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

3.0

I was hoping this book would describe specific methods that con artists use to deceive people. What does a con artist look for? How do they know what to say? Do they research their victims? This book doesn't really address those questions, except tangentially. Most of the cons described in the first third of this book are outrageous and obvious, like fortune tellers, card cheats, spiritualists, etc. Victims who fall for these cons are described as "intelligent" and "good judges of people," but anyone who gives a fortune teller $27,000 on a first or second visit is an idiot. I already know how to spot these kinds of fraudsters. What I hoped to learn from this book is how to identify the tactics of salespeople, fundraisers, politicians, casual acquaintances, friends, coworkers, and relatives (who "just need a little money until the end of the month because of an unforeseen emergency"). I want to know how these supposedly legitimate people operate, how they decide what sob story to use this time, what methods work best on what kinds of people, and how to spot a con in the making. Instead, I got lots of entertaining anecdotes and very little specific information. I learned, for example, that doing a small favor for someone sets me up to perform a larger favor down the road; that saying "no" to a request for a large favor sets me up to perform a smaller favor to assuage my guilty conscience; and that a compelling story is prelude to a scam. But how do I verify someone's story without hiring a private detective? What questions should I ask before going any further? Can I turn the tables on a scammer to expose him or her? I learned some basic red flags, but the book fell short in giving me the tools to protect myself.