Conned: Scams, frauds and swindles by James Morton
A racy, highly entertaining history of cons and conmen. To the many people who've been the subject of a con, this book will be of personal interest: even if you haven't, there's still a fascination in how it has happened to other. The great, the good and the bad, from Oscar Wilde to Al Capone, have fallen victim to the wiles of the trickster. In Capone's case, he purchased a machine from 'Count' Victor Lustig, guaranteed to produce dollar bills. Other great cons described in this alarming yet funny book are: Royal Cons, Psychic Swindlers, Fairground Cons, Sexual Swindles, Gambling Swindles.