Download or read book The Arts of Deception written by James W. Cook and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Arts of Deception, James Cook explores the distinctly modern mode of trickery designed to puzzle the eye and challenge the brain. Upsetting the normally strict boundaries of value, race, class, and truth, the spectacles offer a revealing look at the tastes, concerns, and prejudices of America's very first mass audiences.