Fake: Forgery, Lies, & eBay Summary and Reviews

Fake: Forgery, Lies, & eBay
by Kenneth Walton

Fake: Forgery, Lies, & eBay
List Price: $14.00
Our Price: $7.92
You Save: $6.08 (43%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $5.82 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Author: Kenneth Walton
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-05-08
ISBN: 1416948058
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Gallery Books

Book Reviews of Fake: Forgery, Lies, & eBay

Book Review: A true story the reveals the redeeming power of honest confession and regret... and the building of character.
Summary: 5 Stars

Kenneth Walton's book is a can't-put-down revelation of true character growth.

In the beginning, he describes himself as nothing more than a shallow, run-of-the-mill law school graduate who -- after only a year on the job -- was already desperate to escape his boring daily grind as just another faceless attorney at a large Sacramento law firm. I've known many young, newly-minted professionals (accountants, doctors, lawyers) in the same predicament: After investing years in their educations and taking on crushing student loans, they finally graduate and are suddenly faced with the reality of the inhuman hours, incredible stress, and limited options inherent in working for a large, traditional institution (as the author discovers, such big law firms are always the same, whether located in Sacramento or Paris). At that point, many start to desperately seek a way -- any way -- out of the madness. I know a couple of former corporate attorneys who are now much happier working at other jobs (rafting guide, truck driver) that have nothing whatsoever to do with the law...

Unfortunately for the young Mr. Walton, he didn't choose at that point to simply abandon the practice of law and run away to become an honest cowboy, fireman, plumber, Starbucks barrista, etc. Instead, he unhappily struggled on. Soon, his sad career plight was noticed by the slyly experienced Mr. Fetterman, who proceeded to milk Mr. Walton's desperation into a slippery plan to assist him in his lucrative eBay con games. However, since any successful con game depends on the greed and deception (especially self-deception) of BOTH the conner and the connee, Mr. Walton convinced himself to continue compromising his principles by acting as an eBay shill. He sank slowly ever deeper into his moral quagmire, mainly by choosing to adopt a Sgt Schultz outlook ("I know nothing... NOTHING!") towards the whole stinking mess. Eventually, the young lawyer gives up even that flimsy charade and commits a single act of deliberate forgery that explodes on eBay in a truly unforgettable manner.

Kenneth Walton is a wonderful storyteller. His clear prose and spare style move his tale of self-deception right along. I can't recall any other memoir that has impressed me so much for its sheer readability, and the honest and painful regret that is eventually expressed.

The real payoff (for both the author and reader) is in witnessing the amount of redeeming character growth which is experienced. In the end, he doesn't whine or complain about being treated unfairly, or try to justify his nefarious behavior. Rather, after finally coming clean, facing the music, making restitution, and accepting a felony conviction, Ken expresses sincere regret for his actions and the harm they caused to his victims (who were often working their own cons) and, most importantly, to his innocent friends and family members whom he let down (and who steadfastly stood by him as the saga unfolded). His denouement reminds me of the moral truth so forcefully expressed in the monologue by Danny DeVito's charactor at the end of the movie The Big Kahuna.

A great book!

Business of Art Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Business of Art Books
Packaging Identity ImagePackaging Identity
by Pedro Guitton
INDEX BOOKS; Published: 2009-11-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.43
Price in other shops: $17.95
Der Herausgabeanspruch bei Diebstahl oder illegalem Export von KulturgÃ1/4tern (German Edition) ImageDer Herausgabeanspruch bei Diebstahl oder illegalem Export von KulturgÃ1/ 4tern (German Edition)
by Spaun Susanne
Peter Lang; Published: 2003-07-23; Paperback; Book
Best price: $53.98
Price in other shops: $73.95
2007 Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market Image2007 Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market
Writers Digest Books; Published: 2006-10-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.58
Price in other shops: $26.99
Illustrating Children's Picture Books: Tutorials, Case Studies, Know-How, Inspiration ImageIllustrating Children's Picture Books: Tutorials, Case Studies, Know-How, Inspiration
by Steve Withrow, Lesley Breen Withrow
Writers Digest Books; Published: 2009-12-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.74
Price in other shops: $24.99
Guide to Getting Arts Grants ImageGuide to Getting Arts Grants
by Ellen Liberatori
Allworth Press; Published: 2006-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.45
Price in other shops: $19.95
The Interior Designers Guide to Pricing Estimating and Budgeting ImageThe Interior Designers Guide to Pricing Estimating and Budgeting
by Theo Stephan Williams
Allworth Press; Published: 2005-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.75
Price in other shops: $19.95
The Graphic Designer's Guide to Better Business Writing ImageThe Graphic Designer's Guide to Better Business Writing
by Ruth Cash-Smith, Barbara Janoff
Allworth Press; Published: 2007-05-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.99
Price in other shops: $19.95
Selling Art Without Galleries: Toward Making a Living from Your Art ImageSelling Art Without Galleries: Toward Making a Living from Your Art
by Daniel Grant
Allworth Press; Published: 2006-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.47
Price in other shops: $19.95
Arts Management ImageArts Management
by Derrick Chong
Routledge; Published: 2010-02-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $50.84
Price in other shops: $54.95
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
The Fake: Forgery and Its Place in Art ImageThe Fake: Forgery and Its Place in Art
by Sandor Radnoti
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers; Published: 1999-03-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $25.41
Price in other shops: $30.95
Art Law in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell (West Publishing)) ImageArt Law in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell (West Publishing))
by Leonard D. DuBoff, Christy O. King
Thomson/West; Published: 2006-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $30.00
Price in other shops: $38.00
Evaluating Your Collection: The 14 Points of Connoisseurship (Winterthur Decorative Arts Series) ImageEvaluating Your Collection: The 14 Points of Connoisseurship (Winterthur Decorative Arts Series)
by Dwight Lanmon
Winterthur; Published: 1999-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.95
Price in other shops: $18.95
The Art of the Steal ImageThe Art of the Steal
by Christopher Mason
Putnam Adult; Published: 2004-05-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.80
Price in other shops: $26.95
The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft ImageThe Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World's Largest Unsolved Art Theft
by Ulrich Boser
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 2010-03-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.35
Price in other shops: $14.99
Auctions: The Social Construction of Value ImageAuctions: The Social Construction of Value
by Charles W. Smith
University of California Press; Published: 1990-08-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $19.94
Price in other shops: $26.95
The Expert versus the Object: Judging Fakes and False Attributions in the Visual Arts ImageThe Expert versus the Object: Judging Fakes and False Attributions in the Visual Arts
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2004-04-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $38.84
Price in other shops: $50.00
Autograph Hell - The Truth About Collecting ImageAutograph Hell - The Truth About Collecting
by Charles G. Irion
Irion Books LLC; Published: 2008-10-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.52
Price in other shops: $26.95
The Art of the Steal: Inside the Sotheby's-Christie's Auction House Scandal ImageThe Art of the Steal: Inside the Sotheby's-Christie's Auction House Scandal
by Christopher Mason
Berkley Trade; Published: 2005-05-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.08
Price in other shops: $16.00
Operation Bullpen ImageOperation Bullpen
by Kevin Nelson
Southampton Books; Published: 2006-10-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.94
Price in other shops: $18.95