Professor Hoffmann and the Invention of Modern Magic

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Modern Magic by Professor Hoffmann. To say that this book is important to me would be an understatement—it was one of the first magic books I read, was the subject of my doctoral thesis, and informs almost every aspect of my current practice as a magician. The influence of Modern Magic, however, is not just some personal quirk. Hoffmann’s book has also profoundly shaped your experience of magic—at this point you just might not know how.