• Tom Frank, Owner, Industrial Strength Magic:

        Houdini: The Career of Ehrich Weiss by Kenneth Silverman (Harper; $18).

        The Life and Many Deaths of Harry Houdini by Ruth Brandon (Kodansha America; $14).

        “I read them back to back. I loved them. Houdini was a fascinating guy; one of a kind.

        “The Silverman book is more factual, straight forward. I learned that Houdini, Ehrich Weiss, was the son of an (observant) rabbi who couldn't get a gig in the new world.

        “Houdini had to earn money from the time he was a kid. He joined a circus as a trapeze (artist) and was known as Ehrich the Prince of the Air. That's where he learned about magic.

        “The Brandon book is more psychological. (According to the author), Houdini worked in tight places like locked boxes under the water because he wanted to be close to his mother and return to the womb.”

        • Marilyn Zayas-Davis, Immigration attorney:

        The Second Chicken Soup for the Women's Soul by Jack Canfield (Health Communications; $12.95).

        “After reading legal papers all day, it was wonderful to read a collage of short stories, all with a different kind of feeling, but all insightful. I was able to relate to all of them.”

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