Con artists are greedy hucksters who sell us dreams that never come true. But Americans have a soft spot for them. It seems that con artists, for all their vices, represent many of the virtues that Americans aspire to. Con artists are independent and typically self-made. They don't have to kowtow to a boss—they succeed or fail based on their wits. They exemplify, in short, the complicated nature of American Capitalism. ——James Surowiecki

Who doesn't love a good con? Who doesn't love a complicated anti-hero? Who doesn't sympathize with the fool, the sucker? Here's a small collection of the most interesting conmen, lying scoundrels, and poor (but often hilarious) suckers found in literature.*

*if you can get your hands on a copy of Forrest Gump by Winston Groom, read that as well.

Many moons ago, Amanda first worked as a bookseller at Buffalo Street Books Co-Op in Ithaca, NY. She’s thrilled to be back among the books, especially here in Easthampton where she’s lived for two years. Amanda holds a B.M. in Music Composition and a minor in English Lit. from Ithaca College. She enjoys all kinds of books but is especially partial to anything involving science fiction, speculative fiction, feminist/LGBTQ themes, and writers of color. She’s a nerd’s nerd and loves being a part of this amazing community of book lovers. Come talk to her about her strange taste in music (jazz fusion, anyone?), books, artsy films, and the Fermi Paradox.