Abracadabra!: Secret Methods Magicians and Others Use to Deceive Their Audience

Abracadabra!: Secret Methods Magicians and Others Use to Deceive Their Audience
ISBN-10
1615921249
ISBN-13
9781615921249
Category
Games & Activities
Language
English
Publisher
Prometheus Books
Author
Nathaniel Schiffman

Description

With a New Preface by the AuthorMagicians use more than just mirrors, string, and sleight of hand to deceive their audience. Those who are masters at this trade have developed an arsenal of techniques to manipulate people. Every action and utterance on stage and off is precisely planned to achieve a specific effect.Abracadabra! is an insider's look at what goes on at a magic show, behind-the-scenes, and in the mind of the magician. Nathaniel Schiffman explains the principles of deception, exposing those seemingly innocent motions that conceal vital actions from onlookers; how the conjurer uses misdirection of space and time to mislead the audience; how silly and simple optical illusions can fool us; and what to look for during a magic show.Also explored in detail is the world of offstage magic. Some magicians use various techniques in life to deceive and influence you, yet these magicians don't boast of their magic talent, because they are advertisers, politicians, generals, spies, con artists, computer programmers, movie directors, faith healers, psychics, and others. These magicians work to make you buy their product, believe in their cause, and influence your thinking from the time you get up in the morning, until you go to bed at night.This is not a how to book for aspiring magicians, but a layperson's guide to methods used to mislead or fool you. Lighthearted and informal, Abracadabra! will fascinate anyone interested in knowing how one person can control many. Included are hands-on experiments, magic tricks, and reader participation segments. You'll soon see that magicians don't just manipulate playing cards and animals; they manipulate you.Nathaniel Schiffman (East Brunswick, NJ) is a writer and magic enthusiast whose long-standing fascination with the subject has made him a devotee of magic shows, literature, and performing tricks.

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