Houdini, The Right Way to Do Wrong

Houdini’s 1906 How-To Book for Criminals

Facsimile scanned from the original
Originally published 1906
20 chapters
Over 50 illustrations
Preface by Houdini
Autobiographical essay by Houdini
Card-sharping methods
Crooked gambling techniques
Con-game ploys
Criminal know-how

98 pp.
Hardbound (casebound)
6.25 x 9.25 in.
Gorgeous glossy cover
High-quality satin-finish paper

Houdini’s first major book had a wonderfully provocative title and controversial subject matter: actual methods used by burglars, con artists, crooked gamblers, and other shady characters. Houdini, of course, justified the explanations of wrongdoing by claiming he was merely educating the public so they could protect themselves.

Houdini opens The Right Way to Do Wrong with his two-page preface, then examines the methods of various nefarious law-breakers, interweaving vintage anecdotes. The book concludes with an interesting, fact-filled four-page autobiographical essay by Houdini that’s often overlooked.

Our facsimile reproduces the 1906 first edition from the Karr Collection. Like our other reprints, we haven’t re-typeset the text, so you can see the actual original pages.

Note: You can also purchase this book with our other Houdini-authored works and save. See: The Complete Houdini Bookshelf