A History of Ambition in 50 Hoaxes
The con artists in this book pursued a variety of ambitions--making money, winning wars, mocking authority, finding fame, trading an ordinary life for a glamorous one--but they all chose the lowest, fastest road to get there. Every hoax is a curtain, and behind it is a deceiver operating levers and smoke machines to make us see what is not there and miss what is. As P.T. Barnum knew, you can short-circuit critical thinking in any century by telling people what they want to hear. Most scams operate on a personal scale, but some have shaped the balance of world power, inspired explorers to sail uncharted seas, derailed scientific progress, or caused terrible massacres. A HISTORY OF AMBITION IN 50 HOAXES guides us through a rogue's gallery of hustlers, liars, swindlers, imposters, scammers, pretenders, and cheats. In Gale Eaton's wide-ranging synthesis, the history of deception is a colorful tour, with surprising insights behind every curtain.
Fountas & Pinnell Level Z+
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Become an affiliateThe hoaxes here are colorful by far. Eaton doesn't sensationalize them; the stories [are] allowed to speak for themselves, and they display great grip. There is a hoax for every mood: cheat, propaganda, assault, cruelty, inventions of merit, a more nuanced appreciation of art, and marvel. We have met the hoaxsters, and they are us: family stories, human progress, and often enough the pinball nature of our history.-- "Kirkus"
In a broad-ranging and fascinating study of artifice, Eaton raises intriguing questions about human instincts, especially the ones to deceive and believe. Simultaneously available: A History of Travel in 50 Vehicles. Ages 12-up.-- "Publishers Weekly"