An exposé of the carnival underworld as told from the perspective of a shy teen-turned-professional grifter discusses how the author was personally educated by con man Jackie Barron in the ways of double dealing, sleight-of-hand, and carnival ethics. 30,000 first printing. Adult/High School–Good student, quarterback, and all-around good guy in his early high school days, Fenton was easily pictured moving on to college and a nice middle-class job and family. But in his junior year, a fellow student barreled into his life and changed its course. Jackie Barron came from a family of carnival owners and con artists, and recognizing Fenton's skill with numbers, he enlisted his aid in setting up a casino for high school kids in his basement. Fenton learned the basics: counting cards, bribing cops to look the other way, letting someone win from time to time, and the most important rule of any gambling system–stack the odds so that the house always wins. Using the seed money from the basement endeavor, Barron took over a carnival midway. Fenton followed, seduced by promises of wealth, women, and fun. After slugging away at the low-end games, he worked his way up. His internship of sorts placed him under the tutelage of men named the Ghost and Horserace Harry. From them he learned the art of the con: how to reel the people in, how not to scare them off, and, most importantly, how to get as much money from them as possible. In a scene worthy of a movie, Fenton battles Barron in a one-day, winner-take-all contest on the midway to prove who is the better con man. Witty and irreverent, this memoir is filled with enough quips, tricks, and scams to satisfy even the shortest attention spans. –Matthew L. Moffett, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Fenton ( Truth or Tabloid? ) came of age at the carnival. When he left his small-town, middle-class Michigan home for life on the road when he was 17, he began his transformation from math geek to con artist (and eventual reporter for The National Enquirer ). Critics agree that Fenton tells his tale of carnival life (or, as The Oregonian notes, "a sort of evil Horatio Alger story") with humor and insight. Who else would admit to cheating small children out of their last nickels? They also praise Fenton’s polished writing and fast-paced, twisted dialogue and scenes. A few question the full veracity of the story, but never mind. Fenton never fails to entertain—and teach us a thing or two about a con man’s tricks. Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. "An engrossing read...the author's wit crackles." -- -- People "Delightful a contemporary carnival classic in the vein of Nell Stroud s Josser and Howard Bone's Side Show." -- --Library Journal "Drolly funny . . . Eyeing the Flash is a pleasurable con." -- -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "Instantly engrossing. . . [a] spirited story of obsession [that] is at once entertaining and informative." -- --Publisher's Weekly "Mr. Fenton describes his transformation with great comic gusto. . . [a] hilarious, twisted coming-of-age story." -- -- The New York Times Used Book in Good Condition