Maria Konnikova is the author of Mastermind and The Confidence Game. She is a regular contributing writer for The New Yorker, and has written for the Atlantic, the New York Times, Slate, the New Republic, the Paris Review, the Wall Street Journal, Salon, the Boston Globe, the Scientific American MIND, WIRED, and Smithsonian. Maria graduated from Harvard University and received her Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University.
"Konnikova... is an insightful analyst of the dark art of the
scam."
--New York Times Book Review
"An unnerving manual for conning and getting conned."
--Washington Post "[An] excellent study of Con Artists,
stories & the human need to believe"
-Neil Gaiman, via Twitter
"Melding pop social science and potted history, the science writer
transcends the genre of Gladwell by drilling down into situations
where our instincts lead us horribly astray -- and right into the
arms of swindlers. The surreal and often codependent relationship
between grifter and griftee is disturbingly common, no matter how
sophisticated its victims think they are, from Bernie Madoff's
worldly dupes to everyone who ever cheered Lance Armstrong."
--Vulture A brisk, engaging overview of the ways these skilled
tricksters masterfully manipulate us to their own ends.
--Boston Globe
"Blending news accounts with first-person published
narratives, public records, and original interviews, Konnikova
dissects the techniques of some of the world's most successful con
artists. A page-turner, this book provides plenty of insight about
them and about us, their targets."
--Psychology Today A fascinating look at the psychology behind
every hustle, from Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme to a
three-card-monte game...Ms Konnikova tells of hucksters
masquerading as doctors, royals or moguls, all armed with a gifted
imagination, a silver tongue and an ability to size people up.
--The Economist
"Victims of cons, she
argues, aren't just the foolish and the ignorant. They're often
regular people who happen to be desperate or emotionally
compromised by their circumstances. For leaders, who largely pride
themselves on being rational, strategic thinkers, the deception
Konnikova's research warns us about begins with that very emotion:
pride....Leaders who get fooled are the ones who first manage to
fool themselves."
--Fast Company
"A thrilling psychological detective story investigating how con
artists, the supreme masterminds of malevolent
reality-manipulation, prey on our propensity for believing what we
wish were true and how this illuminates the inner workings of trust
and deception in our everyday lives."
--Maria Popova, Brain Pickings
"With meticulous research and a facility for storytelling,
Konnikova makes this intriguing topic absolutely riveting."
--Kirkus, Starred review
"Told with vigor and enthusiasm, this study of the psychology of
the con artist is riveting and cleverly told."
--Publishers Weekly, Starred review "In the Confidence Game,
Konnikova plumbs the psychology and chemistry of why we all fall so
readily for scams and cons--and why, thanks to the "Lake Wobegon
Effect" and other forces, having fallen once, we're even more
susceptible the next time. It's a startling and disconcerting read
that should make you think twice every time a friend of a
friend offers you the opportunity of a lifetime. But you won't
think twice. You'll still succumb, because that's how we're all
wired. And here's the irony--the smarter you think you are, the
more readily you'll fall, which is why New Yorkers are some of the
easiest marks. (Clients of Bernie Madoff, we're talking about you.)
If you liked Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, you'll love this
lucid and revelatory look into our oh-so-susceptible selves."
--Erik Larson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of
Dead Wake and bestselling author of Devil in the White City
"The story of the con artist may be unmatched for combining human
interest with insight into human nature, and star psychology writer
Maria Konnikova explains their wiles to us with her characteristic
clarity, flair, and depth."
--Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard
University, and author of How the Mind Works and The
Sense of Style. "In this remarkable book, Maria Konnikova shows
that human beings are hardwired to believe--often to our peril. And
with a deft mix of stories and studies, she explores what that
means for how we think and, ultimately, who we are. Deeply
researched and elegantly written, The Confidence Game will widen
your eyes and sharpen your mind."
--Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and To Sell Is Human
"As an ambassador to AARP's Fraud Watch Network which educates its
members on protecting themselves from confidence games and scams, I
found The Confidence Game an excellent resource. The best way to
protect oneself from the confidence man is to understand the mind
and motivation of the con man."
--Frank W. Abagnale, subject of the movie, book, and Broadway
musical Catch Me If You Can "I really love Maria Konnikova's
writing. In a world of pseudoscience--of extreme polemical
thought--her calm rationality is comforting and smart. I appreciate
and believe her."
--Jon Ronson, author of So You've Been Publicly Shamed "Maria
Konnikova has written a compelling, engrossing account of the world
of the con. I stayed up far too late reading it. Beautifully
written, and filled with stories and thought-provoking
psychological research, The Confidence Game will teach you how
confidence artists operate--and how to outwit them."
--Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author of
The Power of Habit "What magic takes place when a smooth-talking
stranger convinces you to part with everything you have? Maria
Konnikova is a superb storyteller and her tales of conmen and their
victims will blow your mind. This is a brilliant and often
unsettling book, and it leaves me with mixed feelings--I'd like
everyone to read it, but at the same time, it scares me to think of
it falling into the wrong hands."
--Paul Bloom, Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology,
Yale University, and author of Just Babies. "An
enthralling read about why we're all vulnerable to deception, by
one of the truly gifted social science writers of our time. This
book shook my confidence in my ability to detect fraud--and then
showed me how to improve my skills."
--Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times
bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals "Short
of making cynicism your overriding philosophy, the surest safety
might be to understand the workings of the con man as he
understands you. Understand his psychology, his motivation, his
tricks, and his games. Konnikova's book promises to make life just
a little bit harder for con artists everywhere."
--The New Republic An unnerving manual for conning and
getting conned.
--The Washington Post "Brilliant and enthralling. By plumbing the
depths of real stories of swindlers and their victims, and by
drawing on new research into the nature of deception, she does more
than just show in riveting detail how these cons unfold; she also
reveals their hidden psychological dimensions, and why we all may
be perfect mark."
--David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z
In The Confidence Game, Maria Konnikova has created an enthralling
read about con men. But it's about so much more: trust, belief, and
deception at their most basic and human levels. If you think you're
above becoming an unwitting player in the confidence game, you'll
think again by the end.
--David Epstein, author of The Sports Gene "The most
thoughtful and thought-provoking book ever written on cons, and
I've not only read most of them but I've also been conned.
Marvelous and important."
--Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine, author
of Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing
Brain "Blending news accounts with first-person published
narratives, public records, and original interviews, Konnikova
dissects the techniques of some of the world's most successful con
artists. A page-turner, this book provides plenty of insight about
them and about us, their targets."
--Psychology Today "A gripping examination of exactly why so
many of us are such suckers for schemes that shut down our saner
instincts."--Vice One of the best science writers of our time
examines the minds, motives, and methods of con artists--and the
people who fall for their cons.--Forbes "Konnikova covers
wide-ranging studies in social psychology and illustrates them with
colorful stories about real-life con men and women in action."--New
York Magazine "A deep (and entertaining) dive into the world of con
artists."--Time.com "It turns out there's a lot to be learned about
human nature. And Konnikova...is an insightful analyst."--Economic
Times "An engaging read . . . A subtle yet powerful reminder that
the con man isn't solely a shadowy grifter but as ubiquitous and
common as the little white lies we tell our friends and
family."--Los Angeles Review of Books "Melding pop social science
and potted history, science writer Maria Konnikova transcends the
Gladwell genre by drilling down into situations where our instincts
lead us horribly astray--and into the arms of swindlers."--New York
Magazine
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