Reading this book really is like peering into Morgan's head. But it's a fascinating head - its contents are clever and silly, sharp and gullible, occasionally incredibly funny. I'd say he has another bestseller on his hands.

Every page is gold

A typically ribald account of life both making the news and reporting it, as wildly implausible and riotously entertaining as the man himself

He is a very funny writer

Enjoyably revelatory and very good fun

An illuminating, very readable study of the essentially hapless, frequently humiliating and often hilarious nature of media stardom today

A thoroughly enjoyable read

fascinating … As an American science journalist, Stone is certainly interested in what magic reveals about our mental make-up – and very good indeed at writing comprehensibly about it. But as a magician himself, he’s a huge and infectious fan of the whole business. As a result, he plunges us deep in the history, traditions and lore of a world that, by its very nature, is normally kept secret from the layman. He exposes the techniques used by people who pretend not to be magicians – including psychics of all kinds. He also introduces us to an enormous cast of colourful characters, past and present.

The book is not a how-to guide, but it delves into the psychology and cognitive science behind magic…Aspiring pick-pockets will enjoy his explanation of how to misdirect someone’s attention while removing their watch.

The real pleasure of his beguiling, meandering narrative is not the destination but the rococo scenery en route. ****