—Erik Larson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dead Wake and bestselling author of Devil in the White City

A  compelling investigation into the minds, motives, and methods of con  artists—and the people who fall for their cons over and over again.

While cheats and swindlers may be a dime a dozen, true conmen—the  Bernie Madoffs, the Jim Bakkers, the Lance Armstrongs—are elegant,  outsized personalities, artists of persuasion and exploiters of trust.  How do they do it? Why are they successful? And what keeps us falling  for it, over and over again? These are the questions that journalist and  psychologist Maria Konnikova tackles in her mesmerizing new book.

From multimillion-dollar Ponzi schemes to small-time frauds, Konnikova  pulls together a selection of fascinating stories to demonstrate what  all cons share in common, drawing on scientific, dramatic, and  psychological perspectives. Insightful and gripping, the book brings  readers into the world of the con, examining the relationship between  artist and victim. The Confidence Game asks not only why we  believe con artists, but also examines the very act of believing and how  our sense of truth can be manipulated by those around us.