Hiding the Elephant: How Magicians Invented the Impossible and Learned to Disappear

Penn & Teller's How to Play with Your Food

Penn & Teller's How to Play in Traffic

Penn & Teller know travel! They've taken every mode of transportation from motorcycles to the QE2 and stayed everywhere from Motel 6 to The Plaza (Motel 6 is better -- they explain why).Now, the beloved authors of Cruel Tricks for Dear Friends present

The Right Way to Do Wrong: A Unique Selection of Writings by History's Greatest Escape Artist

One of the most intriguing and recognized figures of the twentieth century conducts a masterclass in subversion Originally published in 1906, The Right Way to Do Wrong was a masterclass in subversion conducted by the world’s greatest illusionist. It c

The Glorious Deception: The Double Life of William Robinson, aka Chung Ling Soo, the "Marvelous Chinese Conjurer"

In a biography woven from equal parts enchantment and mystery, master illusion designer and today's foremost magic historian, Jim Steinmeyer, unveils the astonishing secrets behind the enigmatic performer Chung Ling Soo, the "Marvelous Chinese Conjurer" �

Art and Artifice and Other Essays of Illusion

From the author of Hiding the Elephant and The Glorious Deception comes a collection of five essays that shows how the great stage illusions were integrally products of their time, based on the traditions and fashions of the people, and the offspring of t

Who Was Dracula?: Bram Stoker's Trail of Blood

An acclaimed historian sleuths out literature’s most famous vampire, uncovering the source material – from folklore and history, to personas including Oscar Wilde and Walt Whitman – behind Bram Stoker’s bloody creation. In more than a century of v

Magic: 1400s–1950s

Magic has enchanted humankind for millennia, evoking terror, laughter, shock, and amazement. Once persecuted as heretics and sorcerers, magicians have always been conduits to a parallel universe of limitless possibility – whether invoking spirits, readi

The Last Greatest Magician in the World: Howard Thurston versus Houdini & the Battles of the American Wizards

Now in paperback, the acclaimed biography of the magician's magician, Howard Thurston.  “There is no greater expert on the history of stage magicians than Jim Steinmeyer. His deep knowledge of the subject, combined with a remarkable mastery of magical