Customer Reviews

Mysterious Stranger: A Book of Magic

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

David Blaine's aptly titled book, Mysterious Stranger, reveals few, if any of the young magician's most guarded secrets. People expecting to read it and come away knowing how to a) Levitate or b) Be buried alive for a week, will be disappointed. Those who are simply curious about the rising star's life, his philosophy of magic, and who would like to learn a few tricks along the way, will get all they paid for, and more.

I realize that I've said pretty much nothing about the book, but that's only because it's surprisingly hard to classify. It reads like a continuous blend of history, biography, magic tricks, and personal memoirs. Oh, yeah. There's also a hidden puzzle named "Blaine's Challenge" contained in the text that, when correctly solved, reveals the secret location of $100,000 stashed safely away somewhere in the United States. This is a legitimate contest - not a scam or publicity stunt, which, if nothing else, leaves the reader with something to ponder and dream about.

All of this though, would be unimportant if this weren't a good book, which it is. The first thing I noticed was the great overall look of the book. The hardcover edition weighs in at 214 pages, and is packed full of great, full-page photographs, pictures, and illustrations throughout.
The first couple of chapters deal mainly with the history of magicians and magic, and are fairly comprehensive. But this isn't a history book, and Blaine knows it. He keeps the chapters short, sweet, and even slips in some fun tricks that have nothing to with history to amuse and entertain your friends.

The core of the book is not about magic in general, but about Blaine himself. As a reader, I learned a lot about him and about magicians in general. His story is told in a mostly linear style, revealing how he got from working as a restaurant magician who drove a beat-up Honda, to getting his own million-dollar special on ABC. Along the way, we hear about him meeting Jack Nicholson, and get an interesting story about his travels to South America, where he met members of the Yanomamo civilization, a people who "had a penchant for attacking outsiders with darts".

If there's one recurring theme surrounding Blaine, it's his impressive ability to use magic as "the great equalizer", as he calls it. He gets along with everyone, it seems. Homeless people in New York, people on the street in gangland Compton, the Dallas Cowboys...the list goes on.

The book ends with three chapters about Blaine's most famous stunts: Buried Alive, Frozen in Time, and Vertigo. Readers will get an inside look at the preparation Blaine went through, as well as what he was thinking throughout the duration of all three, the shortest of which, Vertigo, went on for thirty-five hours. Blaine ends by saying he knows this is only the beginning. Personally, I find comfort in that.

The book is targeted at a wide audience, and finds its mark. Anyone who's ever thought about being a magician should read it. Anyone who has seen the TV specials and wants to know more about the man himself, should read it too. And anyone who could use an extra $100,000 and wants to take a crack at "Blaine's Challenge", should read it very carefully.

David Blaine's Mysterious Stranger is a very interesting and creative book. I was drawn to the mystifying cover and after thumbing through the book and seeing all the intriguing photographs and clever style and format, I knew I had to check this book out even though I was not aware of Blaine's work save for headlines for his sensational stunts.

Blaine is a true expert in his craft. He is an historian of magic and this book includes stories about many of the important figures in the art of illusions and escapology: Dedi who performed for Cheops in Ancient Egypt, the stone eaters, Robert-Houdin, Max Malini, Alexander Herrmann, Titanic Thompson--a con-man who even outwitted Al Capone, the fascinating Stylites who lived atop high pillars to escape the evilness of earthly life, and, of course, Harry Houdini. Blaine puts his heart and soul into his magic. He includes stories of his childhood, how he became interested in magic (seeing a photo of Houdini who was clinging to a railing with his chin), and his devotion to his late mother. Accompany this history are guides to basic card tricks and illusions, so be sure you have a deck handy when reading this book.

He also, of course, describes experiences that made him famous: filming his television show Street Magic, attending a voodoo ceremony in Haiti, braving the Venezuelan rainforest to meet the Yanomano Indians, and his daredevil stunts of being buried alive, standing in ice, and standing on a pillar. He describes his grueling regime of preparation which included learning to sleep while standing up while preparing for his ice demonstration. Blaine shows a deep appreciation for the tradition behind his stunts and illusions. His claim that magic brings all people together because people of different ethnicity, religions, and social status all come to see his stunts seems a bit much. One can say such things about many different spectacles, but when they are over, people go their separate ways. Still, the book is fascinating and some of the illustrations will stay with me for a long time. Anyone interested in the unusual will enjoy Mysterious Stranger.

This book is by the famous, darkly handsome street magician who gained fame recently through three major stunts: entombing himself in the sidewalk, being encased in a block of ice, and standing on (then leaping from) an 80-foot pillar in Bryant Park. Blaine's book is part memoir, part how-to guide, and part history of magic. The three elements blend well, although the directions on how to perform various tricks occasionally seem somewhat shoe-horned in with the autobiographical narrative. However, this creates an unusual structure that makes the book quite engaging, even if you don't have an interest in actually performing the tricks. If you've seen Blaine on any of his television specials, you may have been captivated by the simple beauty of his tricks and his laid-back style. This style comes across in his writing, which is very natural and vivid. His writing is less dynamic during his long histories of magic and magicians, specifically in a chapter dedicated to Houdini. I can't be sure, but some of these passages read as though they were ghost-written, or at least heavily edited. That's not a complaint, because the rest of the book is sufficiently personal to compensate for it.

Perhaps the books most interesting chapters are the last three, which details the three major televised stunts he has performed. He discusses the preparation and execution of each of the stunts, as well as his state of mind during each of them, which in most cases can most succinctly be described as "out of it". These passages are particularly interesting if you've actually seen his stunts either in person or on TV.

Blaine also frequently discusses his relationship with his (now deceased) mother, who he obviously loved very much, and seems to have served as a motivation for his success. Blaine comes off as very down-to-earth, daring, practical, focused, and hard-working. Unlike other autobiographies, he does not really attempt to exaggerate his own contributions to magic, but seems almost over-whelmed and flattered by the success he has experienced.

All in all, the book is an entertaining and fast read that gives you great insight into Blaine's character and methodology, and will teach you a few tricks of your own, if you are interested.

Perhaps you have seen Illusionist, David Blaine on his ABC Network specials. "Street Magic" were he levitated off the sidewalk and did up-close street magic, "Frozen In Time", "David Blaine's Vertigo", the ABC 2000 Extravaganza, Larry King Live, or news reports of his endurance in the plexiglass box over London for 44 days days in 2003.
In this book, David Blaine will tell you about how magic was important to him as a child and some personal details about his life. You will also learn about "magic", its history and about magicians, Robert-Houdin, Rajah Raboid (Ray Boyd), Dedi, Blaise de Manfre, Evatima Thardo, Ivan Ivanitz Chabert, Francois Battalia, Matthew Buchinger, Max Malini, Alexander Herrmann, Marquis d'Orighuala de Gago, Ehrich Weiss (Houdini) and Orson Welles. David Blaine will give you a detailed behind-the-scenes account of his first event, "The Premature Burial"--being buried alive, six feet underground, with a container of water above, for seven days, April 5-12, 1999. He will also give you personal details about his other feats of endurance that were televised on the ABC Network, "Frozen In Time", November 29, 2000, trapped in ice for 3 days outside in New York Times Square, "David Blaine's Vertigo", May 22, 2002--standing on an 83-foot tall pillar that was only 22 inches wide to stand on for 35 hours in Bryant Park. These feats had no trick involved. They were very real and David risked his own life to survive in these events.
Each ABC Network special in its entirety can all be seen in the DVD, "David Blaine--Fearless".
This book also contains many magic tricks you may try yourself and many puzzles to solve. The puzzles, enigmas, phtographs and conundrums ("clues") are all part of "Blaine's Challenge". $100,000.00 would be given to whomever could understand and solve the puzzles, enigmas and conundrums that direct you to the location of a "Treasure Map" somewhere in the United States. From there you follow the instructions and call the phone number that was with the "Treasure".
"Blaine's Challenge" began with this book when it was first available, October 29, 2002. The solving and searching was on. On November 5, 2003, David Blaine appeared on "Larry King Live" (CNN) and revealed one clue. On March 20, 2004, someone had found the secret location (an address in Southern California, Laurel Canyon Blvd in a private community) of a bridge and then a hollow stone that contained the gold orb. As scheduled thereafter, David Blaine handed the winner $1000,000.00. If no one had found the treasure by December 31,2004, the money would have gone to charity.
Incidentally, the DVD, "David Blaine--Fearless" begins with a black & white film that contained a very important clue (the address numbers) and subliminal images were given to you on the DVD. Where David Blaine filmed this film was the location of the "Treasure" that lead to the ultimate $1000,000.00. I started thinking hard myself when I saw the "Visiting ...with Huell Howser" program about the private neighborhood on Laurel Canyon Blvd.
The winner, in fact,did not have a copy of this book nor the DVD, but did watch "Larry King Live" when David gave a clue. With six weeks of the searcher's own time, the searcher boarded a plane, made it to the location, and found the "treasure".
There are around 90 photographs of David Blaine in this book and some had clues in them. Poster Art of Houdini and David Blaine included.

David Blaine has also tried his hand in acting.
Celebrity (1998) as a Spectator
Mister Lonely (2002) as Priest 2

David Blaine continues to mystify people with his tests of endurance, live on television.
David Blaine: Frozen In Time (November 29, 2000)
David Blaine: Vertigo (May 22, 2002)

David Blaine: Drowned Alive (May 8, 2006) He almost drowned in the sphere. Later that year, he did another event chained in a gyro hanging in mid-air for a children's charity and Target stores.

Oprah Winfrey Show: (April 30, 2008). David Blaine does the underwater sphere trick again and succeeds.

David Blaine: Dive of Death (September 24, 2008).
We all like David Blaine and we enjoy his Street Magic and tests of endurance.

Enjoyed David Blaine's MYSTERIOUS STRANGER, the
amazing street magician who was buried alive for seven days
and seven nights . . . he then became the world's living ice
cube in Times Square . . . and also in Manhattan, he stood
still as a statue 10 stories above ground only to leap to
his life below.

Having seen him several times on TV, I was interested
in finding out who he is . . . this book tells all (or certainly
a great deal) . . . while you won't find out the exact
secrets of the above tricks, you'll at least learn more
about how he came up with the desire to do them.

Furthermore, Blaine does show you in step-by-step
detail how you can mystify others with magic that
can be performed with everyday props--including cards.

There was a bit too much emphasis for me on the
history of magic and, particularly, Harry Houdini's place
in history . . . yet overall, I had fun with the book.

Many of the photos--showing Blaine in action--were
breathtaking . . . there were several memorable passage, too;
among them:

One of the first things I learned about magic was that there is a strong correlation between performing magic and playing chess.
The further you plan ahead, the more effective your game or
magic will be. If you can anticipate other people's moves and
also plan out your own moves, you'll be steps ahead of your
audience and able to astound them with regularity. A little mis-
direction always helps too. Misdirection is a skill that magicians use to make their audience look where they want them to, when they want them to. I remember when I was young and playing chess with adults, if I made a really good move, I'd often pretend that I was angry with myself for committing such a "blunder." Because I seemed aggravated, I'd throw my opponents off, they'd overlook my possibilities, and bam, next move I'd take their queen. This is a form of time misdirection, relaxing your opponent's attention and therefore controlling it.

In the 1980s and 1990s, an amazing psychic named Herb Dewey
wrote a series of books aimed at an audience of fellow psychics, although many mentalists in the magic field bought them. They were filled with practical tips for doing cold readings that Dewey has amassed during his long career, which included over 100,000 personal readings. Dewey's techniques were genius. He would start a cold reading by asking his client, "How long are you here for?" If his client was visiting form out of town, he or she was immediately impressed and predisposed to read into anything he would say from that point on. But if the client was from that same area and
questioned what Dewey meant, he'd just say, "I meant how long is
the reading you want, a half hour or a full hour?" Either way, he didn't lose.

In order to live a fulfilled life, one must resist the temptations
surrounding them:
* Never overindulge.
* Have few extravagances.
* Resist addictions.
* Respect all life.
* Remember that a mistake is only a mistake when you fail
to learn from it.
* Accumulate knowledge. Listen. Read. Observe.
* Visit the ocean.
* Try to interact with all different types of people from all walks of life.
* Wonder and be amazed.
* Love and respect those close to you.
* Learn to love yourself.
* Pursue your dreams and goals with passion. Our potential to
create is limitless.
* Don't create a robot that's superior to human beings or it will wipe out the human race.

I'm a fan of David Blaine and picked this up at the Library. I started reading after dinner and finished the book at 11 p.m. I just couldn't stop reading -- was totally mezmerized! For those who have studied magic or are more familiar with famous magicians, perhaps this book covers old ground. But for someone like me who enjoys Blaine's magical stunts and personality but who didn't know much about the old-time magicians in the book, it was totally fascinating! The photos, illustrations, and artwork on the pages also help to make it an interesting read. Highly recommended!

I just received this book and I could not put it down until I finished it, literally! Blaine is very articulate, engaging, and entertaining with his writing! It is a mix of highlights in magic history, Blaine's personal history, and some great magic to learn!! What more could one ask for? The book is beautifully illustrated!!!

If you're a fan of David Blaine, history, and or magic I would highly recommend this book!! David has done it again!!

This book is worth reading for the "Playing the Part of a Magician" chapter alone. Most of the book serves as a history of magic and of past-time mystifiers. However, in the aforementioned chapter, Blaine gets personal, sharing his most intimate feelings regarding his rise to success and his mom's battle with cancer.
Blaine is all tricks, all illusions, he's just GREAT at what he does. The man had a dream, and chased it. He's taken the world by storm and doesn't intend on stopping, quite yet.
This book inspires one to follow their heart's desire and to never lose their curiosity. Staying fascinated with the world will keep you young.

I read this book and could not put it down the instant I got it home. David has a way of making you feel like he's talking to you and sharing his personal love of magic and illusion.
I ended up being even a bigger fan after reading this book. His passion and intensity shines through. He is also a compassionate man who seems to doing his part to share "magic moments" with people on the street.

If you're expecting David to talk about the secrets of his more famous tricks, this is probably not the book you want to read. It's more about the history of magic and the people behind it, how his career started, a few card tricks, his experiences with his last three stunts, and some of his personal moments. The way the chapters are written, they blend so seamlessly that you don't even notice how smooth it is. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read because I'm easily fascinated by magic and in David. People think he's weird and I can understand why but I believe that makes him more interesting in an unconventional way. Isn't that gravitation to another individual worth looking into? Sidenote: There is a 9/11 picture in there that David included (with him in it) that actually surprised me and I can understand the distasteful aspect of it being featured, but David has always been one of those people that looks on things like this in a very reflective manner (and he does talk about his experience) and he's slightly more ballsy than others [to dismiss the fact that it happened].