Description

The con artist: from Bernie Madoff to Clark Rockefeller to Lance Armstrong. How do they get away with it? And what keeps us falling for them, over and over again? In The Confidence Game, Maria Konnikova investigates the psychological principles that underlie each stage of the swindle, from the put-up all the way to the fix, and how we can train ourselves to spot a story that isn’t all it seems.

Publisher Review

A fascinating look at the psychology behind every hustle * * Economist * * The story of the con artist may be unmatched for combining human interest with insight into human nature, and star psychology writer Maria Konnikova explains their wiles to us with her characteristic clarity, flair and depth -- STEVEN PINKER Remarkable . . . The Confidence Game will widen your eyes and sharpen your mind -- DANIEL H. PINK In a world of pseudoscience, Maria Konnikova's calm rationality is comforting and smart -- JON RONSON As an invaluable resource for understanding the conditions that create the scammer, the mechanics of the scam and the inherent vulnerability of the mark, The Confidence Game should be required reading . . . Given the current state of democracies around the globe, it should also be a prerequisite for voting * * Times Literary Supplement * * If you liked Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, you'll love this lucid and revelatory look into our oh-so-susceptible selves -- ERIK LARSON * * author of The Devil in the White City * * Fascinating stories of some fantastically elaborate cons * * Spectator * * One of the best science writers of our time * * Forbes * * There's a lot to be learned about human nature from the con's enduring success. And Konnikova is an insightful analyst of the dark art of the scam. Konnikova has learned at least one thing from the con artists she studied: Always leave your marks wanting more * * New York Times * * Maria Konnikova breaks down the psychology of schemes, scams, tricks and frauds across the centuries in The Confidence Game an unnerving manual for conning and getting conned . . . fortunately, the cons are usually entertaining and the studies revealing * * Washington Post * *