The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man

Find out how they accomplish these dizzying feats in David Maurer's The Big Con, one of the finest and most entertaining portraits of confidence men and their games ever written. First published in 1940, it later inspired the Oscar-winning movie The Sting, and is to this day considered a classic of criminology.

In addition to being a treasure trove of underworld lingo and unforgettable characters, The Big Con vividly illustrates the fundamental stages of every con, including

Putting up the mark—finding a well-to-do victim

Playing the con for him—gaining his or her confidence

Giving him the convincer—allowing the victim to make a small profit

Putting him on the send—sending him home to get more money

Taking off the touch—fleecing the victim

Forewarned is forearmed. In today's world of ever bigger Ponzi schemes, the price of this book might be the best money you ever spent.