How Magicians Think: Misdirection, Deception, and Why Magic Matters

There''s a saying: The door to magic is closed, but it''s not locked. In How Magicians Think, professional magician and bestselling author Joshua Jay not only opens that door, he brings us inside and turns on the light, revealing the artistry and obsessiveness, the inside history, and the fascinating traditions of a subject long shrouded in mystery. But above all, he reveals the mindset behind the magic--how magicians become who they are, develop their skills, conjure their illusions, and delight the rest of us with an art form that defines itself by how well it evokes wonder. This is not a how-to book, nor a how-do-they-do-it expos --Jay reveals what it''s like to practice an art that so many love yet so few understand, along with what it is about magic that fascinates us so much. Written as a series of short, lively essays that answer far-ranging questions, How Magicians Think describ