An extraordinary memoir about finding wonder in everyday life, from magician Nate Staniforth. Nate Staniforth has spent most of his life and all of his professional career trying to understand wonder--what it is, where to find it, and how to share it with others. He became a magician because he learned at a young age that magic tricks don't have to be frivolous. Magic doesn't have to be about sequins and smoke machines--rather, it can create a moment of genuine astonishment.
But after years on the road as a professional magician, crisscrossing the country and performing four or five nights a week, every week, Nate was disillusioned, burned out, and ready to quit. Instead, he went to India in search of magic. Here Is Real Magic follows Nate Staniforth's evolution from an obsessed young magician to a broken wanderer and back again. It tells the story of his rediscovery of astonishment--and the importance of wonder in everyday life--during his trip to the slums of India, where he infiltrated a three-thousand-year-old clan of street magicians. Here Is Real Magic is a call to all of us--to welcome awe back into our lives, to marvel in the everyday, and to seek magic all around us. **
Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of January 2018: For a memoir about a life spent performing magic, Here Is Real Magic is wonderfully grounded in real life. Nate Staniforth, magician and former host of the Discovery Channel's TV show Breaking Magic, takes us along his journey from wide-eyed kid trying to convey his sense of wonder to the adults around him, to young magician trying to get a break in LA, to the demands and drudgery of constant touring, to finally feeling that he’s lost the sense of awe that originally set him on his course. And that’s just the first part of the book. In the second part, Staniforth travels to India to try to redeem that lost sense of wonder. What results is a thoughtful, often moving memoir about a man who truly understands (and loves and respects) his craft, even more so for the struggles he has had with it. It seems like every few years a memoir about magic comes along—this one does the trick. —Chris Schluep, Amazon Book Review
Review
"A personal story that conjures up the wonder and magic of life without any trickery or deceit." - Publishers Weekly "A passionate and eloquent call to seek to renew one's purpose in life." - Booklist "A vivid, deeply compelling, startlingly personal account of life on the far side of the illusion." - Lev Grossman, New York Times bestselling author of the MAGICIANS Trilogy "This book is real magic. It performs the most wonderful trick: when you read it, you feel both entertained and hopeful." - Chris Guillebeau, New York Times bestselling author of SIDE HUSTLE and THE HAPPINESS OF PURSUIT "An assured and thoughtful work about finding true 'awe and wonder.'" - Kirkus Reviews "Magician Nate Staniforth's memoir is a frank and enjoyable exploration of his quest to recapture a sense of wonder." - Shelf Awareness "With a beautiful bit of literary hocus-pocus, author Nate Staniforth lets readers watch the birth of a magician, right from the beginning. Like a good magic trick, you have to wait for the pay-off which, in this case, is so incredibly lovely, a bit humorous, and woven with a plea that readers won't be able to resist. In the end, Staniforth lets you in on the wonder and for that, Here is Real Magic will wow you." - The Fayette Tribune "A real gem; a great read that belongs on the shelf of creative inspiration right next to Art & Fear. As irresistible as his quest for magic is, it's Staniforth's urgent feeling for the craft, and the meaning behind it, that should make all artists―writers, actors, musicians, everyone―take note. He's exactly the travel companion you've always wanted." - Glen David Gold, bestselling author of CARTER BEATS THE DEVIL and SUNNYSIDE "A fascinating, expertly wrought and absorbing pursuit of the essence of wonder. Staniforth proves he is not only a magician by trade, but a tender writer with real talent." - Signe Pike, author of FAERY TALE "Nate is one of my favorite magicians in the world. This is a beautiful, original book from a beautiful and original mind." - Derren Brown "The Bob Dylan of Magic." - Ozy.com "If magic has a poet, it's Nate Staniforth." - Brian Brushwood, author of SCAM SCHOOL "On par with David Blaine." - Artscene "If you've seen this guy, you're a fan. If you haven't, you will be." - Cultural Corridor
Description:
An extraordinary memoir about finding wonder in everyday life, from magician Nate Staniforth.
Nate Staniforth has spent most of his life and all of his professional career trying to understand wonder--what it is, where to find it, and how to share it with others. He became a magician because he learned at a young age that magic tricks don't have to be frivolous. Magic doesn't have to be about sequins and smoke machines--rather, it can create a moment of genuine astonishment.
But after years on the road as a professional magician, crisscrossing the country and performing four or five nights a week, every week, Nate was disillusioned, burned out, and ready to quit. Instead, he went to India in search of magic. Here Is Real Magic follows Nate Staniforth's evolution from an obsessed young magician to a broken wanderer and back again. It tells the story of his rediscovery of astonishment--and the importance of wonder in everyday life--during his trip to the slums of India, where he infiltrated a three-thousand-year-old clan of street magicians. Here Is Real Magic is a call to all of us--to welcome awe back into our lives, to marvel in the everyday, and to seek magic all around us. **
Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of January 2018: For a memoir about a life spent performing magic, Here Is Real Magic is wonderfully grounded in real life. Nate Staniforth, magician and former host of the Discovery Channel's TV show Breaking Magic, takes us along his journey from wide-eyed kid trying to convey his sense of wonder to the adults around him, to young magician trying to get a break in LA, to the demands and drudgery of constant touring, to finally feeling that he’s lost the sense of awe that originally set him on his course. And that’s just the first part of the book. In the second part, Staniforth travels to India to try to redeem that lost sense of wonder. What results is a thoughtful, often moving memoir about a man who truly understands (and loves and respects) his craft, even more so for the struggles he has had with it. It seems like every few years a memoir about magic comes along—this one does the trick. —Chris Schluep, Amazon Book Review
Review
"A personal story that conjures up the wonder and magic of life without any trickery or deceit." - Publishers Weekly "A passionate and eloquent call to seek to renew one's purpose in life." - Booklist "A vivid, deeply compelling, startlingly personal account of life on the far side of the illusion." - Lev Grossman, New York Times bestselling author of the MAGICIANS Trilogy "This book is real magic. It performs the most wonderful trick: when you read it, you feel both entertained and hopeful." - Chris Guillebeau, New York Times bestselling author of SIDE HUSTLE and THE HAPPINESS OF PURSUIT "An assured and thoughtful work about finding true 'awe and wonder.'" - Kirkus Reviews "Magician Nate Staniforth's memoir is a frank and enjoyable exploration of his quest to recapture a sense of wonder." - Shelf Awareness "With a beautiful bit of literary hocus-pocus, author Nate Staniforth lets readers watch the birth of a magician, right from the beginning. Like a good magic trick, you have to wait for the pay-off which, in this case, is so incredibly lovely, a bit humorous, and woven with a plea that readers won't be able to resist. In the end, Staniforth lets you in on the wonder and for that, Here is Real Magic will wow you." - The Fayette Tribune "A real gem; a great read that belongs on the shelf of creative inspiration right next to Art & Fear. As irresistible as his quest for magic is, it's Staniforth's urgent feeling for the craft, and the meaning behind it, that should make all artists―writers, actors, musicians, everyone―take note. He's exactly the travel companion you've always wanted." - Glen David Gold, bestselling author of CARTER BEATS THE DEVIL and SUNNYSIDE "A fascinating, expertly wrought and absorbing pursuit of the essence of wonder. Staniforth proves he is not only a magician by trade, but a tender writer with real talent." - Signe Pike, author of FAERY TALE "Nate is one of my favorite magicians in the world. This is a beautiful, original book from a beautiful and original mind." - Derren Brown "The Bob Dylan of Magic." - Ozy.com "If magic has a poet, it's Nate Staniforth." - Brian Brushwood, author of SCAM SCHOOL "On par with David Blaine." - Artscene "If you've seen this guy, you're a fan. If you haven't, you will be." - Cultural Corridor