The Magic of Johnny Thompson is a drop dead gorgeous two-volume treatise on the art of magic penned by Thompson himself and fellow magician, Jamy Ian Swiss. It is, by most accounts from those lucky enough to get their hands on one, a fantastic read and brilliant table piece. It also costs more than three hundred dollars. 

Fortunately, the internet allows us to live vicariously through those more fortunate. In this case, our avatar of ownership is magician and host of The Magic Word podcast, Scott Wells. Admittedly, Wells’ decision to open the box set on a $10 TV dinner table holds the video back from being truly scrumptious, but if you don’t have $300 to drop on a pair of books right now and you’re not looking to sell your kidney to a scalper in a years time to secure a second hand pair, this is the closest you’ll get.   

The book is shipping this month, but is still available for preorder on Magicana.