And the Hidden Powers of the Mind - Math Geeks

Fooling Houdini was fantastic! Probably one of the best books I've ever read! I would recommend it to anyone! I was literally laughing out loud almost every other page. There's never a dull moment really. The people he meets are hilarious and really interesting. I even managed to learn a thing or two from this book! Love it!

If you ever wanted to ask a "working" level magician how they got into the business - this book will give you a real, and common, answer. This is a real life narrative - so a bit dry in that regards - which cover the book, the people, the training and the real life "levels" of doing magic. I would dispute some of the thoughts put forward (and would be wrong on some myself!) but this is a a good game plan on "what it takes".

The book, to me, was about the science of perception and the mathematics of Group theory among other scientific topics. It was all wrapped up in the tale of a magic junkie trying to find an original trick good enough to fool magicians.

Written with a sense of humor and keen insight. This is a delight to read and is so insightful about human nature, magic, psychology, history and science. Fooling Houdini hooks you in the first few pages and with each page you learn things you never expected. Just like the joy of a magic trick, it is a delightful surprise. The topic is fascinating and his writing style is enchanting. You will love this book!

Like almost everyone, I've always had a somewhat casual admiration for magicians and their ability to make us believe things that we know can't be so--and yet we're seeing them without own eyes (or so we think). I love to see a good trick and I love to be fooled. And I've always believed that most magic tricks work largely because of the good hand skills of the magician and/or a clever amount of misdirection--and both of those are true. Until I read this book, however, I had no idea just how much of the misdirection and trickery was coming from my own mind. Alex Stone has written a fascinating book about just how much of the power of magic--whether it's a close-up coin trick or an ambitious illusion--relies on our own psychological/neurological foibles. We trick ourselves as much or more so than the magician does.

Stone starts off the book by telling the tale of his attempt to win honor and glory at the Magic Olympics (the pinnacle of magic competitions) and the various changes in his personal life that, along with a lifelong infatuation with magic (blame his father) eventually led him to all but abandon his "normal" life and pursue a strange and somewhat obsessed journey to the center of the magic mind. Along the way he spends time with some of the great legends of magic (a lot of them regularly hanging out in a pizza joint in NYC on Saturday afternoons), a handful of grifters, three-card monte ne'er-do-wells, a stellar and legally blind card mechanic (Richard Turner--whose abilities are legendary and will absolutely challenge your thoughts about blindness) and psychologists. Each of these characters helps add to his growing understanding of just how much the person being fooled is as much a part of the fooling as the magician.

Stone has a terrific writing style (I write for a living myself and I'm in awe of his easy and fun writing skill) and while the book drags a tiny bit here and there, I kept turning the pages to see what happened next. The book reads like a kind of Hunter S. Thompson road trip that, not coincidentally, involves quite a bit of time spent in Las Vegas. At one point you'll read how the author is ousted from his beloved magic community (and you'll learn just how inbred and dark that odd little world can be) and quite nearly has his life threatened for revealing some of the secrets of magic in a magazine article. You'll also learn why revealing things about how magic tricks work seems to only foster more fascination with magic--not less. (And personally, I've had magicians show me the rudiments of some card tricks and five minutes later I forget what they've told me and only remember being fooled.) And you'll learn just how easy it is to steal someone's watch right off of their wrist.

My only criticism (very mild) of the book is that Stone mentions many psychological research studies and similar background information without actually citing them by name, year, etc. The book would have more authority if he included citations. In other words, I think the book could have used a lot of footnotes that were not included. It's boring to read a book that is full of of footnotes and this is more a journey of personal discovery than a scientific overview, of course, but I still would have liked a few pages at the end that listed the various studies so that I could have read more about them.

As I said, Stone is a very gifted writer with a very colorful and fun writing style and he exposes a lot of the weaknesses of his own personality (only a very confident nonfiction writer will do that so readily) and this is a terrifically fun book. Even if you have never wondered much about magic or illusions, you'll never watch a magic act with the same innocent eyes again. And one thing is for certain: if you read this book you'll never lose a cent at three-card monte (and you'll keep your eye on your wristwatch any time you're near a magician).

After seeing Alex Stone on Face the Nation over a month ago, and his sleight of hand in "fooling" Bob Schieffer, I felt compelled to learn more, even though not a true magic buff.

After completing Mr. Stone's wonderful narrative, describing his voyage (albeit a convoluted, complicated, and possibly subversive one), I have an incredible appreciation for the world of illusion, three card monte, manipulation, but it's much more than that.

As a health care provider, and now working in a large collaborative, while this book seems to have little to do with my profession, I think in reality it has much to do with our most challenging tasks in changing health care--human behavior, decision making, distraction, and diversion.

I've decided that I'm not going to use my review time to outline the contents of the book (no Cliff note version for those hoping to avoid the need to read the book), but rather to provide suggestions as to why you might want to read this book.

First, it's just plain entertaining, and a great narrative of a personal passion being pursued in a most determined fashion. Mr. Stone's love affair with magic is to be commended, or perhaps he's to be committed--that would be up to him. But if you are at all curious as to how many of the magic tricks, the card manipulations, the illusions come to be, this will satisfy much of your curiosity.

Second, it's a microcosm of understanding human behavior, why we like to be fooled, why it's easy to fool us, and how we irrationally think we truly see the world, but in reality don't.

Third, at least for me, it was a chance to see a world I'd had no real understanding of, and to gain a new perspective on a field not even close to my world. Yet, while I don't know exactly how I'll use this, I know it's going to pop up in my work in health care.....see which shell (your health care) is under--fooled you....

There is more to say, but I'll leave it up to you to decide. I've long ago learned that while one review is occasionally helpful, each of us has to make up our own mind, based on our beliefs, interests, cultures, and past learnings. That being said, if you want to see a different world, in a different light, and perhaps create a different reaction than you thought....this is for you.....besides, I now know how to avoid being taken by a three card monty, and you know that can never be a bad thing.

Before I read this book, I had absolutely no idea that there was an entire "world of magic" that I didn't know about. My knowledge of magicians was pretty much limited to what I had seen at children's birthday parties and talent shows. Alex Stone shows you how there is so much more than that - there are schools, societies, meeting spots, ceremonies, competitions, and an entire segment of the population that is completely devoted to magic.

Stone makes the reader like him right away, as he describes the embarrassment of completely failing a competition. From there, we see him rebound as he comes back to the magic world, while pursuing an advanced degree at Columbia, and dedicate himself to improving his magic skills. He's able to describe different tricks to us without giving away secrets and impress up on the reader just how difficult it can be to learn some of these tricks. Stone also describes some of the ways that magicians use their skills in the business world, such as the magician who is almost entirely blind but whose sense of touch is so highly developed that he works as a "touch consultant" for a major card company.

More than just describing magic tricks, however, Stone also writes about how the human brain/psychology works and can be manipulated. We see how con games are so successful and why people are fascinated by magic. Additionally, Stone's writing style is excellent - the book is perfectly paced and the personal stories are woven in wonderfully with the history and technical descriptions. Highly recommended for just about anybody.

This story of author Alex Stone’s attempt to become a master magician reminded me of a stunt memoir, like The Happiness Project, or of Mary Roach’s books (although less humorous). Like these books, the author meets with fascinating people and tries off-beat approaches to learning more about his topic. He also couples descriptions of his experience with fascinating tidbits of relevant science and history.

This book ticked a lot of boxes for me. I love learning about interesting careers and subcultures and the world of the professional magician is certainly both. I also have always enjoyed stunt memoirs, hearing about someone having a lot of unusual experiences as they work to accomplish a goal. And I can’t say no to a book full of fun science and history facts, especially when a lot relate to the way the human mind works. I really liked all of those aspects of this book.

I had mixed feelings about the author that did influence how I experienced the book. Some of his mannerisms, particularly the use of casual phrases that felt out of place, bothered me enough to interrupt the flow of the book. I also have to admit that I didn’t like him very much at the beginning. It seemed he’d not devoted the effort to being good at anything in his life. At the beginning, even his attempts to do magic were lazy at best. The positive side of that is that he had a really nice character arc throughout the story, experiencing some personal growth as he finally did put a lot of effort into one thing. This was a small part of the reading experience though and the author’s engaging writing about topics that appeal to me generally made this a fun read.

Part memoir, part history of magic, part practice of magic, part popular science -- this book has it all (for the right sort of reader). If you really know your magic, its practitioners, and its history, you may find it less charming and revelatory than I did. Even seasoned magicians, though, may enjoy this one-man's-quest-for-proficiency/perfection reminder of what it felt like when your own craft was rough around the edges. Stone writes very well and engagingly. I was a little disappointed at the publisher's choice not to include a notes and references section, but the book refers to such materials on a dedicated website. So, no harm no foul. After reading FH, and having learned a little bit about the "how" of magic, I am all the more impressed with the art and craft of magic, and eager to learn a trick or two myself. I had no idea before reading this book that there are such things as magic competitions, nor that what generally impresses skilled magicians is completely different from what I -- a lay enthusiast -- consider impressive. As a kid I loved seeing magic, learning about Houdini, etc. This book reminded me of the feeling of wonder I had -- and still have -- on the rare occasions when I see magic (done well).

Kudos on a terrific first(?) book, Mr. Stone. Best of luck to you further honing your own craft (as both magician and writer)!

Want to perform a great magic trick? Read this book: it will make two or three of your evenings vanish into complete nothingness! Stone starts out describing what a dweeb and nerd he was in high school, so I thought he was going to describe how he became a mature, fascinating adult through his contact with the world of magic. Another neat trick: he appears to have spent decades of his life without growing up at all. He is still the annoying, pesky little kid who tries to impress you with his store of arcane knowledge that somehow has lifted him into another, higher level of human being. News bulletin: A sophomore is still a sophomore even after graduate school. Near the end of the book stone quotes a professor friend of his, Arien Mack, which inadvertently sums up the book very succinctly; "All that work, you could have done something useful."
His off-the-cuff and demeaning remarks on religion, and his gratuitous comparisons between magic and science, turn what might have been a merely boring waste of time into an experience to be missed at all costs.

Almost everyone has a fascination with magic. When we were young, most of us received a cheap magic kit as a gift...and have subsequently given the gift of cheap magic to our kids. The kit always contained a black wand with white tips from out of which you could pull 10 silk scarves. Many kits also contained a plastic frame with a hidden compartment that could disappear a coin or split a card in half. In the instructions, if you read them, it warns young would-be magicians to never perform the same trick twice and to never, ever reveal your secrets. For most of us comprehending tricks inside would turn us off to magic...we realized there actually is no magic inside the box. And maybe that's the point...those of who want to believe in magic step away from the pursuit of a career in black arts preferring to be mesmerized by the amazing skills of the few practitioners while at the same time trying to forget the fact that in order to be mesmerized we had to be fooled, duped by the hidden secret. Enter Alex Stone and his new book, "Fooling Houdini, Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks, & the Hidden Powers of the Mind".

The Amazing Alex Stone (he doesn't really have a stage name but all great magicians need one) is not satisfied with us simply believing in magic. He want's us to come to grips with the secrets of magic...to fully embrace the fact that sleight of hand and deception is the very essence of magic. Most magicians call their tricks an illusion to avoid harsher terms. Illusion is softer than deception. And deception is softer than simply being a liar or a cheat. Magicians that perform on stage are honest liars because you know where your money is going. Magicians that perform off stage are con men and thieves who work with a few cheap tricks to separate us from our money illegally. Ethically speaking, this is why The Amazing Alex really want's to shed light on the profession of magic, and feels, as an honest magician, he can reveal some of it's secrets and not destroy the foundation of magic for all time. But that's not the only reason he speaks to us frankly about the tricks behind the card tricks. Philosophically speaking, his recurring theme throughout the book is that if the layperson loves magic, and loves to be fooled by the trick, magicians love to be fooled even more. The crown jewels of magic are found when you are able to fool your very own, the magicians themselves, hence the name of the book, "Fooling Houdini". But just how do you fool the experts. Houdini claimed no magician could fool him with the same trick three times. In the book, Mr. Stone reveals the trick of the "Ambitious Card" which fooled Houdini seven times. Practically speaking, it takes, not special powers, but hard work and a lot of skill. Magicians work for years to be able to hold things in strange places, coins and cards, to be able to remember things, the order of an entire deck of cards, and to be able to shuffle, for instance, the entire deck of cards, perfectly (called a Faro shuffle), so that after the 8th Faro shuffle, every card returns to it's original position. That's a skill, not unlike the skill of any professional athlete, who can magically score a goal or make a basket, Magic Johnson comes to mind.

But the Amazing Alex isn't satisfied with ethics, philosophy, or even practical skill. He want's to dig deeper, into the heart of why magic works, and that search takes him into the heart of science...of all places. Science is the antithesis of mysticism. Mr. Stone want's to unearth the first principles of science and tie them to the unifying theory of everything...with magic leading the way. Mr. Stone, after all, has a Master's Degree in Physics from Columbia. Scientifically speaking, then it is important to understand that while any good trick seems to defy the physical laws of nature, it can't, and therefore must be a trick. Levitation, for instance, or bending spoons with your mind. But through the research of magicians trying to levitate things, trying to bend things with their mind, trying to pick the selected card out of a shuffled deck of cards, they have learned things about our physical universe and about the way the human mind works.

These things have improved the human condition and our understanding of ethics, psychology, training, and of course science. Magic has played a role in human development for thousands of years and Mr. Stone's quest by giving us a glimpse behind the black curtain is simply to elevate the plight of magicians from the seedy underworld of con men and cheats and the "Three Card Monte", or at best traveling entertainers and parlor mentalists, to highly skilled professionals providing a great service to society...which they have done, but with very little credit, worldwide, for centuries. I'm giving "Fooling Houdini" four stars. It was a fun and easy read, I learned a lot. I don't see this book as being the definitive text on the subject but clearly it has some mass appeal. Mr. Stone is on to something...but he stops well short of fleshing it out. In particular his treatment of probability and information theory. There are places he can go...my first suggestion would be to dig into "A New Kind of Science" by Stephen Wolfram. If Mr. Stone is correct, a deck of cards is no doubt a representation of a discrete universe, potentially at the base of quantum theory, which could represent the New Science. To jump to Mr. Stone's punch line, spoiler alert, it takes seven shuffles of a deck of cards to fully randomize the deck...provided it's not a perfect Faro shuffle, which would repeat. A card deck represents in a perfectly discrete way going from order to disorder provided a flaw in the shuffle is introduced...that indeed could be the universal theory of everything.

This is an entertaining collection of factoids about the mechanics and psychology of magic tricks, but doesn’t live up to the grandiose subtitle. Rather than some sort of popular exploration of neuroscience, this book is really a personal narrative of the author’s search for how magic can help him connect with an audience, and people in general.

Alex Stone has been an amateur magician most of his young life. He gave it up after being humbled at a national contest. A stint as a science magazine writer led to a PhD program in physics, where seeing parallels between magic and quantum theory rekindled his interest. His quest to improve his performance skills leads him from basic slight-of-hand technique to gambling, street hustling, mentalism, mathematics and even clown school. At each phase, he offers some intriguing behind-the-scenes insights from experts both past and present to demystify the magic.
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Along the way, he even takes a turn at debunking Christianity, quoting “convincing evidence” that the miracles attributed to Jesus were based on magic tricks. When one looks for the reference for this claim in the online bibliography, it turns out to be a single, widely discredited book for a conspiracy-minded lay audience. Like most every topic covered in this book, a provocative anecdote is favored over in-depth research. I suppose this is the essence of magic: showmanship trumps substance.

Four stars for a fun and stimulating read, but if you’re looking for thoughtful yet accessible insights into how the mind can be tricked, you’d be better off with the likes of Steven Pinker or Malcolm Gladwell.

Alex Stone has written for The New York Times, Harper's, Discover, and The Wall Street Journal. Alex graduated from Harvard University and has a master's degree in physics from Columbia University. He grew up in Wisconsin, Texas, and Spain; and he currently lives in New York City.

Stone's book is the classic story of a physics major who drops out of college to study magic. His first attempt at greatness was competing in the Stockholm "Magic Olympics," but to his chagrin he was kicked out for breaking the rules. This drove Stone more passionately into the art.

What makes good magic? Is it a series of tricks strung together? Or is there something more? Stone takes the reader through this journey of exploration by discussing how magic effects the mind, while at the same time working closely with some of the best and brightest in the field.

I think this book is a wonderful insight behind the veil of magic. Anyone who is interested in Magic either as a layman or a professional should read this book. But don't expect to find any gems or secrets revealed (first rule of magic: never reveal how an effect is done). Rather this book is an insight into how effects work - what makes them appear "magical." The book is more the "story" of the author's journey than it is a reference book.

Stone has a wonderful voice and this is a terrific read.

Thank you to Harper Publishing for this free review copy

I really feel like I should start reading the synopsis or looking at the genres before starting a book instead of picking it up based on the cover. But then I would lose the surprise! I thought this was a fiction book so I was thoroughly shocked to find that it was a nonfiction. About a magician! I've never read on of those so it was really exciting. Stone is such a good author! How many ways can you think of to describe a magician? Stone must have been collecting them for years because there are some really good ones in here. He's funny and the writing is smart and tight. In all my years of watching movies about magicians, I never knew the extent of this secretive group.

Also, Stone did a great job narrating. I don't know if he narrates for a living, but he should consider it.

In elementary school, I wanted desperately to become a magician. Thanks to a school librarian who had some stealth magic skills of her own, I began reading about Houdini and researching card tricks. One of my uncles carved some magic devices for me, and I hand-sewed colorful scarves and practiced my patter on patient family members. I have fond memories of those times, even though I soon discovered that I was much more adept as a member of the audience than in the floodlights.

Alex Stone, however, was hungrier and more persistent, and these traits are to our benefit. In "Fooling Houdini," he draws upon his personal quest to be a magician, and leavens this tale with information on how the brain works and descriptions of contemporary and historical magicians.

Unlike the biographies of past masters with which I am familiar, Stone parts the curtains and coaxes us fully into an alternate world, one that exists cheek-by-jowl with the everyday. He forthrightly details a number of the quantifiable aspects of magic, showing how a magician's patter partners with the audience's brains to evoke a reality that is directed to the magician's specifications. He describes quirky personalities and elements of the subculture with humor and respect.

He also explains why history and pedigree are at the crux of magic, and spells out arguments for and against revealing the secrets behind magic tricks and illusions. There have been heated reactions to -- and consequences for -- some of those who have pulled aside the veil, and Stone describes several of these cases in depth. Because I think this is a book well worth reading, I will say no more.

Alex Stone's memoir, Fooling Houdini, begins with his disastrous debut at the 2006 World Championships of Magic, and ends with his redemptive performance 4 years later at the IBM Gold Cups in San Diego. In between, Stone takes us on a fascinating journey through the world of magicians, while narrating his own personal quest to improve his technical and entertaining skills.

Despite the ubiquity of books, DVDs, Youtube videos about magic tricks, there is a large storehouse of knowledge that is passed orally from teacher to student. A key part of Stone's journey of discovery was to find his own mentor, a crochety magician, Wesley James, who holds court every Saturday in a seedy Italian restaurant.
We also learn that magic is rarely about the mechanics of a trick, but the narrative context, the differentiates the mediocre from the great. As part of the show, the ability to distract the audience from your manipulation is crucial. Indeed the better the magic act, the less an audience sees of the magician's technical ability.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of Fooling Houdini, is that Stone introduces to many of the varied and diverse personalities in magic, and it is an odd, but entertaining, cast of characters.

Another unique twist in this book is that Stone includes side discussions on the neuroscience of magic perception. He is able to explain why magic works, and indeed why we enjoy getting fooled. Despite the magic world's fixations on secrets, and hatred of tv shows such as Breaking the Magic Code, and the Magic Secrets Revealed, Stone shows how these keepers of the hidden, fail to realize that most people don't care (and probably don't even remember 24 hours later). In this book, there are only a few magic secrets revealed, perhaps most interstingly, in his discourse in the end on the mathematics of shuffling.

Instead, it is the showmanship that we thrill in, allowing ourselves to be fooled time and time again.

Alex Stone's memoir, Fooling Houdini, begins with his disastrous debut at the 2006 World Championships of Magic, and ends with his redemptive performance 4 years later at the IBM Gold Cups in San Diego. In between, Stone takes us on a fascinating journey through the world of magicians, while narrating his own personal quest to improve his technical and entertaining skills.

Despite the ubiquity of books, DVDs, Youtube videos about magic tricks, there is a large storehouse of knowledge that is passed orally from teacher to student. A key part of Stone's journey of discovery was to find his own mentor, a crochety magician, Wesley James, who holds court every Saturday in a seedy Italian restaurant.
We also learn that magic is rarely about the mechanics of a trick, but the narrative context, the differentiates the mediocre from the great. As part of the show, the ability to distract the audience from your manipulation is crucial. Indeed the better the magic act, the less an audience sees of the magician's technical ability.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of Fooling Houdini, is that Stone introduces to many of the varied and diverse personalities in magic, and it is an odd, but entertaining, cast of characters.

Another unique twist in this book is that Stone includes side discussions on the neuroscience of magic perception. He is able to explain why magic works, and indeed why we enjoy getting fooled. Despite the magic world's fixations on secrets, and hatred of tv shows such as Breaking the Magic Code, and the Magic Secrets Revealed, Stone shows how these keepers of the hidden, fail to realize that most people don't care (and probably don't even remember 24 hours later). In this book, there are only a few magic secrets revealed, perhaps most interstingly, in his discourse in the end on the mathematics of shuffling.

Instead, it is the showmanship that we thrill in, allowing ourselves to be fooled time and time again.

This book reminded me of Joshua Foer's Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything. Although I preferred Foer's book, I found Fooling Houdini to be interesting and informative and amusing enough to earn my five star recommendation.

Whereas Foer's ambition was to win an international memory competition, Stone's goal was more modest. After being humiliated in an international magic competition, he just wanted be good enough to not be embarrassed about his skills when competing against skilled magicians. Like Foer, this effort required obsession. Fortunately (for the reader, if not for the author) obsession seemed to come very easily to Stone, and his is a good enough writer that he was able to chronicle his quest in an entertaining manner. I was left with many unanswered questions about magic tricks and about the author's life, but I also learned a lot. Stone reveals enough about some underlying principles of performance, technique, math, and human perception to offer the reader a behind-the-scenes look at the world of magic, while still leaving enough mystery to preserve the underlying intrigue of magic. That's a pretty impressive accomplishment.

I enjoyed the author's humorously self-deprecating writing style. I appreciated the colorful history of magicians and the roles they have played in science and religion, as well as in crime. I also learned something from the basic descriptions of aspects of math and neuroscience, some of which I can apply to my daily life. (Perhaps the most useful insight I gained from this book is a convincing explanation for why talking on cell phones while driving is dangerous whether or not the driver is actually holding the phone, and why it is different from talking to a passenger. If you care to know how that relates to magic, you'll just have to read the book.)

My major complaint about the book is that references were not included. In my opinion, any description of research should have a citation, and since some of the historical and scientific facts are controversial (Jesus was a magician?), I think citations of sources were necessary. While the author claims that the omission of references (which are available on a website) was in the interest of saving paper, my guess (based on my own experiences as an author) is that it was more of a marketing decision. Regardless of whether the goal was saving paper or selling books, I think that at the very least, a couple of pages of selective bibliography would have added to the credibility of the book.

Well written, fast-moving for the most part, and Stone avoids dropping into the trap of "Poor me" or "Look how fabulous I am" throughout. I've had a lifelong fascination with magic - I think most artists do, since our own talent seems so magical, even to us. One of the highlights of my life was being taken to the Magic Castle by a magician of my acquaintance, having dinner there, seeing the show (other magicians trying to gain entry to the "club"), then sitting at the bar after with them, being fooled time and time again.
I've never been particularly interested in how it's done; I want to be amazed, astonished, and fooled all at once. Stone made it pretty easy for me to skim the "how-to" and explanation sections. The other portions - the studies in neurophysiology, the implications when scientists realized blind people actually "see" with the visual portion of the brain - were fascinating. When he talked about the eight-man set-up for a shell game on the New York streets, I could see my teenage years and every con man I'd run across making peas jump from one cover to another.
The thing I liked best about the book is its honesty, and the philosophical musings. I have a Facebook "quote of the day" on my own FB page, and will certainly be quoting from this book. I'll also be using his work in my own master classes, at university level and for peers in the arts world. If you happen to be an artist or scientist, and aren't aware that until recently the two were considered one, you need to read this book, broaden your horizons, and realize just how many varied colleagues you have out there.

I was hoping for some interesting tricks and connections between card-sharking and Math when I first picked up this book.

What I got instead was Alex Stone's journey from dabbler in sleight of hand to his transformation into a true magician with his own style of math-derived card routine.

And a fascinating journey it was. Did you know there was a Magic Olympics? Did you know many of the slight of hand masters are in danger of "recruitment" by the mafia? Did you know the masked magician on TV's Magic's Greatest Tricks Revealed was kicked out of illusionist Criss Angel's series debut party?

What you won't find is an explanation of how illusionists and trick card sleight-of-hand artists do their trick. While Stone goes into deep detail about the development of his own routine, he evidently learned his lesson (he chronicles in the book the flak he got as a result of publishing an article in a mainstream magazine about magic tricks) about revealing others' secrets.

What you will find is an international veritable who's who of Magicians (mentalists, illusionists, sleight of hand masters) as Stone studies various Magician traditions (and some physics and math along the way)as well a look into the subculture of magicians, con artists, clowns, and performers.

I also enjoyed Stone's ruminations on the nature of the brain and how it both helps magicians (plasticity of the brain can help magicians develop an amazing sense of touch) and allows spectators to be fooled (memory bias helps us remember only the "correct" parts of the mentalists' predictions as well as misdirection of our attention making us miss obvious sleight of hand).

Throughout Stone's journey is his own, geeky, half-arrogant/half-deprecating view of the people involved in this subculture, as well as his own stubborn desire to succeed as a magician. Extremely readable and interesting look at what most laypeople have no idea exists.

This Book's Snack Rating: Melty cheese nerdery on waffle fries for the surprisingly satisfying and compelling taste of the magic subculture

Alex Stone drops out of the physics doctoral program at Columbia to pursue a lifelong passion for magic. That news may not have pleased his parents, but it sets the stage for this enjoyable new release. Author Stone is alternately self-effacing and self-aggrandizing--it's probably 60/40--and in the spirit of his July 2008 article in Harper's magazine, shares some behind-the-scenes secrets (though not everything!) in a breezy-but-not-light book about magic that equally informs on embodied cognition, phase transition, even memory implants à la Blade Runner.

Several chapters delve heavily into science (especially chapter 8), though my preference is for the historical scams (chapter 5, especially). Thankfully, the line between sleight-of-hand expertise and expert con artists is a lightly dotted one. Revered magician Dai Vernon was known to search the country for grifters whose tricks could augment Vernon's own considerable skill on stage. Even today, street hustlers offering games of Three-card Monte keep the tradition alive while "making lawyers' fees and lying half as much." Possibly best of all is chapter 4, profiling blind touch analyst Richard Turner. Bonus points for Chapter 3's title: Miracles on Thirty-Fourth Street.

The book is filled with humor, such as Stone's fictional nightmare imagining an incredulous IRS auditor: "According to our records, you spent more money last year on--no, wait, this can't be right--you spent more money on magic than on food or rent?" The book is also filled with spot-on wisdom: "Mentalism was one part magic, one part acting, and three parts sales." I could have done without the final story arc; Stone's redemption from a poor showing at the World Championship of Magic seems a stretch, even if he doesn't win in fairytale fashion. And I was surprised not to see a single mention of Raymond Smullyan in the discussion of mathemagicians. Overall, however, this is a fun, well-written book that should find wide appeal, given America's idolatry of performers such as the two Davids (Blaine and Copperfield).

[The reviewer was provided with a complimentary copy of the book.]

3.75 stars

I could not have more respect or appreciation for Mr. Stone, the polymath who has been able to combine a degree in English with advanced studies in Physics along with an obsession with slight of hand magic. What emerges is a highly entertaining, can't put down, book about his world, the characters who inhabit it, the history that surrounds it, and the devotion and skill that it requires.
Mr. Stone is absolutely correct that there is as much fascinating about what goes on "behind the curtain" as what happens "in front of it". Tricks are not so much exposed as made glorious. I am not at all put off, actually I am more amazed, at the amount or practice involved in perfecting technique. He is not talking about "purchase an illusion off the shelf" magic. Mr. Stone's diversions into the worlds of Psychology, crime, conventions, scams, brain function, and perception, are as disparate as they are fascinating.
In this wonderful book, Magic become Art. One should watch with wonder, and will after reading, the skill and passion of the performer even more than the illusion he creates. There are lessons for all of us about pursuing with focus and commitment the childish (said with all affection) wonders we once innocently appreciated.

I was thoroughly engrossed with the book Fooling Houdini. As someone who has dabbled in magic, I could relate to the authors early adventures in becoming acquainted with magic. I too performed in front of my family and friends using a card table and my cadre of tricks gotten from a big box of pre-packaged tricks. I never really pursued my interest of magic in adulthood however until quite a bit later in life. At one point my interest was rekindled, I joined my local IBM and realized I'd never have the time or be able to make the commitment to become a "good" magician. So once again, it dropped by the wayside.

I was able to live vicariously through the author in his memoir. It was exhilarating to read about his many adventures, brushes with true legends of magic and to learn about the dark-side of magic. In fact, I was astounded to learn of the rich history that card trickery had with gambling. It was actually quite shocking to learn how rampant cheating in poker apparently was/is and the potential dangers.

The author never explicitly divulges any solutions to magic tricks but his discussion of the many methods of cutting a deck of cards and dealing was truly amazing. The skill that top-level magicians have achieved is spectacular. It takes years of dedication to the art and the author gets this across very well. It's also incredible to learn of how blind magicians are able to achieve a skill in magic that is almost impossible for a sighted person to achieve because of the acute development of touch and hearing that a blind person is capable of developing as the body compensates for the lack of sight.

The author brought up a multitude of interesting aspects about the world of magic that I was completely unaware. I enjoyed the tie-in with psychology, physics and science. There were numerous humorous moments and some very candid observations and comments about other magicians. It left me wondering how others in the magic community might view this.

For me, the best part of the book were the last few chapters in which the author goes in to some great detail about how math plays a role in so many card tricks and his exploration of mentalism. Really interesting reading.

It was an very engrossing book and would likely appeal to anyone interested in learning more about the history of magic and be enlightened about the more secretive aspects of magic. It opens up many facets of magic that I had no previous knowledge. I enjoyed it great deal.

Alex Stone's journey from magical hack to proper magician is an interesting tale well chronicled in his book: Fooling Houdini. He deftly switches between science and magic bringing the reader along for his quest to figure out his role in the magical world.

Some of the strongest parts of the book are his honest self-critical feedback where he acknowledges just how often magicians can be out of the social mainstream, the personal and financial toll of his obsession with magic takes on his life, and the joy which a properly executed "simple" sleight of hand trick brings him. Of course simple is a relative term - what is simple for a magician is magic for a layperson.

However, my favorite parts of the book are the chapters where he spends time digging into various skills and genre's of magic - the chapter on Richard Turner and his amazing touch ability to feel a deck of cards was fascinating; the chapter on watch stealing (not really stealing but discussing how) was interesting not because of the simple technique but rather for the mental aspects of why such an obvious technique works and finally the lengthy description of Three-Card Monte alone is worth the price of admission.

Overall assessment - an interesting story that could have been edited tighter - but still a strong book.

A wry, self-deprecating look at a personal obsession, Alex Stone describes his pack-a-day-habit. Cards that is. When you are practicing continually, you wear out a pack of cards in a day, and these are the sturdier custom kind. Magic has a fraternity, there are rules and regulations, and expulsions for misconduct. Describing how tricks are done can lead to excommunication. So don't expect 'Fooling Houdini' to reveal too much, but it will tell you to look online, where the secrets to levitation tricks are only a few clicks away.
Mr. Stone frequently jests about the nerdiness of his compatriots, sure, magic is a great way to meet women, "but it just as frequently makes them disappear." Stone visits a magic convention, while next door is a world of warcraft convention, and he judges those folks less geeky. The author also brings in some of his own physics background, and also includes a historical perspective that takes magic back to Jesus and beyond. Stone throws a dash of neuroscience into the mix, and takes interesting sidebars that cover three-card street monte, and the morality of psychics. A playful and thorough book.

After seeing Alex Stone on Face the Nation over a month ago, and his sleight of hand in "fooling" Bob Schieffer, I felt compelled to learn more, even though not a true magic buff.

After completing Mr. Stone's wonderful narrative, describing his voyage (albeit a convoluted, complicated, and possibly subversive one), I have an incredible appreciation for the world of illusion, three card monte, manipulation, but it's much more than that.

As a health care provider, and now working in a large collaborative, while this book seems to have little to do with my profession, I think in reality it has much to do with our most challenging tasks in changing health care--human behavior, decision making, distraction, and diversion.

I've decided that I'm not going to use my review time to outline the contents of the book (no Cliff note version for those hoping to avoid the need to read the book), but rather to provide suggestions as to why you might want to read this book.

First, it's just plain entertaining, and a great narrative of a personal passion being pursued in a most determined fashion. Mr. Stone's love affair with magic is to be commended, or perhaps he's to be committed--that would be up to him. But if you are at all curious as to how many of the magic tricks, the card manipulations, the illusions come to be, this will satisfy much of your curiosity.

Second, it's a microcosm of understanding human behavior, why we like to be fooled, why it's easy to fool us, and how we irrationally think we truly see the world, but in reality don't.

Third, at least for me, it was a chance to see a world I'd had no real understanding of, and to gain a new perspective on a field not even close to my world. Yet, while I don't know exactly how I'll use this, I know it's going to pop up in my work in health care.....see which shell (your health care) is under--fooled you....

There is more to say, but I'll leave it up to you to decide. I've long ago learned that while one review is occasionally helpful, each of us has to make up our own mind, based on our beliefs, interests, cultures, and past learnings. That being said, if you want to see a different world, in a different light, and perhaps create a different reaction than you thought....this is for you.....besides, I now know how to avoid being taken by a three card monty, and you know that can never be a bad thing.

I started reading this book, showed it to a magician friend of mine and he said that got bad reviews from magicians. Turns out the premise of the book about the "magic olympics" doesn't even exist. So i stopped readying and will probably throw it away.

I am an amateur magician, the word amateur means that I love the art of magic however it is not how I make my living. I began studying magic at age 46, nearly twenty years ago. I have made friends with several hundred magicians in the last twenty years. Many of the performers Alex Stone writes about are people I know personally, others are folks I know about. The magic fraternity, and it is mostly a boys club, is small. Everyone gets to know about everyone else. I enjoyed reading about Alex Stone's journey in magic. It is clear that he is still a person at the first level that is called a Trickster by one of Stone's favorite teachers. Stone shows you a glimse of what it is like in the world of magic without revealing any of the secrets magicians protect. The only way for you to enjoy magic is because a master or sage in the art of magic has taught young up and coming performers how to become a master performer. I could not tell whether Alex Stone wants to be a magician or a writer. The magicians he studied with Richard Turner, Eugene Burger, Whit "Pop" Haydn, and The Magus, Jeff McBride have reached the sage level, they perform but more important they show those who desire to become magicians what it means to be in the top ranks of this art. This book will probably not be enjoyed by other magicians, they will see Stone as a magic wannabe; however laypeople will enjoy Stone's artful story telling. Stone tells a good story and he has a wicked sense of humor. I will talk to my magician friends about this book, but I suspect they will use their reading time to study master magicians theory of magic rather than a gossipy story about some of their magician friends.

I enjoyed the story telling. I wish he had written more about science, mathematics, and physics. The marriage of science and magic is a driving force in this book. I hoped for more stories about this marriage, especially the pyschology of "misdirection." Thank you Alex Stone for sharing your story.

A quick and intriguing read! The story follows a young man's journey as he flunks out of grad school to pursue full-time his childhood hobby of magic. It's such a neat experience to get a behind-the-scenes peek as he describes practicing his tricks over and over to perform them in the way that best deceives others. In addition to following his journey, the book occasionally goes on tangents that delve into the different topics describing the full experience of magic, as opposed to the just the sleight of hand tricks. Other topic covered include the psychology of perception and misdirection, the history and different types of of magic, and the interplay between science and magic.

This book is vaguely written in the style of such popular authors as A. J. Jacobs or Mary Roach, in that Alex Stone gives an account of his quotidian activities while researching a particular topic -- in this case, magic. Unfortunately, Stone isn't nearly as fine a writer as either Jacobs or Roach, and this book palls as it meanders off onto whatever pops into his mind. As he recalls driving into Las Vegas, he treats us to a list of things he considers rip-offs: jock-itch cream, bottled water, mutual funds, and a sign he noticed, reading SPEED LIMIT ENFORCED BY AIRCRAFT (which prompts him to muse about Navy pilots spotting speeders).

The first part of the book is an expurgated paraphrase of a long article Stone wrote for the July, 2008 issue of Harper's magazine which tells about a magic competition in Stockholm in which he performed. Unfortunately, that article (which I recently reread) landed Stone in a world of trouble, because in it, he disclosed how some of the simpler tricks were done, a mortal sin among the cabal of magicians. The vicars of magic term this sin "exposure," and as a result Stone was almost excommunicated from the priesthood.

In his appearances on television and radio and in this book, Stone comes across as a likable, nerdy guy who, as with all of us, just wants a few cheers in life, so when he is shunned and ostracized by bozos who wear top hats and capes and consider card tricks to be sacred, he wins my sympathy. After all, you can do a search right here at the store and find a huge selection of tutorial books and videos on magic (I own one by Harry Blackstone and one by Harry Blackstone Jr.) that reveal how to palm a coin or card in greater detail than the seven diagrams in Stone's article.

Popular web sites feature thousands of videos by kids showing exactly how to do famous card tricks, including the Holy Grail of card tricks (cue dramatic music) >The Ambitious Card<, while Stone revealed almost nothing. Yet this coterie of guys (no gurls allowed), most of whom would make Comic-Book Guy (Jeff Albertson) seem sexy, are eager to lynch him and place his head on a pike outside the village gate.

Nor do the priests of magic forget or forgive. Peruse the one-star reviews of this book and you will notice that many have been posted under pseudonyms that have no other reviews listed, and some are nothing more than abuse. (Though I concede that some of the glowing five-star reviews may likewise be by shills.) Exposure of a card trick is is a capital offense, but it's perfectly fine to violate the copyright laws, so one fellow, who breezily admits he has not read the book, simply posted a scathing review he found in a national newspaper. (The review, by celebrated card manipulator Ricky Jay, is egregiously pompous, prolix and generally repulsive. I had complained about what a poor writer Stone is, but he's a far better stylist than Ricky Jay.)

I think that there's a general lesson to be learned from this entire episode. It's safe to say that few of these guys (no gurls allowed) were school bullies, but when a convenient opportunity presents itself, they're eager to join the flock and get-in a few pecks. They're all too cowardly to attack Penn & Teller, but Stone is no threat and hence a perfect target. If their Imperial Klegal directed them to do so, they'd likely burn a Star of David on Stone's lawn.

The fact that most of the standard repertoire of parlor tricks have been revealed by amateur videos fills me with schadenfreude, and the circumstances demonstrate that magic -- as with sports, classical music, sex, religion and the store Reviews -- is waaay cooler and more fun when it is not taken too seriously. I would thus side with Stone . . . were it not for one thing.

I find it painful to concede that the dweebs, in all their petulance, are right. Alex Stone is a terrible magician, and his book is riddled with misinformation. On page 266, Stone states, "An amateur magician and friend of Robert-Houdin invented trick photography and created the first special-effects films. (Magic played a foundational role in the development and dissemination of movie technology.)" This is typical of Stone's shoddy research. He makes these grandiose pronouncements, but then offers no details. As far as I can determine, trick photography was first demonstrated by Oscar Rejlander (1813-1875), who never met Robert-Houdin, and he was not a magician. As Ricky Jay pointed out, if Stone's (unnamed) inventor of trick photography is Georges Méliès (1861-1938), he was nine-years old when Robert-Houdin died. Stone is confused by the fact that Méliès worked in the Théâtre Robert-Houdin in Paris in the 1890s. (Be sure to watch a video of the 1903 film by Méliès, "Cakewalk in Hell" with original music written in 2006 which magically fits the movements of the dancers.)

The Seven Sleepers referred to on page 255 were not Muslims. They were a group of Christian youths who hid inside a cave near the city of Ephesus around 255 AD, to escape persecution of Christians during the reign of the Roman emperor Decius.

The nadir of the book occurs on page 219 where Stone writes, " . . . Jesus may have studied the practices of Egyptian wizards and miracle men during the eighteen years of his life unaccounted for in the Gospels . . . Miracles were his claim to fame." This should offend both the faithful and skeptics alike, but as evidence, Stone adduces only an ancient bowl found in Alexandria's harbor with the inscription, "by Christ the magician" or, "the magician by Christ." Stone uses the weasel words, "Many experts believe [this] to be the first known mention of Jesus." Typically, none of the "many experts" are named, and he also neglects to mention that the bowl is estimated (according to a magazine that once employed Stone) to date from as early as the second century B.C., and instead of Christ, the inscription may instead refer to the god Osogo. But why let mere facts get in the way of a good tale?

Are >any< of Stone's assertions reliable? On page 222, we read, "Coming off the success of The Jungle, Upton Sinclair wrote Mental Radio in 1930." The Jungle was published in 1906. Between then and 1930, Sinclair wrote 32 books, one of which, Oil!, was recently made into a movie.

Page 221: "For a while, executives at telegraph companies worried that telepathy might signal the death of their business." On page 120, Stone makes the claim that a certain insurance company donated radar guns to police departments so as to raise premiums on those caught speeding. I do not believe either of these statements. The insurance-radar rumor has been circulating for years -- see Snopes Urban Legends; the same insurer is also accused of refusing to insure gun owners, a sure sign of an urban legend -- and >what< executives at >what< telegraph companies feared telepathy would replace the telegraph? Unfortunately, because the book has no source notes, it is impossible to determine what evidence Stone can adduce for these and many other such extravagant claims. (The book also lacks an index but this is more likely the fault of Harper Collins, America's worst publisher.)

On the last page of Fooling Houdini, Stone writes, "Hundreds of sources went into the reporting, writing, and fact-checking this book. To save space (and trees), detailed information about source material has been made available on-line at [Fooling Houdini dot com]." That's nice, but when you get to the site, there's only a list of books. He doesn't reference any outlandish pronouncement to a specific source. Stone is to be congratulated on the success of this book, but apparently some reviewers don't care if what they're reading has any basis in fact. The book is filled with dubious statements and factoids, many having nothing to do with magic. Did Stone rely on 236 Coin Tricks by J. B. Bobo for his data on skin and touch? (It's listed in his bibliography.)

Also at the Fooling Houdini website are some embedded videos. The featured video is Alex Stone appearing on the CBS news program Face the Nation in 2012, along with three other popular authors promoting their books. Throughout Fooling Houdini, Stone regales us with his achievements in magic and how many new tricks he's learned: "Eventually I got to the point where I could reliably cut the deck in half most of the time -- and I could tell if I was off by just one card." I'll spare you a complaint about how "most of the time" contradicts "reliably," but instead, just go to the site and watch his performance. I'm sincerely conflicted about giving Fooling Houdini such a bum review, because Stone seems like a sincere guy that I can identify with (I am udderly devoid of talent), so watching Stone's awkward movements on national television is painful. Like watching a disabled child doing a card trick, you're cheering for him, but you're not enjoying it.

In both this book and the magazine article, he recounts how he was summarily dismissed from the stage of the "World Olympics of Magic." (No, as others have pointed out, there are no World Olympics of Magic -- the event he was humiliated at was The World Championship of Magic hosted by the *Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques* at which there were 2800 attendees and 153 competitors, so I regard quibbling over the name as nitpicking.) The reason given for his dismissal is that he let his hands, holding the cards, drop below the level of the table, so it's horrifying to see that in the video, four years later, he again allows his hands to drop to his lap while struggling with he cards. It seems to me that, instead of learning more and more complex tricks, Stone would be better off were he to learn just one simple trick (such as the Floating Dollar Bill on a String illusion) to a point where he can perform it with grace and ease.

This is not a terrible book, and some topics in it would be interesting in the hands of a skilled author, but my advice is to skip the book and instead obtain the magazine article. (Check your public library.) At least in the magazine, you get to learn how the tricks of other magicians are performed.

Alex Stone explores magic and the world of the mind in Fooling Houdini. The work is a chronicle through his journey to discover magic, in all its forms. And along the way he also digresses on some interesting, yet related topics. Physics, crime, foolery, and "tricks" all collide within these pages to make for an eclectic read.

I found this book incredibly accessible and engaging. Stone writes well with a creative voice and good comic timing.

This is a wonderful book for a fun, yet enlightening read. It is a survey of all things fascinating about the mind and trickery in its various forms. I highly recommend you check this out.

Magicians will not like this book, nor will wannebes hoping to garner a series of free tricks. I am neither of those and so I could take the work for what it is--a rather strange tale of a physics major who gets so caught up in art of sleight of hand that he puts his physics masters program on hold in order to devote himself full time to learning the black arts.

I was a little put off by Stone's alacrity in depicting himself as a true nerd--which he is--but really, a little more circumspection would have been more seeming. Nevertheless, I was fascinated by the effort it takes to master prestidigitation so as to make complex moves look fluid and effortless. Difficult card shuffling tricks took hundreds of hours of practice! Who but a real aficionado would spend the time and effort--and then--where is the rest of your life?

And to learn about the tight fraternity of magicians who still hand down their magic from sage to acolyte much the way it was done centuries ago--well, that was a pleasant revelation.

One of the most interesting sections was the discussions on the statistics of card shuffling. Who would ever have thought that if you arranged the cards of a deck from low numbers to high, a low number could never appear above a higher one no matter how much you shuffled them! And the incredible abilities of expert card shufflers who can A) cut a deck exactly in half every time, B) deal a card from any place out of the deck as if from the top and C) appear to deal you from the top of the deck a card you had placed somewhere in the middle.

Oh, there is one stunning trick revealed: You are handed a deck and you pick two cards from the top of the deck, you cut the deck and place the cards inside. Then you say hocus pocus and peel those cards off the top of the deck. Alone worth the price of this fascinating book.