I've spent many years studying both magic and mathematics (separately and together). When it comes to joining these fields together, there have been a number of important individuals who've made a number of important contributions, but Martin Gardner is the grandfather of us all. This book represents a treasury of over a hundred mathematical magic tricks, more than enough to keep the reader busy for years.
The wonderful thing about this book is its scope. Despite being a relatively short book, it covers a lot of territory, featuring mathematical magic tricks using a wide range of props ranging from mere numbers themselves to playing cards and ropes and much more. If you want the largest collection of mathematical trickery I've ever seen conveniently presented in a single reference, this is the book for you.
However, if you're looking for a detailed exploration of the mathematics behind those tricks, you may be disappointed. While Gardner's other works clearly demonstrate that he was up to the task, he didn't provide much mathematical depth in this book. It's a rare page that even contains a single equation. The result is a book that, though it covers mathematical ground, is much better suited to the amateur magician than to the amateur mathematician.
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