Astonishing Essays - Jamy Ian Swiss (Volume 8 , (Instant Download)
Description & Effect
Discover The Conjurer's Conundrum
Dive into 'The Conjurer's Conundrum,' Volume 8 in the Astonishing Essays series by Jamy Ian Swiss, one of magic’s most esteemed essayists. This isn't just a book about magic tricks; it's a profound exploration of the intricate relationship between the art of illusion and scientific skepticism. Jamy Ian Swiss, a tireless advocate for critical thinking for over 35 years, invites readers on an intellectual journey that unpacks the long-standing, often surprising, connections between the practice of magic and the pursuit of scientific truth. It challenges you to look beyond the surface, questioning what you see and what you believe, ultimately revealing the deeper purpose behind the magician's craft.
A Journey Through History and Personal Encounters
Swiss masterfully traces this fascinating connection from Reginald Scot's 1584 'The Discoverie of Witchcraft' through the era of Spiritualism, where legendary debunkers like Harry Houdini stood firm against charlatanry. He brings the narrative to the present day with insights into the modern skepticism movement, championed by figures such as James Randi. Beyond history, Swiss shares gripping personal anecdotes: his experiences testing self-proclaimed psychics on stage and television, undercover investigations with criminal authorities, and face-to-face confrontations with fraudulent claims. These revelatory accounts illuminate both the science inherent in magic and the inherent magic in scientific inquiry, offering perspectives for magicians and laypersons alike.
Embrace the Ethic of the 'Honest Liar'
At the heart of 'The Conjurer's Conundrum' lies a fundamental lesson: seeing is often not believing. This realization is a cornerstone for many aspiring conjurors, leading them to embrace rational inquiry and a scientific worldview. Swiss articulates why magicians – professional deceivers, paradoxically – are often at the forefront of protecting people from deception. They serve as social activists, passionately promoting the benefits of the scientific method while warning against the dangers of pseudoscience and those who exploit it. This creates the titular 'Conjuror's Conundrum,' a compelling ethical framework for living as an 'honest liar' and a powerful argument for using the art of deception to champion truth. Available for instant download, this volume is an indispensable read for anyone intrigued by the intersection of perception, reality, and ethics.
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Astonishing Essays - Jamy Ian Swiss (Volume 8 , Instant Download )
Magic’s Most Revered Essayist has a New Book
In The Conjurer’s Conundrum, Jamy Ian Swiss explores the magician’s relationship with skepticism. In this lively, personal book, Swiss, an activist for scientific skepticism for more than 35 years, takes readers on a magical mystery tour of the longstanding connection between magic and science: from the publication of The Discoverie of Witchcraft by Reginald Scot, in 1584, to the era of Spiritualism and its magician debunkers like Harry Houdini; to the modern skepticism movement, personified by the MacArthur Award-winning author, magician, and escape artist, James Randi.
Readers will delight in Swiss’s tales of testing and confronting self-proclaimed psychics on stage and on television, investigating them undercover in collaboration with criminal investigation, and challenging psychic frauds face-to-face when they try to mislead a renowned professional scientist. Magicians and civilians alike will enjoy Swiss’s revelatory accounts of the science of magic—and the magic in science. And along the way you will learn what it means to commit to living one’s life as an “honest liar.”
The most fundamental lesson in The Conjurer’s Conundrum is that seeing is not believing. For many budding conjurors, this realization often comes to embrace rational inquiry, critical thinking, and a scientific worldview. Some magicians have become social activists in support of scientific skepticism, promoting the benefits and wonders of the scientific method – while warning of the dangers of pseudoscience and of the predators who weaponize and monetize it. It may seem odd that magicians – who, after all, are professional deceivers – care passionately about trying to protect people from being deceived. But most of them do, and the result is what Jamy Ian Swiss calls The Conjuror’s Conundrum.
