The Joy of Juggling

The Joy of Juggling (Original Edition, Juggle Bug, Inc.)

This is the original instructional version of The Joy of Juggling, a slim but remarkably effective beginner’s guide that helped launch thousands of juggling journeys in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Designed to be worked through page by page, trick by trick, this book doesn’t just teach juggling — it builds you toward a complete, presentable juggling routine.

Published by Juggle Bug, Inc. (©1979, second edition / second printing 1982), and widely believed to have been written by Dave Finnigan, the book reflects the practical teaching philosophy that made Juggle Bug a cornerstone of the modern juggling movement. While Finnigan is not credited by name, the structure, progression, and tone are unmistakably his.

At just 38 pages, this softcover, saddle-stitched book wastes no ink. The goal is clear from the opening paragraph:

Learn a dozen solid juggling tricks in about a month — and be able to put on a fairly fantastic show.

And it delivers.

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What’s Inside the Book

Rather than overwhelming beginners with theory or advanced notation, The Joy of Juggling introduces juggling as a logical sequence of learnable skills, starting with the fundamentals and steadily layering in confidence-building variations.

The book includes:

• Demystifying Juggling – Breaking the mental barrier that “juggling is hard”

• The Juggle Bug Method – A clear, friendly learning approach

• Trick One: The Basic Cascade – The foundation of all three-ball juggling

• Overthrows – Height control and correction techniques

• Clawing – Adding texture and style

• Recoveries – What to do when things go wrong (they will!)

• One-Hand Juggling

• The Yo-Yo

• Doubles

• Eating an Apple – A classic bit of juggling comedy

• Passing – Introductory partner work

• Flashy Starts

• A Spectacular Finish

• A Typical Short Routine – How to string it all together

• Next Steps – Where to go after mastering the basics

Each trick is supported by clear black-and-white illustrations by I Ping Wang, making hand positions, toss paths, and timing easy to understand even for complete beginners.

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Why This Book Still Matters

This isn’t a modern, glossy juggling encyclopedia — and that’s exactly why it works. The Joy of Juggling focuses on results, not overload. Many jugglers learned their first solid cascade, first routine, and first “look-what-I-can-do” moment from this very book.

It pairs perfectly with:

• Beginner juggling bean bags

• Scarves

• Classroom or camp instruction

• Magicians adding juggling as a visual skill

• Collectors of classic juggling and circus literature

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Condition & Important Notes

• Out of print and collectible!

• Interior pages are clean and like new!

• Covers are white and often show dirt, dust, or warehouse handling..

• Discounted accordingly

• No returns accepted due to collectible closeout status

This is a chance to own an authentic piece of juggling history — not a reprint, not a PDF, but the real book that helped define modern juggling instruction.

Simple. Practical. Historically important.
If you’ve ever wanted to understand juggling the way a teacher intended — this is where many of us started.