Includes bibliographical references (pages 236-244) and index.
Introduction: What Is Magic? -- Part One: Theories of Magic -- 1. Magic Explained Away -- 2. The Strange Case of Alfred Wallace -- 3. The Association of Ideas: Bringing People Together -- 4. From Magic to Social Function -- 5. Psychological and Symbolical Theories of Magic -- 6. New Science, Old Magic -- Part Two: The Nature of Magic -- 7. Concentric Rings of Healing -- 8. The Magical Experience -- 9. Philosophical Issues -- 10. Systems, Mind, and Magic -- Part Three: Magic in Banaras -- 11. The Insider's View -- 12. Miraculous Powers and False Advertising -- 13. Ghosts and People with No Boundaries -- 14. Animal Magic -- 15. The Tools of Magic -- 16. The End of Magic.
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Basing himself in the Indian city of Banaras where magic is a familiar part of everyday life, Glucklich reviews the major theories that have explained (or explained away) magic, and offers a new approach towards defining and understanding magic.