I’d be uncomfortable reducing Sid Fleischman’s very readable and charming biography to one central idea. I think it’d be better to give a few central ideas and then you can pick the one that seems most central or important to you.

One central idea seems to be to push yourself. You shouldn’t settle for mediocrity. You shouldn’t do what everyone else is doing; you should probably try and do more. Harry Houdini pushes himself throughout Flesichman’s biography. You could discuss his escape from the cow milk can or his various buried alive performances. Sometimes, Houdini pushes himself so far it seems like he might hurt himself (or worse).

That brings me to another central idea: fame. The above should make you think about the great lengths to which Houdini went to achieve and sustain his star power. He was able to use his visibility to branch off into other areas, like movies. Unlike other famous people—say, Marilyn Monroe or Michael Jackson—Houdini seemed to avoid many of the pitfalls of fame. Perhaps that’s because Houdini could do what he loved and had control over his career.

Another central idea of the book might be: create your own identity. Harry Houdini was not born Harry Houdini. He was born Ehrich Weiss. He was one of seven kids. His dad was a rabbi. His family was quite poor and Ehrich ran away so that they wouldn’t have to spend money on him. Yet Houdini didn’t let his background stop him from becoming something amazing and magical. He persisted and created and pursued an identity that felt true to him.

Other central ideas you could talk about are: the importance of having a supportive, loyal partner (see Bess) and the importance of inspiration (see how Fleischman himself can’t contain how much he admires Houdini).