101 Bets You Will Always Win: The Science of the Seemingly Impossible

Packed with 'tricks', 'bar bets' and 'fascinating fun' - there's all sorts, for all people, in all types of places, with a variety of props available. Some of these require a little more planning, and a few items you might need to prepare. However, the vast majority of these 'bets' can be done quickly, easily and with items readily available - whether in a kitchen, pub or train! Really clear instructions how to setup and perform the 'bet', followed by an excellent concise explanation of how the 'bet'/trick works. Many of the explanations use scientific terminology, but in an easy to read way, understandable for the novice, and without being 'dumbed-down'. A great book, including some old classics alongside many lesser known, but just as impressive, bets/tricks. (this isn't a magic book, or a 'pub gimmick' but well written, entertaining, clearly laid out) If you find this review useful, please consider clicking on ‘YES’ below, thanks!

I'm a sucker for the kind of 'how can you do that?' challenge that featured regularly as ways to win bets on the TV show Hustle - so when I saw Richard Wiseman's new book I was so enthusiastic to lay my hands on it, I bought it with my own money. (Thankfully at an over 50% discount, as the list price is very steep for what it is.) I certainly enjoyed it, but it was also a little bit of a let down. Psychologist Wiseman has made something of a speciality of 'quirkology' - the psychology of human quirks that lies behind our ability to trick each other, so when the subtitle promised 'the science behind the seemingly impossible' I expected plenty of good pop psychology on why we were taken in by this kind of thing. But in practice the slim book is mostly the tricks with just a few bits of interpolated trivia - the only sizeable bit of fact was about the history of the safety match. I read the entire book on a 45 minute train journey, though without, of course, trying out the betting tricks. I'm not sure whether I will or not - the trouble is, although the tricksters of Hustle look extremely smooth when they pull this kind of trick in a bar, in reality you are likely to look something of a prat if you try it on your friends down the pub, and most of us wouldn't try it on complete strangers, the only way to successfully make use of it to win money. Sadly, most likely, we will be exposed to children doing these tricks on us and will have to seem pleased and amazed. The only one I might try is the hundred-and-first trick, Wiseman's confessed favourite. Strictly speaking it's a magic trick rather than a psychological one, as it requires a prepared misleading prop - but it is very entertaining. Of the main meat of the book, there were a lot of old favourites - I recognised about half of them. These included that old chestnut of the repeated word on a line break (spot what's wrong with this this sentence), the only novelty being the word wasn't 'the', and the 'balance a glass on three knives balanced themselves on three glasses' trick which appeared in the copy of de Bono's Five Day in Thinking that I was given as a present 50 years ago. There were also rather too many problems that required irritatingly unnecessary accuracy of language - for instance, one where the mark is challenged to balance an orange on the top of a glass that is on a table bottom upwards. When they balance the orange, you claim to win as they've put the orange on the bottom of the glass, not the top. Even so, there were enough novel challenges here that I still think the book is worth buying (and inevitably it would make an excellent stocking filler), especially if you try some of them out. I don't know if it's because I'm an impoverished writer, but I was particularly taken with some of the tricks involving bank notes, and both static electricity and surface tension have roles to play in some of the more imaginative challenges. Don't expect, then, that these are going to be tricks that blow your mind. They mostly are done with everyday items (though I would probably avoid doing the ones involving lighting matches in a smoke-free pub) - in some the only prop is the human body - but it is entertaining to challenge yourself to work out the solution, where the challenge is not just 'do this' where you can't. And in some cases it's definitely worth having a go, even if it's probably best to practice solo to avoid embarrassment.

The book is REALLY nicely presented. The artwork inside is very clear, and explains all the sleights of hand really well. The descriptions too are pretty self-explanatory. I'm quite impressed by some of the tricks... I tried to fathom them out before looking at the how-dunnit, and some of them were quite opaque, which was great. As a gift for a young kid who's never seen this sort of stuff before, this book is simply brilliant. However, as the book went on, some of the tricks required a lot of effort to set up. You'd effectively have to lug a duffel-bag full of coins, matches, handkerchieves, scarves and all sorts to the pub to use do the 'tricks'. Some of the tricks are really old too. If you've ever spent time in a pub, it's almost guaranteed someone at the table has said "Here look at this", and done one or more of the card / beermat tricks in the book. Some of the bets are just so contrived that the 'mark' will realise something's up before you can lure them em, though.. I'd say that it makes a good present for a young boy or girl, and they'll have lots of fun "amazing" their family by moving a pea from under your hand before you can drop it without touching the pea, and others. So long as you play gamely along, it'll be a lot of fun... And there'll be a few new ones you'll chuckle at too. I'll give it a 4 stars for presentation and description, and most of the 'bets' are feasible. It loses a star because some of them are just so obvious, and some require so much setup that you can't really 'seamlessly' use them as "bets" to win.

Purchased for my son. He loves it and has managed to wow his family and friends with the various tricks and know how that it contains - eg: balancing some coins on the edge of a bottle on top of a £20 note - whipping the note out from beneath the coins without knocking them from the edge of the bottle. Card and match tricks. Its kept him amused.

This is the kind of book I wish I had as a kid. Filled with fun ideas, and sneaks in plenty of learning. Absolutely engaging from start to end (especially the end actually)

Great! I did know some of these, having read his article in the Daily Mail, but it's still an absorbing book. Low price too...

A lightweight book of fun tricks and bets. Black and white illustrations throughout. I felt many of the 'bets' are already well known and I wouldn't repeat many of them. Your pub may offer better mileage!

Short entertaining and suitable for all ages. Great tricks to pass boring wet days indoors with fractious kids or adults.

I love this book.

Ich habe fast alle Bücher von Richard Wiseman gelesen und genossen. Allerdings bin ich von 101 Bets doch etwas enttäuscht. Ich hatte erwartet, dass die "Unfairness" der Wetten auf statistischen Zusammhängen beruht und so verschiedene Schwierigkeiten unseres Verständnisses von Wahrscheinlichkeiten ausnutzen. Tatsächlich sind es eher Tricks der Art " Bewegen Sie x ohne es zu berühren" oder "Bringen sie x in Zustand y mittels z Operationen" die auf recht bekannten physikalischen Zusammenhängen beruhen. Die beschriebenen Tricks sind nett, aber so richtig beeindruckend fand ich bloß eine Handvoll. Fazit: Ein jüngeres Publikum mag von den Wetten angetan sein, für physikalisch interessierte Erwachsene bietet das Buch aber zu wenig.

It's a journey of simple yet surprising stuff

The book is great some of the bets are ones many people know about already but most are new ones I've never thought of. What makes this book great it does give some insight into some of the bets on why they work the way they do so it gives you some background information on them.

not that good.