אם אתם מעוניינים להפתיע ולהדהים את הסובבים אתכם; אם אתם משתוקקים ללמוד את סודותיהם של עושי הלהטים הקדומים; אם אתם כמהים להבין את האמת שמאחורי האשליות המהפנטות ביותר בעולם – מצאתם את מבוקשכם! ספר זה מעביר את שרביט הידע של אשפי האשליות הגדולים בכל הזמנים לדור חדש של קוסמים. שמרו היטב על הסודות החבויים כאן. הקסם טמון במסתורין.
"Do you wonder how Harry Houdini performed his amazing escapes? Are you burning to learn the art of making a beautiful woman appear to levitate? Look closely, for the secrets of the world's most famous magicians and illusionists — from the ancient Egyptians through the early twentieth century "Handcuff King" himself — are contained within! More than a fascinating history of magic through the ages, Illusionology is an indispensable guide unveiling step-by-step instructions for more than twenty-five astonishing feats. Master the classic cups-and-ball illusion! Mesmerize your friends with mindreading card tricks! Along with sundry flaps and booklets, readers will find props for their own sleight of hand." Book Review
I've been watching these books with interest since they started, but haven't been moved to actually buy one until this one showed up cheap. I'd read Mythology before, and wasn't terribly impressed by it, though it was alright. This volume, however, seems to be what this format was made for! Not only does it have an excess of bits between its pages, but they're all useful for learning some minor tricks as detailed inside. Granted, the tricks revealed here are nothing earth-shattering, and no magician will lose any sleep over kids reading this book, but it's a great starting-point for a budding trickster (and I've already shown off some minor sleight of hand to my little daughter). The story that provides the framework for Illusionology is interesting but climaxes a bit weakly...though it does provide the largest trick-piece in the book. It doesn't ever get in the way, but it can be a little distracting having to remember that the 'dated' text is referring to 'current' entertainers who were current at the turn of last century. All told, this is a fun, beautifully made book with more purpose than just providing knowledge.
The content was great, but probably not the best story out of all the Ologies. Still, this book will make you think differently, and you'd really be surprised what kind of tricks you could fall for!
I won this book and just received it today. My first reaction was that it's absolutely beautiful and well-made. It's such a nice looking, well put together book. It's very lovely and high quality. The design of it is just pleasant to look at.
Of course, books should not be judged on their pretty covers. This book is full of the history of illusions, and that, of course, is a very interesting topic. The information offered is presented as a journal of sorts, which allows the reader to become more personally invested in the history. It is not dry or dull at any point. It comes with a variety of cards and trinkets to allow the reader to attempt some illusions of their own. It's very engaging and fun! The last page especially brought me into the book and the last journal entry just tied the whole thing together perfectly. I have to bring up the illustrations as well. The whole time I couldn't get over how nice they were. I was very impressed and even wanted to hang a few on my wall!
I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. It's great to look at, interactive, and a legitimately interesting read.
I wish this book had existed when I was a child. I was so enthralled with David Copperfield and anything magic and Illusionology puts magic right into the reader's hands. From endsheet to endsheet there are things to discover.
Illusionology is written almost as a journal of an illusionist in 1915 thus shares the history of the magic at that point. The book broken up into sections starting with The History of Illusion, The Science of Seeing, Secrets of Card Magic and The Power of Misdirection then ending with The Art of Body Manipulation, The Secrets of Harry Houdini, Exposing the Spirit Mediums, and The Science of Mind Reading. These sections are a mix of instructional manuals, interactive activities, informational text, history, science and art.
Last winter when my daughter was sick, I was happy to find this book on sale at the local bookstore, Auntie's in the children's section. My daughter loves magic tricks, so this was the perfect book for her to pore over while she had to stay home. She even learned new magic tricks while reading the book, and about famous magicians. It really took her mind off of it. The detail and history are stunning.
We share a love of harry Houdini together now. :) When she receives an ology book she knows it is special. I look forward to getting her Spyology for this Christmas as the next addition to her ology library.
Once again, a great entry into this series. Not only does the reader learn some great magic tricks, but they also learn about the people behind those tricks. I would have actually liked to have had more history in the book and a little less tricks. Be Warned! Unlike the other books, there are many small objects that have to be kept together in order to do the magic tricks. If you're buying it for your child, make sure they are careful with the pieces. If you have multiple children, I recommend a copy for each child.
All the titles in this seris are popular with students but this...is going to fly off the shelves and not return until the end of the year. Highly informative, vivid illustrations in a 1915 style and plenty of hands-on activities with an evolving mystery combine to make this a total winner. My full review at: http://bit.ly/Nn8D14
This book is one of my son's favorite. It teaches them all the secrets of magicians. Learn card tricks with cards that actually detach from the book, read about the life of Houdini, and see how easy it is for illusions to play tricks on your mind. This is a very exciting and interactive book! My only complaint is that the pieces don't stay in once they are used, making them easy to lose.
Supposedly written in 1915 by Albert Schafer, this book explores tricks of the masters including levitating a lady, daredevil escapes and mind reading. Along with revealing the secrets behind many famous tricks, it explains the science that makes magic possible. Reviewer 16
This book taught me some fun little party tricks. I wish it had a bit more in the way of tricks though. I found it was very enjoyable, but felt like it was missing some things and left me wanting more.
A beautifully constructed book-- would make a perfect gift for any young person interested in the art of magic. I wish this was available when I was a kid!