Harry Houdini. Nearly a century after his death, he remains a household name that is synonymous with magic. In fact, Houdini has become a verb in our common vernacular meaning "to vanish, or escape a difficult situation quickly."

Today, I am joined by bestselling author Joe Posnanski to discuss his new book, "The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini," which looks at the remarkable career of the world's most recognizable magician and tries to untangle some of the myths surrounding Houdini's life that have even baffled some of his many biographers over the years.

Joe is an award-winning sports journalist and bestselling author whose prior biography on Joe Paterno reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In our conversation, Joe and I discuss how an immigrant named Erich Weiss transformed himself into a legend named Harry Houdini, how he pushed the envelope of danger to become the world's leading escape artist, and what continued to drive Houdini even at the height of his fame and success.

To learn more about Joe Posnanski, visit www.joeposnanski.com.

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