Alex Stone

  • Author of Fooling Houdini
  • Science Writer, Lecturer and Magician

Alex Stone is a science writer, lecturer, and magician. He is the author of Fooling Houdini: Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks and the Hidden Powers of the Mind—a book about the world of magic and its ties to psychology, neuroscience, physics, mathematics, gambling, and crime.

Fooling Houdini was one of Amazon’s ten best nonfiction books of 2012 and has been featured nationally in print, radio, and television outlets—including a recent appearance on Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer. Stone has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harper’s, Discover, Science, The Huffington Post, The New Republic, and Psychology Today.

 

Alex Stone headshot
Past Hosts Include:
  • Mind Science Foundation
  • Emory University
  • Atlanta Science Tavern
  • Edelman PR
Rave Reviews About Alex Stone as a Speaker
Alex is one of those rare individuals who can capture the curiosity and the emotions of his audience in equal measure. His humor, intelligence and downright joy allow him to shine light on topics that range from the scientific to the surreal. His real magic goes beyond the cards and coins and teaches us to consider the extraordinary with an eye toward simplicity and the simple with an eye toward the extraordinary. In so doing, he taps right into the pulse of what it is to be a powerful storyteller.

Talks & Conversations with Alex Stone

Fooling Houdini: Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks and the Hidden Powers of the Mind

Facebook  Twitter 
(-)
Books by Alex Stone
(-)
Press & Media
(-)
Biography

Ever since his father bought him a magic kit at the venerable age of five, Alex Stone has seldom left home without a deck of cards and three Kennedy half dollars. Plunging headfirst into New York's underground magic scene, he discovered a fascinating cast of characters - from his gruff mentor, who held court in the back of a rundown pizza shop, to one of the world's greatest card cheats, who also happened to be blind - and perfected his craft.

Stone recounts his quest to join the ranks of master magicians in Fooling Houdini: Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks, and the Hidden Powers of the Mind, a book about the underground world of magic and its ties to psychology, neuroscience, physics, mathematics, gambling, and crime. As he navigates this quirky and occasionally hilarious subculture, he pulls back the curtain on a community shrouded in secrecy, fueled by obsession and brilliance, and organized around a single overriding need: to prove one's worth by deceiving others.

In his keynotes, Stone shares his unique insights into human nature, garnered from years of watching magicians manipulate our minds to create astonishing illusions. He uncovers startling revelations on the nature of perception and on how the mind works - and why, sometimes, it doesn't.

Alex Stone has written for The New York Times, Harper's, Discover, Science, The Wall Street Journal, and The Huffington Post. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in English and has a master's in physics from Columbia University.