Book Review: Mark Wilson's Complete Course In Magic

In the highly effective book, Mark Wilson’s Complete Course In Magic, the author, Mark Wilson, demonstrates how to perform many different kinds of magic tricks. For example:

1. Card tricks

2. Money tricks

3. Rope tricks

4. Magical illusions

5. Household object tricks

Mark Wilson is most known as the magician on the 1955 television show Time For Magic as well as the 1960 television show Magic Land of Allakazam. For several years he even acted as president of The Academy of Magical Arts held at the mysterious Magic Castle in Hollywood California.

Despite just being informative, the book is also sprinkled with a light cinnamon dust of awe and wonder; it’s as if one might peek behind the curtain of a puppet show and spy the little man squatting underneath the counter, his hands twiddling the cords and twine that are maneuvering the tiny felt creature above his head into doing a tap dance or polka. It lets a person see behind the curtain. It lets them see what’s really going on and understand it.

The book is more of a guide than anything else. It is split up into different chapters depending on the specific genre. It also describes the steps needed to successfully perform a trick using numbered paragraphs and illustrations to benefit the reader and help them understand exactly how the trick would be executed. Some of the illustrations even show the distinct view of what the magician should be seeing and what the audience should be seeing. (Brilliant, I know.)

Several people on Amazon have given this book a fantastic review, many rating it five out of five stars. The common agreement among these reviews is that it is easy for amateur magicians to learn new tricks that mesmerize the audience.

One customer said, "After a couple of hours of reading and practicing, I was able to amaze my daughter and my wife." Another customer explained, "Most importantly, each of the effects is "idiot proofed" by extensive instructions and superb drawings."

As a consumer myself I can say that I truly enjoy this book and am very thankful that I received it as a gift. After reading a smidgen of it I have learned a couple coin tricks including how to roll a quarter across my knuckles.

To be honest though there are only two things about this book that may be considered "annoying."

1. It's big

About the size of a school issued textbook, only half as thick, this book may be hard to carry around with you if you want to take it places on the go. I carried it around in my bag for a while and was sorry to see that the corners were starting to get folded and crumpled.

2. The pictures are in black and white.

Besides the front cover, this book's inner illustrations are completely colorless. It is not as if this will have any true effect on the consumer's ability to understand the material inside, but it is a tad disappointing. Understandably though this book was originally published in 1975 when they did not have the technology to photoshop the heck out of picture.

Despite its few imperfections, I believe that this is a very well rounded book that will delight and inspire any person wanting to become a magician, learn a little thing or two, or just to show off to their friends like a complete and utter boss.