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Fooling Houdini
- Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks, and the Hidden Powers of the Mind
- Narrated by: Alex Stone
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs
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Summary
When Alex Stone was five years old, his father bought him a magic kit - a gift that would spark a lifelong love. 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: from his gruff mentor, who holds court in the back of a rundown pizza shop, to one of the world's greatest card cheats, who also happens to be blind. Captivated, he plunged headlong into this mysterious world, eventually competing at the Magic Olympics and training with great magicians around the globe to perfect his craft.
From the back rooms of New York City's century-old magic societies to cutting-edge psychology labs; Three-Card Monte on Canal Street to glossy Las Vegas casinos; Fooling Houdini recounts Stone's quest to join the ranks of master magicians. As he navigates this quirky and occasionally hilarious subculture, Stone pulls back the curtain on a community shrouded in secrecy, fueled by obsession and brilliance, and organized around a single overriding need: to prove one's worth by deceiving others.
But his journey is more than a tale of tricks, gigs, and geeks. In trying to understand how expert magicians manipulate our minds to create their astonishing illusions, Stone uncovers a wealth of insight into human nature and the nature of perception. Every turn leads to questions about how the mind perceives the world and processes everyday experiences. By investigating some of the lesser-known corners of psychology, neuroscience, physics, history, and even crime, all through the lens of trickery and illusion, Fooling Houdini arrives at a host of startling revelations about how the mind works and why, sometimes, it doesn't.
What listeners say about Fooling Houdini
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- GeorgeW
- 30-12-12
A magical read
I was unsure that I would like this at all. I needn't have worried. This book keeps getting better. A mix of biography and magic facts with quick romps through science all of which is as informative as it is entertaining. If like me you were tempted but not sure- jump in and give it a listen.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- jeffrey
- 09-02-13
I enjoyed it very much
Read by the author, so it gets good marks right from the start. In spite of the long title, this book is mostly about one man's interest and experiences with magic. As a budding magician I found it very interesting, and was able to understand most of what he was referring to, but I do not think that those who are not not familiar with the tricks or terms would appreciate it as much.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Lucy
- 11-02-13
Love this book.
Always been a fan of magic and had never heard of this magician but thought I'd give it a try, really enjoying it so far and unlike most audiobooks the narrators voice is nice. Interesting listen if you don't like fiction like me.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Micheal
- 15-10-19
not what I thought but really enjoyed it
I purchased this book during a search for Mentalism. once I was a chapter in i realised it wasnt the type of book I thought it was, however by this time I was hooked.
really enjoyed this story and the performance suited it really well. Was a nice easy listen and very enjoyable
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Larry Reacher
- 08-10-19
Very Entertaining. Nice insight in magic.
Very Entertaining. Nice insight in magic.
good stories, well told. Nice peek behind the curtain of magic...
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- jman jr
- 30-07-19
Fabulous!
If your into Card magic, you'll love this book.
It takes you right into the world that the Magician inhabits.
Full of charm and characters.
Brilliantly read as well.
Highly recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mark Toulson
- 13-02-18
Very interesting
Great book about a wonderful sub culture. It's a shame the final chapter wasn't teased out a little longer though
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Ryan Law
- 28-05-17
Amazing
Really great book...
Great insights into the world of magic...
Do kind of wish it didn't wrap up so quickly but meh, I loved it
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- F Gibb
- 15-08-13
An interesting view into another person's world.
Not a life changer, but a very informative step into another person's world.
It didn't teach me as much about the techniques as I had expected, but it compensated by giving a glimpse into a community that are as single minded and focused as any I could imagine. It got me looking up some the players in the book on YouTube- Richard Turner in particular is astonishingly talented and skilled. The amount of sheer graft behind the tricks is something I wasn't aware of before the book, and has given me a whole new level of respect for the magician.
The reader was fine- but not exceptional. The style of the writing was a bit clunky, but made up for this with sheer enthusiasm!
Glad I read (listened to) it.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Jason
- 22-04-13
Fooling Houdini
Very well narrated and after the first chapter really gets going. Some fascinating insights into the world of magic that you never knew existed.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- dA opTimYsTiQue
- 22-06-17
Decent but not "Magical"
The book describes Alex stone's life. The book is written well and even read well. However won't describe it as exceptional. A good listen nevertheless . Some of the physics/ Maths behind the so called tricks was quite enlightening. A little lengthy perhaps. A little low on EQ as admitted by author himself.