Trade Of The Tricks

This book looks inside the secretive subculture of modern magicians. Entering the flourishing Paris magic scene as an apprentice, the author gives a firsthand account of how magicians learn to perform their deceptions. He follows the day-to-day lives of some of France's most renowned performers, revealing not only how secrets are created and shared, but also how they are stolen and destroyed.

Drawing on more than four decades of experience as a researcher and teacher, Howard Becker now brings to students and researchers the many valuable techniques he has learned. Tricks of the Trade will help students learn how to think about research projects. Assisted by Becker's sage advice, students can make better sense of their research and simultaneously generate fresh ideas on where to look next for new data. The tricks cover four broad areas of social science: the creation of the "imagery" to guide research; methods of "sampling" to generate maximum variety in the data; the development of "concepts" to organize findings; and the use of "logical" methods to explore systematically the implications of what is found. Becker's advice ranges from simple tricks such as changing an interview question from "Why?" to "How?" (as a way of getting people to talk without asking for a justification) to more technical tricks such as how to manipulate truth tables. Becker has extracted these tricks from a variety of fields such as art history, anthropology, sociology, literature, and philosophy; and his dazzling variety of references ranges from James Agee to Ludwig Wittgenstein. Becker finds the common principles that lie behind good social science work, principles that apply to both quantitative and qualitative research. He offers practical advice, ideas students can apply to their data with the confidence that they will return with something they hadn't thought of before. Like Writing for Social Scientists, Tricks of the Trade will bring aid and comfort to generations of students. Written in the informal, accessible style for which Becker is known, this book will be an essential resource for students in a wide variety of fields. "An instant classic. . . . Becker's stories and reflections make a great book, one that will find its way into the hands of a great many social scientists, and as with everything he writes, it is lively and accessible, a joy to read."—Charles Ragin, Northwestern University

Nothing is as it first appears in this gripping story of a New York psychologist and his female patient. Something is wrong about the therapy sessions between Dr. August Browning and the beautiful but possibly very ill Diana. Just when we are about to wring our hands at August's tricks of the trade, we learn that, in addition to being a psychologist, he is a spy for the CIA. Or is he? Is he perhaps a smuggler? Why is he so suspicious of Diana? Could she be Nadia, a KGB agent who has already finished off three of his associates and is after the microfilm in August's possession? During this strange and compelling game of cat and mouse which takes place during Diana's therapy sessions, love rears its tender head. As in all good thrillers, there is a surprising and shocking final twist.

Bruce van Sant provides an account of his decades of experience sailing and trawlering through the islands of the trade winds to South America, and shares information he has gleaned on health, thieves, con artists, corrupt officials, equipment, brokers, outfitters, navigation, security, weather, finding a boat, and other topics.

Gunslinger Clint Adams and the aging "Two Cent" Luke Drogan are two masters of the six-gun--two living legends of the Old West. But a showdown is inevitable--and only one will walk away. Original.

Written by two of America's savviest consumer investigators, this book offers shopping strategies, insider secrets of dubious sales techniques, and tips for making an informed purchase. Focusing on the ten most common major purchases from jewelry to automobiles to electronics, Janice Lieberman and Jason Raff will save you money. The book also features some of the behind-the-scenes stories of their undercover investigations. You won't believe some of the scams, cons and swindles they uncover, but you'll be glad they did.

'An intoxicating cocktail composed of equal parts delicious name-dropping gossip, venomous Hollywood satire and steamy boy-meets-boy action' - PW Being gay in Hollywood is never easy, but thanks to his homophobic boss, Burt's life is a living hell. Now he figures if he's going down, he'll take the whole town with him. Then he meets Rodrigo, a lusty Latino hustler looking for his big break, and Jim Fallon, an actor whose personal life has put an end to his career. The stage is set for the trio to wreak havoc on the biz, but can partners in crime become partners in life?