Mentalism Books for Beginners
Learning Mentalism can be a tricky (pun intended) task. From different and bizarre concepts to hard-to-master techniques and mind-bending tricks, you need to know exactly how to progress or you might be lost in the art’s intricate web of magic goodness. If you’re in this position yourself, you’ve come to the right place as today we’ll be taking a look at the very best mentalism books for beginners ever made.
Although we’ve already taken a look at the essential mentalism books, the ones on this list focus more on being easily accessible, simple to learn and outstandingly rewarding. From the performances and tricks to the people who do them and everything in between, these’ll perfectly introduce you to the art and guide you through its essentials, quickly turning you into a successful apprentice.
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Top 5 Mentalism Books for Beginners
1 – Encyclopedia of Mentalism & Mentalists
Author: Corinda
As I’ve mentioned time and time again before, this is an unmissable piece of literature for anyone that’s interested in Mentalism. It combines Corinda’s insanely popular “13 Steps to Mentalism”, which is by itself an essential book and possibly the very best one ever written on the subject in my opinion, and Rauscher’s “Mindreaders – Masters of Deception” which gives you deeply interesting and useful historical background on the art and the great performers of the past and present.
Put these two together into a gorgeously illustrated book that’s over 600 pages long and you’ve got yourself a profound well of knowledge that no beginner can afford to miss. With the first part you’ll learn about the basis of the art (psychology, suggestion and misdirection, theatrics) and how to apply it into tricks of all kinds in a step by step fashion such as mind-reading and hypnosis. The second part will give you a beautifully interesting look into the world of mentalism and its performers which is an incredible way to start your learning journey.
When it comes to mentalism books for beginners, this is the most essential one out of all.
2 – Tricks of the Mind
Author: Derren Brown
One of Derren Brown’s most accessible and easy to read books, Tricks of the Mind is perfect for beginners. Not only does it reveal tricks and effects in an easy to follow way but the book also offers an overview of what goes on behind the curtains.
It delves into basic psychology, body language, suggestion and misdirection, performance and theatrics, and more, all in a way that makes it easy for you to understand and learn these concepts. It’ll get you excited, it’ll make you laugh due to the author’s unique humor, and it’s a delight to read Derren Brown debunking himself and his own tricks.
It’s a great read and it’ll give you a solid foundation on the whole concept of Mentalism without being too complex.
3 – What Every Body Is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People
Author: Joe Navarro
As you probably already know, body language and reading people’s micro-expressions, reactions and non-verbal cues are an essential part of Mentalism. Nearly every book on the subject will talk about it with more or less detail but it’s always present due to its importance. Although the techniques and training vary slightly, the core of it is all the same and that’s where this book comes in.
Even though it’s not exactly about Mentalism, Joe Navarro’s book gives you fantastic and real insight into how to read people quickly and effectively with practical real-life examples and great step-by-step guides.
It’s written and explained in a way that anyone can pick up and learn the techniques, making it a fantastic choice for Mentalism beginners that want to know more about the crucial art of reading people.
4 – Prism The Color Series of Mentalism
Author: Max Maven
Brought to you by the incredible Mentalist Max Maven, “Prism: The Color Series of Mentalism” is a wonderful book, filled to the brim with practical, effective advice and chock-full of tricks and effects – 53 overall – all of which are gorgeously illustrated and very well explained.
While it requires a bit of studying before you read it (you need to know the basic Mentalism glossary and the essential techniques, which the other books on the list teach you), it’ll take your abilities and knowledge up several levels. It’s thought-provoking, expertly written, and unbelievably useful.
It’s the “toughest” of the beginner mentalism books but it’s completely worth the effort.
5 – Practical Mental Magic
Author: Theodore Annemann
Another astonishingly good mentalism book for beginners, Annemann’s “Practical Mental Magic” is another essential piece of literature that you can’t afford not to get.
Even with its age and some of its tricks seeming a bit outdated by today’s standards, the main material is timeless and superb in its quality plus if you’re creative enough, you can easily put a modern twist on the olden effects to make them fresh and effective.
It’s composed of 12 major categories, all of which encompass different styles of effects such as blindfold reading, card Mentalism and many more. Overall, it reveals nearly 200 stunning feats of Mentalism that are a joy to watch and perform.
With its clear step-by-step details and awesome illustrations to guide you from start to finish, this is a fantastic mentalism book for beginners.
Conclusion
With clear, simple and exciting writing styles that offer you a wealth of knowledge on all facets of the art, these are in my view easily the best mentalism books for beginners ever written. You’ll get an extremely solid foundation, learn about the concepts, techniques and ideas behind Mentalism and of course, how to apply them in both magic tricks form and in your personal life as well.
With these by your side, you’re ensured to succeed – have fun!
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