Synopses & Reviews
Based on the author's popular website, Alex Boese's
The Museum of Hoaxes takes readers on a tour of hundreds of documented hoaxes, many published here for the first time. You'll read about the curiosities and cons of the most notorious hornswogglers and flimflam men of the nineteenth century; you'll be astounded at the impostors, pretenders, carnies, and tricksters of the twentieth.
Learn how Edgar Allan Poe got away with an astonishing literary deception. Or how P. T. Barnum turned hoaxing the public into big business. It's all here, from the origin of April Fools' Day to the Taco Liberty Bell, from Bigfoot to the War of the Worlds to recent Internet hoaxes. There's also a Gullibility Test that challenges readers to answer the question: "Would these hoaxes have fooled YOU?"
Written with both humor and historical insight, and complete with photographs and illustrations, The Museum of Hoaxes will be the gift book of choice for anyone who has ever been duped, deceived, tricked, or trumped...or just likes watching the pros in action.
Review
"While short accounts of a variety of hoaxes won't satisfy aficionados, the general public may find it useful to know how some familiar hoaxes e.g., the Loch Ness monster were unmasked, and Boese's 'suggested reading' list will help intrigued readers dig deeper." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Despite its origin as thesis material, the work is not meant to be academic, and there is no analysis of any kind. All dissertations should be this much fun." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Whether it is picked for cover-to-cover reading or occasional browsing, readers are sure to find many laughs." Booklist
About the Author
Alex Boese is a graduate student at the University of California at San Diego, where he is completing his doctoral dissertation. He is the creator and curator of www.museumofhoaxes.com, which began in 1997 as research notes for his dissertation. His website has received acclaim from Yahoo!, as well as USA Today and other newspapers around the world.