The Confidence GameThe Confidence Game

"A compelling investigation into the minds, motives, and methods of con artists -- and the people who fall for their cons. While cheats and swindlers may be a dime a dozen, true conmen -- the Bernie Madoffs, the Jim Bakkers, the Lance Armstrongs -- are elegant, outsized personalities, artists of persuasion and exploiters of trust. How do they do it? Why are they successful? From multimillion-dollar Ponzi schemes to small-time frauds, Konnikova demonstrates what all cons share in common, drawing on scientific, dramatic, and psychological perspectives. Enter the world of the con, examining the relationship between artist and victim. The Confidence Game asks not only why we believe con artists, but also examines the very act of believing and how our sense of truth can be manipulated by those around us. Maria Konnikova is the author of Mastermind: How to Think like Sherlock Holmes"--Provided by publisher.