Fooling Houdini: Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks, And The Hidden Powers Of The Mind (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
I was a big fan of magic as a kid, and that fascination has seen a bit of resurgence in me as of late. This book does a great job at giving us a peek behind the curtain at the world of competitive magic. The author also makes some interesting correlations between science and magic, which I found insightful. What I wasn't too keen on was the author's personal journey. He was a pretty bad amateur magician at the beginning of the book and at the end he was a not-quite-as-bad amateur magician, who cares? The research, interviews, and insights were the highlights. Recommended for those who are a fans of the performance art and science behind (mostly close up and card-based) magic. The book starts with the author appearing for the Magic Olympics as a participant. Alex Houdini is still a novice in the magic domain.His infatuation with magic started when his father brought him a magic set for his birthday. Since then he has been regular at the magic shops looking out for new tricks and getting amazed at the magic. At the start of the book he is still amazed and a novice. The book is about his journey from being a novice to re-inventing a magic routine of his own. He also manages to fool the most renowned magicians with his tricks.Along this journey the author has tried to give a reasonable enough glimpse of the magic world. Also,he has tried to pass on his passion for magic to the reader. I was fascinated to read the mathematics behind the card shuffles, card tricks, the psychology behind mentalism,also to some extent the chemistry behind some magic tricks.On the flip-side the book does not go in to depths beyond what the author has ventured. This is for the obvious reasons.Sometimes the obsession of his routine goes on needlessly. Then there are some paragraphs which could be edited and made the book a bit cripser. For these I take away one star from the book.I would recommend this book to any magic enthusiast and a person who is curious and immerse him in the depths of the book and come back fascinated with the magic in it.
What do You think about Fooling Houdini: Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks, And The Hidden Powers Of The Mind (2012)?
I didn't finish this book and that rarely happens
—SugerShaun
Interesting to hear about the magic sub-culture.
—Cait
great history and psychology of magic.
—aseelhamid
