For many years, Leonard A. Ford, formerly Chairman of the Division of
Science and Mathematics at Mankato State College, Minnesota, devised
"chemical magic" shows for a series of college science fairs. In
response to many requests, he compiled a volume of over 100 novel
demonstrations from those shows. The book soon became one of the most
widely used manuals in the field. Its tricks, mystifying and often
spectacular, were designed not only to amuse and entertain an audience
but to stimulate an interest in scientific principles.