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backlogbooks's review against another edition
not a true dnf--i just dont have time for it right now and dont know when i'll get back to it!
sskroh's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I loved this book and can’t wait to reread it. I would apologize for being insufferable and talking it about it to all my friends but since I’ve already been doing this throughout reading, we’ll skip the apologies.
lexish00's review against another edition
3.0
It's okay, but not great. There are a lot of anecdotes and a few psychology studies about cons.
sevenlefts's review against another edition
3.0
A clever look into the psychology of scammers. One of the more depressing points of this book is that our very nature as social beings means that no one is immune to the con.
Each chapter focuses on a specific aspect of a con, each with it's own unique name (the play, the rope, the tale... all the way through the blow-off and the fix). Examples of cons -- some famous, but most of them not -- illustrate each of these stages. I found myself thinking, "Geez, who would fall for this," but when I put myself in the victim's shoes and head space, I could totally get it. Along with the examples, Konnikova highlights studies in psychology, economics and other social sciences that explain why these cons work. Interesting to think that grifters have long had a grasp of human behavior that scientists are only recently starting to explain.
Beware -- this book goes a long way toward dismantling one's faith in humanity.
Each chapter focuses on a specific aspect of a con, each with it's own unique name (the play, the rope, the tale... all the way through the blow-off and the fix). Examples of cons -- some famous, but most of them not -- illustrate each of these stages. I found myself thinking, "Geez, who would fall for this," but when I put myself in the victim's shoes and head space, I could totally get it. Along with the examples, Konnikova highlights studies in psychology, economics and other social sciences that explain why these cons work. Interesting to think that grifters have long had a grasp of human behavior that scientists are only recently starting to explain.
Beware -- this book goes a long way toward dismantling one's faith in humanity.
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 ...."