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Reviews
The Confidence Game: The Psychology of the Con and Why We Fall for It Every Time by Maria Konnikova
wintrovia's review against another edition
3.0
I mostly enjoyed this thorough exploration of how con artists operate and the psychology behind why people continually fall for their tricks. If anything it is a little bit too thorough at times, with too many anecdotes of notable swindlers that are told at length. While it isn't a perfect book, I still found myself wanting to read on and find out more even if it dragged in places. A tighter edit could have made this book 100 pages shorter, given it a bit more pace and not lost any of the key ideas.
spamrisk's review against another edition
4.0
Won't fall for a scam?
Chances are you're not immune.
But not me. I'm good.
Chances are you're not immune.
But not me. I'm good.
gabmc's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fascinating insight into the world of the scam, the old school con or 'confidence game'. Maria Konnikova is a psychologist, author and New York Times columnist who has studied this subject for many years. The book is very easy to read and has lots of anecdotal stories as well as research evidence from psychological studies. The chapter titles are very clever and capture all aspects of 'the con' including 'the grifter and the mark', 'the put-up', 'the play', 'the rope', 'the convincer' and 'the (real) oldest profession'. If you ever want an insight into the darker aspects of human nature, I recommend this book. One of my favourite quotes is: "Storytelling is the oldest form of entertainment there is .... Stories bring us together. ... That's precisely why they are such a powerful tool 0f deception ...."
rachelellyn's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting historical examples nicely woven into a study of the game.
kimball_hansen's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. It was alright. It took a long time to get through, probably because my mind has been on moving to Japan.
[a:Frank W. Abagnale|80294|Frank W. Abagnale|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1211788882p2/80294.jpg] said what he was able to do 50 years ago is far easier to do today than it was back then. I find that hard to believe, but supposedly technology breeds crime. Just the amount of cameras we have all around makes it bloody difficult.
Notes:
One of the elements that makes us more vulnerable to persuasion is our desire to maintain a good image of ourselves.
There is no better mark than someone who has already been duped.
Changing your perception or memory is easier than changing behavior.
[a:Frank W. Abagnale|80294|Frank W. Abagnale|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1211788882p2/80294.jpg] said what he was able to do 50 years ago is far easier to do today than it was back then. I find that hard to believe, but supposedly technology breeds crime. Just the amount of cameras we have all around makes it bloody difficult.
Notes:
One of the elements that makes us more vulnerable to persuasion is our desire to maintain a good image of ourselves.
There is no better mark than someone who has already been duped.
Changing your perception or memory is easier than changing behavior.
jbzar's review against another edition
A well-written mix of history, analysis and philosophy.
I enjoyed this book for a number of reasons. There was, I thought, an engaging mix of history, analysis and philosophy. There are numerous academic and scientific citations suggesting a credible amount of research underlying the text. But the style isn't high-minded. And the lessons, if you will, aren't presented in a preachy tone.
I enjoyed this book for a number of reasons. There was, I thought, an engaging mix of history, analysis and philosophy. There are numerous academic and scientific citations suggesting a credible amount of research underlying the text. But the style isn't high-minded. And the lessons, if you will, aren't presented in a preachy tone.