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The day that changed Paul Daniels’ life: The magician, 75, on how he discovered his calling inside a dusty old book on a soggy family holiday in North Yorkshire..

The day that changed Paul Daniels’ life: The magician, 75, on how he discovered his calling inside a dusty old book on a soggy family holiday in North Yorkshire..

When I was 11, in the summer holidays just before I went  to grammar school, I came across a book that would change my life. 

Mum, Dad, my brother Trevor and I were staying in a country holiday cottage for a couple of weeks in North Yorkshire. That summer the weather wasn’t good and I was forced to look at whatever books were lying around the place. 

I was an avid reader and discovered an old tome on Victorian pastimes which covered lots of subjects, and in one chapter, magic tricks. I read it carefully, as it contained an intriguing mathematical magic trick. Laboriously I copied it out by hand, practised it a few times then showed it to my family, who were quite impressed. 

The bug had bitten. When we got home to South Bank, Middlesbrough, I borrowed more books on the subject from the library and my interest grew. I liked entertaining and performing, so from then on at family gatherings I’d do magic tricks. I had my first taste of performing on stage at 14, doing a spot in a revue for the Normanby Road Methodist Chapel.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2585345/The-day-changed-Paul-Daniels-life-The-magician-75-discovered-calling-inside-dusty-old-book-soggy-family-holiday-North-Yorkshire.html#ixzz2wigtxk7s 
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Q&A with Mac King..

Q&A with Mac King..

BY TONY LOFARO for the Ottawa Citizen….

Magician Mac King is a staple on the Las Vegas strip and in his 14 years at Harrah’s he’s performed more than 7,000 shows. His twice-daily afternoon shows full of magic tricks, sleight-of-hand tricks and audience participation gags have thrilled audiences in the gambling city.

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Is Free Will a Magic Trick?

Is Free Will a Magic Trick?

Detailed article by Melissa Burkley, Ph.D, for the Huffington Post. The premise of this article is based on the TEDtalk given by Apollo Robbins.

Watching Apollo Robbins’ TED talk is highly entertaining, but it also gives us important glimpses into the nature of the human mind. Apollo is a skilled artist, not because he can steal a watch from under someone’s nose but because he is able to direct the attention of his “victim” (and the audience) to exactly where he wants it. Watching his elegant dance of behavior manipulation made me question how much control we really have over our own behavior. ( also, a link to the original TEDtalk is provided…)

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