A review by gabmc
The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It . . . Every Time by Maria Konnikova

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 ...."