Fooling Houdini - by Alex Stone (Paperback)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br><P>From the back rooms of New York City s age-old magic societies to cutting-edge psychology labs, three-card monte games on Canal Street to glossy Las Vegas casinos, Fooling Houdini recounts Alex Stone s quest to join the ranks of master magicians.<P>As he navigates this quirky and occasionally hilarious subculture populated by brilliant eccentrics, Stone pulls back the curtain on a community shrouded in secrecy, fueled by obsession and brilliance, and organized around one overriding need: to prove one s worth by deceiving others.<P>But his journey is more than a tale of tricks, gigs, and geeks. By investing 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--andwhy, sometimes, it doesn t."<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p>From the back rooms of New York City's age-old magic societies to cutting-edge psychology labs, three-card monte games on Canal Street to glossy Las Vegas casinos, <em>Fooling Houdini</em> recounts Alex Stone's quest to join the ranks of master magicians.</p><p>As he navigates this quirky and occasionally hilarious subculture populated by brilliant eccentrics, Stone pulls back the curtain on a community shrouded in secrecy, fueled by obsession and brilliance, and organized around one overriding need: to prove one's worth by deceiving others.</p><p>But his journey is more than a tale of tricks, gigs, and geeks. By investing some of the lesser-known corners of psychology, neuroscience, physics, history, and even crime, all through the lens of trickery and illusion, <em>Fooling Houdini</em> arrives at a host of startling revelations about how the mind works--and why, sometimes, it doesn't.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> From the Back Cover </b></p></br></br><p>When Alex Stone was five years old, his father bought him a magic kit. Years later, in New York City, he plunged headlong into a vibrant underground magic scene populated by a fascinating cast of characters: from his gruff mentor, who holds court in a rundown pizza shop, to one of the world's greatest card cheats, who also happens to be blind. As he navigates this quirky and occasionally hilarious subculture, Stone pulls back the curtain on a secretive community organized around a single need: to prove one's worth by deceiving others. In trying to understand how magic fools us, Stone uncovers a wealth of insights into human nature and the nature of perception. Through his investigation of the lesser-known corners of psychology, neuroscience, history, mathematics, and even crime, all through the lens of trickery and illusion, <em>Fooling Houdini</em> arrives at a host of startling revelations about how the mind works--and why, sometimes, it doesn't.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>"What I loved most about <i>Fooling Houdini</i> is the world it takes us into: these huddled cliques of obsessed magicians reinventing their art. . . . This book makes you want to do magic tricks, and convinces you just how hard it is to do them well."--<b>Ira Glass, host of This American Life</b><br><br>"<i>Fooling Houdini</i> is a totally smart and engrossing study of one of America's most misunderstood sub-cultures, and at the same time the story of one man's quest to probe the mysteries of magic, science, and where the two meet."--<b>John Hodgman, author of <i>The Areas of My Expertise</i></b><br><br>"<i>Fooling Houdini</i> is an eye-opening, irresistible journey into the world of magic. Stone has written a masterful story that is bursting with energy, inventiveness, and a sense of wonder on every page. I couldn't put it down!"--<b>Steven Levitt, co-author of <i>Freakonomics</i></b><br><br>"A cheery, inquisitive book about a world where math, physics, cognitive science and pure geeky fanaticism intersect. . . . This book is more than a series of anecdotes. It's an effort to explore the colorful subculture of magic devotees and the serious, theoretical basis for the tricks they do."--<b>Janet Maslin, <i>The New York Times</i></b><br><br>"A hilarious and illuminating memoir. . . . Less a how-to guide, and more about the bizarre-personalities, the infighting and the jaw-dropping dedication and dexterity required to be a truly great magician."--<b><i>The New York Post</i></b><br><br>"Alex Stone's <i>Fooling Houdini</i> is a delight. In the physics Ph.D program at Columbia, he drops everything to pursue the murky world of magic. He writes with wit and scientific sharpness and grand humor. He immerses us in a fascinating world few have ever entered."--<b>Buzz Bissinger, author of <i>Father's Day</i> and <i>Friday Night Lights</i></b><br><br>"An enthralling journey into the inner world of magic. Alex Stone writes with a winning voice that you'll want to follow anywhere."--<b>Joshua Foer, author of <i>Moonwalking with Einstein</i></b><br><br>"In a memoir studded with historical factoids, charming anecdotes and a variety of behind-the-curtain insider secrets to classic magic tricks, stone serves as a winsome tour guide. . . . There's plenty of eye-opening knowledge on display. . . . Magically engrossing."--<b></i>Kirkus</b></i><br><br>"Part insider's look at the high-stakes world of casinos and cardsharps, part scientific examination of deception, this page-turner gives an intriguing peek behind the magician's curtain."--<b><i>Discover</i></b><br><br>"The narrative is compelling because it comes veined with a very human question: What is truth? That may sound too philosophical for such a fun memoir, but when Stone invokes this question it comes across as pitch perfect."--<b><i>The Boston Globe</i></b><br>
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