I like to read. You’re reading this, maybe you like to read. I’m a magician, maybe you’re a magician. Most magi read, just not the right books. This is a personal list. A very personal list. Only 2 of the books really talk about tricks. There’s more important things to know about magic. These books can open your mind to a rich history and to new ways of thinking. In the coming days I will be writing more about some of these books and how they’ve impacted me.
The Complete Jarrett Jim Steinmeyer and Guy Jarrett (2001)
Perhaps my favorite magic book of all time. Certainly one of them. I will have a separate piece on this book and its author at a later time. Guy Jarrett is my spirit animal.
The book was written and published by typeset, one page at a time. Once the letters were in place, he would press the pages himself. Then reset the letters, writing the next page. It was about 400 pages. He bound them all himself and then sold them. It was well worth his effort.
The thinking in the book has clearly impacted Penn & Teller and just about every worth-while magician. Also a very entertaining read as he rags on Thurston (who he built illusions for) calling him “that mental stumble bum,” and saying “he made an abortion of my effect.”
2. Richard Potter: America's First Black Celebrity John Hodgson (2018)
This book is a deep-dive into one of my favorite figures from the history of magic. In fact the closing piece of my show is a trick I wrote called “A Trick for Richard Potter.” More on that trick later.
As the book’s title implies, he is known as the first black celebrity. It’s odd that we don’t hear more about him. He was also the first American-born magician. He was around when some of our “founding fathers” were still walking.
His story resonates deep with me and reading about him cannot help but change you.
3. Henry “Box” Brown’s Legacy – and My Life With Him by Rory D. Rennick (2021)
Henry “Box” Brown. A slave who shipped himself in a box from slavery to freedom. I used to live just a few blocks down from where Henry “Box” Brown was a slave in Richmond, VA. It was around that time that I had first read about him and quickly fell in love with him and his story. Henry Brown learned his first tricks on the plantation and after freeing himself from slavery’s shackles, he became a professional performer and magician. Rory Rennick brings “Box” Brown to life. There were moments I had to put the book down to try and hold back tears. It is the most thorough biography on Brown I’ve ever read. When the fight for freedom gets hard to handle, I pick up this book. You should too.
4. Our Magic: The Art in Magic, the Theory of Magic, the Practice of Magic by Maskelyne and Devant (1911)
Alright, so you’ve heard of this one. But have you read it? Have you studied it? This is one of the most important books on magic ever written. From two of the greatest to ever play the game. They knew what was important and what wasn’t. They lay out a way of thinking about magic that will change your performances forever. They talk about the degrees of art. And how most magic really isn’t art at all, or to use their phrase is “false art”. It is incredible how many magi like parrots will quote this book because someone else quoted it, even though they’ve never read it. Reading this book will give you a deeper appreciation for the art in magic. And will clue you in on how to take your magic from “false art,” to “high art.” And for those who are broke like me, the fine folks doing fine work at Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive have this book. So you can read it for free.
5. Geoff Latta: The Long Goodbye by Stephen Minch & Stephen Hobbs
An instant classic in the field of coin magic. This book is a masterclass on clever construction and the ingenious thinking of one of the late-great coin manipulators. As far as I’m concerned, Geoff Latta never quite got the credit he deserved as one of the best to ever live. This is a post-graduate course on coin magic, but more importantly can teach you how to approach a problem. The routines in this book are focused and elegant. You’ve probably read Bobo’s and Roth. This is the next step.
These are just a few books I thought you might like. I hope you find them as useful and impactful as I have. It’s a very personal list of books that have inspired me. Just when I was getting bored with magic, I got The Long Goodbye from Latta and was back deeper than ever. Just when I thought there was nothing to learn, I got the Jarrett book and he can make you feel stupid. Like you don’t know anything; makes you want to strike the dumbness out of yourself. Our Magic has been a classic since it hit the shelves and there’s a damn good reason, you could read that book and you might not need any others. Box Brown has been an interest of mine for a number of years now. Rory Rennick interweaves his personal journey with “Box” Brown in a beautiful celebration of freedom while highlighting the disturbing history of America and the world. And Richard Potter I’ve always felt very connected to. Being that I am a mixed-race magician, the story of Richard Potter, also of mixed race, just strikes me to my core.
Let me know if you’ve read these books or if you have some books that you think I should read.
James Mollenkamp