Misdirection

Tricks invented for entertainment have been turned into weapons. A former pastor and professional magician shows how to spot manipulation, evaluate its harm, and move forward with hope.

We live in deceptive days.

We are wary of strangers and distrustful of our neighbors, and we can’t shake the feeling that we’re being lied to. Sadly, we have good reason to feel that way. News outlets, politicians, friends on social media, and even spiritual leaders sometimes tell us only what they think we want to hear.

As a professional illusionist, Taylor Hughes has spent decades studying how to deceive people. By drawing his audience’s attention to one hand, he can hide what he’s doing with the other. It’s all in good fun when he does it on stage, but the same methods of manipulation are disturbingly effective elsewhere.

Delving into those methods, Misdirection will teach you how to detect manipulation in advertising, in the news, in the voting booth, at home, in church—and even within yourself. To keep it fun, each chapter comes with instructions for performing a common magic trick, complete with links to video demonstrations.

Hughes gives you a backstage pass so you can see how tools intended for entertainment are turned to darker purposes. Once you’re empowered to recognize manipulation, you’ll avoid being duped and be able to live with freedom, confidence, and hope.