Best Magic Books For Beginners
Your No-Nonsense Guide to Starting Your Magic Journey
So you want to learn magic? Brilliant. You've come to the right place.
Look, learning magic doesn't have to be complicated. You don't need to spend years mastering impossible finger gymnastics or memorizing encyclopedias of card techniques. What you need is the right book to get you started—something that actually teaches you tricks you can perform, not just theory that sits in your head gathering dust.
Big Blind Media has built our reputation on one simple idea: teach magic clearly, make it accessible, and most importantly, make it stuff you'll actually want to perform. Our collection of books ranges from absolute beginner-friendly material to more advanced work, but today we're focusing on the books that'll get you started without making your brain hurt.
Why Books Still Matter in a YouTube World
Yeah, you could watch endless YouTube tutorials. But here's the thing: magic books force you to think. They make you visualize the moves, understand the principles, and really absorb the material. Plus, a good magic book gives you structured learning—not just random tricks scattered across the internet, but a proper journey from "what's a double lift?" to "holy crap, I just fooled my entire family."
The Self-Working Goldmine
Let's start with the absolute best place for beginners: self-working magic. These are tricks that require no sleight of hand whatsoever. And before you roll your eyes thinking "self-working means rubbish," let me stop you right there. Some of the most powerful, audience-destroying magic tricks ever invented are self-working.
Destination Zero by John Bannon is a collector's book focused entirely on self-working card magic. John Bannon is basically the king of making mathematically-based tricks feel like pure magic. His work strips away all the unnecessary faff and gives you streamlined, powerful effects that your audience will never forget. This book is sold out at the moment, but if you can snag a copy, do it.
The beauty of Bannon's approach is that he understands that magic isn't about how difficult the method is—it's about what your audience experiences. His self-working material often fools magicians who are looking for complicated sleights, because the methods are so cleverly disguised.
eBooks: Instant Learning at Your Fingertips
If you want to get learning right now—like, this very second—Big Blind Media's eBook collection is where it's at. Download them instantly and get performing today.
Easy Elsdon Series by Mark Elsdon is absolutely perfect for beginners. Mark created these eBooks with one specific goal: give you material that's strong enough to use at a gig but easy enough to learn in about five minutes. Seriously. These aren't throwaway tricks—they're professional-quality effects that just happen to be stupidly easy to do.
The series includes Easy Elsdon Card Magic Vol 1 & 2 and Easy Elsdon Mentalism Vol 1 & 2. Each volume contains six killer effects. Mark's philosophy is simple: not everyone has thousands of hours to practice sleight of hand, but everyone deserves to perform great magic. These eBooks are the perfect proof that powerful magic doesn't have to be difficult.
For something completely impromptu, check out Mark's Conversation as Mentalism series. Five volumes of mentalism you can perform anytime, anywhere, with no props whatsoever. It's all about making impossible things happen during normal conversations. No suggestion techniques, no BS—just methods that genuinely work every single time.
Cameron Francis: Self-Working Card Magic Brilliance
Cameron Francis is your go-to for self-working card magic that packs a punch. His material is commercial, fun, and genuinely fooling—perfect for beginners who want big reactions without big technique.
7000km Lecture Notes is a 24-page book containing ten of Cameron's best routines. These were originally sold exclusively at Blackpool Magic Convention, so getting your hands on one is a bit of a score. The material inside? All about easy-to-do, super commercial magic. There are multiple self-working effects in there, including "This is the Ace" (a self-working four-Ace production that happens in the spectator's hands) and "Free Spell" (a completely self-working card location that's utterly fooling).
Out of Sleight is another Cameron Francis project focused entirely on effects requiring no sleight of hand. The construction is ingenious, the methods are devious, and the magic is powerful.
John Carey: Practical, Doable Magic
John Carey has become one of the UK's top creators of close-up magic, and his work is renowned for being streamlined, practical, and thoroughly doable. He's published over 12 books and countless downloads.
The Carey Files eBook is an instant download packed with practical card magic. John's approach is all about creating effects that work in the real world—no pipe dreams or impractical routines. His magic doesn't need to be loaded with difficult moves; he relies on subtlety and strategy instead.
The Very Best of John Carey eBook is a massive 356-page collection featuring over 180 routines from seven of his books, plus over 12 hours of video content. This compilation brings together card tricks, coin magic, and mentalism—all with John's signature style of streamlined, accessible magic. It's a bit more advanced than pure beginner material, but it's worth knowing about for when you're ready to level up.
Triabolical: A Beautiful Collector's Book
Triabolical by John Bannon and Liam Montier is a beautiful softbound book that's recently come back into stock. It includes gaff cards and teaches packet tricks—small, self-contained miracles using just a handful of cards. At £14.99, it's currently on sale and represents fantastic value.
Packet tricks are brilliant for beginners because they're self-contained (you don't need a full deck), they reset quickly, and they pack massive impact. Bannon is the undisputed king of packet tricks, and learning from him is like getting a masterclass from the best.
Astro Signs: Self-Working Mentalism
Astro Signs by Mike Austin is a 44-page book focused on self-working mentalism. It comes with a gorgeous custom-printed astrology book prop and teaches you a routine that Mike Austin has honed for over twenty years.
Here's what you get: a spectator looks up their star sign in your book, reads four different readings, and then you reveal all four readings plus their star sign. No fishing, no pre-show, no moves, no sleights, no reset required. It's completely self-working, packs small, plays huge, and you can even perform it for multiple spectators at once.
At £19.97, this is brilliant value for a complete mentalism routine with a professional-quality prop.
Start Where You Are
Here's the honest truth: the best magic book for you is the one you'll actually read and use. Don't get paralyzed trying to find the "perfect" starting point. Pick something that appeals to you—whether it's card magic, mentalism, or self-working material—and just start.
If you want instant gratification: Grab the Easy Elsdon eBooks. Learn a trick in five minutes, perform it today.
If you love card tricks but hate difficult sleights: Check out Cameron Francis's self-working material or John Bannon's self-working books.
If mentalism is your thing: Go for Mark Elsdon's Conversation as Mentalism series or Astro Signs. bigblindmedia
If you want a structured course: Look into Liam Montier's Essential Learn Card Magic Boxset (8 DVDs with over 16 hours of content). Yes, it's a DVD set rather than a book, but it starts with self-working material and builds from there, making it perfect for absolute beginners.
The Bottom Line
Learning magic should be fun, not frustrating. The books available here are designed by real magicians who understand what works in the real world. They're not trying to impress other magicians with complicated theory—they're giving you material you can actually perform and get real reactions with.
Start simple, start smart, and most importantly, start performing. Every professional magician started exactly where you are right now. The only difference is they picked up a book and started learning.
So what are you waiting for? Your magic journey starts now.