Introduction to Applied Magic

A copy of this book can be found inside the elven mage's laboratory in the ruins northwest of Byways. It can also be purchased from the following merchants:
 * Halfling merchant, depending on Geralt's choices in Hey, You Wanna Look at my Stuff?

Journal entry

 * Magic is the science of harnessing, subduing and making use of the power of the elements. It is also an incarnation of Chaos, which is why no one without proper training should ever dabble in any of its domains. Expert mages make of magic an art, but the road to virtuosity leads through years of practice, study, and hard work - and requires a considerable amount of required inborn talent. Magic was implanted in our world through the Conjunction of the Spheres, and was discovered to be a living, changeable and controllable being shortly thereafter. The name of the first mage, the one who first discovered this talent within himself and grappled with its power, is unknown. We do know, however, that in a relatively short period of time after the discovery of magic groups began to form in which talented beings could work together on developing their abilities. This period is usually considered the beginning of magic as a science, and these groups – the prototypes of magic schools.
 * The fundamental planes from which one might draw magic power are: earth, water, air and fire. In the tome which you currently hold, each of these will have a separate chapter dedicated to it, ordered according to the level of difficulty and danger associated with the element discussed (…).

Angewandte Magie - eine Einführung Introduction à la magie appliquée Introduzione alla Magia applicata Wstęp do magii stosowanej