{"title":"Best Books of 2023","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"parallax","title":"Parallax","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ciframe height=\"360\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/843316453?h=eeb1f9cd17\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" frameborder=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"You have found magic. Now, what are you going to do with it it?\"\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSo muses Max Maven in the pages of\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eParallax\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, a collection of 61 influential, thought-provoking, and oftentimes controversial  essays he contributed to\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMAGIC\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003emagazine from September 1991 to August 1996.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRich with commentary, observations, and caustic editorializing—all composed in in a tone both rich and distinct—these essays have finally been collected in a single volume.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePraise for\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eParallax\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ecalls this book Max Maven's \"finest creation\" (Mac King), \"unprecedented\" (Jamy Ian Swiss), \"a manifesto on magic as an art form\" (Stephen Minch), \"ahead of its time\" (John Lovick), \"smart and funny\" (Stan Allen), \"essential reading\" (Jeff McBride), and \"one of the most important books of our time\" (Todd Robbins).\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThere are very few collections of essays in the world of magic, and fewer still that are as pointed or as relevant to those who consider themselves a genuine student of the art. Nor are there many examples of writing as deeply serious and simultaneously laugh-out-loud funny.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA 208-page 6 x 9\" illustrated cloth-bound volume with smyth-sewn binding. With an introduction by Stephen Minch, founder of Hermetic Press.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SQUASH PUBLISHING","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44130585837797,"sku":"SQ-113","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0457\/7129\/2832\/files\/ETzFfLcl.jpg?v=1693238634"},{"product_id":"sleights-and-insights","title":"Sleights and Insights","description":"\u003ch2\u003eExclusively at Tannen's! Now Shipping.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn Carney’s first major work in 10 years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSleights and Insights\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis full of original material for Close Up and Stage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore than a just book of tricks,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSleights and Insights\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis about the process of creating, refining, and contributing to our own magic. More than a book of academic “theory,” it provides concrete examples of how we can design our routines more thoughtfully, improve our technique, and make our magic more natural looking and deceptive. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHerein lay startling visual magic with cards for close up as well as stage, elegantly designed coin magic, impromptu cups and balls, torn and restored innovations, puppets and photographs that catch selected cards from mid air, variations with a vanishing birdcage, and a haunted doll house where objects come to life, concluding with the appearance of a ghostly apparition … and much more. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSleight and Insights\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e offers a fresh perspective, that will make you look at all your magic with new eyes.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"John Carney","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44140984959205,"sku":"JC-001","price":80.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0457\/7129\/2832\/files\/6PMMPEyg.jpg?v=1689274694"},{"product_id":"you-are-all-terrible","title":"You Are All Terrible: The Book","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“Harrison Greenbaum is a complete powerhouse of a performer, pummeling his audiences with powerful left-right combination punches of laughter and amazement.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMac King\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“I liked this book a lot. If I were offered one wish, my personal sexual prowess and world peace would have to wait. My wish would be for Criss Angel to read this book. Oops, that’s two wishes . . Because of the reading thing. Let’s go back to world peace — that’s easier.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003ePenn Jil\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 1rem;\"\u003elette\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e“The funniest comedian or magician I have ever seen.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eDavid Copperfield\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eStep into the twisted and brilliant mind of “the hardest working man in comedy” (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eTimeOut NY\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e) and the “Funniest. Magician. Ever.” (Society of American Magicians) with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eYou Are Terrible: The Book\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e by Harrison Greenbaum!  Be one of the first readers to laugh and learn from what’s sure to be the most talked about magic book in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eyears\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eA masterclass on the performance of magic and comedy, this 204-page volume will give you hard-won secrets on making your magic more original and making your comedy funnier.  (But even if you’re not a comedy magician, this book is still designed to make you a stronger performer.)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eWith a foreword by Mac King and a final word from David Copperfield, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eYou Are All Terrible: The Book\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is a showman's guide to making your magic unforgettable.  Learn from the expert insights Harrison has gained while touring his show around the world, from the Comedy Cellar to the Sydney Opera House, from the Kennedy Center to the National Comedy Center, from tiny basements to the theater where he was headlining \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eCirque du Soleil’s Mad Apple\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e in Las Vegas.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eYou Are All Terrible: The Book\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e is jam-packed with invaluable knowledge that will elevate your magic to new heights, or your money back!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e(We will not give your money back.)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAre you ready for a gut-busting, jaw-dropping journey filled with magic, wonder, and Venn diagrams? Uncover the secrets of one of the most prolific magic performers of our time and grab your copy of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eYou Are All Terrible: The Book\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e today. It just might be the funniest magic book you’ve ever read.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TANNEN MAGIC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44140984991973,"sku":"T-5546","price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0457\/7129\/2832\/files\/DSC05533.jpg?v=1691080660"},{"product_id":"sleightly-absurd","title":"Sleightly Absurd","description":"\u003ch2 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/858675199?h=63b8c5afda\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch1 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ca title=\"Tannen's Book Club\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tannens.com\/pages\/tannens-book-club\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFree Online Book Club with Charlie Frye\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAn inspiring, vivid volume like no other! \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSleightly Absurd\u003c\/em\u003e is a journey through the mind of a mastermind—Charlie Frye. Within its pages, you'll find a slew of hard won secrets he has developed, refined, and performed over some four decades on six continents, as a professional entertainer on stages the world over.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIt is filled, nearly to overflowing, with bewildering, bemusing musings and miracles that—until now—have been the guarded brainchildren of this perplexing practitioner of the dark arts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNow you, dear reader, can gain a backstage view explaining the ins, outs, and inside outs of over \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003efifty fantastic feats\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e, each mined from the mind of this peerless prestidigitator.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAmong the high class conjuring conceits explained are tricks with coins and cards—of both ordinary and extraordinary sizes—including a lengthy and advanced treatise on the elusive “ACAAN”; parlor and stage effects; three versions of the “oldest trick in the book”; Frye’s trademark \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEccentricks (\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ecartoon-illustrated gags, tricks, and stunts); mind reading miracles; close-up dodges with dice; and more.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe work is rounded out with an uproariously funny memoir and a series of thought-provoking essays on character development, practice, and other practical matters for the modern mystery entertainer, and all others who take their art more seriously than themselves.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA book like no other—because there is no other!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNo expense spared in its production!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA colossal colossus of conjuring and chicanery, from the one and only Charlie Frye!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eVerily his equal does not exist!\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA 298-page deluxe oversize 8 x 10\" hardcover volume illustrated with over 1000 photographs. Smyth sewn binding for ease of use and study.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eA deluxe, limited edition, signed and numbered, is also available for purchase. Click here to order.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAdvance praise for\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSleightly Absurd:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Here you will find cleverly crafted magic, brilliantly presented. Don’t just absorb all this wonderful magic; assimilate his artist ethic, his pro-tips, and be inspired by his process. This is where the craft approaches the lofty title of “art.” My highest recommendation.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e-John Carney  \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Occasionally you will meet someone in your life that is just really, really good at everything they do. It’s pretty annoying.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Charlie Frye makes everything look clever, funny and so effortless. He is a master in every sense. He has spent years developing an impressive collection of great material. Not just a creator but as a world-class performer. Charlie and Sherry are one of the most sought after acts on the planet.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Study this man, learn his ways of thinking, rehearsing, ethics, and performing. Get into his head. It will make you a better performer. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"If you are lucky enough to have Charlie as a friend as I have, by example, he will make you a better person. This book is a great place to start.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\" dir=\"auto\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e-Kevin James\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SQUASH PUBLISHING","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44203052564709,"sku":"SQ-114","price":75.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0457\/7129\/2832\/files\/DSC09937.jpg?v=1695326111"},{"product_id":"the-final-conference-illusions","title":"The Final Conference Illusions","description":"\u003csection class=\"ProductItem-additional\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sqs-layout sqs-grid-12 columns-12\" data-layout-label=\"Post Body\" data-type=\"item\" id=\"item-649519a3274eb66f39fecc19\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"row sqs-row\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col sqs-col-12 span-12\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html\" data-block-type=\"2\" id=\"block-16e69c9862da8b2fd18e\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sqs-block-content\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sqs-html-content\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis beautiful, 154-page book provides a detailed description of the last three illusions that Mike Caveney presented at the Los Angeles Conference on Magic History including Carter the Great’s Spirit Cabinet, Rooklyn’s Birth of the Pearl, and John Daniel’s original Thin Model Sawing.\u003c\/strong\u003e Read the behind-the-scenes story of how these illusions were brought back to life along with their complete routines and patter. Mike’s performances of all three illusions are available on YouTube.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis book also serves as a companion to \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSawing: The Astonishing History of Magic’s Most Iconic Illusion\u003c\/em\u003e. Mike’s previous \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSawing\u003c\/em\u003e book focused on the history of this illusion while this new book delves into the original design and development of John Daniel’s, Virgil’s, and Walter Blaney’s versions of the Sawing. For the first time you can literally peek inside these classic illusions thanks to fifty new photographs that did not appear in the previous book. You will also find an entire chapter on the life of Zati Sungur, the man who invented the Thin Sawing illusion during the 1930s. His amazing career is brought to life through dozens of previously-unpublished photos.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e9 by 12 inches, printed in full-color, hardbound with leather spine, and printed endsheets. Free postage for domestic orders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e“Absolutely sensational! Sitting down with it and reading it line-by-line while watching the corresponding YouTube videos frame-by-frame was truly one of the most fascinating experiences I have ever had in magic. I thought I knew a lot. Turns out that I didn't know jack shit. Reading about the pieces through both the magic effect and history lenses is the way to go for me. Brought me back to the LA History Conferences.”\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Andy L\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e“I’m only going to write this once, because I have the feeling I might need to write several times a day.  They say when you know the method to a trick you will be disappointed at its simplicity.  Well, I just read page 24.  Absolutely ingenious! I’m anything but disappointed!”\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLarry H\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenii magazine review by Francis Menotti\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eIf you take one bit of hard-earned knowledge from Mike Caveney's \u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Final Conference Illusions\u003c\/em\u003e, it could justifiably be his idly tossed words in the foreword, \"One cannot be afraid of failure. It's part of the process.\" This is a collection of successes that could only have been so due to overcoming challenges, changes, and downright failures. In this relatively compact volume, the author explores some of magic's golden era illusions and performers through historic accounts, personal anecdotes from folks lucky enough to have seen the illusions, and sometimes blind guesses formed by piece-mealed reconstructions of notes, props, posters, and photographs. These informed guesses, melded with modern know-how garnered from necessary stage-time, allowed Caveney to reenact some of the 20th century's iconic illusions at the LA Magic History Conference and for full week runs at the Hollywood Magic Castle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJohn Lovick, who had the opportunity to assist the author in bringing some of these illusions to life, attests in his introduction, \"Reading this book is almost as good as sitting in your living room, listening to Caveney tell stories.\" Caveney is one hell of a story-teller. Anyone fortunate enough to enjoy the pages painted with the wild and rich history of our art form will gain useful knowhow punctuated with dry, laser-precise wit that lifts the flavors of the stories to the surface so as to make them alive and fresh. These are not historical accounts, but timeless anecdotes that may as well have happened last week as last century.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis journey of magical exploration begins with Carter's \"Spirit Cabinet\" and the conjuring up of the historically famous spirit of a young girl, Katie King. In a matter of fact conveyance of the cabinet's construction and history, Caveney walks the reader through its original touring performance in all its bells and tambourines. Built by the Martinka Brothers in New York, one of the most eye-widening details of Carter's cabinet was its weight: 530 pounds! The author, through detailed text, posters, and photographs, fills several pages with how the cabinet was built and how it functioned in Carter's career, then delves into his own significant adjustments to bring the experience back to life for a modern audience in 2013. While most of the original functionality of the cabinet-its trap door, secret assistant shelf, and thread hook-up points could and would be used (mostly) in their original design, the author had to contend with the modern restrictions of the performance spaces in which he planned to reenact the piece. Among other changes was Caveney's understandable desire to shave a few pounds off the beautiful monstrosity by adjusting the design of the top of the cabinet. This became significant as part of the performance then and now was that the Carter \"Spirit Cabinet\" would be assembled onstage live in front of the audience, then disassembled at its conclusion. His adjustment to how the assembly occurred also made for a cleaner, more versatile method to sneak the hidden assistant-in this case the ever-skilled Tina Lenart-into and out of the cabinet.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTo the reader who has yet to acquire and read this book, I would advise watching the You-Tube video of Caveney and company performing the piece at the Magic Castle before reading the rest of the explanation chapter. He includes a link to said video at the conclusion of the chapter, whereas the multiple methods used throughout the performance are all the more incredible if you have viewed it innocently, first. \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAfter some more traditional or expected spiritual manifestations including the movement and disruption of bells, a tambourine, and a chair that are all flung about with abandon, the performer would ask the spirit of Katie King to show herself in a more physically substantial manner. The result: a sheer fabric-covered, slightly amorphous ghost-shaped something would fly from the open door of the cabinet out over the heads of the audience to the back of the theater, then turn around and return to its soon to be disassembled home.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWhile the rest of the methods and choreography of the Carter \"Spirit Cabinet\" are fascinating, Caveney's adjustments to make Katie King fly convincingly in a modern room for a modern audience is an adventure and education in ingenuity and determination. There is a creativity blockage moment that all great problem solvers encounter where they get stuck on a method because it is either technically good enough or would theoretically work, even though deep down there is the dreaded knowledge that there is a better way. In the explicitly detailed explanation of his solution to make Katie King fly, Caveney shares one of the more profound yet simple nuggets he picked up from being around David Copperfield's warehouse in the early developments of \"Flying.\" That is, an object-or person-having agency over their direction makes the difference between floating and flying. With this haunting reality, the author worked out a method, abandoned it, and worked out an all new system that would meet the criteria for flying while allowing for repeatable performances and the use of only four other assistants and a stooge. Between the method and Caveney's charmingly cutting audience control verbiage to keep people from reaching up and touching the ghost only inches above their heads, the research and redevelopment clearly paid off as you'll see when you watch the You-Tube video.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe next segment of the book examines a piece that decidedly views better than it reads, and can also be seen again on Caveney's You-Tube channel. It is the long toured Chung Ling Soo (ne William Robinson) production of a woman, \"Birth of the Pearl.\" A giant oyster shell on an ornate platform with dolphin-shaped legs finds its way to center stage when the magician and assistants open the pearl to show it empty, close it again, then it opens on its own to allow for the lovely human pearl to stand and reveal her existence. \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTrue to Caveney's modus operandi in publication, he offers full but concise evidence as to the effect's history along with the lurid soap opera details that make these books so compelling to consume. As a reflection and callback to some of the shenanigans detailed in both the first Conference Illusions and Sawing, the reader learns of the unscrupulous nature of magicians-and tobacco companies-of yore. The first of said offenses occurred in the posthumous, unauthorized and uncredited publication of the details of \"The Birth of the Pearl\" by Will Glodston in his book More Exclusive Magical Secrets. But almost more egregious was the William Esty \u0026amp; Company advertising firm's decision to run ads for Camel cigarettes in which real and current illusions were exposed in print in advertisements under the title, \"It's Fun to be Fooled.\" Subtext: it's more fun to know.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe rest of the historical examination of \"Birth of the Pearl\" makes its way around the globe with further stories of various builders taking, renaming, and performing a version or two of the illusion. After versions of it passed through the hands of a few other magicians, the original Chung Ling Soo illusion ended up in the hands of a friend of Caveney's, who subsequently kept it stored nostalgically in his garage. Caveney acquired the original prop when said friend's wife decided her \"desire to park her car inside the garage far outweighed her dream of owning an antique illusion from the Golden Age of magic.\" \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFrom there began the author's own determined quest to recreate \"Birth of the Pearl\" in its former glory. Though, as indicated earlier, the simple production of a woman from the seemingly empty shown pearl left a little to be desired. To this end, Caveney added a complex but beautiful \"Floating Ball\" sequence that has the payoff make an acceptable amount of sense and turns it into a genuine surprise when the live human is birthed from the empty shell and pearl. The description of method and execution of said \"Floating Ball\" is dizzying but impressive, with kudos to the amazing Christopher Hart for doing his Thing and being in charge of the handling of secret threads.  Despite the effort to bring the classic back to life for a final hurrah, the author in so many words agrees with this reviewer's assessment as to how worthy of trouble the effect was to perform. The piece in question now lies quietly in David Copperfield's museum in Las Vegas.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe last almost half of \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Final Conference Illusions\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e plays to Caveney's life-long obsession with the complicated history of \"Sawing in Half.\" As Lovick mentions in his introduction, the book acts almost as a sequel to both the first \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConference Illusions\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e and to \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSawing\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. The latter becomes clearly undeniable as Caveney introduces the largely unknown, unsung Turkish magician Zati Sunger. Another wildly fascinating character from magic's past, Sunger was an avid magic enthusiast who ran off to Germany, against his parents' wishes, to become a submarine machine engineer. After being\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003estuck in Germany and unable to return home due to World War I, Sunger heeded the famed illusionist Alois Kassner's direct advice to take his magic full time. This spiraled into an impressive, international career which included, among other notable accolades, his own ahead-of-his-time creation of a thin-model \"Sawing.\"\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe author, having had early direct contact with Sunger and later with Sunger's daughter, takes the reader briefly through his life and his magical creations, including also an interesting \"Cannonball Illusion\" where a cannonball was shot through his assistant, and an amusing missing-finger trick where a duck bit his finger off live on stage. The last of these came about from Sunger losing said finger in a machinery accident and figuring he may as well make it part of the act. I won't spoil my favorite story of Sunger, but will tease it by saying we know there's film footage of his final performance in 1966. How he obtained it is an amazing testament to his drive and determination.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFrom Sunger, we move on to learn about John Daniel, the Pasadena youth who got into magic after seeing a botched \"Asrah Levitation.\" Daniel, as a young man, created his own method for a \"Thin Model Sawing,\" and sold the idea to Carl Owen in exchange for having it built. Daniel's unique adjustments of the false-feet mechanics and his clever geometric notion of how to steal an extra inch for the assistant to move in the box made for fascinating improvements to the woefully overdone illusion. We learn of Virgil and his dealings with Daniel and his assistance in affecting improvements on the trick. We experience a bit of the turmoil between Daniel and Les and Gertude Smith who came to buy into Owen's Magic, and then come to know that it was John Daniel's own performance of his \"Thin Model Sawing\" in 1963 that would inspire the author's life-long quest to know everything there is to know about \"Sawing.\" Caveney then rounds out the chapter, and thereby the book, with a hat-tip and examination of the improvements made to \"Thin Model Sawing\" by the celebrated genius that was Walter Blaney. In Blaney's model, he refines the sloppily and unconvincingly executed method that Horace Goldin used a little over a half century earlier. The result was a deceptive sawing in half where both the head and feet were real despite there being seemingly nowhere for a second assistant to hide.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eUnsurprisingly, the book is beautiful. The quality of printing and the incredible, colorful images complement the subject matter admirably. Mike Caveney is a story teller, and a truly magical one at that. The subject matter is inherently interesting to anyone already reading these words. But like a good illusion, it is all the more compelling, fascinating, and entertaining to learn about the Golden Age of Magic when the chosen words are filled with passion and personality the way they are in \u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Final Conference Illusions.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eYe Olde Magic Magazine review by Marco Pusterla\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eI can remember vividly the L.A. Magic History Conference of 2013: it was my first visit to what was the preeminent conference dedicated to the history of magic. I remember particularly Mike Caveney’s performance of Carter “The Great” original apparatus for the spirit cabinet. Sitting in the audience I saw the cabinet installed, surely with no opportunity to have anybody enter secretly and was surprised by the chair that moved on its own accord, the noise of the bell and tambourine and, especially, the “ghost” who floated out of the otherwise empty cabinet, passing over the heads of the audience, then incredibly turning around and flying back into the cabinet. As a historian, I knew that somebody had to be inside the cabinet and, knowing the principles of magic, I assumed that the assistant - the great Tina Lenert - had entered the cabinet from the backdrop. I also suspected that threads were the moving force behind the ghost, but observing the ceiling of the hotel’s ballroom, together with the other attendees, both before and after the performance, I could not see any thread. The mystery remained and I’m happy that Mike has now revealed it (together with another two illusions) in his last effort.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eYears ago, Mike had published two large volumes, one describing his repertoire, the other explaining the illusions he had presented at the Conference on Magic History up to then, and this book, a much slimmer affair, is the third volume of this set. In addition to the explanation of Carter’s Spirit Cabinet, Mike explains his version Chung Ling Son’s “Birth of the Pearl,” wise sister us week jbiwbm g=which he presented in 2015 with the apparatus built by Chung Ling Son’s former machinist, which was last performed by Maurice Rooklyn in the 1950s. The third part of the book is dedicated to the history of the “thin sawing” illusion, invented by Turkish magician Zati Sungur in the 1930s, and that slowly entered the family of standard illusions via Tihany, John Daniel and Virgil. Mike performed this illusion, with John Daniel’s original apparatus, again in 2015.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe book is of interest to the historian, of course, but I believe the real student of performance magic will take great benefit by reading it. Mike explains everything in great detail, including all the small nuances of the misdirection, timing and materials for each illusion. I was flabbergasted in finally learning how the Spirit Cabinet worked: I had not thought that Tina could have been introduced to it with the devious method employed by Mike. The lesson on the use of threads, and on how Mike and his assistants introduced and removed them from the illusion during performance - and all the performances at The Magic Castle - is surely worth more than the price of the book.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSimilarly, the study of the “Pearl” illusion and the decision of presenting a floating pearl before the production of Tina Lenert, shows how much an effect could be enhanced when thinking about it. Here, too, Mike offers some invaluable guidance on the staging of a floating ball in places where the room in the wings is not ideal… He has solved elegantly quite a few issues and enhanced the practicality of the rigging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe last part presents a biography of Zati Sungur, enriched with unseen photographs of the magician, and details the story of his version of the “thin Sawing,” which had already been partially narrated in Mike’s recent book on the Sawing illusion. The apparatus of John Daniel and of Virgil are then described in detail, with many photos, showing the enhancements done to the illusion by the two magicians, going through a painstaking history of the construction of the boxes. A short chapter describes and explains the version of Walter Blaney which allows to have real feet in the box once the woman has been sawn in half.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMike’s performances of these illusions are available on YouTube and I would suggest you watch them before reading their chapter, then watch them again, each being a masterclass on large illusions and their presentation. You should not make the mistake of thinking that Hugard, Soo, or Carter’s version of these illusions was as deceptive and as magical as Mike’s performance. In fact, these illusions were not as spectacular in the last century as Mike has made them Carter was keeping the cabinet close to the backdrop; Rooklyn opened the shell, closed it, opened it again and out popped an assistant. By knowing the history of magic, modern performers can improve and enhance tricks of the past and make them much more magical than they ever were.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eI highly recommend this book to any magic historian and also to performing magicians - for them, this could be a great investment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e\n\u003csection data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"MIKE CAVENEY'S MAGIC WORDS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44434982043877,"sku":"MC-110","price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0457\/7129\/2832\/files\/DSC02465-2.jpg?v=1702324119"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.tannens.com\/collections\/best-books-of-2023\/author-john-carney.oembed","provider":"Tannen's","version":"1.0","type":"link"}