A history of conjuring that's lively, opinionated, and impeccably well informed—just what you'd expect from the ``Amazing'' Randi, master magician-turned-masterful debunker (Flim- Flam!, 1980, etc.). Randi kicks off with a dig at his pet peeve, conjurers who gussy up their skills at deception with claims of magical powers. That point made (though individual sinners such as Uri Geller get skewered later on), it's on to a high-spirited run through millennia of conjuring, from ``miracles'' at the Pharaonic court of Cheops to the postmodern antics of Penn and Teller. Though Randi groups some of his material under types of conjuring—escape artistry, mentalism, pocket-picking, and the risky art of ``catching bullets,'' etc.—he focuses primarily on individual conjurers (Robert-Houdin, the Blackstones, Howard Thurston, David Copperfield, and so on), shedding new light on even the most famous. Houdini, for example, was no great shakes at sleight-of- hand; and readers wondering about former headliner Doug Henning's long absence from the conjuring scene will learn that he ``gave up his profession, sold all his props, and moved to India to pursue Infinite Bliss.'' Randi covers Oriental conjuring as well (setting to rest any notion that the legendary ``Indian Rope Trick'' is anything but legend) and enriches his chronicle with autobiographical material, including how he once nearly suffocated while trying to escape from a locked safe. The only aspect of conjuring missing here, in fact, is any explanation of how the hundreds of stunts and tricks described were performed. Randi's allegiance to professional secrecy is understandable, but it's aggravating—though it does enhance the sense of wonder, which is boosted further by the many marvelous illustrations, including antique posters and photos of conjurers levitating and sawing women in half. A must for magic-lovers: smart, sassy, and more fun than a hatful of rabbits. (Photographs—115 b&w and 75 color.)
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-312-08634-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1992
The ABC’s to living a fulfilling life.
A minister catalogues the qualities needed to live a spiritually rich life.
In this Christian self-help guide, Caldwell outlines 26 characteristics (one for each letter of the alphabet) individuals should strive to achieve in order to realize the full potential of their lives. He shows how the pursuit of each quality–adventurousness, enthusiasm, openness, zeal, etc.–not only leads to personal satisfaction but a life closer to God. Living life to its utmost and realizing one’s full individual potential, Caldwell argues, will bring readers in line with the full glory of God’s creation. Not, as others have insisted, the fearful adherence to rules and commandments. The author illustrates these qualities and how they are evident in daily life with fables, poetry, hypothetical scenarios and anecdotes from his own life. Those who consume Caldwell’s book in one sitting may find his list of worthy characteristics a tall order, particularly if the volume’s seemingly simple, Zen-like title is what initially appealed to them. Indeed, he states in his conclusion that these 26 traits are not an exhaustive list, but rather that the A-to-Z format simply offers starting and ending points. But there is much continuity among the 26 qualities he describes, which reinforce and complement one another. Readers, however, may find it more helpful to read and meditate upon one or two chapters at a time. Caldwell does a good job of showing how one might encounter or embody these qualities in everyday life, but some of his illustrative anecdotes are more compelling than others. Although the book’s structure is somewhat gimmicky (as many self-help books tend to be), Caldwell’s advice is deeply grounded in serious and sincere theological study, encompassing both ancient scripture and more contemporary religious analysis. For those wishing to pursue further spiritual inquiry, the author’s footnotes at the end of each chapter provide ample suggestions.
The ABC’s to living a fulfilling life.Pub Date: March 26, 2007
ISBN: 978-1425743093
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Lyrical tale of the survival and triumph of a small farm amid the suburban sprawl of southern California, with writing as rich and satisfying as the taste of a ripe melon. Fairview Gardens exists amid tract housing, malls, and endless miles of freeway. Ableman (founder of the Center for Urban Agriculture; From the Good Earth, not reviewed) tells of how the farm made peace with this suburban world and how this world came to first tolerate and then embrace this oasis of connection to the land. It hasn—t been easy. Homeowners do not rest quietly with manure spreaders hard at work near their backyards; Ableman resents, albeit with grace, the imprecations of the modern world onto the land he manages. Yet, over time, the farm has become accepted as an eccentric neighbor, at first as a convenient place to buy good, healthy food and then as a repository of the dying knowledge of what is to be learned from working the land. Ableman’s writing on these lessons—perseverance, patience, humility, a feeling of empowerment when one eats what one grows—forms the heart of this work. It is writing of inspiring joy, without the overblown “cosmic” rhetoric that often mars such paeans to nature. Along the way he offers some valuable tips to farmers, on mulching, watering, weeding, fighting city hall. Today Fairview Gardens is a public place, not a bucolic back-to-nature vacation spot for the few. It stands not apart from the community but within it, no small reason for its survival in the face of hungry developers. It remains a thriving farm, but also a place where people, especially children, come to experience the land. Among a sprawl of books incessantly issued and hyped, this small, wise volume quietly calls us to read and be renewed. (50 color photos)
Pub Date: July 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-8118-1921-3
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1998
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