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68th out of 87 books
—
32 voters
The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con
by
Amy Reading (Goodreads Author)
In 1919, Texas rancher J. Frank Norfleet lost everything he had in a stock market swindle. He did what many other marks did—he went home, borrowed more money from his family, and returned for another round of swindling.
Only after he lost that second fortune did he reclaim control of his story. Instead of crawling back home in shame, he vowed to hunt down the five men wh...more
Only after he lost that second fortune did he reclaim control of his story. Instead of crawling back home in shame, he vowed to hunt down the five men wh...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
March 6th 2012
by Knopf
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Great true narratives about big-time swindlers and a particular mark who dedicates his life to catching those who swindled him and, subsequently, to popularizing tales about his adventures. It's really quite astonishing how elaborate the swindling set ups are, and how widely they flourished in the early part of this century, elevating their practioners to the status of folk heroes (villains?) and secret leaders of shadow governments.
I saw the Sting when I was in high school, but had no idea tha...more
I saw the Sting when I was in high school, but had no idea tha...more
Like the big con itself, this book drew me in slowly but surely. It begins with the story of J. Frank Norfleet, a Texan rancher who was taken in by a stock market con in 1919. But instead of ruefully returning to his ranch, Norfleet become obsessed with revenge, becoming a rather good con man himself as he crisscrossed the country over the next decade, hunting down the men who'd fleeced him and seeing them sentenced for fraud and graft.
As fascinating a character as Norfleet is (and he's certainl...more
As fascinating a character as Norfleet is (and he's certainl...more
Wonderful book. It's what used to be called "a cracking good story:" successful rancher visits the big town, gets fleeced by a ring of con men but ultimately tracks them down and brings them to justice--and does it by running a version of the big con himself, in order to sucker the con men into incriminating themselves .
But Reading not only tells the tale with convincing vividness , she also puts it in context as a chapter in the great change America underwent as a culture of thrift and cash pay...more
But Reading not only tells the tale with convincing vividness , she also puts it in context as a chapter in the great change America underwent as a culture of thrift and cash pay...more
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Interesting, like a 3.45 rating, mostly due to the sloggy bits.
Amy Reading's account of con victim J. Frank Norfleet would make a really good movie. Back in 1919, 54 year-old Norfleet, a rancher from Texas, was the victim of a large-scale con run by a crook named Joe Furey that ended up with Norfleet losing about $45,000 and landing him twice that amount in debt. Norfleet, as it turns out, never had a chance. He was the perfect mark, and although he didn't know it, he had just entered onto the s...more
Amy Reading's account of con victim J. Frank Norfleet would make a really good movie. Back in 1919, 54 year-old Norfleet, a rancher from Texas, was the victim of a large-scale con run by a crook named Joe Furey that ended up with Norfleet losing about $45,000 and landing him twice that amount in debt. Norfleet, as it turns out, never had a chance. He was the perfect mark, and although he didn't know it, he had just entered onto the s...more
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The food court at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania lies off of the betting floor. You don’t show your ID to anyone to get in, but the Formica tables and steel tube chairs are closer to the gambling action than even the diamond store on the other side of an ATM behind a wall of thick, spotless glass 40 feet away from the turnstiles admitting gamblers. If you’re in town for an event at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center – say a Beach Boys concert –...more
The food court at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania lies off of the betting floor. You don’t show your ID to anyone to get in, but the Formica tables and steel tube chairs are closer to the gambling action than even the diamond store on the other side of an ATM behind a wall of thick, spotless glass 40 feet away from the turnstiles admitting gamblers. If you’re in town for an event at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center – say a Beach Boys concert –...more
There's a lot going on in this book- maybe a little too much. One one level, it is the story of J. Frank Norfleet, a Texas rancher who got swindled for all he had by a group of con men. On another, the author deconstructs the art of the con and how a well-designed con first targets and lures a mark before conning him and then playing him off. (In the most successful cons, the mark is unaware he's been taken until afterward, by which time it's usually too late to do anything about it.) The author...more
Received a free copy from bookbrowse.com First Impressions. This a nonfiction account of con artists and swindles from the 1910s-20s with a prticular emphasis on J. Frank Norfleet, a Texan conned out of $45,000. He spent the next several years capturing the five men who stole his money and then the rest of his life helping arrest con artists and other criminals (all while remaining a private citizen and not a member of law enforcement). Amy Reading tells his story against the backdrop of a large...more
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Interesting subject, sort of a real-life version of The Sting, the book charts the rise of confidence men in the post-Civil War era, and spends most of its couple hundred pages on one man who gets taken and spends the rest of his life bringing flim flam artists to justice. I also like the way Reading ties seemingly legitimate speculation -- the railroad lotteries, '20s stock market manipulations, etc. -- into the broader cultural background. However, the writing could be a lot leaner and clearer...more
Amy Reading tells not only the tale of how J. Frank Norfleet pursued and brought his swinders to justice, but also the larger tale of how Norfleet himself embellished the tale he told and profited from it later. Also, an even larger narrative of America's history of cons, big and small, including those perpetrated by "businessmen" from the inception of us as a country right up to the gilded age.
A fascinating book, 90% commpellingly written. The other 10%, skimming won't take away from reading en...more
A fascinating book, 90% commpellingly written. The other 10%, skimming won't take away from reading en...more
I enjoyed this, but not as much as I expected to. I hadn't realized that this was a mass market version of academic research, and I think if I had, my expectations would be been set more accurately.
The book is nominally about the story of J. Frank Norfleet, and his pursuit of the con men who fleeced him. It is more of a meditation on the emergence of confidence scams in the US, and a critical reading of Norfleet's self-reporting of his tale.
It was definitely interesting, and I'd recommend it to...more
The book is nominally about the story of J. Frank Norfleet, and his pursuit of the con men who fleeced him. It is more of a meditation on the emergence of confidence scams in the US, and a critical reading of Norfleet's self-reporting of his tale.
It was definitely interesting, and I'd recommend it to...more
"The Mark Inside" reminded me of the early 1970's Paul Newman movie, "The Sting". I thought the movie was incredibly creative, and marveled at the lengths the swindlers went to in order to bilk their mark. The interesting point of this book is that the similar story it tells is actually a true story about swindles not uncommon during the early part of the 20th Century. Specifically, Amy Reading tells of the swindle of Texas rancher Frank Norfleet, and his subsequent quest to bring those involved...more
I won this book from BookBrowse, just received it and hope to get to reading it soon.
Well, I finally finished what I could and would probably give it only 2 1/2 because it was too dull to finish completely.
This book told you everything you wanted to know (and lots you didn't) about the "big con". This could have been a real interesting book. It is a non-fiction story set in 1919 about a real life rancher who got swindled in a "big con" (think "THE STING") and spent years tracking down the swindl...more
Well, I finally finished what I could and would probably give it only 2 1/2 because it was too dull to finish completely.
This book told you everything you wanted to know (and lots you didn't) about the "big con". This could have been a real interesting book. It is a non-fiction story set in 1919 about a real life rancher who got swindled in a "big con" (think "THE STING") and spent years tracking down the swindl...more
I wish I could remember why I originally decided to read this book - it's not my usual thing at all, and parts of it dragged on longer than my interest level really warranted. Just the same, the kernel of a story here is really interesting - con men, or confidence men, and the way they swindled their marks in the early twentieth century - and the story of a few particular marks, and how they were revenged. The best thing I learned from reading this was that so much of the language of con artistr...more
This is a 3.5 situation. A little dense sometimes, or I was, but for the most part this is a real gem of a thing. Kicked into high gear for me whenever Reading discussed the connections between The Con and America, like, basically all of chapter two for instance.
Also I really just ADMIRED so many of the cons in this! Which is ridiculous! Because they are cons! But they were all so damn elaborate and exploited so many weaknesses in the country's early development, and it's hard not to admire the...more
Also I really just ADMIRED so many of the cons in this! Which is ridiculous! Because they are cons! But they were all so damn elaborate and exploited so many weaknesses in the country's early development, and it's hard not to admire the...more
A digressive account of J. Frank Norfleet who was swindled in 1919 and then turned around to pursue the con men responsible for his losses. I felt a little editing would have made this book more streamlined and a better read. I did not like the author's own commentary about what may have occurred in Norfleet's life and how she kept inserting US economic theories. Personally, I found some of the tangents (especially the pages about Council Bluffs!) were more interesting than the original story li...more
Had never heard of Frank Norfleet before picking this book up at the library but what an amazing story -- the Texas rancher who was conned twice by five slick con-artists and rather than slink home and suffer, he sets out to avenge his loss by tracking down the culprits, which he eventually does. The book is more than just the story of Norfleet, though -- gives a nice concise history of the rise of confidence men and their crimes.
As far as I can tell, Ms. Reading did not actually attend Wesleyan. But after reading this book, I would swear she had taken every single one of Joe Reed's classes. This is a great read, not just about the history of the big con, but of how Americans have ALWAYS tried to make easy money, how the mythology of the west transformed the east, and how the newly wealthy of the 20th century sought to make speculation respectable.
I'm a bit jealous of a dissertation being converted to a popular press book, particularly a book as good as this, but I really enjoyed both the story of Norfleet and his revenge but Reading's efforts to place the con in the context of early twentieth century America. And any book that is set, at times, in Plainview, Hale Center, and Denver has to be a good book, right?
Some interesting parts, some boring parts,
overall worth reading.
Some of the best is at the end,
how amerika was character based before WW1 and personality based from then to the present.
The evolution of a country in this particular area.
The note on sources is worth reading too,
"just because something is published doesn't mean it's true"
overall worth reading.
Some of the best is at the end,
how amerika was character based before WW1 and personality based from then to the present.
The evolution of a country in this particular area.
The note on sources is worth reading too,
"just because something is published doesn't mean it's true"
This is an excellent book. If you are interested in American history generally, and in the "big con" specifically, then read this. Amy Reading has put her Yale PhD. to good work, and though scholarly in background, The Mark Inside is inherently readable. It's nonfiction, but it has the highs and lows of good crime fiction.
Good read. The author has an interesting take on a well-covered topic. She chose to examine the protagonist's management of his image, market positioning, personal brand, etc. in an era long before social media. That element added to the also very interesting core story of a conned man's relentless pursuit of his swindlers.
I wanted to give this book 3 stars but just couldn't. The reason would have been the focus on Denver and Colorado through most of this book. However if you're not from here... there's probably not enough to spark a 3 star review.
The book is also one of the oddest history books on any subject I have ever read.
Often the author tries to draw similarities between other angles of history and the topic and characters in her book and it just leads to a point of "get to it already".
Her book is a col...more
The book is also one of the oddest history books on any subject I have ever read.
Often the author tries to draw similarities between other angles of history and the topic and characters in her book and it just leads to a point of "get to it already".
Her book is a col...more
It's like modern day trickster mythology. This is a fascinating history of the long con and the rise of the confidence scam, with particular attention paid to a very colorful hunter of con artists who seems to have been a bit of a con artist himself. A page turner that taught me a lot of history.
Very different from other 'con' books. This book provides the 'mechanics' behind an 'assembly line' style con (i.e. specialization of roles, stream of victims...) which was popular during early 1900's. This could be the predecessor of the 'Boiler Room' operation in 90s.
This is the story of J. Frank Northfleet who got himself conned in 1919 and then set about hunting down the men who conned him (and a good deal of other con artists) over several years. Interesting background about con artistry and the background of these (mostly) true events.
I received this book as a Goodreads First Read.
This book started out with considerable promise. Texan J. Frank Norfleet finds himself conned out his life savings. Instead of feeling sorry for himself and starting all over, he embarks on a four year journey to bring the grifters who targeted him to justice.
It's the stuff a good classic pulp is made of with one exception - it's true. While the author does deliver the goods with Norwood's story, the book is occasionally dries up and drags. I strugg...more
This book started out with considerable promise. Texan J. Frank Norfleet finds himself conned out his life savings. Instead of feeling sorry for himself and starting all over, he embarks on a four year journey to bring the grifters who targeted him to justice.
It's the stuff a good classic pulp is made of with one exception - it's true. While the author does deliver the goods with Norwood's story, the book is occasionally dries up and drags. I strugg...more
This really should have been much more interesting than it turned out to be. Not that it wasn't, in general, an interesting story but it was other things as well - historical and sociological bits that really bogged down the Norfleet story and made it confusing at the outset, what the true point was. And for a 244p book, it felt really long. Glad I read it but really glad I'm done.
Pretty good read. Great history of Denver in the book. Interesting to hear about the swindles that went on in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Book was a gift and not one that I would have normally picked out, but worthwhile.
This was a wonderful work of non-fiction, following the life on one man who decided to get back at the criminals who conned him. Ms. Reading also did a good job weaving in the history of con "artistry" in the United States, which was interesting in itself. It's certainly not part of our history that's covered in school. It was very readable, a huge plus for me when it comes to non-fiction.
This story is about J. Frank Norfleet and his account of tracking down the men who conned him out of a lot of money. His story is told alternately with the history of con men (confidence men) and their marks. The history is at times a little too detailed, but still interesting.
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Amy Reading grew up in Pennsylvania and Washington state. She worked in scholarly publishing before completing a Ph.D. in American studies at Yale University. Her first book, The Mark Inside, grew out of her dissertation on truth and deception in American autobiography, which contains a chapter on swindlers’ memoirs. She lives in upstate New York with her husband and two children, and can be found...more
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