- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Gramercy Books (July 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0517223554
- ISBN-13: 978-0517223550
- Product Dimensions: 18 x 13.4 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,053,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Cards, coins, rings, and even the human predilection for wonder may all be expertly manipulated with the help of this expert guide to favorite tricks and illusions of the magician's art.
Professor Henri Garenne, the urbane author of this manual on conjuring, intended it as a "guide for amateurs and young beginners." Starting with the basics of palming objects and using props, and progressing through more than 200 tricks, this distinctive volume is a rich resource for the new magician or the armchair prestidigitator.
The lessons involve cards, coins, rings, balls, and handkerchiefs. They explain mesmerizing tricks like The Flying Glass of Water and To Produce Eggs from a Person's Mouth. Even more astounding are The Indian Basket trick, The Living Head in a Bottle, and-for a truly stupendous effect-A Lady Suspended in the Air Without Any Visible Support! And those looking for instruction in ventriloquism and thought reading will not be disappointed. The secrets are here.
Elegant vintage engravings demonstrate the tricks and add to the charm of Professor Garenne's delightful treatise.
Professor Henri Garenne, the urbane author of this manual on conjuring, intended it as a "guide for amateurs and young beginners." Starting with the basics of palming objects and using props, and progressing through more than 200 tricks, this distinctive volume is a rich resource for the new magician or the armchair prestidigitator.
The lessons involve cards, coins, rings, balls, and handkerchiefs. They explain mesmerizing tricks like The Flying Glass of Water and To Produce Eggs from a Person's Mouth. Even more astounding are The Indian Basket trick, The Living Head in a Bottle, and-for a truly stupendous effect-A Lady Suspended in the Air Without Any Visible Support! And those looking for instruction in ventriloquism and thought reading will not be disappointed. The secrets are here.
Elegant vintage engravings demonstrate the tricks and add to the charm of Professor Garenne's delightful treatise.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
How do they do that? That's the question this book answers. In so doing, it will extend your imagination to help you decipher illusions for yourself in the future.
I had more fun reading this book than any other "how to" book I have seen this year. As a result, I feel this book deserves more than five stars. What captured my attention was the careful demonstration of how the assumptions of viewers cause them to be misled by the practiced illusionist. I learned more from seeing the details of how the hand is quicker than the eye in this book than I have from all the scientific books I have read about perception and how the brain works. The book's examples will spill over into making readers more usefully observant in all areas of life.
The Art of Modern Conjuring was originally published in 1886. The publisher has done a nice job of keeping the feel of the original (especially with the cover) while providing an easy-to-use volume. Although I have read many books about simple magic tricks and illusions, this one was more revealing and more interesting than any other. I strongly recommend it for those who want to learn how to do simple illusions and for those who want to understand what appealed to families and audiences in the late 19th century. The book is greatly enhanced by the many illustrations that carefully demonstrate how to make the illusions work.
The book was designed as a "guide for amateurs and young beginners."
The subjects covered include basic skills, various illusions, how to assemble an act, and how to handle an audience. Among illusions, you will find out about essential skills like palming and passes, and how to do tricks with cards, coins, wedding rings, handerchiefs, balls, hats, candles, animals, string, flying, and inexhaustible sources. You will also find out how spiritualist illusions, seances, and thought reading are conducted. Over 200 illusions are covered in detail. Some are described in as many as four ways to conduct them!
To me, the best parts included how to create the clothing and equipment that you need to make the illusions work. You will learn where special pockets and trays are needed, and how to change the perspective to cause viewers to assume the wrong thing.
Some of the basic principles were interesting too. "Never tell your audience beforehand what you are going to do." Whatever you say, understate what you are about to perform (a few simple tricks before you make the Eiffel Tower disappear!). "Never perform the same trick twice before the same audience." You must not look at your hands. You need a wand to offer "a plausible pretext for many necessary movements."
After you become more savvy about illusions from this book, think about where else illusions are constructed for your benefit that rely on your false assumptions. For example, used car lots often spray "new car smell" into the interiors of newer cars they are selling. Many people misdescribe themselves when looking for a job or a date. Some people pretend to be other people on the Internet. What is the reality of those situations? How should your reaction to them be changed?
Check all the angles to see what's really going on!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Great, Detailed Look at 19th Century Illusions and Magic!
23 July 2001
Format:Hardcover
How do they do that? That's the question this book answers. In so doing, it will extend your imagination to help you decipher illusions for yourself in the future.
I had more fun reading this book than any other "how to" book I have seen this year. As a result, I feel this book deserves more than five stars. What captured my attention was the careful demonstration of how the assumptions of viewers cause them to be misled by the practiced illusionist. I learned more from seeing the details of how the hand is quicker than the eye in this book than I have from all the scientific books I have read about perception and how the brain works. The book's examples will spill over into making readers more usefully observant in all areas of life.
The Art of Modern Conjuring was originally published in 1886. The publisher has done a nice job of keeping the feel of the original (especially with the cover) while providing an easy-to-use volume. Although I have read many books about simple magic tricks and illusions, this one was more revealing and more interesting than any other. I strongly recommend it for those who want to learn how to do simple illusions and for those who want to understand what appealed to families and audiences in the late 19th century. The book is greatly enhanced by the many illustrations that carefully demonstrate how to make the illusions work.
The book was designed as a "guide for amateurs and young beginners."
The subjects covered include basic skills, various illusions, how to assemble an act, and how to handle an audience. Among illusions, you will find out about essential skills like palming and passes, and how to do tricks with cards, coins, wedding rings, handerchiefs, balls, hats, candles, animals, string, flying, and inexhaustible sources. You will also find out how spiritualist illusions, seances, and thought reading are conducted. Over 200 illusions are covered in detail. Some are described in as many as four ways to conduct them!
To me, the best parts included how to create the clothing and equipment that you need to make the illusions work. You will learn where special pockets and trays are needed, and how to change the perspective to cause viewers to assume the wrong thing.
Some of the basic principles were interesting too. "Never tell your audience beforehand what you are going to do." Whatever you say, understate what you are about to perform (a few simple tricks before you make the Eiffel Tower disappear!). "Never perform the same trick twice before the same audience." You must not look at your hands. You need a wand to offer "a plausible pretext for many necessary movements."
After you become more savvy about illusions from this book, think about where else illusions are constructed for your benefit that rely on your false assumptions. For example, used car lots often spray "new car smell" into the interiors of newer cars they are selling. Many people misdescribe themselves when looking for a job or a date. Some people pretend to be other people on the Internet. What is the reality of those situations? How should your reaction to them be changed?
Check all the angles to see what's really going on!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Beautiful Little Book starting with the Cover Design!
11 Jan 2002
Format:Hardcover
Hard to believe this was originally published in 1886!! This 206 page book is pure delight from beginning to end, with very clear illustrated explanations on Palming,Card and Coin Tricks,Ring,Hat,Ball,and Handkerchief tricks, and a lot besides.Perhaps you will not be totally convinced that they all work, and you may feel some of these acts are not completely described, but you have to admit it's a nicely done work. As far as the THOUGHT READING described in last pages, I am not convinced that by feeling a person's pulse you'll be able to pick a previously disclosed object on a table, but it may be possible! Worth trying at your next little get together,along with an Ouija Board! The book and it's contents are so well done/designed you can be sure it will be browsed thru and admired probably into the 22nd century!!
Is there anyone who isn't entertained by Magic?
8 Feb 2010
Format:Hardcover
Although when written ,this book was intended as an instructional manual for someone wanting to perform magic.It is a delightful read today,even though it was produced in 1886.Everyone today associates the names of Houdini or Kreskin with Magic;but probably few had ever heard of Professor Henri Garenne.You must take into account that when this book first appeared, it was during the hayday of all kinds of live shows,including Medicine Shows,and particularly Conjuring Acts.You will note the absence of the term Magic and Magicians in this book.The art at that time was more commonly called Conjuring and those who practiced it were called Wizards.Also, instead of associating the word Great with them;they often called themselves Professors.I really don't know;but I imagine this book was very popular at the time and may have even been the "bible" for anyone wanting to learn the art.
The whole art of Magic is really intended to entertain people;however,anyone seeing it performed today,assumes there is a "trick" involved,and immediately wants to know "how it's done?".In most cases the "secret" is much simpler than imagined,and once learned,half of the fun disappeard. For that reason,it has always been the "code" of the performer not to repeat the trick or to expose the "secret".In this book you will see how many of the classic tricks were done and there is even instructions on how to get started in learning some fundamentals of the art.It is no secret however;that to gain any expertise in this art,one must do a lot of practice.As much as learning the secret of a trick;the performer mus present it with great showmanship ,since after all,the whole point of it all is entertainment.
Even if you don't plan to learn tricks with the intention of performing them for others,this book is an excellent read to see what is involved in this form of entertainment that has entertained and amazed people for thousands of years.
The whole art of Magic is really intended to entertain people;however,anyone seeing it performed today,assumes there is a "trick" involved,and immediately wants to know "how it's done?".In most cases the "secret" is much simpler than imagined,and once learned,half of the fun disappeard. For that reason,it has always been the "code" of the performer not to repeat the trick or to expose the "secret".In this book you will see how many of the classic tricks were done and there is even instructions on how to get started in learning some fundamentals of the art.It is no secret however;that to gain any expertise in this art,one must do a lot of practice.As much as learning the secret of a trick;the performer mus present it with great showmanship ,since after all,the whole point of it all is entertainment.
Even if you don't plan to learn tricks with the intention of performing them for others,this book is an excellent read to see what is involved in this form of entertainment that has entertained and amazed people for thousands of years.
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