Sakura of DOOM

(subtitle: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear)

jonquil recced this a while back, but I can't find a link for the life of me.

I only picked it up now because I saw The Prestige a few weeks ago. I also read a Penn & Teller book that teaches magic tricks, only to discover that I don't care at all about sleight of hand or card tricks. I like knowing about stage magic and the performers and their personalities, which is why both this book and The Prestige are so interesting.

Steinmeyer focuses largely on famous magicians during the golden age of magic (around turn of the century); he focuses even more on a series of discoveries, illusions and tricks that eventually resulted in Houdini's ability to make an entire elephant disappear in front of people's eyes. The book is an interesting blend of history, biography and science. Steinmeyer explains how many of the illusions work -- he assures the reader by saying that every one of his explanations has been previously published by others, so he's not spilling any trade secrets. He also goes into the rivalries between certain magicians, such as Houdini ranting about his namesake, Robert-Houdin's reputation, and the differences in philosophy among magicians (performance vs. technique, art vs. science). I was particularly interested in how a good magician can sell a trick through presentation, but again, this is probably because this was a theme covered in The Prestige.

Very fun book, and now I want to see a magic show live.