From risqu233 cabaret performances to engrossing afterhours shop talk, Trade of the Tricks offers an unprecedented look inside the secretive subculture of modern magicians Entering the flourishing Paris magic scene as an apprentice, Graham M Jones gives a firsthand account of how magicians learn to perform their astonishing deceptions He follows the daytoday lives of some of France8217s most renowned performers, revealing not only how secrets are created and shared, but also how they are stolen and destroyed In a book brimming with humor and surprise, Jones shows how today8217s magicians marshal creativity and passion in striving to elevate their amazing skill into high art The book8217s lively cast of characters includes female and queer performers whose work is changing the face of a historically masculine genre