Highly instructive book by a noted authority on the subject analyzes every phase of conjuring, from sleights, devices, misdirection, and controlling audience attention to incorporating patter and the effective use of assistants.

First published in the US in 1943. Showmanship for Magicians is a work by semi-professional magician and author Dariel Fitzkee. It is the first in the Fitzkee Trilogy, a classic collection that is still read widely by magicians, conjurors and illusionists alike. Fitzkee's early books were shorter works focused on specific magic tricks. Books like Cut and Restored Rope and Manipulation (1929) and Linking Ring Manipulation (1930) described multiple variations of these classic tricks. But his most enduring written works were the Fitzkee Trilogy, starting with Showmanship for Magicians. Many magicians throughout the second half of the 20th century have considered it to be a cornerstone work in the field, including the actor Steve Martin who was fanatical about magic as a young man. He described the book as "...more important to me than The Catcher in the Rye."

This book by a "magician's magician" discloses the secrets behind a collection of close-up marvels — including the author's "Out of the World," reputed to be the best card trick of the past century.

Would You Like to Become More Commanding, Convincing, And Charismatic? In this book, Steve Cohen, master magician and star of the long-running Chamber Magic show in New York City, will reveal the secrets of all great showmen and magicians—how to persuade, influence, and charm, and ultimately accomplish the things you've always wanted to do. As Cohen writes, "You'll discover how to take over a room, read people, and build anticipation to a feverish pitch so people are burning to hear what you have to say." Win the Crowd will teach you Steve Cohen's Maxims of Magic, simple rules you can use to take charge of practically any situation, from on-the-job disagreements to dating to important cocktail parties. The Maxims of Magic will wash away insecurities and hesitations, and replace them with confidence, poise, and leadership. What's more, Steve Cohen will show you: How to Create a Magic Moment. Capturing people's imaginations and attention so they listen carefully to every word you say. How to Command a Room. Showing everyone in the room that you are speaking right to them, making them all feel unique—and completely focused on you. How to Read People. Learning to sense what people are feeling and thinking as you speak, what they want from you, and how to make them feel like they are getting it. Misdirection. The most important trick in all of magic—getting inside people's heads, and directing what they are thinking at every minute. When you strip away the sleight of hand tricks, magicians are essentially masters of attracting and holding attention and impressing audiences, exactly the psychological secrets you need to be successful in life and business.

A foreword by museum director and exhibition curator Marc-Olivier Wahler discusses the contemporary art exhibition The Transported Man within the framework of a teleportation magic trick described in Christopher Priest's 1995 novel The Prestige. Included is an interview between Wahler and France-based curator Christophe Kihm addressing how the brain reacts when interpreting an artwork, the language with which to approach art, and how these impact the future of museums and art exhibitions. Pairing the exhibition objectives with methods of illusion, an original essay by Christopher Priest, and a text by Francis Ponge, the book provides insight into the importance of belief and the nature of visual perception.