DAVID KWONG is no ordinary magician. He’s a New York Times crossword writer, main stage TED speaker, Harvard grad, Broadway star/producer, and a consultant on blockbuster films like Now You See Me. His one-man show, The Enigmatist, sold out its 2019 run in New York City.Kwong’s debut book Spellbound: Seven Principles of Illusion (Harper Business) draws upon his diverse body of work to reveal how the principles of illusion can be used to gain an edge on the competition. With easy charm and mind-bending tricks, Kwong shows us how to command attention, sway opinions, and sell ideas. Kwong sees a clear parallel between magic and puzzles. He’d go as far as to say that magic tricks, when broken down, are puzzles. “Illusions can be broken down, they are based on science, they are based on being 1, 2, 3, or 52 steps ahead of everybody else,” Kwong explains. And they work on us because as human beings we are all “wired to solve” problems and “create order out of chaos.” In his book Spellbound: Seven Principles of Illusion to Gain Influence, Captivate Audiences, and Unlock the Secrets of Success, Kwong shows us how to bridge the gap between perception and reality to increase our powers of persuasion and influence—in relationships, business, and beyond.On stage, Kwong combines his unmatched knowledge of illusions with a showman’s command of the audience. But he’s more than an entertainer, with keynotes that fuse his seven principles with observable (and yes, entertaining) demonstrations. His insights on “Free Will Architecture”—easing others towards selecting something you proposed yourself—are fascinating to hear about, but even better to observe in action. Genuine, spontaneous, effortlessly deft—Kwong has been called “ridiculously engaging”—and that has less to do with illusion than natural charm.
A veteran “cruciverbalist” (crossword puzzle constructor), Kwong routinely creates puzzles for The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and other national publications. He is also the founder of the Misdirectors Guild, an elite group of magicians that specialize in magic for film and television. He is the puzzle and secret code consultant for the hit NBC show Blindspot. He was the head magic consultant on the 2013 film Now You See Me, teaching magic to Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Mark Ruffalo, and Woody Harrelson.