Download or read book The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini written by Joe Posnanski and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2019-10-22 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Joe Posnanski enters the colorful world of Harry Houdini and his legions of devoted fans to explore the illusionist’s impact on global culture—and why his legacy endures to this day. Nearly a century after Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926, he feels as modern and alive as ever. The name Houdini still leaps to mind whenever we witness a daring escape. The baby who frees herself from her crib? Houdini. The dog who vanishes and reappears in the neighbor’s garden? Houdini. Every generation produces new disciples of the magician, from household names in magic like David Copperfield and David Blaine to countless other followers whose lives have been transformed by the power of Houdini. In rural Pennsylvania, a thirteen-year-old girl finds the courage to leave a violent home after learning that Houdini ran away to join the circus; she eventually becomes the first female magician to saw a man in half on television. In Australia, an eight-year-old boy with a learning impediment feels worthless until he sees an old poster of Houdini advertising “Nothing on earth can hold Houdini prisoner,” and begins his path to becoming that nation’s most popular magician. In California, an actor and Vietnam War veteran finds purpose in his life by uncovering the secrets of his hero. But the unique phenomenon of Houdini was always more than his death-defying stunts or his ability to escape handcuffs and straitjackets. It is also about the power of imagination and self-invention. His incredible transformation from Ehrich Weiss, humble Hungarian immigrant and rabbi’s son, into the self-named Harry Houdini has won him a slice of immortality. No one has withstood the test of time quite like Houdini. Fueled by Posnanski’s personal obsession with the magician—and magic itself—The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini is a poignant odyssey of discovery, blending biography, memoir, and first-person reporting to trace Houdini’s metamorphosis into an iconic figure who has inspired millions.
Download or read book 100 Deadly Skills written by Clint Emerson and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-10-13 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offers one hundred concise methods of surviving dangerous situations based on the skills of military special forces operatives, covering such topics as evading ambushes, escaping confinement, and winning a knife fight.
Download or read book The Edge of the Unknown written by Arthur Conan Doyle and published by FV Éditions. This book was released on 2017-01-16 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1916 Arthur Conan Doyle stated his belief in Spiritualism. "The Edge of the Unknown", first published in 1930, is a collection of articles covering various aspects of this subject.
Download or read book Steal This Book written by Abbie Hoffman and published by Da Capo Press. This book was released on 2002-02-25 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A handbook of survival and warfare for the citizens of Woodstock Nation A classic of counterculture literature and one of the most influential--and controversial--documents of the twentieth century, Steal This Book is as valuable today as the day it was published. It has been in print continuously for more than four decades, and it has educated and inspired countless thousands of young activists. Conceived as an instruction manual for radical social change, Steal This Book is divided into three sections--Survive! Fight! and Liberate! Ever wonder how to start a guerilla radio station? Or maybe you want to brush up on your shoplifting techniques. Perhaps you're just looking for the best free entertainment in New York City. (The Frick Collection--"Great when you're stoned.") Packed with information, advice, and Abbie's unique outlaw wisdom ("Avoid all needle drugs--the only dope worth shooting is Richard Nixon."), Steal This Book is a timeless reminder that, no matter what the struggle, freedom is always worth fighting for. "All Power to the Imagination was his credo. Abbie was the best."--Studs Terkel
Download or read book The Commonwealth written by and published by . This book was released on 1984 with total page 1052 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Magic Stage Illusions and Scientific Diversions Including Trick Photography written by Albert A. Hopkins and published by DigiCat. This book was released on 2022-09-16 with total page 509 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: DigiCat Publishing presents to you this special edition of "Magic, Stage Illusions and Scientific Diversions, Including Trick Photography" by Albert A. Hopkins. DigiCat Publishing considers every written word to be a legacy of humankind. Every DigiCat book has been carefully reproduced for republishing in a new modern format. The books are available in print, as well as ebooks. DigiCat hopes you will treat this work with the acknowledgment and passion it deserves as a classic of world literature.
Download or read book Stardust Dads written by Josephine C. George and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2008-10-17 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The e-mail Danny and Allison read on their new computer in 1996 looks no different from the millions of others received by Web users around the world, with one glaring exception--it was sent by their dads who died during the 1970s. While residing in the afterworld at an amenity-laden paradise called Midway Manor, guitar-strumming Mickey Parks and piano-playing Lloyd Wallace monitor and manipulate the lives of their adult children on earth from the mid-'70s through the 1990s. Tampering with the facility's sophisticated computer, the dads thrust Mickey's daughter Allison and Lloyd's son Danny into a passionate but sometimes stormy relationship-a relationship steeped in Danny's heavy drinking and entangled in the often-zany world of men's adventure magazine publishing. After carefully implementing a plan to send their son and daughter a gift of knowledge that could enrich their lives forever, the dads' brief contact is cut short. They are banished to another destination in the afterworld, but not before they impart indisputable proof of life after death--and unwittingly put Danny's and Allison's earthbound lives on the line.
Download or read book The Secret Life of Houdini written by William Kalush and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-09-04 with total page 998 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using exclusive access to newly uncovered archives, Kalush and Sloman reveal the clandestine agreements in which the British and Americans recruited Houdini to be an active secret agent. In exchange for his cooperation, the governments of these two countries facilitated his rise to the top of the world stage. The authors give thrilling accounts of his assignments, such as his participation in early aerial surveillance and his use of his own magic magazine to communicate espionage-related information. After the war, Houdini embarked upon what became his most dangerous mission when he took on the Spiritualist movement. Convinced that Spiritualist mediums were frauds, he became obsessed with exposing them. But the Spiritualists were a powerful adversary. An organized network of fanatics, led by Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle, worked relentlessly to orchestrate a campaign that would silence Houdini forever. Grounded in solid research, but as exciting and dramatic as a good thriller, THE SECRET LIFE OF HOUDINI traces the magician's long and circuitous route from struggling vaudevillian to worldwide legend.
Download or read book Deep Thoughts written by Jack Handey and published by Sphere. This book was released on 1996-09-05 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of inspirations for the uninspired, this work offers an antidote to the meaningful muses of the New Age. Designed for the natural born cynic, it contains thoughts on children, literature and losing your keys.
Download or read book The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini written by Joe Posnanski and published by Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster. This book was released on 2020-10-13 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Joe Posnanski enters the colorful world of Harry Houdini and his legions of devoted fans to explore the illusionist’s impact on global culture—and why his legacy endures to this day. Nearly a century after Harry Houdini died on Halloween in 1926, he feels as modern and alive as ever. The name Houdini still leaps to mind whenever we witness a daring escape. The baby who frees herself from her crib? Houdini. The dog who vanishes and reappears in the neighbor’s garden? Houdini. Every generation produces new disciples of the magician, from household names in magic like David Copperfield and David Blaine to countless other followers whose lives have been transformed by the power of Houdini. In rural Pennsylvania, a thirteen-year-old girl finds the courage to leave a violent home after learning that Houdini ran away to join the circus; she eventually becomes the first female magician to saw a man in half on television. In Australia, an eight-year-old boy with a learning impediment feels worthless until he sees an old poster of Houdini advertising “Nothing on earth can hold Houdini prisoner,” and begins his path to becoming that nation’s most popular magician. In California, an actor and Vietnam War veteran finds purpose in his life by uncovering the secrets of his hero. But the unique phenomenon of Houdini was always more than his death-defying stunts or his ability to escape handcuffs and straitjackets. It is also about the power of imagination and self-invention. His incredible transformation from Ehrich Weiss, humble Hungarian immigrant and rabbi’s son, into the self-named Harry Houdini has won him a slice of immortality. No one has withstood the test of time quite like Houdini. Fueled by Posnanski’s personal obsession with the magician—and magic itself—The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini is a poignant odyssey of discovery, blending biography, memoir, and first-person reporting to trace Houdini’s metamorphosis into an iconic figure who has inspired millions.
Download or read book The Life and Many Deaths of Harry Houdini written by Ruth Brandon and published by Pan Publishing. This book was released on 2001 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A reissue of Ruth Brandon's definitive biography of Houdini. When Harry Houdini died in 1926, he was one of the most famous men in the world. Having started out as a vaudeville magician, he soon began to specialise in the escapes for which his name remains a byword. In this classic biography, Ruth Brandon explains in detail the secrets of Houdini's most celebrated escapes, but more importantly she asks, 'What was Houdini really trying to escape from?' - and, searching for the answer, reveals a man far more extraordinary than any of his audience could have imagined. 'A ripping account of shamanism, celebrity and magic' Sunday Times 'Brandon paints a fascinating picture of this complicated and charismatic character, and also of turn-of-the-century America' The Times
Download or read book The Secret Life of Houdini written by William Kalush and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2007-10-02 with total page 608 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this groundbreaking book, renowned magic expert Kalush and bestselling writer Sloman team up to expose Harry Houdinis secret life as a spy, and the stunning plot to murder the magician and destroy his legacy. Photos throughout.
Download or read book The Carnival of Lost Souls written by Laura Quimby and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2010-12-31 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For one charismatic kid, the dangerous world of the Forest of the Dead becomes the setting for the ultimate escape trick in this exciting debut novel. Jack Carr has been shuttled from foster home to group home to foster home his entire life. The only constant has been his interest in magic, especially handcuff escapes like those mastered by his hero, Harry Houdini. When he’s placed with the Professor, however, he feels like he’s finally found a home—but his new guardian is hiding a dangerous secret. Years ago the Professor bartered his soul to the undead magician Mussini, and when the payment is due, he sends Jack in his place. Jack must travel with Mussini to the Forest of the Dead, a place in between the real world and the afterlife, where he’s forced to perform in Mussini’s traveling magic show. If he stays in the Forest long enough, he’ll die himself. To find his way home, he’ll have the help of Mussini’s other “minions”—kids stolen just like Jack—and his wits, nothing more. Can he follow the example of his hero, Houdini, and escape the inescapable?
Download or read book Complete Stories written by Rudy Rucker and published by Transreal Books. This book was released on 2018-07-06 with total page 1729 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Collected together in one ebook: every single one of Rudy Rucker's science-fiction stories, a trove of gnarl and wonder, dating over more than forty years. This, the updated 2021 edition of Complete Stories, includes stories from 1976 through 2021 Along with Rucker's solo stories, we have collaborations with Bruce Sterling, Marc Laidlaw, Paul Di Filippo, John Shirley, Terry Bisson, and Eileen Gunn.
Download or read book Houdini s Escapes and Magic written by Walter B. Gibson and published by Ishi Press. This book was released on 2011-04 with total page 672 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The secrets of the greatest magician of them all are revealed in this new one-volume edition of two classic long-out-of-print works, Houdini's Escapes and Houdini's Magic. Prepared by Walter Gibson after Houdini's death in 1926, from the magicians private notebook and memoranda, and with the assistance of his widow, Beatrice, and his friend and attorney, Bernard M. L. Ernst, then President of the Society of American Magicians, these books provide the most complete description available of Houdini's feats and how he performed them. In effect, these are the books that Houdini himself would have written, if only he had lived long enough. Here are the details of the spectacular illusions: Walking Through a Brick Wall, The Spanish Maiden Escape, The Milk Can Challenge, and many more such marvelous feats. Special topics covered in the first volume include rope ties and chain releases, underwater escapes, and box, trunk, barrel and coffin escapes. In learning about his escapes, the reader will also learn about Houdini himself. As Melbourne Christopher, America's foremost illusionist, writes: "It will soon become apparent to the reader that though Houdini was daring, he never took an uncalculated risk. He would not accept a challenge unless he was sure he could meet it. He was physically fit, an athlete and a strong swimmer . Yet his assistants were poised to rescue him if he didn't surface on schedule from an underwater box. A dozen less careful performers would have been drowned or seriously injured because they attempted this feat without sufficient knowledge or without taking necessary precautions. The second volume on Houdini's magic includes sections on impromptu tricks for close up performance; card tricks; slate tricks; message-reading and second-sight tricks; platform tricks; stage illusions and special effects (including a mid-air vanish and decapitation act); tricks that Houdini used to duplicate the effects of fraudulent mediums in his anti-spiritualistic campaigns and finally the notes Houdini made on the magic of the great Harry Kellar. All magicians, professional as well as amateur, will welcome the republication of these two classic books. WALTER GIBSON, after completing Houdini's Escapes and Houdini's Magic, turned to fiction writing, creating the famed mystery character of Lamont Cranston, also known as The Shadow. Under the pen name of Maxwell Grant, he wrote novel-length stories for The Shadow Magazine for more than fifteen years. These novels were adapted for The Shadow radio program and today they are being reprinted in paperback and hard-cover editions. Under his own name, Mr. Gibson has written The Master Magicians and many other books in the fields of magic, games and the occult.
Download or read book The Power of Six written by Pittacus Lore and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2011-08-23 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second book of the #1 New York Times bestselling I Am Number Four series! In the beginning, nine aliens left their home planet Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorians. They scattered on Earth and went into hiding. They look like ordinary teenagers but have extraordinary powers. The Mogs have come for them. They killed Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. They tried to get John Smith, Number Four, in Ohio—but they failed. Now John has joined forces with Number Six, and they are on the run. But they are not alone. Already John and Six have inspired Marina, Number Seven, who has been hiding in Spain. She’s been following the news of what’s happening, and she’s certain this is the sign she’s been waiting for. It’s time to come together. Michael Bay, director of Transformers, raved: “Number Four is a hero for this generation.” This epic story is perfect for fans of action-packed science fiction like The Fifth Wave series by Rick Yancey, The Maze Runner series by James Dashner, and Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game. The battle for Earth’s survival wages on. Don’t miss the rest of the series: #3: The Rise of Nine, #4: The Fall of Five, #5: The Revenge of Seven, #6: The Fate of Ten, and #7: United as One. Don’t miss the first book in the brand-new I Am Number Four spin-off series: Generation One.
Download or read book 3000 Facts about Historic Figures written by James Egan and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2018-03-10 with total page 357 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a compilation of 1000 Facts about Historic Figures Vol. 1-3 Stalin executed scientists because they didn't believe him that plants can be Communists. Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors. Lenin died when part of his brain turned to stone. Princess Diana once visited a gay bar dressed as a man. Martin Luther King won a Grammy. The Queen of England owns all the dolphins in British waters. Albert Einstein couldn't drive. Galileo didn't believe in comets. Aristotle thought the Moon was alive. Florence Nightingale popularized pie-charts. Alexander Graham Bell tried to teach his dog how to talk.
