LEARNING & INSPIRATION
New ways into
your magic.
Books, podcasts, and YouTube to spark questions, deepen your craft, and broaden your perspective.
Selected by Diego for the MiM collection. Read, listen, and watch with curiosity—then bring what you discover into your own practice. Different voices offer different perspectives; there is room to question them.
READ & REFLECT
Books
Ideas to think with, and material to work through. These shelves overlap: a routine can reveal a principle, and an essay can change how you practice.
Theory & Perspectives
Explore the ideas behind attention, construction, presentation, and creative expression.
The Magic of Ascanio, Vol. 1: The Structural Conception of Magic
Arturo de Ascanio · compiled and written by Jesús Etcheverry
Study how construction, presentation, timing, and naturalness work together to shape an audience’s experience.
Explore bookFreedom of Expression
Dani DaOrtiz
Explore psychological choices and the spectator’s point of view through DaOrtiz’s distinctive approach to card magic.
Explore bookDesigning Miracles
Darwin Ortiz
Consider how the structure of an effect influences the explanations an audience might reach for—and the impossibility they experience.
Explore bookStrong Magic
Darwin Ortiz
A close look at presentation and showmanship, inviting you to question what makes a performance connect with an audience.
Explore bookThe Experience of Magic
Eugene Burger
Essays and performance pieces that invite reflection on framing, mystery, and the experience you hope to share.
Explore bookMastering the Art of Magic
Eugene Burger
Explore audience involvement, performing conditions, and the thinking behind Burger’s close-up work through a collection of his earlier writings.
Explore bookThe Psychology of Magic: From Lab to Stage
Alice Pailhès & Gustav Kuhn
Bring research on attention, perception, and choice into conversation with the decisions you make as a performer.
Explore bookThe Conjurer’s Conundrum · Astonishing Essays, Vol. 8
Jamy Ian Swiss
A personal exploration of magic and skepticism, asking how the pleasure of illusion relates to our understanding of belief.
Explore bookPreserving Mystery
Jamy Ian Swiss
Essays on learning, repertoire, and performance that ask how thoughtful study can deepen the experience of magic.
Explore bookShattering Illusions
Jamy Ian Swiss
An opinionated collection of essays on magic’s purpose, presentation, and place in culture—material to engage with and question.
Explore bookMagic by Design: Study, Practice and Presentation
John Carney
A practical workbook connecting study and rehearsal with original material, scripts, character, and presentation.
Explore bookMagic in Mind
Edited by Joshua Jay
A collection of essays by different voices in magic, offering starting points for deeper thought about the craft and its possibilities.
Explore bookThe Five Points in Magic
Juan Tamariz
Examine how your eyes, voice, hands, feet, and body guide attention and communicate during a performance.
Explore bookThe Magic Rainbow
Juan Tamariz
Explore Tamariz’s thinking about emotion, imagination, and the possibilities of the magical experience.
Explore bookThe Magic Way
Juan Tamariz
A study of false solutions and effect construction, connecting theoretical ideas with detailed examples from Tamariz’s repertoire.
Explore bookMagic in Theory
Peter Lamont & Richard Wiseman
An introduction to the theoretical and psychological elements of conjuring, with ways to think about deception and perception.
Explore bookScripting Magic, Vols. 1 & 2
Pete McCabe
Exercises, scripts, and contributions from working performers that help connect what you say with the experience you intend.
Explore bookThe Books of Wonder, Vols. 1 & 2
Tommy Wonder & Stephen Minch
Detailed routines and essays connect practical decisions with theatrical intention, offering an extended study of how a performer thinks.
Explore book
Practice & Repertoire
Study how different performers turn methods and ideas into routines, presentations, and working material.
Magic from Maui
Carl Andrews
Restaurant magic and practical performing advice, connecting close-up material with the realities of working for people.
Explore bookSleightly Absurd
Charlie Frye
Routines, comedy, and reflections on character and practice from a performer who brings sleight of hand and variety entertainment together.
Explore bookTotally Out of Control
Chris Kenner
An inventive collection across cards, coins, rubber bands, and more—a chance to study playful solutions to familiar performance problems.
Explore bookAbsolute Madness
Craig Petty
Material from Petty’s professional repertoire, accompanied by essays that connect practical routines with working experience.
Explore bookApproaching Magic
David Regal
A broad collection of routines using varied objects, with an emphasis on the ideas and presentations that give effects their shape.
Explore bookInterpreting Magic
David Regal
Routines, essays, and conversations with creators explore the many ways a performer can interpret an idea.
Explore bookDrawing Room Deceptions & More Drawing Room Deceptions
Guy Hollingworth
Two collections of card magic that invite close study of construction, handling, and a consistent performance sensibility.
Explore bookClose-Up Card Magic
Harry Lorayne
A collection of card routines to work through at the table, exploring how clear teaching and structure support practical performance.
Explore bookThe Magic Book
Harry Lorayne
An introduction to sleight-of-hand magic with ordinary objects, offering a foundation for study, practice, and informal performance.
Explore bookDear Mr. Fantasy
John Bannon
Card routines and the thinking behind their construction, offering material to study beyond the sequence of moves.
Explore bookOne Degree · The Nth Degree · Final Degree
John Guastaferro
A connected trilogy of card routines and essays, exploring how small creative choices can change the whole experience.
Explore bookVallarino
John Lovick & Jean-Pierre Vallarino
A detailed look at Vallarino’s close-up repertoire, inviting attention to the relationship between visual clarity, technique, and presentation.
Explore bookMaestro
John Shryock
Close-up and stage routines alongside reflections on timing, staging, and the development of a working repertoire.
Explore bookThe Magic of Michael Ammar
Michael Ammar
Performance pieces, scripts, and essays connect close-up and stand-up material with presentation and professional practice.
Explore bookWilliamson’s Wonders
Richard Kaufman · featuring the magic of David Williamson
Cards, coins, and the cups and balls provide a way into Williamson’s repertoire and the details that make it work.
Explore bookCard College, Vols. 1–3
Roberto Giobbi
A structured course in card magic, connecting technical foundations with the principles and habits that support careful practice.
Explore bookIntimate Miracles: The Magic of Dean Dill
Tim Trono
An exploration of Dean Dill’s close-up magic, with material to study for its construction and intimate performing context.
Explore book
LISTEN & CONSIDER
Podcasts
Conversations about the choices, experiences, and questions behind a life in magic.
The Insider
Interviews with magicians about their work, their influences, and the choices behind a life in magic.
Listen on SpotifyPenguin Magic Podcast
Conversations with performers and a look behind the scenes at Penguin’s P3 Magic Studios.
Listen on SpotifyMagic Talk: by White Rabbit Magic
Discussions of magic’s performance, history, and business, with interviews and perspectives from the community.
Listen on SpotifyThe Steve Faulkner Podcast
Conversations for performers and creative people, with room for personal experience and reflection.
Listen on SpotifyTheory & Thoughts for Magicians
Ryan Pilling explores ideas about creativity, performance, and engaging an audience.
Listen on SpotifyThe Professional Magician
Cris Johnson discusses performing conditions, professional practice, and building a magic business.
Listen on SpotifyDesert Island Tricks
Guests choose the magic they would take to a desert island—and explain why it matters to them.
Listen on SpotifyThe Talk Magic Podcast With Craig Petty
Craig Petty interviews magicians and creators about their work and experiences in the craft.
Listen on SpotifyThe Magic Guys
An informal conversation among professional magicians, sharing perspectives on magic and life.
Listen on SpotifyThe Magicians' Podcast Network
Interviews and conversations across magic, with an archive that includes subscriber-only material.
Listen on SpotifyThe Magic Insight
João Miranda and Artur Santos host conversations about magic and the people who create and perform it.
Listen on Spotify
WATCH & EXPLORE
YouTube
Performance, teaching, books, and conversation. Watch for the decisions behind what you see, as well as the effects themselves.
Lloyd Barnes
Magic demonstrations and teaching from Lloyd Barnes, with ideas to explore through your own practice.
Visit channelCraig Petty's Magic TV
Craig Petty brings together interviews, reviews, discussion, and practical perspectives on performing magic.
Visit channelThe Underperforming Hobbyist
A hobbyist’s perspective on magic—another voice to explore alongside professional approaches.
Visit channelCarisa Hendrix & Lucy Darling
Performance and character through Carisa Hendrix’s work as Lucy Darling; watch how personality shapes an audience’s experience.
Visit channelSteve Faulkner - Magician
Steve Faulkner’s performance channel, offering a look at his close-up and stage work.
Visit channelErudite Magic
A channel devoted to magic books, with discussions that can help guide your next reading project.
Visit channelAlakazamMagicUK
Demonstrations and conversations from Alakazam, offering a window into creators and their material.
Visit channelOBrienMagic
Educational magic content focused on developing confidence in performance.
Visit channelPenguin Magic
Demonstrations, teaching, and conversations from Penguin Magic’s video collection.
Visit channelCavan Booth
Cavan Booth explores magic through video, offering another perspective on learning and performing.
Visit channelLIMITLESS PROJECT
A focus on performance and process, inviting a closer look at how magic develops.
Visit channelDiscourse in Magic
Conversations and guidance about building a magic business and learning from experienced performers.
Visit channelStudent of Sleight
A candid look at learning and performing magic, alongside short performances and a self-deprecating sense of humor.
Visit channelDoug Conn
Close-up, sleight-of-hand, and parlor magic from Doug Conn, using cards, coins, ropes, rings, and more.
Visit channel
Selected with curiosity and care · Reviewed November 2026. All resource links open in a new tab. Book links lead to information from creators, publishers, or retailers; editions and availability may change.
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