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Published:
September 29, 2025

Magic For Dummies

Overview

Develop the knowledge, skill, and showmanship you need to thrill audiences of all ages

Magic For Dummies is your introduction to mystifying friends, family, and the world at large with the art of the magic. Emmy award-winning author David Pogue teaches you dozens of fun, inexpensive tricks that you can do with everyday objects like office supplies, clothing, food, and even your phone. Card tricks, sleight of hand, disappearing tricks—it's all in here. You'll also learn how to practice and improve your skills, so you can take your magical performances to the next level. Plus, this book includes tips on how to refine your techniques, so you can dazzle any live or virtual audience. This entertaining introduction to the world of illusion is a must for aspiring magicians.

  • Get easy instructions on how to perform and perfect basic magic tricks
  • Become a more entertaining magician, with tips on connecting with your audience
  • Discover the fun of performing magic tricks for friends and strangers, in person and online
  • Wow people of all ages with card tricks, optical illusions, and beyond

This book is for readers of all ages who want to learn the art of magic, including beginners and those who have already tried a trick or two.

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About The Author

David Pogue is a seven-time Emmy-winning correspondent for “CBS Sunday Morning,” a New York Times bestselling author, five-time TED speaker, the writer or co-writer of more than 120 books, and a 20-time host of NOVA on PBS. He’s done magic since he was five.

Sample Chapters

magic for dummies

CHEAT SHEET

Learning and practicing magic is fun and challenging and to keep it as stress-free as possible be prepared to coolly answer questions about your tricks and make a quick recovery when a trick goes wrong. Know the different types of people in your audience so you can deal with their sometimes offbeat behavior and study some key words you will use repeatedly as you continue on your magic career.

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Articles from
the book

Most audience members enjoy the entertainment and mystery of a magic show. But magic is an assault on every law of nature we’ve learned — making some people’s brains squirm. As you’re working through your magical career, here are some of the rarer magic spectators to watch out for: The Yellow-Bellied Grabber: This spectator can’t resist grabbing your props.
So you don’t look like an amateur, never reveal how you perform a magic trick. When someone asks you how you did your trick you need to say something, so try one of these snappy answers: "Quite well, don't you think?" "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." "I'm a genetic freak." "The question isn’t how — it's why.
Ideally, you would never make a mistake when performing a magic trick. Unfortunately, life isn't like that and circumstance and bad luck can rear their ugly heads. When a trick goes wrong, graceful performers shrug it off with humor and recover if they can. Try these lines when you mess up a magic trick: "I forgot to compensate for the rotational effect of the Earth.
The field of magic — videos, lectures, and books — is filled with jargon you should know in order to learn and practice magic tricks. Here’s a guide to some of the magic terms you’ll hear most often: burn — To watch a trick intensely, with an unblinking stare, immobile head, and general resistance to conventional misdirection.
Learning and practicing magic is fun and challenging and to keep it as stress-free as possible be prepared to coolly answer questions about your tricks and make a quick recovery when a trick goes wrong. Know the different types of people in your audience so you can deal with their sometimes offbeat behavior and study some key words you will use repeatedly as you continue on your magic career.
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Frequently Asked Questions

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