The Royal Road to Card Magic - Rated 
This is a seriously good book on card magic. I've heard many magicians refer to it as the book that got them started.
Just take your time, don't skip ahead and practice when you get time.
The Best - Rated
This book is old, and has become one of the few magic "classics". it is seen, and rightly too, as required reading for all card magicians.
It contains many good tricks, good descriptions of the standard ways of handling and manipulating cards, and an out line of basic patter (what to say while doing the trick).
Note that all tricks take time to master, and some sleights take a paticually long time.
There are a few naff tricks, but for the price of the book, and considering the number of workable tricks, this book is an absolute steal.
Also consider "Scarne on card tricks" for some idiot proof, real magic.
If you finish the book (there's loads to do in it) consider some of Paul Gordon's books, for some more advanced card magic.
How did you do that? - Rated
I was dumbfounding people while I was barely a quarter of the way through the book. Techniques get more difficult as the book progresses, but with practice, a beginner can look quite slick in a short space of time.
The Only way to be a Pro - Rated
Ask any pro, what book should i get to start of card magic/manipulation. They will all say RRCM. This book will start you of as a begginer, push you onto intermediate and if you follow it carefully you will finish a very experienced magician/mechanic.
I will say there are some slights in it which will require alot of practice i.e the pass but man learn them as they are indespensible. Once you get into this book you will realise what is possible. Get it and start at the beggining. Learn each move and some tricks with them. Not all the tricks are brilliant but most of them have a "wow, how did you do that" factor. This is well worth the buy.
Once you are finished with it and can do all the tricks get Erdnase book. Its the next step.
Good luck
God Bless - John 3:16
a little archaic, but an absolute classic - Rated 
This is THE classic card magic book for beginners. It takes you from very first steps and teaches you all the methods you need to be performing tricks at a basic level. This is the book that all my magician friends first discovered. like bobo for coins, or downes for stage illusion, this is the card magic book. The only snag with it is the language is a little archaic, being written when it was. Definately don't use any of the suggested patter unless you want to sound like you landed off a time machine. It's also frustrating when it asks you to borrow a top hat or gentlemans pocket watch, from audience members, and I never was quite sure what a phalange is, but that aside, this is the book if you want to get totally hooked on card magic
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