*4.5 stars*

Intriguing read on a new subject (for me)…

Magic. That word conjures up so many pictures and thoughts. From Houdini to David Blaine, the variety of people who practice magic could only be surpassed by the different approaches to it they have. Showmanship and entertainment, I didn’t realize the depth of the history behind the illusions.

As a non-academic I found it easy to get lost in this approachable, yet not simple take on modern magic. It digs into the roots of magic, where did it come from and how did ‘modern magic’ evolve. There is a lot of information here as the author spanned continents and decades to paint a picture of magic’s evolution from different cultures and countries. I can’t say I was a big fan of magic or the art of illusion before reading this book but I have a new-found appreciation for the craft and will look at the subject in a new, hopefully more educated, way.