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Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks, and the Hidden Powers of the Mind
Harper
June 2012
On Sale: June 19, 2012
ISBN: 0061766216
EAN: 9780061766213
Kindle: B006O37LI6
Hardcover / e-Book
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Non-Fiction
When Alex Stone was five years old, his father bought him a
magic kit—a gift that would spark a lifelong love. Years
later, while living in New York City, he discovered a
vibrant underground magic scene exploding with creativity
and innovation and populated by a fascinating cast of
characters: from his gruff mentor, who holds court in the
back of a rundown pizza shop, to one of the world's greatest
card cheats, who also happens to be blind. Captivated, he
plunged headlong into this mysterious world, eventually
competing at the Magic Olympics and training with great
magicians around the globe to perfect his craft. From
the back rooms of New York City's century-old magic
societies to cutting-edge psychology labs; three-card monte
on Canal Street to glossy Las Vegas casinos; Fooling
Houdini recounts Stone's quest to join the ranks of
master magicians. As he navigates this quirky and
occasionally hilarious subculture, Stone pulls back the
curtain on a community shrouded in secrecy, fueled by
obsession and brilliance, and organized around a single
overriding need: to prove one's worth by deceiving
others. But his journey is more than a tale of
tricks, gigs, and geeks. In trying to understand how expert
magicians manipulate our minds to create their astonishing
illusions, Stone uncovers a wealth of insight into human
nature and the nature of perception. Every turn leads to
questions about how the mind perceives the world and
processes everyday experiences. By investigating some of the
lesser-known corners of psychology, neuroscience, physics,
history, and even crime, all through the lens of trickery
and illusion, Fooling Houdini arrives at a host of
startling revelations about how the mind works—and why,
sometimes, it doesn't.
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