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The Right Way to Do Wrong
One of the most intriguing and recognized figures of the twentieth century conducts a masterclass in subversion Originally published in 1906, The Right Way to Do Wrong was a masterclass in subversion conducted by the world’s greatest illusionist. It collected Houdini’s findings, from interviews with criminals and police officers, on the most surefire ways to commit crime and get away with it.This volume presents the best of those writings alongside little-known articles by Houdini on his own brand of magic. Revealing the secrets of his signature tricks, including handcuff and rope escapes, and debunking the methods of his rivals, he proves himself to be just as clever and nimble a writer as he was a magician—and surprisingly free with trade secrets! All of which makes this unique selection of works both the ultimate anti-etiquette guide and proof that things are not always as they seem.In an exclusive introduction to this volume, Teller—magician, comedian, and silent sidekick of Penn Jillette—speaks up about the greatest magician of modern times.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1906
About the author
Harry Houdini
92 books58 followersHarry Houdini, whose birth name in Hungary was Erik Weisz (which was changed to Ehrich Weiss when he immigrated to the United States), was a Jewish Hungarian American magician, escapologist (widely regarded as one of the greatest ever) and stunt performer, as well as a skeptic and investigator of spiritualists, film producer and actor. Harry Houdini forever changed the world of magic and escapes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
January 30, 2022
3.5*
"en una larga vida que ha tocado todos los aspectos de la humanidad, Houdini es, con mucho, el personaje más curioso y enigmático con el que me he encontrado. He conocido hombres mejores, y, sin duda, mucho peores, pero jamás he conocido a un hombre de una naturaleza dotada de tan extraños contrastes, y cuyos actos y motivaciones fuesen más difíciles de prever o conciliar"
ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
"Mi cerebro es la llave que me libera"
Primeramente decir que la sinopsis el libro no tiene absolutamente nada que ver con el mismo.
Es un libro no muy convencional que difícilmente pueda captar mayor atención de alguien que no se sienta atraído por el mundo de la magia/ilusionismo y en particular por este personaje en cuestión y toda el aura de misterio en relación a su vida su arte y su muerte. No esperar que se desentrañe ningún gran misterio que lo involucre "El misterio atrae al misterio"
Lo mas interesante según mi parecer es la parte biográfica presentada por Arthur Conan Doyle. Los idas y vueltas de Houdini con sus colegas y los Medium/espiritistas y el empeño por desenmascarar a los fraudulentos (con algunas contradicciones).
Luego una serie de relatos/ensayos del propio Houdini en los que Clasifica los tipos de magos/ilusionistas y los tipos de delincuentes(en cierta manera trazando un paralelismo entre ambos) relatando historias, revelando "trucos" de estos y citando personajes que conoció o simplemente historias que llegaron a sus oídos. En cuanto a la parte que involucra a magos es muy interesante pero en cuanto a lo relacionado con los delincuentes no resulta muy atrapante, de hecho visto hoy en día resulta un poco " inocente". Cabe destacar que fue publicado en 1906 y esta mezcla de ambos mundos de da porque Houdini realizo varias de sus proezas(escapes) dentro de diferentes cárceles en las que trato con muchos delincuentes, policías, etc
«La vida es breve; el arte, largo»
"en una larga vida que ha tocado todos los aspectos de la humanidad, Houdini es, con mucho, el personaje más curioso y enigmático con el que me he encontrado. He conocido hombres mejores, y, sin duda, mucho peores, pero jamás he conocido a un hombre de una naturaleza dotada de tan extraños contrastes, y cuyos actos y motivaciones fuesen más difíciles de prever o conciliar"
ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
"Mi cerebro es la llave que me libera"
Primeramente decir que la sinopsis el libro no tiene absolutamente nada que ver con el mismo.
Es un libro no muy convencional que difícilmente pueda captar mayor atención de alguien que no se sienta atraído por el mundo de la magia/ilusionismo y en particular por este personaje en cuestión y toda el aura de misterio en relación a su vida su arte y su muerte. No esperar que se desentrañe ningún gran misterio que lo involucre "El misterio atrae al misterio"
Lo mas interesante según mi parecer es la parte biográfica presentada por Arthur Conan Doyle. Los idas y vueltas de Houdini con sus colegas y los Medium/espiritistas y el empeño por desenmascarar a los fraudulentos (con algunas contradicciones).
Luego una serie de relatos/ensayos del propio Houdini en los que Clasifica los tipos de magos/ilusionistas y los tipos de delincuentes(en cierta manera trazando un paralelismo entre ambos) relatando historias, revelando "trucos" de estos y citando personajes que conoció o simplemente historias que llegaron a sus oídos. En cuanto a la parte que involucra a magos es muy interesante pero en cuanto a lo relacionado con los delincuentes no resulta muy atrapante, de hecho visto hoy en día resulta un poco " inocente". Cabe destacar que fue publicado en 1906 y esta mezcla de ambos mundos de da porque Houdini realizo varias de sus proezas(escapes) dentro de diferentes cárceles en las que trato con muchos delincuentes, policías, etc
«La vida es breve; el arte, largo»
November 30, 2015
Introduction
--Helpful Hints for Young Magicians Under Eighty
--Addressing an Audience
--The French Letter Cuff
--Light on the Subject of Jailbreaking as Done by My Imitators
--The Cologne Libel Suit
--Rope Ties
--Sword-Swallowing
--Stone-Eaters
--Defiers of Poisonous Reptiles
--Cryptography
--The Right Way to Do Wrong
--Helpful Hints for Young Magicians Under Eighty
--Addressing an Audience
--The French Letter Cuff
--Light on the Subject of Jailbreaking as Done by My Imitators
--The Cologne Libel Suit
--Rope Ties
--Sword-Swallowing
--Stone-Eaters
--Defiers of Poisonous Reptiles
--Cryptography
--The Right Way to Do Wrong
September 5, 2020
This is a very specific book for people with very specific interests. If you love magic, are fascinated by fraud, and have a deep desire to understand trickery, this book will hold your attention. But Houdini was more a practical writer than an artistic one, and the general reader probably won’t be totally swept up in it. Being obsessed with all the above topics, I enjoyed it a lot.
October 8, 2016
If you're a fan of Harry Houdini, I highly recommend reading this book of his writings! It'll be worth your while. They're absolutely fascinating. :)
August 22, 2018
Book 19 of my #2018readingchallenge is Harry Houdini's "The Right Way to Do Wrong" and it is BOOOOORRRRRING. IT'S SO BORING.
This very short book was a lesson in patience as Houdini took fairly exciting subjects - illusions, petty crimes, magic, and weird human tricks - and made them SO BORING I COULD BARELY FINISH THIS BOOK. SO. BORING. ABSOLUTELY BORING.
BORING.
The end.
December 12, 2012
The legendary and totally iconic Harry Houdini wrote this book a little bit after the turn of the century - where till his death, he was a major entertainer/star. I knew about his obsession with the after-life and the fake people that go along with that world, his silent movie serials, and his remarkable legendary escapes from various locks and locations. What i didn't know is that he wrote a book about the nature of the con-artist, pickpocket artist, robber, scam artists, and so on.
"The Right Way To Do Wrong" is a small book, but a fascinating document on the underworld as seen through the eyes of Houdini. "The Sword-Swallowing and the Stone-Eaters chapters are a marvel to read, because one, Houdini is very impressed with the skills of these people, and two, as a reader I am really drawn into Houdini's interest in these side-show adventures. Houdini is very much a class act in a world that is sometimes not that classy. Very impressive book and a must to add to libraries devoted to the criminal and their devilish ways.
"The Right Way To Do Wrong" is a small book, but a fascinating document on the underworld as seen through the eyes of Houdini. "The Sword-Swallowing and the Stone-Eaters chapters are a marvel to read, because one, Houdini is very impressed with the skills of these people, and two, as a reader I am really drawn into Houdini's interest in these side-show adventures. Houdini is very much a class act in a world that is sometimes not that classy. Very impressive book and a must to add to libraries devoted to the criminal and their devilish ways.
June 15, 2022
Βαρετό ανάγνωσμα αλλά εξαιρετική πηγή πληροφοριών για τους απατεώνες (όλων των... κλάδων) του 1900.
December 10, 2012
The stuff on knots and locks and other magic craft is interesting, as is the surprisingly not-so-dated guide to criminality, but for me the best were the detailed asides, such as the English executioner who hardened himself for the job by killing rats with his teeth.
December 31, 2014
This was a rather slight but interesting account by the great Houdini of the many tricks and scams of master criminals. It appears he interviewed police chiefs as he travelled the world and collected such stories, which as ever have the theme - if it seems too good to be true, it undoubtedly is...
December 22, 2019
Houdini was an interesting person. Some might consider his writings a study in contradictions. This book, for instance, as with much of his work, reveals a deeply moralistic man obsessed with honesty, and yet often dishonest himself--even beyond the "honest deceptions" required of his profession as a magician, his writings are filled with inaccuracies and equivocations. He even lied (regularly, including in these pages) about his birthplace, claiming to have been born in Appleton, WI (he was actually born in Budapest).
This book consists primarily of Houdini's writings on the subject of criminals and con artists, supplemented by a variety of other essays. Don't read it, however, if you're looking for high-quality or detailed scholarship on the subjects. Houdini regularly embellishes his stories and the methods he describes for a variety of feats range from the completely true to the physically impossible. Instead, read this for a fascinating glimpse into not only the bizarre subcultures of the criminal and performing classes, but into the mind of one of history's most colorful characters.
Teller's introduction to this volume makes a wonderful addition and provides a more objective (if still admiring) look at the Handcuff King.
This book consists primarily of Houdini's writings on the subject of criminals and con artists, supplemented by a variety of other essays. Don't read it, however, if you're looking for high-quality or detailed scholarship on the subjects. Houdini regularly embellishes his stories and the methods he describes for a variety of feats range from the completely true to the physically impossible. Instead, read this for a fascinating glimpse into not only the bizarre subcultures of the criminal and performing classes, but into the mind of one of history's most colorful characters.
Teller's introduction to this volume makes a wonderful addition and provides a more objective (if still admiring) look at the Handcuff King.
February 20, 2021
Aunque una vez terminado el libro la figura de Houdini sigue siendo igual de misteriosa que antes, merece la pena leerlo. Destacaría el extenso prólogo de Arthur Conan Doyle, con el que tuvo importantes discusiones en su época por el empeño de Houdini de desenmascarar a los espiritistas. Doyle era un firme creyente en el espiritismo y aquí deja constancia de una curiosa teoría sobre la auténtica naturaleza de Houdini.
También ser recoge una historia corta de H.P.Lovecraft protagonizada por el propio Houdini denominada "Bajo las pirámides", ambientada en las pirámides de Egipto, muy en la línea del autor y muy disfrutable.
A partir de ahí, se recogen una serie de escritos de Houdini que aparecieron en revistas en las que colaboraba, de temática variada (tragasables, comerocas, escapistas, criptografía, cuerdas...) y referencias a trucos de sus competidores, a los que intentaba dejar en evidencia. Sin embargo, los que lo lean esperando descubrir los trucos de Houdini se pueden ir decepcionados, puesto que habla de los de los demás, pero nunca de sus propios trucos. Aún así son historias amenas y algunas tienen su gracia. Interesante.
También ser recoge una historia corta de H.P.Lovecraft protagonizada por el propio Houdini denominada "Bajo las pirámides", ambientada en las pirámides de Egipto, muy en la línea del autor y muy disfrutable.
A partir de ahí, se recogen una serie de escritos de Houdini que aparecieron en revistas en las que colaboraba, de temática variada (tragasables, comerocas, escapistas, criptografía, cuerdas...) y referencias a trucos de sus competidores, a los que intentaba dejar en evidencia. Sin embargo, los que lo lean esperando descubrir los trucos de Houdini se pueden ir decepcionados, puesto que habla de los de los demás, pero nunca de sus propios trucos. Aún así son historias amenas y algunas tienen su gracia. Interesante.
December 9, 2016
This is an entertaining collection of insight and short stories about the art of illusion. There are several essays written by Mr. Houdini on some of the popular acts of deception during his time; such as sword swallowing, rock swallowing, cryptography, and, to a small extent, escape artistry. Following the articles is his short book, The Right Way to do Wrong. In the book is a collection of stories, organized by type of property criminal (thief, pickpocket, burglar, etc.).
Mr. Houdini was one of the world's greatest escape artists, but his writing reflects the character of a man that wants to be sure the reader is aware of his fame and talent. I would recommend this to anybody interested in the life of one of history's greats, and any aspiring illusionist, but probably not to the indifferent reader.
Mr. Houdini was one of the world's greatest escape artists, but his writing reflects the character of a man that wants to be sure the reader is aware of his fame and talent. I would recommend this to anybody interested in the life of one of history's greats, and any aspiring illusionist, but probably not to the indifferent reader.
June 17, 2021
This short book is a collection of writings by Harry Houdini. The book includes a handful of short selections as well as the titular essay "The Right Way to Do Wrong." The book gives a bit of insight into Houdini's life and thought processes. Unfortunately there is very little about the actual practice of escape artistry or sleight of hand, which is what I would most love to hear from the master himself. One essay gives some general ideas for how to perform an escape when being tied up by a long rope, but that's about it.
The main essay is essentially a description of the numerous scams and swindles being practiced by criminals and con men (and women) in the late 19th century. Some of the techniques are completely outdated, but some are still in use today. So this section is a bit more relevant for the modern reader.
The main essay is essentially a description of the numerous scams and swindles being practiced by criminals and con men (and women) in the late 19th century. Some of the techniques are completely outdated, but some are still in use today. So this section is a bit more relevant for the modern reader.
May 25, 2022
This short book is a collection of writings by Harry Houdini. The book includes a handful of short selections as well as the titular essay "The Right Way to Do Wrong." The book gives a bit of insight into Houdini's life and thought processes. Unfortunately there is very little about the actual practice of escape artistry or sleight of hand, which is what I would most love to hear from the master himself. One essay gives some general ideas for how to perform an escape when being tied up by a long rope, but that's about it.
The main essay is essentially a description of the numerous scams and swindles being practiced by criminals and con men (and women) in the late 19th century. Some of the techniques are completely outdated, but some are still in use today. So this section is a bit more relevant for the modern reader.
The main essay is essentially a description of the numerous scams and swindles being practiced by criminals and con men (and women) in the late 19th century. Some of the techniques are completely outdated, but some are still in use today. So this section is a bit more relevant for the modern reader.
May 18, 2020
Houdini was a showman, so it’s not surprise that all the chapters of his book start in a gripping way. It’s all about getting the attention of the public, as he explicitly puts it in his first chapter. That aside, this book is unravelling the ways in which different magic tricks work (or better said, worked back in the late 1880s beginning of 1900s). From stone eaters to poisonous snakes charmers and sword swallowers, it’s all explained in there. And it’s not only about magic tricks, it’s about thieves, burglars, and cheats as well. He explains their ways by describing specific examples. It’s one of the quirkiest books I’ve ever read but is written quite well at times.
Read
October 20, 2020Vad Houdini har lärt sig genom att intervjua brottslingar och brottsoffer, kända brottsfall, och även genom sina egna experiment. Hur mycket är sensationalism, och hur mycket ska man tro på? En intressant inblick i stadsliv under förra sekelskiftet. Kort, lättläst, och bra.
June 23, 2018
Unusual. Interesting primarily in part because it was Harry Houdini's own words....
November 21, 2018
Fun Read
Quick and entertaining read about old scams and how thieves conduct their business. Written by Houdini and in certain cases with the help of ghostwriters. I enjoyed it.
Quick and entertaining read about old scams and how thieves conduct their business. Written by Houdini and in certain cases with the help of ghostwriters. I enjoyed it.
February 10, 2019
This book was originally published in 1906, and Houdini describes scams and robberies that mostly could not take place today. It is an interesting piece of history.
December 31, 2019
it was not what I expected at first looks. it's more like a 1900s novel that reals tools
April 23, 2020
This was book was really good to read
November 11, 2020
It's intriguing and extremely interesting to read a out Houdini's take on the different 'tricks' seen around during his time, give us all a look of who he was as well.
February 17, 2021
Absolutely astonishing read! 👏👏 Loved it!
But why, oh why, did Houdini lie about his birthday and birthplace at the end?? Wtf 😅
But why, oh why, did Houdini lie about his birthday and birthplace at the end?? Wtf 😅
February 19, 2021
Fun, quirky and engaging. A solid read providing insight into a fascinating man. His writing on keeping an audience engaged, in particular, is useful.
December 22, 2022
Quitando el cuento del principio de HP Lovecraft el resto del libro muestra a Houdini como un escritor muy naif. Creo que el libro no ha envejecido bien.
January 12, 2023
A fun look at how magic is used by criminals to relieve there victims
March 8, 2017
Fun read.
I can't wait to travel back in time to a hundred years ago and embark on a crime spree. This book is full of ye olde scams. Fun!
I can't wait to travel back in time to a hundred years ago and embark on a crime spree. This book is full of ye olde scams. Fun!
July 20, 2015
Neversink library books are worth buying solely for their design. All Melville House titles, but this series in particular, are wonderfully made physical objects. Neversink titles are forgotten, rediscovered, long out of print titles. Each title is the type of book a minor character in a long novel or psychological thriller would be obsessed with. I purchased ten of the most popular Neversink titles, rather impulsively, as a Christmas gift for myself several years ago. To my shame, I have read very few of them. This title alone, always held immense promise. Just the phrase, "The Right Way to Do Wrong."
It is a very interesting collection. I know who Harry Houdini is of course, but hearing his voice across the various, newspapers, journals, and books he contributed to, he did not sound very familiar. He was very much a product of his times, and takes his profession quite seriously. The selections are all interesting, but the language can get a bit stuffy, victorian and in the end the content is geared towards someone who is serious about magic. I thought at several points throughout the book (including when I was skimming chapters here and there) that Teller's introduction could have been longer, and could have extended into notes or explanatory essays on the different selections.
Three stars seems low, I enjoyed this book, but didn't give it a very close reading. I think it's a more interesting idea, a more compelling historical artifact than it is a good read. It does leave me with more questions about Houdini and magic in general, the whole world of dime theaters, freak shows, circuses, and magicians that were such a part of late 19th century, early 20th century culture throughout American and Europe. This would be a good book to pair with a history or biography concerned with Houdini and his world.
It is a very interesting collection. I know who Harry Houdini is of course, but hearing his voice across the various, newspapers, journals, and books he contributed to, he did not sound very familiar. He was very much a product of his times, and takes his profession quite seriously. The selections are all interesting, but the language can get a bit stuffy, victorian and in the end the content is geared towards someone who is serious about magic. I thought at several points throughout the book (including when I was skimming chapters here and there) that Teller's introduction could have been longer, and could have extended into notes or explanatory essays on the different selections.
Three stars seems low, I enjoyed this book, but didn't give it a very close reading. I think it's a more interesting idea, a more compelling historical artifact than it is a good read. It does leave me with more questions about Houdini and magic in general, the whole world of dime theaters, freak shows, circuses, and magicians that were such a part of late 19th century, early 20th century culture throughout American and Europe. This would be a good book to pair with a history or biography concerned with Houdini and his world.
January 7, 2020
A disappointment compared to his book 'Miracle Mongers and their Methods' (which I reviewed here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) this short, easily read/listenable (via Librivox) 'expose' of the criminal sort and the things they get up to is interesting, in an extremely dated, superfificial sort of way.
In Miracle Mongers, he drew on his own experiences and on the history of exotic acts like escape artists, fire-eaters and sword-swallowers, and his writing about them comes across as authoritative. In this book, he seems to have dredged up his material entirely from newspapers and cosy chitchats with assorted Police chiefs he's chummy with.
Even in Miracle Mongers there was some complete nonsense - such as Houdini recommending milk as an antidote to snakebites - there's far more of it here. He goes into all sorts of detail about the superstitions that "all burglars", describes the hand shape of a criminal (WHAT?) and, in a fairly ugly section on beggars, repeatedly asserts that 9 out of 10, 90% and 99% of them (he throws these numbers about interchangeably) are members of criminal gangs, conning the general public.
While there's some undoubtedly fascinating anecdotes here, mostly about successful scam artists - and I now know the best way to instruct my servants to keep my house safe from burglars - this book is, sadly for a fan of Houdini and his place in the early history of scepticism, a real letdown.
Read Miracle Mongers instead.
In Miracle Mongers, he drew on his own experiences and on the history of exotic acts like escape artists, fire-eaters and sword-swallowers, and his writing about them comes across as authoritative. In this book, he seems to have dredged up his material entirely from newspapers and cosy chitchats with assorted Police chiefs he's chummy with.
Even in Miracle Mongers there was some complete nonsense - such as Houdini recommending milk as an antidote to snakebites - there's far more of it here. He goes into all sorts of detail about the superstitions that "all burglars", describes the hand shape of a criminal (WHAT?) and, in a fairly ugly section on beggars, repeatedly asserts that 9 out of 10, 90% and 99% of them (he throws these numbers about interchangeably) are members of criminal gangs, conning the general public.
While there's some undoubtedly fascinating anecdotes here, mostly about successful scam artists - and I now know the best way to instruct my servants to keep my house safe from burglars - this book is, sadly for a fan of Houdini and his place in the early history of scepticism, a real letdown.
Read Miracle Mongers instead.
January 31, 2015
Written by Harry Houdini in 1906. A collection of his writings about 'mystification', sword-swallowers, poison-ingesters, escape artists and so on... There's an intriguing essay about criminals of the time: bunco men, 'begging-letter'swindlers, pickpockets, second-story men, bank and train robbers, grifters and forgers. Some of it is clearly dated, but it's fun to see how many of these cons are still practiced today and merely updated -- especially the 'betting-letter' swindles.
Houdini comes off as a tough, smart scrapper -- jealous of his turf, ready to take on all comers and the essays in which he relates challenges to his reputation are the most personally revealing.
My uncle, a magician who went by the name "Len Vintus", founded the International Brotherhood of Magicians with Houdini in 1922, so perhaps this book held more interest for me than it would for others, but I do think it would interest anyone curious about the period or the craft. The introduction by Teller (of Penn & Teller) is excellent.
Published by Melville House as part of their Neversink Library series, which I highly recommend.
Houdini comes off as a tough, smart scrapper -- jealous of his turf, ready to take on all comers and the essays in which he relates challenges to his reputation are the most personally revealing.
My uncle, a magician who went by the name "Len Vintus", founded the International Brotherhood of Magicians with Houdini in 1922, so perhaps this book held more interest for me than it would for others, but I do think it would interest anyone curious about the period or the craft. The introduction by Teller (of Penn & Teller) is excellent.
Published by Melville House as part of their Neversink Library series, which I highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews