Schiffman, Nathaniel: Abracadabra! Secret Methods Magicians and Others Use to Deceive Their Audience ©1997 Nathaniel Schiffman, Prometheus Books, NY Softcover, perfect-bound, 5.5x8.5", 442 pages ISBN: 1-57392-163-7

Image courtesy eBay seller GoodAndOlde

Comments: Magic theory on an off the stage. Includes a few effects, but these are not the focus of the book.

Contents (From book):

7 Foreword (Henry Gordon)
9 Preface: Isn’t This Breaking the Magicians' Sacred Rules of Secrecy?

13 Part One What Is Magic ... Really?

15 Chapter 1 - The Foundations of Deception
15 Theories
18 Misdirection of Actions, Objects, and Illusions
25 Breaking Trusts
30 Concessions in Control
34 Opportunistic Events
35 Mirrors, Sleeves and String
36 - Create Magic! - Experiment With Mirrors
39 Foundations Edge

40 Chapter 2 - A Magician’s Dozen
41 Illusion of Illusions
41 Magic Form #1 Productions
43 Magic Form #2 Envanishments
44 Magic Form #3 Property Changes
45 Magic Form #4 Transpositions
45 Magic Form #5 Solid Penetrations
46 - Create Magic! - Band Through Hand
48 Magic Form #6 Proving Invulnerability
49 Magic Form #7 Animations
55 - Create Magic! - Experimenting With Levitations: with I.T.
57 Magic Form #8 Defying the Laws of Gravity
64 Magic Form #9 Restoring the Destroyed
68 Magic Form #10 Accelerations of Natural Processes
71 The Final Magic Form ... Magic Form #11 Mentalism
73 - Create Magic! - Psychic Prediction
77 A Dozen Explanations

78 Chapter 3 - What Is Magic Made Of?
81 Optical Illusions
82 - Create Magic! - Magic Tube Illusion
86 Magic Is Non Sequitur
89 - Create Magic! - That's Knot Possible!
89 The Magical Life and Mindset

93 Part Two What Are Illusions Made Of?

95 Chapter 4 - The Art of Chicanery
95 Movement
101 Sound and Movement
103 Patter and Padding
110 Pacing
115 Character
116 - Would Magic By Any Other Name Smell as Sweet?: conjurer's stage names
117 - Dr. Copperfield, I Presume?: use of the term professor
118 Clothing
119 Control of the Theater
125 Audience Particpation
129 Lighting
133 Stage Managers and Stage Presence
134 When Is Control Not Such A Good Thing?
134 The Many Faceted Magician

135 Chapter 5 - Analyzing the Action
135 The Contemplative Mind
136 The Liars' Club
139 The TV Magician
144 Photographs
145 Movies and Television Shows
146 Watching Live Shows
149 Hello My Name is Pat Pending
152 The Accidental Tap and Other Blunders
154 Looking For Unusual Covers

160 Chapter 6 - Things to Look for When Watching a Magic Show
160 Things to Look For
165 - Create Magic! - Something From Nothing: production
167 - Create Magic! - The Money Envelope Mystery
173 - Amaze Your Friends!: movie stunt inside tip
184 - Create Magic! - The Multiplying Dollars
193 A Census of Senses
195 Thinking Is Not Knowing
198 In Search of the Answers

200 Chapter 7 - Crashing the Clan
200 Entering The Ream of the Magicians - To Learn Their Secrets
207 How to Become a Magician

211 Part Three: People, Places, and Things

213 Chapter 8 - The Audience
213 Emotional Effects of Magic
216 - Surprise, Surprise: the element of
222 Conjurus Interruptus
224 Magic and Children

233 Chapter 9 - The Stage and the People on It
233 Venue
235 Close-Up Magic
236 - Finger Frictions: sticky finger solutions
237 Comedy Magic
238 Escape Artists
242 - A Twisted Experiment: a rope escape
244 - Lock Picks
245 Escaping From Containers
248 Ventriloquism
250 Assistants
252 Women In Magic
253 Hypocrisies on Stage

255 Chapter 10 - Grrrrrrrowlll!!! The Animals of Magic
  
261 Chapter 11 - Props and Gimmicks
261 Props
263 Bags
264Billiard Balls
265 Cards
276 Choppers
277 Coins
278 Cups and Balls
278 Hats
279 Paddles
280 Rope
285 Silks
285 Screens and Scenery
286 - Create Magic! - The Yarn Box
287 Sponge
288 Tables
290 Thimbles, Tubes, Wallets
291 Rummaging Around
301 A Stage Full of Stuff

303 Part Four Off Stage and Out of the Theater

305 Chapter 12 - Illusion Outside of Magic
306 Illusion In Art
307 Illusion In Music
309 Illusion in Landscaping and Gardening
310 Illusion In the Movies
311 Blurring the Lines

312 Chapter 13 - Translating Magic into Desires
    
318 Chapter 14 - The Use of Fakery and Magicians’ Psychology Out of the Theater
322 Bullets and Bloody Hands
324 Self-Deception
329 Lack of Thought
330 Evolving Thought
331 Con Artists
336 Playing to Win

341 Chapter 15 - Misdirection Magic in Everyday Life
341 Emotional Misdirection
343 Influence and Misdirection
345 Brainwashing and Magic
349 Magic In War
355 Time Misdirection
359 Spatial Misdirection
360 - Create Magic! - The Push-Tube maneuver: misdirection at the ATM

371 Chapter 16 - Magic in Selling and Advertising
373 Magical Results
375 Extending the Sizzle
377 Space, Size and Illusion
377 Give 'Em What They Want
378 May the Force Be With You
380 Sales Dodge, Magic Dodge
385 Outs
386 Nonspecific Words
389 Magic in Negotiating
390 Gimmicks
395 Magic For the Sake of Magic
396 How Humans Entertain Themselves

397 Chapter 17 - When the Curtain Closes
398 Effectiveness of Magic
401 What Are the Effects of Real-World Magic?
402 How to Deal With Magic

405 Glossary - Magician Jargon
411 Bibliography
411 - Books
419 - Periodicals
421 - Manuscripts
422 - Online, Audio and Video Sources
423 - Interviews and Assistance
425 Endnotes
435 Index