This article was about the Mathematics that plays into card magic. The author starts the article off by saying that any number of shuffles below 7 is inadequate and may still have an order to it, and only after 7 can the deck be truly mixed, though it may require more. The article covers many mathematical aspects and some suprising facts that relate to card shuffling, such as the connection between binary numbers and card shuffling, and the dealer can get the card they want by using the binary number of the position, and perform the number of binary with a series of in and out faro shuffles. He was even able to relate card shuffling to physics and juggling. Also the quick mention of the story of Mr. Diaconis was very interesting, being able to run away to study card magic for 10 years, then coming back at age 24 to major in Mathematics on a full ride at Harvard. He is one of the Authors of the book, Magical Mathematics, with Ron Graham.
The entire article was written in sort of as a brief overview of the new book. The book itself must use the facts, and the writer of the article, Alex Stone, most likely used it for his article, by using the phrase, "Throughout the book..." Alex Stone has written 4 articles for the Wall Street Journal, where this article was found. As for rhetoric, he does a good job supporting each concept with an example, which he ultimately relates back to the authors of the book. Therefore, he is quoting the authors, while making use of his own understandings to enhance his ethos. He also says at points that one can try this with a deck of cards, further pushing his pathos and also logos in a sense. The audience for this article may be for interested card magicians, but also for ordinary people with an interest. There are also a lot of background information the author goes to explain, such as what a faro shuffle is, which means that the article is for all to read.
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