Charlatans: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Hucksters Bamboozle the Media, the Markets, and the Masses

ISBN: 1541606515

Author: Naim, Moises

Condition: New

From snake-oil salesmen to crypto grifters, the "fascinating" (Fareed Zakaria) story of charlatans-and why we fall for themFor centuries charlatans have been bamboozling victims. But today, charlatanry is more lucrative and global than ever. Using the power of digital technology, our ages charlatans have spun a worldwide web of exploitation on an unprecedented scale.In Charlatans, global affairs experts Moiss Nam and Quico Toro investigate how charlatans fool us and why theyve become so influential today. They argue that modern charlatans exploit the same weak points in human cognition as the snake-oil salesmen of the old West. They earn our trust, trick us into believing they have some special skill or knowledge, then exploit us. In some ways, nothing has changed. But, today, charlatans are digital, viral, and global. Whether theyre health gurus pushing pseudoscience or crypto bros orchestrating Ponzi schemes, modern charlatans rapidly amass worldwide audiences on the internet and social media using a common set of strategies. These hucksters swiftly swindle unsuspecting victims, as our slow-moving institutions struggle to respond.Packed with insights on how to avoid being duped by charlatans, this is an eye-opening journey through the brazen deception and brutal victimization at the heart of this new global scourge.