Wonder, Tommy & Minch, Stephen: The Books of Wonder Vol.2 ©1996 Stephen Minch & Tommy Wonder Published by Hermetic Press, Inc., Seattle, WA Hardback, 342 pages ISBN: 0-945296-17-7

Image courtesy e-Bay seller LeoCuellar

Comment (Jake Austin): The Books of Wonder are classic books of magic.  They are books for intermediate to advanced magicians. The effects are spectacular but in general require a lot of work to master. The essays are a joy to read and are difficult to argue with. I highly recommend these books.

Contents: (updated Jan 2016)

vii Introduction (Eugene Burger)
1 Prologue: The Encounter

5 Chapter One: In the Trenches
7 Sit or Stand?: adapting
11 The Essence of Close-Up: communication
16 A Table-worker's Table: a practical solution
19 Facing the Music: when loud music interferes
26 Fifty Percent Lighter: introducing your magic with variations on lighter to match
32 Secondhand Drama: adding drama to your performance
35 The Saving of a Cigarette: torn & restored
44 Amateur vs. Pro: time and audience
46 Splitting the Profit: a doubled bill becomes single again
52 Approaching the Table
59 Toss and Turn: color changing knife move
61 Our Big Happy Family: other magicians
65 Clear Through: finger ring on stick or wand
69 The Sensitivity of the Audience
72 Through the Eye of the Needle: instantly threaded needle
76 When We Are Not Amused
80 Winged Signatures: with signed business cards and envelopes
86 And Now a Brief Message: magic slate

89 Chapter Two: Acetabula Et Calculi
91 Cups and Balls - A Private History: a two cup routine with three cups
92 - Loads
93 - Loading Techniques
94 - Chop Cup Load
98 - A Three Cup Load
101 Keep on Polishing: on dreaming and doing the impossible
105 The Two-cup Routine: update to the routine originally in "Tommy Wonder Entertains"; any style cup
135 Applause

137 Chapter Three: Finger Sprints
139 Recalcitrant: card stage manipulation act
142 - Phase One The Vanish of the Case
145 - Phase Two the Case Returns
146 - Phase Three The Transposition
149 - Phase Four The Case Comes Back Again
151 Conflict and Emotion
154 The Snail's Progress: shrinking deck
161 Colors Three and Through: ring and rope routine with colored cardboard/plastic rings
174 Commercial: what makes a trick commercial
177 Perpetual Motion: billiard balls
180 A Sequence with Balls: with special multiplying billiard balls
184 The Big One: large ball production
187 Shaking Them Off: using a series of acquitments

191 Chapter Four: Department of Utilities
193 Now That Was a Great Magician!: location, conditions, confidence, costuming
197 The Tails Topit
200 The Belly Servante: to be worn under a cummerbund
203 Force and Its Disguise: managing force
206 On the Pendulum Holdout: using gravity
212 The Frozen Lock: for use with the Miller Holdout
218 Utility Devices

221 Chapter Five: Mechanical Marvels
223 High Roads and Long: pro vs. amateur vs. fan
227 The Well-Tempered Birdcage: on the vanishing birdcage
239 The Express Pull: mechanism for birdcage vanish
255 Thoughts in Mid-air: magic is easy to do - poorly
260 Animating a Zombie: Tommy's approach
265 A Recipe for Art: a parody
267 The Watch in Nest of Boxes: a Quest for Ideals
268 Method One
280 Method Two
289 Method Three
319 Too Perfect?

325 Epilogue: Impact