He decided to study, practice, attend magic workshops, and practice, practice, and practice. I love ricky jays magic, his books, his quarterly magazine, and. Las vegas casinos, fooling houdini recounts alex stones quest to join the ranks of master magicians. Buzz bissinger, author of fathers day and friday night lights bursting with energy, inventiveness, and a sense of wonder on every page. Fooling houdini alex stone hardcover harpercollins publishers. Using all kinds of research disciplines psychology, neuroscience, physics, history and even criminology stone explores the linkages between. Alex stone discusses his new book, fooling houdini. Harvard book store is pleased to welcome alex stone for a reading of his thrilling debut, fooling houdini.
Skip to main content skip to search dow jones, a news corp. From the back rooms of new york citys ageold magic societies to cuttingedge psychology labs. Book alex stone for speaking, events and appearances apb. The book starts with his epic failure at one of the most prominent magic competitions of the year and then takes the reader through his journeywhich was not always assuredon the comeback trail of being a solid magician with several selftaught tricks.
Years later, while living in new york city, he discovered a vibrant underground magic scene exploding with creativity and innovation. Fooling houdini takes the reader through alex stones life as an aspiring magician. Cleverly titled slight of hand, jay described stones book as an ostensibly selfeffacing memoir by an inept amateur conjurer. His writing has appeared in the new york times, the wall street journal, harpers, and discover. Enchanted, he plunged headlong into this mysterious ne. Download pdf tags 21st century alex stone competitions magic magicians stockholm sweden world championships of magic stockholm. There is more than one author with this namewhen alex stone was five years old, his father bought him a magic kita gift that would s. Years later, while living in new york city, he discovered a vibrant underground magic scene exploding with creativity and innovation and populated by a fascinating cast of characters. Joshua foer, author of moonwalking with einstein alex stone s fooling houdini is a delight.
The first is the autobiography of a magician, telling a tale from being gonged off stage at the magic olympics through a rising obsession. Steven levitt, author of freakonomics an enthralling journey into the world of magic. Its an investigation by a confessed hack, nonexpert dilettante who thinks hes gained access to magic s inner circles but never really leaves the sandbox. Joshua foer, author of moonwalking with einstein alex stones fooling houdini is a delight. Even though its a prequel to his award winning land of stories series, readers do not need to. Joshua foer, author of moonwalking with einstein bursting with energy, inventiveness, and a sense of wonder on every page. Interview with author and magician alex stone about his book fooling houdini. Stone begins his kaleidoscopic tour through the world of illusion at the 2006 world championships of magic in stockholm, where be beheld tricks of the trade. Stone recounts his quest to join the ranks of master magicians in fooling houdini. Alex stone was simultaneously studying in columbia university for a phd in physics and was a maths geek. Magicians, mentalists, math geeks, and the hidden powers of the mind, by alex stone.
That mathematics book was excellent and taught me a lot, but wasnt exactly a page turner. Magicians, mentalists, math geeks, and the hidden powers of the mind by alex stone my rating. I happened to receive the book not long after i blogged about a book by two mathematicians on the mathematics of magic. A phd candidate in physics at columbia university, alex stone is a.
Id have to perform for the guy whod literally written the book. Interview with author and magician alex stone psychology. A physics scholar explores how the combination of science, magic and real life stirred his inner magician. Magicians, mentalists, math geeks, and the hidden power of the mind. In a relatively short book stone relates magic to many disciplines, including psychology, neurology, physics, mathematics, cultural history and even religion. A nervous stone flubs his act, humiliating himself and forcing a. University, alex stone explores the science of magic and learns some new tricks along the way. Stone s book is about a persons obsession with magic and his journey in the magic world. Alex stone writes with a winning voice that youll want to follow anywhere. What struck me most about fooling houdini are the many parallels to the seduction community.
When alex stone was five years old, his father bought him a magic kit a gift that would spark a lifelong love. This book makes you want to do magic tricks, and convinces you just how hard it is to. Magicians, mentalists, math geeks, and the hidden powers of the mind, which can be purchased at a lower price at. Adventures in the world of magic by stone, alex isbn. Magicians, mentalists, math geeks and the hidden powers of the mind, alex stone, a former discover magazine editor, takes us inside the world of vegas illusionists. As he navigates this quirky and occasionally hilarious subculture populated by brilliant eccentrics, stone pulls back the curtain on a community. Alex stone books list of books by author alex stone. His writing has appeared in the new york times, the wall street journal, harper.
Erdnase, is regarded as a kind of magicians holy book. Along the way we are introduced to many fascinating personalities. Magicians, mentalists, math geeks, and the hidden powers of the mind, a book about the underground world of magic and its ties to psychology, neuroscience, physics, mathematics, gambling, and crime. As he navigates this quirky and occasionally hilarious subculture populated by brilliant eccentrics, stone pulls back the curtain on a. Fooling houdini by alex stone penguin books new zealand. Interview with author and magician alex stone psychology today. In this conventional narrative, stone does manage to raise one of magic s basic questions. The best magic trick of alex stone s career will be getting this book published. Stone s checkered history in magicianship sets the stage for fooling houdini, his cheery, inquisitive book about a world where math, physics, cognitive science and.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Ricky jay really hates the book fooling houdini boing. Houdini, the author alex stone recalls his experiences in the world of magic. Halfway through reading alex stones memoir, fooling houdini. Alex stone, part of the underground magic circuit, is determined to take his lifelong hobby to the professional level, to reach the pinnacle of this bizarre world and become a master magician. But it wasnt stone s frequent rumination on magic s links to psychology, maths, and science that got me thinking of unified theories of everything. A tale of magic is the 1st book in a new series written by chris colfer. Available june 19, 2012 an enthralling journey into the inner world of magic. A phd candidate in physics at columbia university, alex stone is also part of the underground magic circuit, an exclusive community whose members convene regularly in secret clubs and coffee shops to swap tips and develop new illusions.
Ever since his father bought him a magic kit at the venerable age of five, alex stone has seldom left home without a deck of cards and three kennedy half dollars. Alex stone reveals the tricks of the trade in fooling houdini in fooling houdini, alex stone explains not necessarily how all magic tricks work, but why audiences fall for them. Steven levitt, author of freakonomics fooling houdini is a delight. Even though its a prequel to his award winning land of stories series, readers do not need to be familiar with the characters in the first series. From the back rooms of new york citys ageold magic societies to cuttingedge psychology labs, threecard monte games on canal street to glossy las vegas casinos, fooling houdini recounts alex stone s quest to join the ranks of master magicians. I love ricky jays magic, his books, his quarterly magazine, and his.
In the ya novelists first book for adults, she coats fantastical kingdoms and otherworldly magic in a layer of grit that comes with the messiness of the real world. Alex stone performs card trick for daniel handler youtube. The mathematical ideas that animate great magic tricks by persi diaconis and ron graham. This book makes you want to do magic tricks, and convinces you just. The world of ninth house has ghosts and magic, but greed. I finished the book with a much greater appreciation of magicians skills and dedication. Fooling houdini author alex stone answers your questions. His writing has appeared in the new york times, the wall street journal, harpers, discover, and the huffington post, he is the author of fooling houdini. The book picks up at the 2006 world championships of magic in stockholm.
The book is full of factual errors and misleading claims. For the first time, writer and magician alex stone has combined his scientific savvy with his love for magic in a book. Ricky jay really hates the book fooling houdini boing boing. An enthralling journey into the inner world of magic. Welcome to the official page alex stone, author of fooling houdini and a bunch of other fun stuff. Magicians, mentalists, math geeks, and the hidden powers of the mind. He graduated from harvard university and has a masters degree in physics from columbia university. When alex stone was five years old, his father bought him a magic kita gift that would spark a lifelong love. Stone s checkered history in magicianship sets the stage for fooling houdini, his cheery, inquisitive book about a world where math, physics, cognitive science and pure geeky fanaticism. An insiders tour through the strange and secretive world of magic exploring the ancient art of deception and the mysteries of human nature. How i lost at the magic olympics the globe and mail.
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