Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
by Ricky Smith
In The Expert at the Card Table, under the heading Importance of Details, Erdnase
writes, The finished card expert considers nothing too trivial that in any way contributes to
his success, whether in avoiding or allaying suspicion, or in the particular manner of carrying
out each detail; or in leading up to, or executing, each artifice.Learning things the right way
means learning every aspect of a move or routine. You need to know how to get in and get
out of a move, where and how to direct your audiences attention so that you present the
audience with a fluid picture that looks whole to them but leaves plenty of room for you to
hide the method, all while presenting the effect in an entertaining manner. The secret is in the
details and, for the most part, the best way to acquire the knowledge of these details is
through books. In the following couple of paragraphs we will look at a variety of books: those
that will prove helpful to the beginner and provide a firm grounding in the art, those that will
provide further instruction and a thorough understanding of the art, and, finally, books for the
accomplished card handler.
Starting off right can be done in a variety of ways depending on your desires and how much
you are willing to invest to start out. A cost-effective and proven book for beginners is
the Royal Road to Card Magic, which will teach a variety of techniques, flourishes, and
effects, while setting up the beginner with a thorough grounding in the theory of the art. This
book will teach you valuable lessons in a straight forward manner that will be beneficial and
prove valuable throughout your studies, even at the highest levels of understanding. It is a bit
antiquated in some aspects, like writing style, but the study will contribute greatly towards
your ability to comprehend other books further on in your career. As a bonus, R. Paul Wilson,
an excellent magician and thinker, has a superb DVD set that focuses on this book which will
aid in your understanding of the work and magic in general immensely. Another path one
could take which is more modern and thorough, in my opinion, is Roberto GiobbisCard
College. These books represent a greater investment than the Royal Road but are absolutely
fantastic. There are five books in the series and purchasing all of them to start out with may
be a little extravagant, so I would recommend getting the first two to start if you are hesitant.
The first book is an excellent starting point and will get your hands accustomed to some of
the commoner sleights and build your dexterity, while the second book will take you into
some more advanced techniques and tricks putting you well on your way to becoming an
adept in the art. The next volumes feature many more techniques and theory that will really
round out anyones education in the art, and they are highly recommended. The whole series
really represents a practically complete understanding of the art consolidated within its
covers, and one could easily be considered an expert with just the knowledge contained in
these books. Regardless of the path you choose, omitting the study of some form of basic
text is ill advised; it is likely that your study of more advanced books will be hindered without
a good base knowledge of the art.
After acquiring a good knowledge of the common methods and gaining some understanding
of the principles involved, there are several branches of books that will prove helpful and
round out your knowledge base while giving you a look at some of the more interesting and
clever applications our art has thus far created. One group of books that will prove
immensely helpful, give you a sense of the history, and teach you about some of the more
prominent practitioners we have had are, what we might term, the classics. These books
have been the high water marks throughout the years and each one has many excellent
features. I will provide a short list and then point out a couple I think are necessities: