Making Magic
by Martin Lewis

Making Magic is fifty years in the making—a lifetime of invention distilled into 60 of Martin Lewis' favorite effects.

Within these pages lies a remarkable journey through the creative life of a magician. Ideas first captured in notebooks, shaped in lectures, shared through magazine pages and videos, and even brought to life as marketed effects—including the beloved "Close-Up Cardiographic"—have been gathered together and given new life. Each routine bears the marks of the years: performed, pondered, refined, and rewritten as Martin's understanding of the magic deepened.

These are not dreams of tricks, but magic forged through experience: strong, practical effects meant to live in the hands of a working magician, whether at the close-up table, in the parlor, or upon the stage.

More than a collection of effects, Making Magic is the record of a magician's lifelong conversation with his art—a half-century of ideas, discoveries, and refinements, brought together at last in one volume.

"I wanted to let you know how much I love Martin's last book. Nearly every sentence has some incredible insight. I can only handle a chapter a day because they're all packed with so much wonderful information to absorb. I also cannot count how many times I've laughed out loud at Martin's comedic lines in the explanations and scripts. A joy." - Todd Karr

"Making Magic is a treasure chest of practical, commercial, and baffling routines for both stage and close-up. Every bit of vital information is explained, including artwork and construction diagrams, handling details, and Martin's witty presentations. It is one of the finest resources for this type of material I've ever seen, and is a bargain at the price. I could probably just stop here; at this point you pretty much know everything you need to know to make an intelligent purchasing decision, but I'll fill in a few more details. Sixty effects are explained in Making Magic; thirty-seven are stand-up routines. If you've ever tried to put together a stand-up show, you quickly realize there is a dearth of great stand-up material. This is why so many performers use the same routines. In Martin's book you'll find fresh approaches to some classic plots (for example, Playing with Your Food, Martin's take on the Mental Epic effect). Yes, you'll have to spend a little time (and/or money) to construct the props, but if you do so, you'll have some great routines not many others are performing. Finally, there are some great stories. Martin was fortunate to have been on the West Coast during the golden years of the Magic Castle; his reminiscences of those times are scattered throughout the book. In particular, the stories of Vernon and the pool table, Lou Derman and the greatest card trick ever performed, and Harry Anderson and the animal trap are personal favorites.So here's the bottom line: if you do stand-up magic (whether or not you're a do-it-yourselfer) you need this book. If you're looking for close-up magic that won't bust your chops, you need this book. Or if you're just interested in seeing how one of magic's premier creators designs his miracles, you need this book. For what you get, the price is ridiculously low. Making Magic is one of the best magic books I've ever read. Buy it; you won't regret it. It has my highest recommendation." - Michael Close

"Martin Lewis has amazed and entertained me over the course of what seems like countless years now. But as mystifying and entertaining a magician as Martin is, he has often most greatly mystified and amazed me in his lectures, when explaining a seemingly endless faucet of inventive creativity, matched with a remarkable talent for constructing ingenious but often easily built magic props. All of these talents are on spectacular display in the pages of Making Magic, along with a wealth of original stand-up magic that can help any reader to construct a more original and distinctive act. The man who created "Cardiographic" presents readers with an inspired volume brimming with similarly deceptive, original and commercial effects. Are you a worker? Want to be a worker? Want to stand out from the crowd? "Making Magic" will show you how, with step-by-step instructions, downloadable support materials, and all presented in Martin's witty and engaging voice, littered with great anecdotes gathered over the course of a remarkable career. Did I like "Making Magic"? No - I loved it!" - Jamy Ian Swiss

This download includes all the files that originally came on a CDROM with the book.

1st edition 2022, 330 pages.

Table of Contents

• PARLOR AND STAGE
  • Instant Coffee
  • Nigel
  • Threesome
  • Improved Zens Envelope Switch
  • Playing With Your Food
  • Coupons
  • Human Brain Vivisection
  • Bank Job
  • It’s Deja Chew All Over Again
  • The Test
  • Cardiographic
  • Cardiographic Lite
  • Rosepad
  • The Wall
  • Blue Moon
  • Colossal Floating Card
  • Two Sweet
  • Crystal Gazing
  • Bolt From The Blue
  • Red Paper
  • One Hand Spin and Catch
  • Come-Back Card Comedy
  • Pocket Technicolor Prediction
  • Pocket Technicolor Prediction Envelopes
  • Sidewalk Shuffle Parlor
  • Making Giant Cards
  • Strongbox
  • U-Pick-Em
  • Snacks Alive
  • The Best Trick Ever
  • The Grail
  • Vanity
  • Stop the Press
  • What-SAT
  • GOLF
  • The Tarbell Bag
  • Undivided
  • Close-Up Cardiographic
• CLOSE-UP
  • Instasquare
  • Re-Covered
  • Shuffle, Shuffle, Shuffle!
  • Magician’s Poker
  • Ghostwriter
  • Daydream Card
  • Oil and Water Waltz
  • The Cheap Cup
  • The Stenquist Stab
  • Deja Chew
  • Eye Opener
  • It’s a Match
  • Little Switch
  • Teletop
  • Space Force
  • Spectator Fails Ace Trick
  • Osaisen
  • Poker Guide
  • Spirit Painting
  • The Whispering Joker
  • Sidewalk Shuffle Original
  • Sidewalk Shuffle Straight
• Appendices
  • Appendix A
  • Appendix B
  • Appendix C