Cautionary Tales Houdini’s Detective and her 1500 Dead Husbands (Part 2)

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Harry Houdini finds an ally in his fight against spiritualism, a brilliant detective called Rose Mackenberg, who’ll do whatever it takes to expose a fake. Together, the two head to Washington to try and get lawmakers to criminalise mediums. The hearing that follows will be violent, sensational and leave Houdini fearing for his life.

This is the second of a three-part series.

For a full list of sources, see the show notes at timharford.com.

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The Host

Tim Harford

Tim Harford’s long-running column in the Financial Times, “The Undercover Economist,” reveals the economic ideas behind everyday experiences. His first book, The Undercover Economist, was published in 30 languages and sold…