For five years author Idries Shah examined obscure manuscripts in a dozen remote regions where magic persists. Originally published in 1957, most of the magical texts in this annotated and fully illustrated classic have never been published before; many in English for the first time. It is a compendium of rare source books of magic, containing spells, charms and directions for creating powerful talismans. Together with Shah’s companion volume, Oriental Magic, it helps us understand what magic is and isn’t. It encourages us to keep our minds open while avoiding the hocus pocus that surrounds it. It sheds light on human beliefs and what has previously been obscure, confusing & over-inflated. Highly Recommended.