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My Adventures with Your Money: George Graham Rice and the Golden Age of the Con Artist Kindle Edition

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 61 ratings

Master swindler George Graham Rice operated at the zenith of America's golden age of con artistry with plenty of illicit competition, but he stood apart from all others thanks to the sheer audacity, pure nerve and nefarious brilliance of his scams. Against the dark rise of American greed in the early 20th Century into the Roaring Twenties, the dapper but devious "GG" feasted on a nation of gullible prey with the flair of circus showman P.T. Barnum and on a financial scale comparable to modern fraudster Bernie Madoff.

Born Jacob Simon Herzig in 1870, he later changed his name - just as he would frequently change his swindles - to make himself into one of the most imaginatively successful villains in American history. With only seven dollars to his name, Rice parlayed a chance horse racing tip into millions, lost it all to pride and ego, then won it back many times over. Vilified by securities regulators as the "Jackal of Wall Street," he sparked riots in Manhattan's financial district by perfecting the art of "bucket shop"trading with the sole purpose of bilking the public blind. From the lawless frontier of the Gold Rush to his lust for dizzying riches on Wall Street, GG's supreme knowledge of "sucker psychology" empowered him to orchestrate everything from street corner rip-offs for pocket change to elaborately scripted gambling hoaxes for hundreds of thousands of dollars, all while being vilified by old-guard profiteers like J.P.Morgan and befriended by gangsters like Arnold Rothstein.

In
My Adventures with Your Money, T.D. Thornton has given us an unforgettable real-life version of The Sting with one of America's most colorful con men at its center.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mr. Thornton offers up a hugely entertaining biography....My Adventures With Your Money is written in a fast-paced and jaunty style, as befits the subject....Yet Mr.Thornton also has a sharp eye for detail...The Jazz Age is wonderfully conjured up with its numerous crazes and dubious promotions, from 'extracting gold from seawater...to devising a "spirit laboratory" to consult dead inventors'...My Adventures With Your Money is a grand addition to the grifting genre. Pick your own pocket and buy a copy." - The Wall Street Journal

"Set against the backdrop of the Roaring '20s and its subculture of con men...Thornton successfully transforms this unsavory character into a charming,irresistible anti-hero. This easy-to-read tale of survival during the earliest part of the 20th century will make readers hungry for more grifts."
- Publishers Weekly

"A rollicking story of high-stakes tomfoolery." -
The Dispatch

"Thornton tells the story of the most notorious grifter you probably never heard of...As such, his story is an interesting tour through the early years of Wall Street and the often blurry lines between legal and illegal business practices. A good read for anyone interested in confidence men and the history of Wall Street." -
Kirkus

"The book succeeds where a lot of biographies fail. This is as much a book about human nature as it is about George Graham Rice."
- Bill Finley, Thoroughbred Daily News

"If you're ever tempted to believe that the current financial system has never been shadier or more corrupt, this book will quickly cause you to count your blessings. At one level, this book is a biography of an infamous con artist who makes Bernie Madoff look virtuous by comparison. But it is also a biography of an economic landscape in the first decades of the 20th Century, a time when swindles, con artistry and rip-offs dominated the land." - Ranked #5 of 10 Best Business Books of 2015 by
Wealth Management

"This remarkable read of a man who swindled thousands of people out of millions of dollars is for fans of con artists, stock market history,and the films
Wall Street and The Wolf of Wall Street." - Library Journal

"Packed with rich period detail and written in a rollicking style that perfectly captures the sheer, unbounded vitality of its incorrigible subject, T.D. Thornton's My Adventures with Your Money is a both vivid evocation of a uniquely colorful era in our nation's past and a dazzling portrait of one of its most flamboyant figures--George Graham Rice, con-artist extraordinaire. Thanks to Thornton's exuberant biography, the unaccountably forgotten Rice has been restored to his rightful place alongside the likes of P. T. Barnum and Charles Ponzi in the great rogues gallery of all-American hucksters, swindlers, and confidence men."
- Harold Schechter, author of The Mad Sculptor: The Model, the Maniac, and the Murder that Shook the Nation

"In My Adventures with Your Money, T.D. Thornton shows us the heart and soul, such as they were, of one of our finest swindlers. This rollicking and highly entertaining portrait of George Graham Rice, a top-drawer hustler in the nation's great era of con, never fails to fascinate. From doped-up thoroughbreds to bogus gold stocks, Rice's money-making schemes roped in the suckers. But the big winners here are Thornton's lucky readers."
- Doug J. Swanson, author of "Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker

About the Author

T.D. THORNTON is a Boston-based writer with a keen interest in chronicling the glorious underbelly of America. He is the author of the award-winning book Not by a Long Shot-A Season at a Hard-Luck Horse Track, and his journalism and creative nonfiction have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Slate, The Daily Beast and McSweeney's.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00W1E17MS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press (November 3, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 3, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.1 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 305 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 61 ratings

About the author

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T. D. Thornton
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I'm a Boston-based writer who aspires to give a voice to dark, edgy characters lurking far beneath the radar of mainstream media.

Gamblers, grifters, hustlers, prize fighters and racetrackers are among my most appealing characters, and I have a keen interest in writing about "low" subjects with a literary twist.

The research for my most recent book immersed me in the dark art of confidence hustling. "My Adventures with Your Money: George Graham Rice and the Golden Age of the Con Artist" details the flair and showmanship of America's greatest swindler.

My first book, "Not by a Long Shot--A Season at a Hard-Luck Horse Track," chronicled a year at a blue-collar racetrack. In 2008 "Long Shot" won the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award and was named a "Highly Recommended" finalist for the Massachusetts Book Award.

My journalism and creative nonfiction have appeared in The New York Times, Boston Globe, Slate, The Daily Beast and McSweeney's.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
61 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging and entertaining. They appreciate the book's look into financial scams over nearly a century. The author provides a clear description of the era and its key events.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

11 customers mention "Story quality"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story. They find it interesting, well-written, and entertaining. The book is a must-read for horse racing fans and Wall Street investors. The author presents a dry subject matter in an engaging way.

"A very interesting story and book, with a look into financial scams over nearly a century. pretty amazing what this guy was able to pull off!" Read more

"Mr. Thornton’s excellent and entertaining book was recently reviewed in the Wall Street Journal...." Read more

"Excellent read. Captures the era very well." Read more

"...to Wall Street to the Wild West, Thornton has done a masterful job of presenting the con game in the Roaring Twenties...." Read more

4 customers mention "Sleight of hand"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful, providing an in-depth look at financial scams over nearly a century. They say it's a must-read for anyone serious about trading. The best sections describe cons and frauds, how they present themselves, and how they are managed. Readers also mention it's a good read for horse racing fans, Wall Street investors, and those interested in money management.

"A very interesting story and book, with a look into financial scams over nearly a century. pretty amazing what this guy was able to pull off!" Read more

"...Understanding greed and vulnerability is a critical money management skill, and the book should be mandatory reading for every investor and..." Read more

"...A must read for horse racing fans, Wall Street investors, and those of us interested in getting rich....quickly!" Read more

"A must read for anyone serious about trading...." Read more

3 customers mention "Era"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's description and history of financial eras. They praise its succinct analysis and good title.

"...In summary, Mr. Thornton published a very fine description and history of financial deception and a professional fraud...." Read more

"Excellent read. Captures the era very well." Read more

"Good title. Not worth the read" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2016
    A very interesting story and book, with a look into financial scams over nearly a century. pretty amazing what this guy was able to pull off!
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2016
    Mr. Thornton’s excellent and entertaining book was recently reviewed in the Wall Street Journal. There is little to add to this well written evaluation; readers are advised to find it, if possible.

    This history of scamming and cons is nicely organized and composed. Many hard facts and interesting facets are presented, certain eras and decades are particularly well summarized. This is especially true of the 1920’s, the years preceding the Great Depression. The author is congratulated for his succinct analysis.

    Mr. Thornton’s best sections describe cons and frauds, how they present, are managed and invariably end. That is why I bought this book, and I was well rewarded. Understanding greed and vulnerability is a critical money management skill, and the book should be mandatory reading for every investor and businessperson. Neglecting this is flirting with disaster, exactly what Mr. Thornton repeatedly illustrates throughout. It is why and how cheats and scoundrels continue to find marks easy to fleece.

    The Gans-Nelson prize fight, particularly well presented, and is a fascinating sidelight. It is interesting to realize the astounding sums of money involve in Herzig-Rice’s scheming distortions, how he managed to surmount roadblocks to his mercenary goals, and how easy it was (and still is) to deceive people. As Mr. Thornton describes early in his book, recent Madoff-style betrayals prove we remain easy objects of deceptions.

    There are only a few, minor criticisms: more illustrations and maps of the far West would have been useful. (I have visited most of these towns; a few are considered “ghost” towns, although they have a few residents.)

    In summary, Mr. Thornton published a very fine description and history of financial deception and a professional fraud. It is a well written, enjoyable and entertaining book that is highly recommended.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2016
    Excellent read. Captures the era very well.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2015
    Through the life and times of master swindler, George Graham Rice, author T.D. Thornton explores the human nature in all of us.....a relentless fascination with get rich quick schemes and a willingness to rub elbows with the characters and scoundrals of con artistry.....from the race track to Wall Street to the Wild West, Thornton has done a masterful job of presenting the con game in the Roaring Twenties. A must read for horse racing fans, Wall Street investors, and those of us interested in getting rich....quickly!
    8 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2016
    Good story. Confidence men are still with us vis. Bernie Madoff
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2016
    A must read for anyone serious about trading. Well written story of the mass stupidity that supports the illegal and legal financial investment markets even today. Greed and Fear the two great drugs sold by the con artists as mastered by the extraordinary Jacob Simon Herzig aka George Graham Rice. This should be the first book anyone with aspirations in trading should read. Know your enemy.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2016
    Good title. Not worth the read
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2016
    An insight on how "business: was conducted about 100 years go. To those who wish for less government regulation - and I gree thereis too much of it - the story shows what it was like with no oversight,

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • barry rowe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on March 14, 2018
  • Jordan T Waugh
    5.0 out of 5 stars Voler est un art
    Reviewed in France on January 3, 2016
    Texte anglais très bien écrit, l'auteur vous transporte au début du 20e siècle avec beaucoup de détail.
    Une histoire vraie phénoménale !

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