Martin Gardner was a renowned author who published over 70 books on subjects from science and math to poetry and religion. He also had a lifelong passion for magic tricks and puzzles. Well known for his mathematical games column in�Scientific American�and his "Trick of the Month" in�Physics Teacher�magazine, Gardner attracted a loyal following with his intelligence, wit, and imagination.
Why do card tricks work?�How can magicians do astonishing feats of mathematics mentally? Why do stage "mind-reading" tricks work? As a rule, we simply accept these tricks and "magic" without recognizing that they are�really demonstrations of strict laws based on probability, sets, number�theory, topology, and other branches of mathematics.
