In "Sleight of Hand: A Practical Manual of Legerdemain for Amateurs & Others," Edwin Thomas Sachs provides a comprehensive examination of the art of deception through magic and illusion. Written in a clear, instructional style, the book presents a series of meticulously detailed techniques designed to equip aspiring magicians with the necessary skills to perform a variety of tricks. Sachs offers a historical context for the craft, tracing its evolution and highlighting its role in entertai...

It is always a matter for self-congratulation on the part of an author to be called upon to furnish a Preface to a second or subsequent edition of some "bantling of his brain." In the present instance the task is more satisfactory than usual, the author not coming before the reader empty-handed. Since the publication of the first edition, conjurors have not been idle, and numerous new methods for producing magical surprises have been invented. Such of these as are suitable or worthy—for, i...

In "Sleight of Hand: A Practical Manual of Legerdemain for Amateurs & Others," Edwin Thomas Sachs presents a comprehensive guide to the art of magic, primarily focusing on sleight of hand techniques. Written in a clear and engaging style, the book demystifies the intricacies of manipulation, misdirection, and performance, allowing readers to develop their skills from fundamental tricks to more complex illusions. The manual is steeped in the context of late 19th-century magic, a time when t...

This book provides an accessible introduction to the fascinating and topical subject of black holes. It bridges the gap between popular non-mathematical expositions and advanced research texts, using simple undergraduate level calculations and the most basic knowledge of relativity to explain current research. This means the theory can be understood by a wide audience of physicists, including those who are not necessarily interested in learning higher-level mathematical techniques.The thir...

This introduction to the fascinating subject of black holes fills a significant gap in the literature which exists between popular, non-mathematical expositions and advanced textbooks at the research level. It is designed for advanced undergraduates and first year postgraduates as a useful stepping-stone to the advanced literature.The book provides an accessible introduction to the exact solutions of Einstein's vacuum field equations describing spherical and axisymmetric (rotating) black h...

Investigations in space have led to fundamental discoveries of the human body to the space environment. Gilles Clément has conducted extensive research in this field. This readable text presents the findings from the life science experiments conducted during and after space missions. About 1200 human space flights have been completed to date, including more than 500 astronauts from various countries, for a combined total presence in space of about 90 years. The first edition of this title ...

In the first installment in Andrew Mayne's sensational mystery series, FBI agent Jessica Blackwood believes she has successfully left her complicated life as a gifted magician behind her . . . until a killer with seemingly supernatural powers puts her talents to the ultimate test.A mysterious hacker, who identifies himself only as “Warlock,” brings down the FBI’s website and posts a code in its place. It hides the GPS coordinates of a Michigan cemetery, where a dea...

In these lively and fascinating essays edited by theoretical physicist Jim Al-Khalili, scientists from around the world weigh in on the latest advances in the search for intelligent life in the universe and discuss just what that might look like.Since 2000, science has seen a surge in data and interest on several fronts related to E.T. (extraterrestrials); A.I. (artificial intelligence); and SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence). The debate has intensified...

Originally published in 1952, this classic guidebook provides a complete treatise on sleight of hand coin conjuring, making an excellent companion for those who want to impress and entertain with some classic magic tricks. Complete with instructional diagrams, it explains a variety of coin act techniques, including vanishing, sleeving and cuffing. The final chapter helps you to prepare the routine for your coin magic performance. Contents include: Preface; J. B. Bobo; Acknowledgments; Prol...

'An ideal introduction [to Stephen Hawking]' - Independent'Astonishingly comprehensive - clearer than Hawking himself' - FocusStephen Hawking was a world-famous physicist with a cameo in The Simpsons on his CV, but outside of his academic field his work was little understood. To the public he was a tragic figure - a brilliant scientist and author of the 9 million-copy-selling A Brief History of Time, and ye...

Magic is everywhere, from the big spectacle celebrity of David Copperfield and Siegfried and Roy to the quirky Penn and Teller to the spooky David Blaine and Criss Angel to the endless material on YouTube. But until now, learning it has never been easy—that's all about to change with Magic, a book that does for close-up magic what How to Grill does for barbecue. Written by charismatic young magician Joshua Jay, Magic combines expertise, photographs, and step-by-s...

Given the fact that there are perhaps 400 billion stars in our Galaxy alone, and perhaps 400 billion galaxies in the Universe, it stands to reason that somewhere out there, in the 14-billion-year-old cosmos, there is or once was a civilization at least as advanced as our own. The sheer enormity of the numbers almost demands that we accept the truth of this hypothesis. Why, then, have we encountered no evidence, no messages, no artifacts of these extraterrestrials?In this second, si...