Houdini's book?

[Big Les]

As most of you know, Houdini was a somewhat of a crusader against the spiritualist mediums (amongst other "abusers" of illusion & magic tricks). It disturbs me that despite all he, Randi, and many others have done to expose this type of confidence trick, it still goes on all over the world :(

Anyway, I don't know an awful lot about him just yet; does anyone know where I can get hold of a copy of his "Tricks of fake mediums"?

[Gilmar]

Try abebooks.com. I didn't find anything with that exact title; the closest was several copies of "Houdini Exposes the Tricks Used by the Boston Medium "Margery"", of which the cheapest is $125. Abebooks lists many more copies than appear on Amazon.

[Buckaroo]

If you can't find the Houdini book, a good one on the same topic is Lamar Keene's The Psychic Mafia. It's pretty easy to find, and is an insider's view of spiritualist churches a few decades ago. Great read, and I get the impression that nothing much has changed since he wrote it. The only downside is the very end, where Keene turns to Jesus (which is apparently why he decided to come clean)-- but I guess you can't have everything!

[Azrael 5]

Don't know of any book with that title by Houdini.Magician Among The Spirits gets my vote though!
:)

[rjh01]

He did publish such a book. See http://www.adam-matthew-publications.co.uk/collections_az/Supernatural-2/contents-of-reels.aspx

Then do a search on Tricks of fake mediums.

[Big Les]

I first heard about it on a TV documentary, which went to great lengths to point out just how relentlessly he went after the fraudsters that had played on his own grief and that of friends. I got the impression that there was at least a higher standard of "artistry" to the fakes back then; which was why Houdini as a talented illusionist was able to see through them. It's almost as if the less sophisticated cold reading approach has longer "legs" in today's society, because people are now very familiar with the Copperfield and Paul Daniels type stage magic, and are more likely to be suspicious of complex illusion masquerading as the supernatural. When it's more "I'm getting a sense that"... it's harder for those that haven't researched the field to get their heads around how its done, or to consider looking at it critically in the first place.

I'm rambling now, sorry! There is that book on abebooks (£10) that seems to include "Tricks of Fake Mediums", so perhaps I should bite the bullet and buy it.

[Azrael 5]

He did publish such a book. See http://www.adam-matthew-publications.co.uk/collections_az/Supernatural-2/contents-of-reels.aspx

Then do a search on Tricks of fake mediums.

I don't think it was a book per se,more of a pamphlet,showing how even when restrained in a box like contraption(illustrated on cover I recall)they could still move trumpets,ring bells etc.
Better buying Miracle Mongers and their Methods or A magician among the spirits.;)

[Bob Klase]

You can download or read (free) Miracle Mongers and their Methods here:

http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/HouMirM.html

[Big Les]

Brilliant, thank you!