Thank God for Kenneth Silverman. By page eight of his engaging biography of Harry Houdini, he's got the legendary escape artist and illusionist all grown up and doing eye-popping tricks.
Most biographers inject too much of themselves into their narrative.
Silverman, a perceptive and straightforward writer, hangs back too much. Without imposing, Silverman could have easily given Houdini's story a little more shape and shading than he does. Three exclamation marks at the end of a book title may seem like overkill, but Houdini, the old rascal, earned every one of them. She is a regular contributor to Salon. Sneak Peeks reviews forthcoming books.