A History of Ambition in 50 Hoaxes

By Gale Eaton

Book Overview

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+

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0884484653
• ISBN13: 9780884484653
• Release Date: September 2016
• Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.7" x 9.8"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9