Why This Magic Book Is so Important to Adam Savage

Adam shares his absolute favorite magic book growing up: Magic with Science by Walter B. Gibson. Picking up this vintage copy is giving Adam memories of the countless times he pored over this book and how its demonstration of practical science experiments informed his approach and aesthetic style as a science communicator. Every illustration is clearcut and charming, and Adam is so happy to be reunited with this book!

Disclaimer: Tested may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through the links here.

Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks:

Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman

Thanks for watching!

#adamsavage #magic #science

[tested]

Disclaimer: Tested may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through the links here.

[jfreauff]

It would be super interesting /helpful if you could share a catalog of what's in your maker's reference library. Or maybe a weekly segment highlighting what you have found to be definitive maker's reference books?

[Superjimpey]

My favorite book as a boy was "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean George. A book that given to me by my grandfather. The story of a 12 year old boy who moves away from home with his fathers permission to live by himself on his grandfathers ancient abandoned farm. By visiting the local library, (topical :)) he learns to live off the land by reading about edible plants and animal trapping. He builds a home and all of the furnishings in it by hollowing and burning out an old tree in the woods. Even going so far as to scale a mountain to catch and train a peregrine falcon chic. The story lives in my memory to this day and I have gifted the same book to my nieces and nephews.

[glcol]

Your family wasn't "indulgent"; they were "nurturing" which is a whole different, 100% better thing. You were really lucky.

[oogkauwgum]

I love how you give these credits to Jamie in your videos every now and then. And what a wonderful book!

[crazymunky]

The Way Things Work by David MacAulay was one of my favorites when I was a kid. I actually just recently ordered them all again. I'd accidentally left one of them, along with my gameboy, in a Taxi in Switzerland. (long story)

[tomshaw]

The entire “Tell Me Why” series of books kept me entertained through elementary school. I also read the entire World Book Encyclopedia. Indispensable parts of my childhood, they have served me well.

[tombaron]

I too was a Saturday morning Library Lizard and our librarian was wonderful. While checking out a 'kids' book, I was 10, she asked why I kept looking behind her when checking out my books. I replied that I knew math and science books ("adult section" so off limits to me) were there. She said she would allow me to check out books from those stacks as long as I showed them to her first. My first two books were "Mathematics and the Physical World" by Morris Kline and "Calculus made easy", author???? I was so excited I nearly wet my pants. She also allowed me to check out classical music LPs, Albeniz through Xenaksis. And so my long journey of learning began.

[archivist]

❤Love this!❤ The inspiration from such books cannot be overstated. Libraries matter!

[JesseCohen]

To this day the book “The Way Things Work” by David Macaulay holds the place of gold standard, for driving my curiosity of the physical world. Amazingly instructive and comical illustrations of cavemen and mammoths accompany each section, describing the application of principles starting at a wedge and moving up to a piano key/hammer arrangement. I’m not a professional in any sense, though I did repair work on large appliances and sewing machines for a time. Mostly as a enthusiastic hobbyist and occasional diy-er, the knowledge imparted through those pages informed my instincts when choosing a course of action, or even a method of teaching physical principles to others. Like showing a younger coworker just a couple days ago, how to move a stack of heavy beverage cases with a dolly, but using a crowbar (basically a compound wedge and lever), as a mental example. And he got it pretty fast. Valuable indeed. There’s been some revisions and additions since my copy was printed, mostly involving wireless communication, so I might be overdue for a revisit. Anyway, that’s mine. Thanks as always for sharing!

[darrylmasters]

I live in the UK and I remember my mum giving me that book around 1977 - 80 .... I had so many little kid experiment book stuff ....lol potato battery always fascinated me

[nomadherper]

OH. MY. GOODNESS. I forgot about this book. This book was centerpoint a full year of my childhood. I just relived some magical memories. Thank you.

[pothman]

When I saw the thumbnail I literally ran into my study and grabbed this same book off my bookshelf. This was one of my favorites as a kid. I'm a science teacher now

[Vickie-Bligh]

What a lovely and loving tribute to a neat book. My favorite book was not a maker book but a compendium of true stories about dogs and horses called More Than Courage. Thank you for this, Adam. This was wonderful.

[thethan]

"Nothing quite replaces doing it yourself"- Adam Savage
this speaks to me deeply, as I've learned I'm much more of a physical learner, I understand things far better by touching, and handling something than when I've seen, read or ben told something.

[scotusforis_]

I had a Superman annual (1980) as a kid and not so long ago, flipped through it again after finding it in my father's loft. I agree with what you said; somethings get burned into your head as a kid.
Over 40 years later and I remembered the stories and content of the book.
Thanks Adam. Watching your enthusiasm here brought a smile to my face.

[nixhixx]

Without a shadow of a doubt the "Childcraft How and Why" collection which my parents bought with our World Book Encyclopedias and lived together with them on a bookshelf were a force for who I became. Each book took one sweeping subject, (The Animal Kingdom, Plants, Our Universe, Make-and-Do, Once Upon a Time., Poems, Human bodies, HUNDREDS of hours were spent in those pages. Every school report started at that bookshelf... ours and many in the neighborhood, because our tiny town didn't have a library. Absolutely seminal to my time here on earth. They were bright and colorful with photos and illustrations and so inviting. Thank you for bringing them to mind.

[edrick]

I had that same book, back about 1970 or so. I had nearly forgotten about it, until I saw it in the thumbnail. Then, all of the memories came rushing back.

[Psycoticlese]

I always loved the cut-away/cross-section books, that would show the intricacies of the inner workings of things. Castles, Ships, and all sorts of complex large manmade structures/vessels. I believe Adam even mentioned this before but yes, there is always somebody taking a $#!+ hidden somewhere in all of those diagrams.

[kyleperon]

Thank You! I am a magician and graphic designer. As a life member in the Society of American magicians, I read many of Gibson's books. So much of who I am and how I go about things, came from those books. He had a wealth of knowledge. Growing up in Philadelphia (where he also grew up and lived), we have many places and organizations named after him. TY for showing this. It made this guy very happy about reading so long ago.