on Cards is great - one of my first magic books. My favourite trick in this book is Quadruple Coincidence.

[@EruditeMagic]

Appreciate you sharing 📖

[@blathnaiddeasy3263]

Love this episode! I have quite a few of the books mentioned. 📚

[@EruditeMagic]

So glad, Blathnaid 😃👌

[@cartersmith8390]

I'm not sure if the paperback is still available, but The Amateur Magician's Handbook by Henry Hay is a priceless semi-old (vintage?) text, and quite a bargain. Not knowing the difficulty of some of the material within it's pages, I asked my parents for this after spying it on the shelves at Caldor (anyone remember them?) when I was 10 or 11 in the early 80's. Besides being an amazing boot camp into true sleight of hand, particularly the section on coins and for me being my introduction to a couple serious card moves, it's recommended readings/references lead me over time to all of the Dover books and many many others. The book was my first true portal into the wider world of magic (previously besides Scarne on Card Tricks all the other books I'd read were children's ones). For decades I almost always carried it with me, and I have reread and referenced it throughout my life so much that my second copy looks as if it survived the Crimean War. The first tattered copy I gifted to a curious mind at some point in my college years to set him on his journey into magic. Despite mostly doing mentalism these days, I truly understand why it has been recommended as a starting point for someone interested in that branch of mystery performance. Highly recommended.

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks for sharing part of your story and for punctuating the point about sharing magic with others through these inexpensive, yet delightful instruction manuals 😃

[@elchinobatulay4268]

Only few NEW BOOKS have hidden gems, unlike OLD BOOKS.

[@EruditeMagic]

I feel that's true, but it's also harder to be hidden without the passage of time 🤷🏻

[@dougclark4146]

I think your comment about newer books is correct. I will note that one of my favorite and most performed effects for groups is in the Introduction of Woody Aragon's A Book in English: The Card Magic of Woody Aragon published in 2011. He doesn't even give the effect a name. I have created several versions for different situations and I call is Synchronicity.

[@jimdriscoll]

Amen to your suggestion about having a few books on hand to pass along to newer or younger magicians. We’re fortunate to be near a large used bookstore that has a fairly good section on magic. I’ve picked up some of the Dover books as well as Mark Wilson’s and Josh Jay’s courses to give to young magicians. (By the way, my niece introduced me to that particular bookstore after she found a “magic” book there that she bought for me. I wasn’t expecting much, but it turned out to be a Harry Lorayne book! I’ve since visited it dozens of times but haven’t yet been THAT lucky.)

[@EruditeMagic]

That's awesome!! Glad to hear you're a proponent of giving away books to beginners 😃👍

[@nochannel1276]

Excited

[@EruditeMagic]

Glad you are - looking forward to sharing this with. you tomorrow!

[@joncarnes7418]

Outstanding video!

[@EruditeMagic]

Thank you!! 🙏

[@joncarnes7418]

@@EruditeMagic Everything you do is quality. I work as a consultant in medicine, education, and defense. Magic has a broad spectrum of applications. Your channel is legitimately one of the only avenues for a person to discover that. The articulation of thought via structured language is mankind's greatest achievement because it enabled all other advancements. Thank you for your commitment to literature.

[@EruditeMagic]

Wow, you've touched me. 🥲 Thank you for those kind words

[@joncarnes7418]

@@EruditeMagic My friend, the honor belongs to those who subscribe to you. Most people, nowadays, cannot define erudite. I firmly believe magic and in particular mentalism is about to enter a new/ancient golden Era. Those wise enough to pay attention to your advice will find a wealth of knowledge that can be used for far more than entertainment. I wish you the very best and deeply admire the quality of your content. It is purposefully focused on a such a rare and beautiful aspect of human knowledge. We are lucky to have minds like yours contributing to the greater good.

[@kylesouthard1743]

don't be turned off by karl self working stuff, some good content and good for confidence building

[@EruditeMagic]

💯

[@RobertBallMagician]

Have many of these books. But a favorite one l thought of right away is Karl Fulves Gemini twins effect. Great review 😊👍😊👍😊👍

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks Robert! 🙏

[@Davlavi]

Nice tips.💖

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks!

[@drrogerwoods]

Classic Secrets of Magic by Bruce Elliott is one of my favourites and my local magic club once did a whole afternoon just with tricks from this book

[@EruditeMagic]

Nice 😃👍

[@SamuelTyree1]

Topsy Turvy from RRtCM is a great impromptu trick, very visual, borrowed deck safe, with some sleights that are simple to learn (they are almost not sleights at all).

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks for sharing 🙏

[@kylesouthard1743]

card college nice start for card ppl deck grips,shuffles,slights and tricks

[@EruditeMagic]

It can be overwhelming for the absolutely new beginner, but good for someone who has a lot of the basics down

[@chaddavis1]

Great list though. I love it. Video is so helpful. I learned something as mentioned above.

[@EruditeMagic]

Glad I could help!

[@dustyhill9379]

Because Mentalists think they're better than everyone else, haha! The Scarne book and the Self Working Fulves books are great. RRTCM changed my whole outlook when I started.

[@EruditeMagic]

Glad someone else got a kick out of my statement 😄👍 RRTCM is awesome. I still value the lessons I learned from its pages

[@madmania5080]

Your videos are always so ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks!!

[@andrewsilverstein6186]

Great

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks

[@chaddavis1]

I had always heard that practical mental effects was a compilation whereas mental magic was his book. I always thought they were different beast. Not a product of copyright running out.

[@EruditeMagic]

Nope, they are the same. Both are compilations from the Jinx

[@chaddavis1]

@@EruditeMagic you saved me some money. Thanks for the always quick response. You are one of my favorite sources. I was going to pick up the Wind book but am waiting to find your recommendation instead. You weren't the only one to say so but the first person I checked with.

[@EruditeMagic]

Which Wind book? I *highly* recommend Repertoire. If you want to learn pre-show, I'd have to think about what I'd recommend

[@chaddavis1]

@@EruditeMagic it was definitely the preshow book. Fun fact, I am in West Virginia, I met his brother's ex fiancé at a kid show I did at some little park. It's amazing how small the world is.

[@jonahberg9280]

what about worlds best card tricks by bob longe ?

[@EruditeMagic]

If a book has to try to convince you that it's the best via the title, it's doubtful 🤷🏻

[@kylesouthard1743]

now you see it now you don't is nice for starters

[@EruditeMagic]

Indeed it is - a great foundation of sleight-of-hand

[@jonahberg9280]

what are your favourite karl fulves books ?

[@EruditeMagic]

His periodicals, but there's certainly nothing wrong with these dover MM eds

[@patrickhumeniuk5113]

Great video! Also… one of my favorite card magic books that I started with is: Scarne on Card Tricks. This is a great resource. One of my favorite tricks in this book that I learned a long time ago and still perform is “Quadruple Coincidence”.

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks for sharing, Patrick!