The confidence game

Maria Konnikova

Why I looked at this book

Trust is a vitally important part of our lives, and in economic transactions we may have to trust those who we know little about. But are we too accepting of the claims that others may make? And when does salesmanship turn into outright trickery? I'm hoping that this book helps to show the nature of the trust we put in others, and what we can do about those who misuse it.

First impressions

The book starts with the story of Ferdinand Demara, who it seems could get just about any job he wanted despite not having the qualifications. When he was found out in his job as a navy surgeon he found it easy to move on to other jobs such as teacher and prison warder. It seems unbelievable that someone could not only get jobs without being qualified, but he could go on doing so after being found out. What is it about our psychology which makes us believe those such as Demara without checking? I'm looking to this book to find out.