From the Recipient of a 2014 Special FellowshipFrom the Academy of Magical ArtsAn Essay on Magic is the third installment in Robert E. Neale's acclaimed Trilogy of Magic. In these pages Bob Neale articulates his important, influential general theory of magic. The theory both explains and celebrates the artful work of magicians by showing how stage magic grows out of everyday human needs and desires. Bob Neale also shows how his theory can help magicians create performances with greater significance and lasting impact. An Essay on Magic also includes thirty-eight of Bob Neale's highly innovative magic routines, all of which are published here for the first time. Each routine comes with a fully developed presentation. As an extra bonus, this book includes Very Small Worlds-a separate, stand-alone manuscript that develops two new principles for creating astonishing magic with playing cards.