The Illusionist Brain: The Neuroscience of Magic
(Jordi Cami & Luis M. Martinez, Princeton, £22)
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However closely I might watch the hands of a magician at work, I'll always miss what's actually going on. In The Illusionist Brain, Cami and Martinez examine how the brain works, and how practitioners of the ancient art of magic take advantage of these processes to make us see things that aren't there, or miss things that are.
Needless to say, the main aim of the book isn't to lift the lid on how various magic tricks are conceived and performed, but to instead elucidate the intricacies of cognition and memory. I was surprised to read some of the clearest explanations of neuroscience I've yet come across, such as the key concept of framing, and how magicians will utilise it when preparing their audiences to ensure certain outcomes.
Definitely a useful and highly readable book.
This review was first published in Teach Secondary magazine.