A familiar face, a promising deal, a bag of silver: which part of the scene is the trap?

In The Book of Swindles, Zhang Yingyu takes you through the markets, inns, boats and government offices of late Ming China. Money moves quickly, and strangers have good reasons to be wary. These short tales follow con artists as they set their traps, borrow identities and turn another person's trust into a chance for profit.

The collection groups its tricks into twenty-four categories, including fake silver, stolen goods, false identity and schemes that feed on desire. One bag replaces another. A stranger claims a connection or rank. Zhang shows how each deception works and who falls for it. Most tales end with his own brief warning, making the stories both sly entertainment and a practical guide to dealing with strangers.

이 책에서 발견할 것들

• The art of substitution Watch a simple exchange of look-alike bags become the heart of a swindle.
• Names that open doors Meet impostors who pose as relatives, scholars or servants of officials to gain trust.
• Hope becomes a weakness Explore schemes that work on private wishes and worries, not just the hunger for silver.
• Everyday life in motion Step beyond emperors into a busy world of travellers, householders, markets and inns.
• A storyteller's warning Follow Zhang's closing comments as he draws practical cautions from the tricks he tells.

이런 분들이 좋아할 거예요

You will love this book if you enjoy true-to-life crime stories, clever reversals, and the street-level detail of old China, or if you like learning how people are fooled so you can spot it first.