Get Rich Quick - by Nicholas Day (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From the award-winning creators of The Mona Lisa Vanishes comes a fast-paced and fascinating illustrated nonfiction narrative about a con man who took in a trusting populace and pulled off the greatest get-rich-quick scheme of all time.

This is not a story about money, not really. It's a story about confidence.

In the summer of 1920, thousands of people crowded the narrow streets of Boston, desperate to hand their money to the financial genius of the age. Charles Ponzi was charming and dapper, the hero of the common people, the enemy of the elite, the only man you could trust.

But who was he, really? A wizard--a man who could make your cash multiply almost overnight? Or the perfect mirror for an America determined to believe its own get-rich-quick dreams--a land of fake gold and phony schemes?

Welcome to the confidence game, a game only one person can win.

In this riveting, edge-of-your-seat illustrated narrative, the Sibert Medal-winning creators of The Mona Lisa Vanishes tell the true story of the spectacular rise and fall of a world-famous con artist--and show us the world that he made: a world of golden promises, in which a lie repeated long enough has a halo of truth.

Review Quotes

"A giddy, enthralling tale, told with as much panache as Ponzi had himself." --Adam Gidwitz, author of the Newbery Honor winning The Inquisitor's Tale

★ "A riveting narrative nonfiction tale....The information addressed in this acerbic offering proves relevant and essential as Ponzi schemes continue to inform contemporary business ideals." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"A fascinating introduction to the art (and audacity) of the con. Cons, charisma, and clever storytelling." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

NICHOLAS DAY is the author of The Mona Lisa Vanishes, winner of the Robert F. Sibert Award and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for nonfiction, and A World Without Summer, which received four starred reviews and was called "sharp and vivid" by the New York Times. He is also the author of the picture books Nothing illustrated by Chris Rashka and How to Have a Thought illustrated by Hadley Hooper. He lives in Western Massachusetts with his family.

BRETT HELQUIST is the illustrator of classics such as A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, The House of Bunnicula by James Howe, and books by Blue Balliet, including the New York Times bestselling Chasing Vermeer. He is also the illustrator of The Mona Lisa Vanishes, winner of the Robert F. Sibert Award and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for nonfiction.