About the Author. Jim Steinmeyer identifies himself on the World Wide Web as "a designer and inventor of illusions and theatrical special effects, for magicians and Broadway shows." Steinmeyer invented and created illusions for Doug Henning, David Copperfield, the Pendragons, Lance Burton, Ricky Jay and others. His best known illusions include Vanishing the Statue of Liberty, Origami Illusion, Hologram Illusion, Interlude, and Walking Through a Mirror. Steinmeyer designed special effects for theatrical shows, such as, Beauty and the Beast, Into the Woods, Mary Poppins, and Phantom of the Opera. The Academy of Magical Arts (Hollywood's Magic Castle) awarded him with The Creative Fellowship in 1991. Only 32 years old at the time, Steinmeyer was the youngest person ever to win The Creative Fellowship. Many people know Steinmeyer best as a researcher and writer of magic history. Some of his more recent written works include Hiding the Elephant (2004), The Glorious Deception: The Double Life of William Robinson, Aka Chung Ling Soo, the "Marvelous Chinese Conjurer" (2005), The Magic of Alan Wakeling: The Works of a Master Magician (2006), and Art and Artifice: And Other Essays of Illusion (2006). For his earlier writings, The Academy of Magical Arts awarded Steinmeyer with the Literary Fellowship Award in 2002. You can read more about Jim Steinmeyer at his web site. See http://www.jimsteinmeyer.com/.

A review of Wakeling's contributions to magic, with detailed explanations of presentation and handling. Really more appropriate for professionals than interested laymen. Steinmeyer writes well, but to see him at his best, check out "Hiding the Elephant", "The Glorious Deception" or "Arts and Artifice". ( )