While this easy to follow biography did not esteem Houdini in my eyes in the least, the author, Sid Fleischman, is superb, bumping up the rating from three stars to four. I easily moved through this book in just a few hours today, despite many distractions and interruptions. The only thing that bugged me about the author was his repeated use of the word, fakir. Is he misspelling "faker"? Is he repeatedly comparing the Jewish American Houdini or his rivals to Muslim or Hindu beggars? It's a weird choice of a word---especially when used over and over.

I think it's good to read biographies of legendary people because it helps us see them in an ordinary light. Houdini sure had his share of undesirable character traits. If Fleischman's research is to be believed, he was a very dishonest person---to the point of embellishing even his own journal to boost his ego! Makes me curious about his relationship with his wife---was she on to him and just loyal or was she ignorant and often mercilessly duped by him?

I resisted the urge to look up most of his tricks as I may someday find myself at a similar show and don't want to be let down knowing all the secrets. However, I just had to look up the disappearing elephant trick and found it to be simple but genius! Other than Houdini's general lack of integrity, I was also seriously disgusted by the story of the sea monster trick. It was hideous physically as well as ethically. Houdini really sounds like a creep. ( )

Fleischman has written a thorough story of Houdini. I like that he showed the human side of Houdini (flaws and all) as well as his greatness. ( )

Very interesting about one of the most famous people in history. ( )

This is not my typical read, but hey, who doesn't love them some Harry Houdini stories? This book does a good job of delineating between man and legend, fact and fiction between Houdini's actual accomplishments and braggadocio. This book was not life changing but an interesting diversion. ( )

This is the biography of Harry Houdini. The book doesn't contain as many pictures as other illustrated non-fiction books, but it gives a wonderful biography of Houdini. The writing is engaging and easy to read. A young adult could learn so much from this biography and enjoy the reading in the process. The book reveals some of the magic behind Houdini's unbelievable escapes!