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.