This biography of famed magician and illusionist Harry Houdini explores how he carried out his amazing feats and exposes the secrets behind many of Houdini's tricks. The author cites Houdini's brilliance, physical dexterity, and wild imagination as factors that made him a true master of illusion. Photos.

Rings of seahorses seem to rotate and butterflies seems to transform into warriors right on the page. Astonishing creations of visual trickery by masters of the art, such as Escher, Dali, and Archimbolo make this breathtaking collection the definitive book of optical illusions. Includes an illuminating Foreword by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hofstadter.

This is a history of the World Bank, which was set up in 1945 with the pledge to narrow the gap between the First and Third Worlds, but which has done nothing of the sort. The author argues that the Bank's bureaucrats, insulated from public scrutiny, are guilty of overlooking the human equation.

**Winner of the 2014 Global Ebook Awards Silver Medal for Historical Literature Fiction (Modern)** Murder, Magic, Music and Obsession ... Master of Illusion follows the lives of childhood comrades, Angel and Elise, as they run hand in hand from a history of treachery, heartache and crippling abuse. Under the mask of exceptional talent and in the name of justice, they each grapple with their own damaged version of love and loyalty, while fiercely protecting their terrible secrets. Set in the operatic era of 19th century France, talented dancer, Elise, is discovered by the eminent Opéra Français and is whisked away from a simple life to fulfil her dreams of becoming prima ballerina. Her path is forever changed the day she rescues the disfigured, amnesic, genius—Angel—from a life of abandonment and mistreatment. Angel's obsessions define him: his emulation of the Phantom of the Opera coupled with a latent dark side, develop into a fervent passion for a young soprano. Cast under Angel's charming spell, Elise assumes the role of his protector and nurturer—only to discover that she, too, wields powers of her own: persuasion and contrivance. In trying to reach the pinnacle of operatic success, Angel and Elise are faced with the challenge of defining justice, love and self acceptance. Through abandonment, Angel knows only one form of love—obsession; and Elise, whose purity lies in ruins at the hands of evil, is raped of her capacity for romantic love. Can they fulfil their childhood dreams without blood on their hands? ...

Assesses the forces that will buffet the United States and the global order through 2050.

Michael Jackson was the King of Pop and a noted entertainer, humanitarian, and philanthropist. Michael Jackson was always under the scrutiny of the media when in public. On June 25, 2009, Michael Jackson was pronounced dead from cardiac arrest at approximately 2:26 pm MST at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center. There is so much conflicting information concerning whether Michael was a drug addict or not. Michael Jackson had many trials and tribulations over the past twenty years which have caused him much heartache and pain. The media has ostracized and ridiculed the entertainer whenever possible. He was an entertainer that loved to develop illusions for his stage presentations and videos which “fooled” his audiences. Michael always wanted to have a normal life for him and his children in which they could enjoy the simple things in life without the scrutiny of the public and media. Michael has proven to be worth more in death than in life. With all the publicity for his death, there is still no real physical evidence Michael Jackson is really deceased. Therefore, there is the possibility Michael inadvertently created the “illusion” of his own death.

A new collection of stories by the master of humorous science fiction adventure, including: The full-length novel, The Day the Machines Stopped¾and what happens, not just to civilization, but to humanity and its chances of survival when all the machines stop working at once? A man is captured by aliens who are investigating the Earth as a possible target for colonization. The aliens have science and technology far in advance of humans¾but, unfortunately for them, they have never developed the human art of bluffing. For the first time in book form, Anvil's stories of Richard Verner, who is called in to solve apparently insoluble problems, such as explaining why experimental missiles keep failing for no apparent reason, or locating a kidnapped judge, or even solving an inexplicable murder that's interrupting his vacation. And much more, in a generous volume of sardonically humorous science fiction. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Based on The Last Illusion, a short story in Clive Barker's Books of Blood, Volume 6, this book is being released to tie in with the film starring Scott Bakula. Harry D'Amour, private investigator, thought he had seen the worst that flesh could suffer, but he hadn't.

Most of us believe that we are unique and coherent individuals, but are we? The idea of a "self" has existed ever since humans began to live in groups and become sociable. Those who embrace the self as an individual in the West, or a member of the group in the East, feel fulfilled and purposeful. This experience seems incredibly real but a wealth of recent scientific evidence reveals that this notion of the independent, coherent self is an illusion - it is not what it seems. Reality as we perceive it is not something that objectively exists, but something that our brains construct from moment to moment, interpreting, summarizing, and substituting information along the way. Like a science fiction movie, we are living in a matrix that is our mind. In The Self Illusion, Dr. Bruce Hood reveals how the self emerges during childhood and how the architecture of the developing brain enables us to become social animals dependent on each other. He explains that self is the product of our relationships and interactions with others, and it exists only in our brains. The author argues, however, that though the self is an illusion, it is one that humans cannot live without. But things are changing as our technology develops and shapes society. The social bonds and relationships that used to take time and effort to form are now undergoing a revolution as we start to put our self online. Social networking activities such as blogging, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter threaten to change the way we behave. Social networking is fast becoming socialization on steroids. The speed and ease at which we can form alliances and relationships is outstripping the same selection processes that shaped our self prior to the internet era. This book ventures into unchartered territory to explain how the idea of the self will never be the same again in the online social world.

A collection of illusions by Sandro Del-Prete, each illustration is accompanied by a description.