| Crescendo of the Virtuoso |
| Acknowledgments |
| Introduction |
| • | Notes |
| 1. Some Models of Excellence |
| 1. Philidor and the Café de la Régence Chess Masters |
| 2. Carême, Chef de Cuisine |
| 3. Vidocq, Detective |
| 4. Paganini and Liszt, Musicians |
| 5. Robert-Houdin and the Vogue of the Automaton-Builders |
| 2. Some Modes of Excelling |
| 6. Mounting Spectacles |
| 7. Exalting Technical Skill |
| 8. Ballooning the Self |
| Conclusion |