You Need a Large Magic Library!

Why you need a [large] magic library, and what it can do for you!
📚 See What's in My Library ▶️ • Erudite Magic Unboxes ...
Not only that, but there are some tools presented in the video that will help you get the most from your existing library of magic books. What is the best research tool I've found? It's Denis Behr's www.conjuringarchive.com - an incredible resource to help you interact with your magic library. Now go hit those magic books!
0:00 - Intro
0:55 - Why have a magic library?
1:28 - Commitment to Intellectual Curiosity
2:06 - What does a library do for you?
2:41 - Creativity & Cross-Disciplinary Reading
4:05 - Research Tools
6:48 - What about unread books?
9:15 - Lessons Learned
10:42 - Next Steps
#EruditeMagic #magicbooks #magic

[@EruditeMagic]

📚 See What's in My Library ▶ kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZfQZqx9jsaWpq8

[@gennaroconnors9304]

Thanks for helping me justify, to myself, buying another and another magic book.

[@EruditeMagic]

😂👌

[@GeorgeB514]

Same! :D

[@johnoneil909]

Please keep in mind that Denis keeps this archive out of the goodness of his heart. I know he asked for donations a few months ago and i gladly donated. It's a great resource that we need to keep alive. Please support Denis and this site. Great video. I have a TON of books and it's almost so many that i don't know where to start. But i will take your advice and just pick up something and start. I love your journal idea. I have scraps of paper all over the place and when i go through books or boxes, i always find my notes about tricks or effects i should look into. Keep up the good work.

[@EruditeMagic]

Thank you, John, and great point about the donations! Let's keep this tool alive by supporting Denis.

[@Davlavi]

Yes, and already do and it is always expanding.

[@zubairm5495]

I saw this episode in bits before .. but just watched it fully .. amazing ... love your advice .. thanks a lot!

[@EruditeMagic]

Great - happy to help!

[@simonmagic5130]

Great video! I fall in love with reading books again during the first lockdown. Cant stop since then!

[@EruditeMagic]

Thank you, Simon! I love to hear the words "fall in love with reading books again!!" 🤩 Enjoy your library, and above all, #keepreading

[@glenguldbeckmusic3410]

Great video!!! I'm at 385 magic books and counting....lol. Reading and studying magic books is on par with my love of music. Keep up the fantastic work!!!!

[@EruditeMagic]

Thank you 🙏

[@lenhibbard4688]

How large is my library? Seems to be getting larger these last few months - thanks to these really great book reviews! Well done!

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks for the kind words, Len!! 🙏

[@jasonm921]

Yeah this guy is killing my wallet.

[@EruditeMagic]

😆😬😂

[@Badzilla]

Thank you so much again Jeff. I just wanna say, these videos are of immense value and are very enjoyable. Keep it up.

[@EruditeMagic]

Thank you, Badzilla! 😃👍

[@MondoNifty94]

hi, i discovered your channel for your review on Perseus Arkomanis book. this video is truly amazing! that notebook as a research tool is amazing! hope you make more contents like this. it has inspired me to expand my Magic library again and expanding my knowledge

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks Jordi! I will make more videos like this in the future, so thanks for letting me know the content is valuable to you. 👍

[@nancyanderson5320]

My magic library is growing larger each week because of your work reviews. No one touches my library, it has become my “kingdom”!!! I buy brand new ones so that I can take great care of it. It is my happy place to organize them by author. Thanks for promoting “magic education through books”!!

[@EruditeMagic]

So happy to hear it, Nancy! Thanks for watching and taking time to comment. 😁

[@MrPoklz]

Amazing video, I truly mean it.

[@EruditeMagic]

Wow, thank you so much for saying so! 🙂🙏

[@JodyTheMagician]

Great video! Books on magic from the public library got me into performing magic; and that was over 40 years ago. I still perform magic and now I work at the library. I once worked for Micky Hades (publisher of magic books). I love reading to learn. PS It looks like you need a new bookshelf:)

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks for sharing! What part of the country do you call home?

[@JodyTheMagician]

@@EruditeMagic I'm in Calgary, Alberta.

[@SpencerRaybourne]

Interesting ideas. It seems like there are stages in what a magician needs. I didn't realize this early on and often bought the wrong book at the wrong time. The horrible thing is that while in college I purged a bunch of my magic books and sold them, How I wish I could get that hard back copy, with dust jacket, of Vernon's book of magic.

[@EruditeMagic]

Vernon's Book of Magic is a good one. I believe you can get it in pdf format from Lybrary.com, but I'm not sure. I have the collected Vernon from L&L which includes Vernon Book of Magic.

[@GaryBarker1971]

Love this video and glad I found Jeff, an advocate for the written word! Thank you.

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks, Gary! 😃 Enjoy exploring the channel as an Erudite Magician!

[@Dronak]

As someone relatively new to magic, it seems to me that not only do you have to buy books rather than borrow them from a library (as you noted), but you have to pay more for them than for regular, non-magic books. I assume this is part of how magicians keep their secrets secret -- you've got to pay to get them, and the more they cost, the more serious you have to be about learning in order to want to pay that price. But when starting out like I am, it's not exactly great to see all sorts of books at say $40 for a paperback. I did buy a few books that I think are in the classics category, and perhaps because of that, they didn't cost all that much. But I'm aware of newer books that do cost a lot more, and at this point, it's hard to imagine getting them -- no matter how great they may be -- simply because it's cost-prohibitive to buy them, especially if they're a series (and I at least don't like having incomplete series of books). *shrug* I guess you just have to build up the library slowly. I've bought plenty of non-magic books over the years that way. :)

[@EruditeMagic]

Sounds like you get it and you're already off to a great start - congratulations ❗ Slow and steady wins the race 🐢

[@ScottRSmith1964]

Books in my opinion have the biggest bang for the buck. You get a lot of tricks in a book as opposed to 1 download or trick. Add up all the ones you get for the same price of a good book and the book becomes that much cheaper. If you are not a member of the SAM or IBM clubs join one or the other. Find out if there is a local chapter to those clubs. It’s great to have people around to discuss magic and They will help you with your magic. Magic is so much fun with other like minded people. If you need help finding a club, email me at [e-mail]. Have a great week.

[@davidmiller5155]

Great video, Jeff. Keep preaching the good word. I too have a library that I am sure I will never be able to read all of, but chasing that horizon is the reward.

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks for watching and taking time to comment 😃👍

[@rodneyroach3038]

Love ur videos!!

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks, Rodney 😃

[@SeanDevine]

Awesome video! Glad to see someone loves magic books as much as me!

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks for sharing your love of magic books 👍

[@kaneshrink]

Jeff, great topic with many helpful ideas. Wish this video were available 45 years ago!!! Keep up the terrific work!

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks for the feedback, Marty! 👍

[@CrazyCow500]

Thanks! You just helped me justify my addiction! lol

[@EruditeMagic]

You're welcome! 😃👍🤣

[@dustyhill9379]

Thanks Jeff!I try to keep my anti-library around 25%. When I find good deals it may fluctuate between 25-40% and I try to wait till it gets down to 25% again before I go on a buying spree. After Christmas I'm hoping it will stack up more. Everyone knows what I want!

[@EruditeMagic]

That's a good plan, Dusty! 🤓

[@ericomendoza3108]

Great content.. Keep it coming!!

[@EruditeMagic]

Thank you, Erico! I plan to 😃👍

[@ericomendoza3108]

I am so glad i found you channel.. Can i suggest a possible topic? I know we all love reading and learning from magic books and all but can you please discuss the aquiring process.. I mean for example all the books i have right now i bought from Tannes in NY... I work in a ship but now that we dont have US in the itinerary i dont have means to buy book.. My only choice is to buy online... Can you have a talk about how to order online shipping options what to look out for what to avoid.. Or maybe have Dons magic or VanishingInc sponsor the video fie that.. specially for those living outside the US.. In my case im from the Philippines, you inspire me to continue my magic book collection.. Kudos to you sir

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks for the suggestion - I'll definitely consider it!!

[@ScottRSmith1964]

Another great show! Thank you! The Trapdoor sounds good, I love to read funny authors.

[@EruditeMagic]

It is wonderful. Hilarious, with a lot of great ideas!

[@BoardGamingRamblings]

Another great video! Thank you :D I have so many books that I haven’t read. Trying to do something about that ;) PS: Loved seeing the board games on the shelf as well :D

[@EruditeMagic]

Thanks for the comment! Yes, I love some board games, too 😉

[@jimkl0]

I concur on the concept. A large physical library you can re-visit often really helps you find new ideas. But I can't help but wonder why your library seems to be missing Locked, my big book on mentalism with locks and hundreds of Seven Keys to Baldpate routines. : - )

[@EruditeMagic]

To say nothing of the new book on book tests! My good friend Rhett Bryson lent me your Locked book at one time and I found it fascinating. For sure it's the most complete set of information on all routines lock related. 😃

[@jimkl0]

@@EruditeMagic Call me impressed - you are so up to date. You are lucky to be friends with Rhett - he's a great guy.

[@EruditeMagic]

@Jim Kleefeld I sent you an email, but not sure if you got it - you may have to check your spam folder. I look forward to hearing from you!

[@jimkl0]

@@EruditeMagic I sent a reply, but maybe you did not get it.. I am sending an email again.

[@johngreen4068]

Great video Jeff, I would like your help and advice in what to write in notebooks. In the video it looks like you have a lot to offer in the notes and content that you put in your notebooks. Impressed me so much that, I tried to pause the video to read what you had written in them😂👍 Any thoughts or a video on the subject would be much appreciated. Keep up the good work.

[@EruditeMagic]

Great question, John! I write whatever strikes my fancy. 🤷‍♂️ No, really. Sometimes it's an idea I had for a gag or bit of business. 💡 Then I might try to brainstorm where that would fit in. Sometimes I read a trick and think a different sleight would be better, so I write down the effect I'm reading, book, page #, etc., followed by what sleight I would substitute. Other times they're thoughts for my own tricks I'm creating. Or, it could be an idea for a future episode of Erudite Magic. The key is writing anything down. If its only in your head, it's almost guaranteed to disappear. But, if you write it down, it's guaranteed to live on in some way. Hope that helps. I may do a future episode on that. 🤔 Excuse me, I need to go write that down. ✍️

[@johngreen4068]

Erudite Magic , Thank You for your reply. It makes perfect sense to write these thoughts down.

[@jasonleh7168]

I have a moderate sized library, the issue I run into is not knowing where to start! When I look at the books, I get overwhelmed with them all. If I start 1 book I will get a few chapters in before wanting to jump to the next one to get that started. Anybody else have this issue?! Any tips on how to focus on getting through a single book rather than doing a few chapters in 20 different books!

[@EruditeMagic]

There's nothing inherently wrong with jumping around, but I find that if I take notes, it helps me focus on one thing. YMMV. Sometimes it's fun to start a research project to find the best version of an effect for your needs...

[@jasonm921]

I have the same issue. But i still enjoy it.

[@madmania5080]

❤❤❤❤

[@EfendiKwok]

Please add Lorayne: The Classic Collection 5! It's such an eyesore seeing it stop at 4! :p Great thoughts by the way!

[@evanbishop7771]

I stopped at 4 also. 5 didn’t seem to have anything that really interested me 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@EruditeMagic]

😂 - I'll see what I can do!

[@jerryRp90x]

😀

[@gennaroconnors9304]

oh hey, i saw you have a copy of of Applesauce by Patrick Redford, could you do a review?

[@EruditeMagic]

I have it on the ever-growing list, but it is there and I will get to it eventually. Thanks for asking!

[@jennifermagic7984]

Do you have Ben Blau's Asymptotes or Truth Fables? How about Applesauce & Cardboard by Patrick Redford? Both are great iwth cards and mentalism. Two areas you said you are interested in.

[@EruditeMagic]

I have Applesauce, but not any of the others. I always like seeing new suggestions, however. 😁 What are your favorite parts of those books?

[@jennifermagic7984]

@@EruditeMagic Cardboard is a followup to Applesauce. I just ordered it the other day from Patrick's web site. (He's gonna autograph for me). His two memorized deck books are Temporarily Out of Order and Sleightly Out of Order. TOOO introduces the Redford Stack which is Si Stebbins based memdeck -- a series of overhand shuffle runs transforms it to and from Si Stebbins in a matter of 15 seconds, which you can do covertly in front of spectators. There are several great stack independent routines in TOOO as well. There are also great memdeck tips and tools in TOOO. SOOO, a followup to TOOO, is even better.. there are 33 routines in it, most of them are not stack dependent. If you like Patrick's brilliance in Applesauce, the mentalism he brings to cards, then you will greatly appreciate what he brings to the memorized deck arena. Patrick has been a blessing to the USA with respect to memorized deck work. Spain & France are ahead of the USA in memorzied deck work by years, but Patrick is making that an old story. He's up there with Tamariz, Aragon, Asi Wind, Hartling, Behr, Ortiz, Aronson, Ackerman, etc with respect to memorized deck work. Since you love mentalism and memorized deck work, you'd really enjoy all his stuff. I have more books/resources from Patrick than other other author in my library hehe. Prevaricator, Applesauce, Cardboard, TOOO, SOOO and Photographic Deck.. also his The False Shuffle Project videon on Vanishing.

[@EruditeMagic]

More coming from Patrick Redford on the channel soon. Stay tuned... 😉

[@jennifermagic7984]

@@EruditeMagic Do a youtube search on Ben Blau and watch his various mentalism with cards performances. He's so good. Max Maven & Eugene Burger love him. He's a good friend of Patrick's. I don't have either book yet, they are a bit pricey but I think worht it. (Asymptotes & Truth Fables)

[@jakeaustin5197]

How many magic books do you need to own for your library to be considered “large”?

[@EruditeMagic]

Enough that you haven't read everything... 😉🤷‍♂️

[@jakeaustin5197]

In that case, I’ve got a large library!

[@twatmunro9563]

I've got a large magic library but I'm not sure you NEED one. I bet Tommy Cooper never had a large library. He'd just wander around to Ken Brooke's shop. Ken would show him a routine. He'd learn it from Ken. That was enough to make him one of the top 5 British magicians of the last 60 years. How does the old saw go? Professionals do 10 effects a thousand times, amateurs do a thousand effects ten times. Doesn't that mitigate against a huge book collection? I wish I'd read 60% of all the books I own though.

[@EruditeMagic]

Sure, but if what you're saying is true, it seems like Ken's library was his library? How big was Mr. Brooke's library?? Thanks for sharing your thoughts 👍