Customer Reviews

The Art of Modern Conjuring: For Wizards of All Ages

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How do they do that? That's the question this book answers. In so doing, it will extend your imagination to help you decipher illusions for yourself in the future.

I had more fun reading this book than any other "how to" book I have seen this year. As a result, I feel this book deserves more than five stars. What captured my attention was the careful demonstration of how the assumptions of viewers cause them to be misled by the practiced illusionist. I learned more from seeing the details of how the hand is quicker than the eye in this book than I have from all the scientific books I have read about perception and how the brain works. The book's examples will spill over into making readers more usefully observant in all areas of life.

The Art of Modern Conjuring was originally published in 1886. The publisher has done a nice job of keeping the feel of the original (especially with the cover) while providing an easy-to-use volume. Although I have read many books about simple magic tricks and illusions, this one was more revealing and more interesting than any other. I strongly recommend it for those who want to learn how to do simple illusions and for those who want to understand what appealed to families and audiences in the late 19th century. The book is greatly enhanced by the many illustrations that carefully demonstrate how to make the illusions work.

The book was designed as a "guide for amateurs and young beginners."

The subjects covered include basic skills, various illusions, how to assemble an act, and how to handle an audience. Among illusions, you will find out about essential skills like palming and passes, and how to do tricks with cards, coins, wedding rings, handerchiefs, balls, hats, candles, animals, string, flying, and inexhaustible sources. You will also find out how spiritualist illusions, seances, and thought reading are conducted. Over 200 illusions are covered in detail. Some are described in as many as four ways to conduct them!

To me, the best parts included how to create the clothing and equipment that you need to make the illusions work. You will learn where special pockets and trays are needed, and how to change the perspective to cause viewers to assume the wrong thing.

Some of the basic principles were interesting too. "Never tell your audience beforehand what you are going to do." Whatever you say, understate what you are about to perform (a few simple tricks before you make the Eiffel Tower disappear!). "Never perform the same trick twice before the same audience." You must not look at your hands. You need a wand to offer "a plausible pretext for many necessary movements."

After you become more savvy about illusions from this book, think about where else illusions are constructed for your benefit that rely on your false assumptions. For example, used car lots often spray "new car smell" into the interiors of newer cars they are selling. Many people misdescribe themselves when looking for a job or a date. Some people pretend to be other people on the Internet. What is the reality of those situations? How should your reaction to them be changed?

Check all the angles to see what's really going on!

Hard to believe this was originally published in 1886!! This 206 page book is pure delight from beginning to end, with very clear illustrated explanations on Palming,Card and Coin Tricks,Ring,Hat,Ball,and Handkerchief tricks, and a lot besides.Perhaps you will not be totally convinced that they all work, and you may feel some of these acts are not completely described, but you have to admit it's a nicely done work. As far as the THOUGHT READING described in last pages, I am not convinced that by feeling a person's pulse you'll be able to pick a previously disclosed object on a table, but it may be possible! Worth trying at your next little get together,along with an Ouija Board! The book and it's contents are so well done/designed you can be sure it will be browsed thru and admired probably into the 22nd century!!

Although when written ,this book was intended as an instructional manual for someone wanting to perform magic.It is a delightful read today,even though it was produced in 1886.Everyone today associates the names of Houdini or Kreskin with Magic;but probably few had ever heard of Professor Henri Garenne.You must take into account that when this book first appeared, it was during the hayday of all kinds of live shows,including Medicine Shows,and particularly Conjuring Acts.You will note the absence of the term Magic and Magicians in this book.The art at that time was more commonly called Conjuring and those who practiced it were called Wizards.Also, instead of associating the word Great with them;they often called themselves Professors.I really don't know;but I imagine this book was very popular at the time and may have even been the "bible" for anyone wanting to learn the art.
The whole art of Magic is really intended to entertain people;however,anyone seeing it performed today,assumes there is a "trick" involved,and immediately wants to know "how it's done?".In most cases the "secret" is much simpler than imagined,and once learned,half of the fun disappeard. For that reason,it has always been the "code" of the performer not to repeat the trick or to expose the "secret".In this book you will see how many of the classic tricks were done and there is even instructions on how to get started in learning some fundamentals of the art.It is no secret however;that to gain any expertise in this art,one must do a lot of practice.As much as learning the secret of a trick;the performer mus present it with great showmanship ,since after all,the whole point of it all is entertainment.
Even if you don't plan to learn tricks with the intention of performing them for others,this book is an excellent read to see what is involved in this form of entertainment that has entertained and amazed people for thousands of years.

This book is a great primer for the introduction of magic. It is well organized, and the illustrations are classic. Though much of the tricks are classic, there are tricks in the book still used today by top magicians like Lance Burton (e.g. sword and card trick). I would recommend it for any magicians library.