|
|
rrubin98 Veteran user Cogito, ergo sum scripsit 357 Posts |
I bought this book from Vanishing Inc recently. It's just over 100 pages and is a quick read.
Joshua Jay's Magic by the Numbers should be subtitled "Cognitive Dissonance for Magicians." When you read it, you'll likely face some unpleasant truths about what audiences really prefer to see, what they remember, and what they dislike. As the author explains, academic studies with a sample size of 500+ participants reveal that most people would rather watch a movie, go to a concert, or see a comedian instead of watching live magic. These folks also don't want to see tricks they've seen before - old tricks that we call "classics." Are you a coin magician? Then you definitely don't want to read this book. The surveys show that only 4% of the public prefer to see coin magic. In contradistinction, 50% want to watch mentalism. And only 18% wish to see card magic. When you perform card magic, people typically remember what you do since you perform such excellent tricks, right? Well, not really. The study shows that card magic is highly forgettable. On the bright side, Joshua explains how you can greatly improve how much your audience recalls about your card tricks. I'll be taking his advice to heart. Have you ever spent hours searching for a really convincing card force? This book will definitely surprise you about which force is most deceptive to laypeople. Surely it's the classic force, right? No - not even close. Are audiences more impressed when you ask a spectator to merely think of a card? The findings here are unexpected as well. I especially like that Joshua Jay doesn't try to use anecdotal or subjective evidence to gainsay what these academic studies reveal. His writing shows that he's a scientific thinker. It's a welcome change in magic literature. Highly recommended. |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Books, Pamphlets & Lecture Notes » » Magic by the Numbers by Joshua Jay (Astonishing Essays vol. 10) (1 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.01 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |