Rules of thumb for sleight of hand, these offer more than the ordinary acts of instructions for doing tricks by way of a broader explanation of the different kinds of magic and the attitudes that must be developed on the part of magician and audience for successful performance. The tricks, all of which can be done with simple materials, have been classified into those appropriate for the living room, the dining room, parties, out-of-doors etc. Instructions are clear and step-by-step, beginning with a description of what the trick will look like to an audience, then going on to materials needed, how to set them up and finally,!how to do the trick. Progressing from the simple parlor trick of making a pencil rise unaided from a jar to the more complicated set up of the Hindu rising rope, these should appeal both to beginners and more advanced learners.