Since the late 1970s, my dear friend Mark Nathan Sicher (1970-1994) and I collected sizable libraries of magic books. The internet had not yet been invented, so we exchanged magic ideas with each other by sharing our books.

This year, Mark Sicher’s family generously donated his entire library to Tannen’s Magic Camp. I matched each book with one of my own, doubling the size of the donation to nearly 300 volumes. Every student at Tannen’s Camp received two books, containing a bookplate with the following text:

From the Libraries of MARK NATHAN SICHER and STEVE COHEN, With hopes to inspire future generations of Tannen’s Campers

Contest winners were given additional books as part of their prize.

Many of the books were autographed by the authors, including Eugene Burger, Harry Lorayne, Frank Garcia, Juan Tamariz, and Tommy Wonder. Yes, we gave away the good stuff!

Campers were encouraged to thoroughly read the books they received, even if the subject didn’t initially appeal to them. Sometimes one secret, or even a single sentence, can help solve a problem. Many campers shared their findings with each other, like Mark and I during our formative years, and even exchanged books before heading home.

Books are the perfect delivery system to teach secrets – they’re portable, they combine text with illustrations, and they require no on-off switch. By simply opening the front cover, we can explore the secrets of yesteryear, momentarily stepping back in time in order to make advances in our own magic.

I’m a proud alumnus of Tannen’s Magic Camp, and am pleased that the information I’ve learned over decades of study can benefit the young magicians who are just starting their journey.

For information about Tannen’s Magic Camp, visit: https://www.tannensmagiccamp.com/