Celebrations of Curious Characters

A yegg, in criminal slang, is a thief, a scoundrel, a safecracker.
Four Minutes Yeggs cracks open the personal vaults of Ricky Jay–raconteur, historian, and the world’s greatest sleight-of-hand artist–exposing a wonderful world of amusing and arcane knowledge. Adapted from his popular NPR series ‘Jay’s Journal, ’ Four Minute Yeggs features one-page anecdotes of mind-bending performers (limbless jugglers, piano-playing parrots, unkempt Londoners) paired with engravings, mezzotints, and broadsheets from the author’s remarkable collection.
You’ll find engaging vignettes on a daunting variety of topics: musical prodigies, cannon-ball catchers, conmen, card cheats, and performing politicians. Plus, a man who made a model of Lincoln Cathedral out of 1,000,800 bottle corks; a woman continuously pregnant for six-and-a-half years; a theatrical strong man who became the world’s leading Egyptologist; and a healthy number of digressions on time, money, and the argot of thieves, scoundrels, and safecrackers.
This large, full-color book comes with forty-five essays, each accompanied by artifacts from Mr. Jay’s storied archives. Designed specifically for four-minute perusing bursts, it will mesmerize grizzled magicians and casual onlookers alike.