Italian text, 302 pages in black and white, bound stitched, with flaps. Original title: "Fooling Houdini".
 
PRESTIGIATORS, MENTALISTS, MATHEMATICS AND THE HIDDEN POWERS OF THE MIND
 
An exceptional text that will make you meditate on many things, but above all on why and how your Magic works and on what mechanisms this is based!
 
How is a "miracle" perceived by the public? What is really capable of recording our mind of all that the eye sees? Why do some effects continue to deceive us even when we know how the trick works? How much do you need to train? Can the accessory studies on arts other than illusionism really be useful (such as diction, dance, mime, acting, clowning)?
 
These and other questions are treated, explained and discussed in this volume; but do not make the mistake of thinking that it is a text intended only for conjurers, all focused on very complicated theories. RATHER!
 
The author talks about himself by completely stripping himself - sometimes even in an indecorous and therefore very amusing manner - starting from his sensational mistakes in the early days and explaining his growth path as a person and as a magician-magician until he reaches one optimal state of awareness and personal satisfaction.
 
It is a text often entertaining, sometimes touching, however always intimate, sincere, autobiographical and enlightening. The concepts of physics, biology, neuroscience, mathematics and statistics (and others) are treated and explained with words worthy of an excellent scientific text. But also their links with the typical aspects of making Magic for an audience: the misdirection, the trick, the maintenance of the secret, the presentation and the art of the scene.
 
They are mentioned, "sectioned", sometimes teased and often admired many conjurers, some of whom are still alive and in activity, who have played a fundamental role in the artistic growth of the author.
 
In this book, technically some trick is described, although it is not "taught" (notice the difference), so you will not learn particularly new games. But for those who want to draw inspiration from the thousands of experiences that the author has done and describes meticulously in these lines, there will be a real mine of knowledge ready to be used. In short, a very particular text that can be read as a simple autobiography, as a treatise of various scientific branches exhibited with simple words, like a compendium of performing arts, as a guide for personal optimists. Or maybe, like all these things put together on the wave of an irreverent autobiography.
 
"Deceiving Houdini is a very intelligent and compelling study of one of America's most misunderstood sub-cultures, and at the same time the story of a man's quest to probe the mysteries of magic, science and where they meet."
John Hodgman - author of "The Areas of My Expertise"
 
"Deceiving Houdini is an irresistible and enlightening journey into the world of magic. Stone has written a masterly story that explodes with energy, inventiveness and a sense of wonder on every page. I could not put it down until the end! "
Steven Levitt - co-author of "Freakonomics"
 
"A hilarious and enlightening book of memories ... Less practical guidance, and much more story about bizarre personalities, inner struggles and the stunning dedication and dexterity needed to be a true great magician."
The New York Post
 
"A cheerful and curious book on a world where mathematics, physics, cognitive science and pure fanatical passion intersect ... This book is more than a series of anecdotes. It's an effort to explore the colorful subculture of magic lovers and the serious theoretical foundation of the tricks they make. "
Janet Maslin - The New York Times
 
"The narration is compelling because it is veined with a very human question: what is truth? It might seem too philosophical for such a funny text, but when Stone invokes this question it looks like a perfect phrase. "
The Boston Globe