A professional magician shows you the ins and outs of managing your career in magic: recruiting new clients, tailoring your show to different occasions, and more.
David Blaine, downtown hipster and extraordinary illusionist, offers an exploration of the mysteries and history of the ancient art of magic. Mysterious Stranger brings Blaine's magic directly to his audience. In the book you'll find: mind-bending tricks you can learn to do yourself; interactive magic effects; mind-reading and psychic techniques; David Blaine's unique perspective on the art of magic; a copiously illustrated history of the art; and autobiographical background and an insight into David's private world.
Pull back the curtain on the real history of magic – and discover why magic really matters If you read a standard history of magic, you learn that it begins in ancient Egypt, with the resurrection of a goose in front of the Pharaoh. You discover how magicians were tortured and killed during the age of witchcraft. You are told how conjuring tricks were used to quell rebellious colonial natives. The history of magic is full of such stories, which turn out not to be true. Behind the smoke and mirrors, however, lies the real story of magic. It is a history of people from humble roots, who made and lost fortunes, and who deceived kings and queens. In order to survive, they concealed many secrets, yet they revealed some and they stole others. They engaged in deception, exposure, and betrayal, in a quest to make the impossible happen. They managed to survive in a world in which a series of technological wonders appeared, which previous generations would have considered magical. Even today, when we now take the most sophisticated technology for granted, we can still be astonished by tricks that were performed hundreds of years ago. The Secret History of Magic reveals how this was done. It is about why magic matters in a world that no longer seems to have a place for it, but which desperately needs a sense of wonder.
Genre fiction has always been a complex mixture of themes and elements. The increasing popularity of “genre blends,” or fiction that straddles the traditional labels, means greater pleasure for readers but a greater challenge for readers’ advisory. In this informative and entertaining book McArdle gets library staff up to speed on these engaging titles, showing how such crossover fiction appeals to fanbases of multiple genres. Complete with booklists, summaries, read-alikes, and thorough indexes, this guide Covers suspense, fantasy, historical fiction, horror, mystery, romance, and science fiction, as well as non-genre titles that don’t neatly fit into any categoriesOffers guidance for shelving, displaying, and marketing genre blendsShows how to make the most of online discovery tools in cataloging these titlesIncludes “Blend MVPs,” a section spotlighting several popular authors who regularly move between genres, and a useful bibliography of additional resources Providing a unique look at how common genres are often combined, this guide will open up new worlds of fiction to readers’ advisors and those whom they serve.
A magician never reveals his secrets . . . but HP Newquist does, in this illustrated history of magic and famous magicians! Magic is a word we use to describe something amazing, awe-inspiring, or spectacular. Truly great magic makes us believe in things we know can't be real. In the hands of the greatest magicians, even a simple card trick can become truly wondrous. Now, in this nonfiction narrative of magic through the ages, HP Newquist explains how the world's most famous tricks were created. From the oracles of ancient Egypt and the wizards of medieval Europe on to the exploits of Houdini and modern practitioners like Criss Angel, this book unlocks the secrets behind centuries of magic and illusion. Fully illustrated and including step-by-step instructions for eight classic magic tricks, this book will have middle-grade readers spellbound.
"Shazaam! Create fabulous illusions and perform magic tricks just like a long line of wizards, magicians, and conjurors have done throughout the years. I'm a 600-year-old wizard, and I want to share my magical secrets with you, my chosen apprentice. Are you ready to make the impossible possible?" -- page 4 of cover.
“Fans of all that is wizardly will love this one.”—School Library Journal. “Lavishly illustrated throughout...the first of its kind, a fabulous fantasy and a how-to crafts book in one.”—Hobby Merchandiser.