Well, this was way more fascinating than I expected. I thought it might just be a parade of shady con men through history, but it’s actually a sharp look at why people fall for the same tricks over and over. The book connects the dots from old-school snake-oil salesmen to modern-day crypto bros and fake health gurus, and honestly it’s kind of wild (and a little depressing) how little has changed.

The best part is how it mixes storytelling with psychology. It really digs into the human side, like why people want to believe, how social media turbocharges the scams, and how even the smartest folks can get caught up in it. The writing keeps things engaging without getting too dense, which makes it super readable.

I docked a star only because at times it leans a little heavy on repeating the point, but overall it’s a smart, eye-opening read that feels really timely.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

My thanks to NetGalley and Basic Books for an advance copy that looks at the rise of grifters and schemers, liars and the dreamers that fall for them, risking fortune, health, their families and even the democracy they once thought sacred, but given away for a few banal words and a sense of community with other gullible fools.

I have always had a bit of sixth sense when it came to people. Sometimes I am wrong, but mostly I can tell when a person is deceiving others. The guy who hung around our school, sitting in classes, leading the boy scouts, that everyone loved, and were equally shocked when he was arrested for inappropriate contact with students. Never liked him. I am not religious, so being promised a seat at the right hand of anyone, as long as I pay my way in has never taxed my bank accounts. I have read too much history to even think politicians can do anything they promise, except spend more money on their campaigns, and get rich. America great again, I won't even go into. I don't know if I was born this way, or the fact that I have always been pudgy, had glasses and low self-esteem. If you want me in your club, well I don't want to be a member. This has served me well. My extended family not so much. There is a reason we don't discuss politics, social issues, crypto banking. Or don't talk at all. They want to believe. They need to believe, and when they find something they believe also, with talk of great, money or health, people have a hard time saying no. People want to belong, and people don't like to be wrong. The smartest person, the under educated, something this country excels in, and the uninterested can be brought in by pretty words, pretty people, and petty hatreds. As a country we have failed this test many times. And as shown in this book, its only going to get worse. Charlatans: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Hucksters Bamboozle the Media, the Markets, and the Masses by Moises Naim and Quico Toro, is a history, a series of profiles, and in a way a how-to about fooling all of the people most of the time, getting away with it, and how technology and social media and isolation are only going to make this worse.

The book begins with a look at the state of humans today, and it is not a good place. Social isolation has increased, leaving many alone with their thoughts, thoughts that might be cancerous, ignorant of just plain wrong. Added to that is social media, with its algorithms guaranteed to keep a person in a death spiral of their own ideas, with extra crazy sometimes added to it. Many people scream about doing their own research, but stop when their research starts to bang against real facts and rational thoughts. Humans, as it seems hate to be wrong, hate to deviate from they believe, and in many cases, don't have to change The authors look at a lot of research supporting this, before heading into the real world and showing examples from all over the world of charlatans and con men, some known some unknown, from across the grifting sphere. A few are religious, as in Brazil and India, politicians, including the current president, and a few others, financial and more. The authors look at their claims, and use their words and actions to show how a con works, and how and why people believe.

A frightening but very prescient book, one that looks at the world as the mess it is, and offers some ideas in how to combat these people, but the outlook is bleak. People are more sure of themselves than ever, education is so bad in some countries, including the one that is currently advertising itself as great, that people don't have the tools to understand they are being fooled. Add AI to the mix, with deepfake photos, text and speech, and we are looking at a populace with no idea how the world works, what is right or wrong. Also there is little will to fight these influencers. Most are free with their cash, buying police and politicians off, promising cash to cops and votes for politicians, along with planes and gold cups. The writing is quite good. Everything is clearly explained from the crimes, how they were caught, or why they continue their actions to this day. The book really gives a great idea for how we got to this point in human evolution. And why we are sliding backwards to an almost Dark Ages idea.

A very good look at being fooled, and why unlike the Who song, we continue to be fooled again, and again. A book that might not change minds, but might help others deal with why rational members of their family are acting so strange. A revealing read in many ways.

I went into Charlatans expecting a lighthearted romp through tales of colorful scammers and swindlers. What I didn’t expect was to be bamboozled myself, by discovering just how much this is really a book about the inner workings of the human mind. Early on, the authors introduce the concept of the “human operating system” and reveal how modern charlatans use our deepest dreams and desires against us. Once you understand this, the mechanics behind scams, from snake-oil salesmen to crypto grifters, become startlingly clear.

It is not just about the scams themselves, but about the psychology that makes them possible. The book lays bare how manipulation thrives in the digital age, showing how these modern tricksters tap into universal vulnerabilities to gain trust and then exploit it.

Fascinating, relevant, and at times uncomfortably eye-opening, Charlatans is not only worth reading, it is worth sharing. Buy it for yourself, for your parents, and definitely for the grannies on social media who are convinced they are chatting with George Clooney or Tom Cruise.