The door to magic is closed, but it’s not locked. And now Joshua Jay, one of the world’s most accomplished magicians, not only opens that door but brings us inside to reveal the artistry and obsessiveness, esoteric history, and long-whispered-about traditions of a subject shrouded in mystery. And he goes one step further: Joshua Jay brings us right into the mind of a magician—how they develop their other worldly skills, conjure up illusions, and leave the rest of us slack jawed with delight time after time. Along the way, Jay reveals another kind of secret, one all readers will find meaningful even if they never aspire to perform sleight of hand: What does it take to follow your heart and achieve excellence? In 52 short, compulsively readable essays, Jay describes how he does it, whether it’s through the making of illusions, the psychology behind them, or the way technology influences the world of magic. He considers the aesthetics of performance, discusses contemporary masters, including David Copperfield, Penn & Teller, and David Blaine, and details how magicians hone their craft. And answers questions like: Can a magic trick be too good? How do you saw a person in half? Is there real magic in the universe? The answers, like so much in magic and life, depend on you.

Want to have the best dream of your life? Introducing: the Dream Machine, the latest breakthrough in dream technology. Turn the Snoreswitch to the volume of your choice, tune in to your favorite dream channel, and spin the hypnotic yawn wheel to let the Dream Machine work its magic. This interactive board book is a one-of-a-kind invention designed to encourage sweet dreams. Features eight spreads of durable levers, gears, wheels, and flaps Brings magic to any bedtime routine A refreshing take on the classic goodnight tale Dream Machine is a surefire ticket to bedtime fun-and a night of deep slumber. Written by the inventive magician Joshua Jay, with spellbinding art by Andy Miller, this Dream Machine is engineered with winning humor and imagination. Perfect for young readers who love tactile, interactive board books, as well as robots and machines Great gift for parents and grandparents who want another tool to make bedtime a breeze for children with sleep troubles Encourages restless kids to prepare for and look forward to bedtime Add it to the shelf with books like The Robot Book by Heather Brown, Little Owl Says Goodnight: A Slide-and-Seek Book by Emma Parrish, and Beep Beep Robot! A Spinning Gears Book by Scholastic

Finally, here's how to do all those showy tricks and flourishes that card players are dying to know: how to send a deck cascading from one hand to the other. How to snap open two flawless fans. How to cut a deck with one hand. Choose four aces seemingly at random. Flick a card accurately across the room.
The clearest, easiest-to-follow book of step-by-step directions, "The Amazing Book of Cards" will show anyone how to do 52 amazing things with a deck of cards. Written by Joshua Jay, the award-winning close-up magician and card-obsessed author of "Magic: The Complete Course," "The Amazing Book of Cards" combines friendly, concise text and full-color photos with a full-length DVD that teaches the lessons and shows the subtleties of performance. Here are simple, killer tricks, like "Presto Prediction," which performs the impossible task of knowing someone's choice before she even makes it. Nine different shuffles, including the Faro Shuffle, the one most often used by pros, which helps you perfectly weave a split deck together in seconds. How to perform fans, flips, and flourishes, including Ribbon Spread & Flip and Catch-a-Deck. Tricks you can't lose go ahead, take the bet to throw a card in a hat. How to memorize a deck in less than ten seconds, how to put a deck of cards into a glass bottle, build a card castle, and more. Filling out this labor of love is a whole world of card trivia, including the origins of Kings: King of Spades is modeled after King David, the King of Diamonds is Julius Caesar, Hearts is Charlemagne, and Clubs, Alexander the Great.

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Kids love magic. They love to see it, and they love to do it. Enter Joshua Jay, who started doing magic when he was 7 and was named champion at the World Magic Seminar (the Olympics of magic) by the time he was 16. His Big Magic for Little Hands is packed with 25 astonishing illusions for kids ages 7 and up. In other words, it s sleight of hand for the small of hand. These are tricks that require little prep time and dexterity yet are guaranteed to deliver a big payoff. The large format, oversized ext, and black-and-white vintage-style illustrations make Big Magic particularly easy to follow and kid-friendly. Here s how to levitate your sibling several feet off a bed. Escape Houdini-like from tightly bound ropes. There are also impromptu effects that can be performed anytime, anywhere, like Spook-Key, in which an antique key mysteriously rotates in your hand. Each easy-to-perform feat is clearly illustrated with step-by-step drawings and accompanied by insider tips. Joshua Jay is a master who guides his apprentices through every aspect of the magician s art, from the first step taking the Magician s Oath to how to minimize nervousness (Rule #1: Rehearse. A lot)."

Children love magic, both seeing it and performing for friends and family. This is a profusely illustrated book of simple illusions for children to master and wow audiences of all ages. They’ll learn how to make their sibling levitate, how to escape Houdini-style, and much more, all while developing reading, problem-solving, and public-speaking skills.