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Spellbound
Spellbound
Sep 30, 2024 5:32 AM

Author:David Kwong

Spellbound

David Kwong is the go-to consultant for Hollywood’s biggest illusion-heavy projects, including the hit films Now You See Me, The Imitation Game and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. In Spellbound he reveals how to bridge the gap between perception and reality to increase your powers of persuasion and influence.

David Kwong has astounded large crowds, from CEOs to TED talk audiences to thousands of other hyper-rational people, making them see, believe and even remember what he wants them to. Illusion is an ancient art that centres on control: commanding a room, building anticipation, and appearing to work wonders.

Illusion works because the human brain is wired to fill the gap between seeing and believing. Surprisingly, these are the tools used by top leaders like Steve Jobs and Richard Branson; masters of control and command who understand how to sway opinions and achieve goals. Spellbound shows us that illusions are more than just a set of tricks; it is a trainable craft that holds the principles of winning over an audience, which can be applied to every aspect of life.

Through years of practice, research and learning (including a Harvard degree in the history of magic), David discovered the seven fundamental principles of illusion, like how to use the space between seeing and believing, shape narratives and command your audience by giving them agency.

Packed with amazing stories and insights, Spellbound gives you a fresh and engaging way to sell your idea, production or skills to stand out from the crowd.

Reviews

Fifteen years ago David Kwong and I started a magic club together, and one of us was good enough to quit his day job. I’ve learned a lot from him about how to surprise and delight audiences, and now his knowledge and storytelling skills are on full display. This book shows how the art and science of illusion can make us more engaging and more persuasive.

—— Adam Grant, bestselling author of ORIGINALS

David Kwong uses his mastery of illusion as the spine of a story about us and our limits. But more important, he shows that illusion is far more than a set of tricks; it has a very well thought-out set of principles that are broadly applicable in business and life. Here you can learn the principles and enjoy the show!"

—— Ed Catmull, President of Pixar and Disney Animation, bestselling author of CREATIVITY INC.

David Kwong has conjured a unique and seamless blend of cognitive psychology, business acumen, and the secrets of being a renowned magician.

—— Martin Seligman, bestselling author LEARNED OPTIMISM and FLOURISH

David Kwong’s magic leaves me in awe, and his book did too!

—— Will Shortz, New York Times Crossword Editor

This enjoyable work from a confident master of his trade is a “virtual wand” for those who want a bit of magic in their lives

—— Publishers Weekly

Riotously entertaining comic memoir.

—— Bookseller

Raucously funny.

—— Uncut

A classic tale made fresh.

—— Ransom Note

Lonely Boy is unique amongst rock star memoirs: Jones is the real deal.

—— Esquire

Gem.

—— The Spectator

Frank and engaging.

—— The Beat

Perhaps I've been biased by a forty-year devotion to the Pistols, but having just turned its final page, Lonely Boy only seems like the best book since The Bible.

—— Classic Rock

An enthralling, engaging human story: harrowing, hilarious and often touching, but above all, life-affirming.

—— Vive Le Rock

Eminently readable.

—— TeamRock

One of the best autobiographies I have ever read

—— On: Yorkshire Magazine

This first-hand account from the band’s guitarist captures the significance of the band through his own eyes, but also delves deep into his difficult childhood. Jones is a one-off: hilarious, eccentric, painfully honest and 100% Lahndahn.

—— TeamRock

Defiantly populist ... Dominic Sandbrook zestfully charts the route that has taken Britain from 'workshop of the world' to 'cultural superpower' ... as Sandbrook rightly insists, 'we still live in the shadow of the Victorians

—— Boyd Tonkin , Independent

Brilliant.

—— A N Wilson , The Tablet

An engaging and very accessible history book about our modern artistic achievements that, provocatively, also debunks some of the very icons it praises.

—— Simon Copeland , The Sun

I loved this book about British culture, partly because there's so much in it, and partly because of the brilliant way the author joins the dots ... Sandbrook gets us thinking about cinema, art, country houses, Tolkein, Doctor Who, and, superbly, much more.

—— William Leith , Evening Standard

An entertaining trawl through British culture ... [Sandbrook] has produced a book that is not only thoroughly enjoyable to read, but also crammed with as many serious insights as a shelf of academic studies

—— The Times

It's a great premise, and I dived into, and splashed around in, this book gleefully at first. Here were lucid and often amusing expositions on the work of Lennon and McCartney, Ian Fleming, JRR Tolkien, Christie ... in his books on Britain in the 1950s and 60s, Sandbrook has covered some of this ground before. But he doesn't repeat himself, and his scope is wider than heretofore - he notices, for instance, how ingrained Charles Dickens's influence is, still, in popular entertainment ... It would be impossible to please everyone. But when Sandbrook is pleasing, he is very pleasing indeed.

—— Nick Lezard , Guardian
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