Rating: 
Summary: Riveting read
Review: A highly entertaining and amusing book about a very crafty fellow. Curl up with this book on a rainy Sunday afternoon and enjoy Abagnale's wit and exploits. The revelation about French prisons is shocking. Did anybody say that France is a developed country??? The contrast with the Swedish prison system could not be greater. If you are going to commit a crime in Europe, go north (avoid the Mediterranean countries). It would be interesting to meet Abagnale in person. Glad he ended up using his creativity and intelligence on the right side of the law.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing, yes... enjoyable, no.
Review: I'm sorry. I'd like to join the chorus of people lauding this book. I started it fully expecting to enjoy it as a fast and fun read. Fast it was, but fun? Only for awhile. Mr. Abagnale's first few cons were amusing and interesting to read while he worked out how to worm his way into places he had no right to be and acquire money that wasn't his. He clearly was born with a good brain in his head and a train load of chutzpah. The overall tone of the writing was light, jovial, almost sprightly. I thought that was something of an accomplishment considering he was publicly confessing to thievery, not usually a light-hearted topic. I was curious to see where the story would go. But after reading a few chapters, especially as his scams began to get more elaborate, irritation set in. As yet another con unfolded I couldn't shake the feeling of "been there, done that". The story was going nowhere, the tone was unchanging. Each anecdote was yet another recipe card blithely describing "how I pulled this off". I felt like someone forced to watch the same film loop over and over. Even worse, I became increasingly offended at his non-stop misuse of his own talents. The lengths that this man went to plan and execute his scams were truly phenomenal. Applied to ANY legitimate business, his skills would have guaranteed him success and wealth. But no, he applied remarkable intelligence, imagination, boldness, drive, persistence, planning, people-handling skills, and self-confidence to.... an illusion... over and over and over again. What a waste of god-given talent. The book's cocktail-party breeziness about it all only offended me more. It didn't help that every other person in the story is treated as just a convenient money-dispensing robot. I began to despise Frank Abagnale. By midway through the book I didn't care enough to read the elaborate details of his cons and was skimming, waiting for the moment he would be caught. When he was finally caught and imprisoned in a ghastly French prison, I didn't give two figs what happened to him one way or another. By now, of course, he was starting to admit he felt remorse and was tired of his go-nowhere life. The tone of the book changed and other people were actually recognized as fellow humans. Too late. I finished it quickly, only to know how it ended. I give this book two stars because the writing is competent, because it occasionally amuses, and because what he manages to pull off is quite remarkable and has to be read to be believed. But it quickly lost its sense of fun for me. I know mine is a minority opinion, but I guess I just can't find too much enjoyment in reading about a young man's self-destruction. Take this book out from the library or borrow it from a friend, but I can't recommend you buy it.
Rating:
Summary: better than the movie!
Review: A great book very interesting, I actually read this after seeing the movie, and of course enjoyed the book more, and when i saw the film, i found it to be very good... typical! It was interesing to hear the author's experiences, and learn that the concequences in real life were much more severe than what was portrayed in the movie. Very good book.
Rating:
Summary: Catch me if you can
Review: If you've seen the movie, read the book. It is so incredibly more detailed, and different. Like in the movie, the events are screwed up. This book gives you more information, and in the right order. And just the tale of this story is one to be marveled at, imagine how good the book is!
Rating: 
Summary: Summer Reading
Review: I saw the movie (actually rented the DVD) and figurd there's probably more to this story than was shown in the movie. I was right, there's a lot more stuff that happened to Frank than was shown in the movie but that's movies, they have to be entertaining. I found the first 60 pages or so a little slow because they were almost identical to the movie (and the DVD documentary) and then things really take off. The book ends abruptly and then finishes Franks story in about 3 more pages with an Afterward. I mean, after reading that whole book and reading this entertaining story I felt a little [cheated]to hurry up and end the book like that. I'm sure there'a a reason but people that go through the effort of reading this should feel [cheated] espcially with a[money amount]price tag. The other reason I gave this only three stars is that the reading is quite easy. I'm a slow reader and rarely devote significant portions of my day to reading as entertainment and I still finished this book in three days. The ending, price and difficulty of reading led me to only give this three stars.
Rating:
Summary: True Stories are the best
Review: After seeing the movie, I had to read the book to get the whole story! Though it lagged in some areas, it was definitely captivating when he spoke of the French prison and the way he escaped from jail in the States. Definitely would recommend it!
Rating: 
Summary: Read for the adventure not the dialog
Review: Frank Abagnale has had an extradordinary life, no doubt. His escapades are outstanding. Since other reviewers have given a brief synopsis, it is not necessary to repeat. Read the book for the sake that it is different from the movie which captures fleeting moments of the whole experience. The psychology is interesting, although I don't quite agree that a "robin hood" mentality relieves a person from being a crook. The text and/or prose is atrocious but bearable. There is an overuse of similes and these really trite statements which sound like the person who wrote it was stubbed at 8th grade and never grew up any further. The life and adventurers overcome the atrocities of penmanship.
Rating:
Summary: A captivating quick read!
Review: "Catch Me If You Can" never fails to keep the reader's attention from beggining to end. It amazes me how Mr. Abagnale was able to mascarade as a pilot, professor, doctor, FBI agent, and a whole slew of other professions without ever being caught. As Mr. Abagnale writes on his web site, this book is not intended to be a biography but a fictionalized account. Thus, some of the details may have been altered and some of the plot may have been dramatized. I would have liked to have known exactly which parts of the book were true and which are fictionalized. But nonetheless, I would highly reccomend reading this fast-paced, exciting book!
Rating:
Summary: Living Vicariously as the World's Most Suave Fake
Review: I saw the movie first, and was interested in reading the novel thereafter. It was as good as, or better than, the movie. First of all, everything from the movie is here, but explained with greater accuracy and details: Frank's family, his first con, why he ran away, how he became a co-pilot, and his crazy affairs with airline stewardesses. Although he starts and ends the novel with an air of boastful pride, it's hard for readers to hate him. In fact, it's so much easier to be amazed at his confidence, his suave nature with women, and the precarious situations he gets into. Instead of seeing Frank as the egotistical boy with uncontrollable urges, readers are able to identify with Frank, as he also reveals his fears and feelings of loneliness that accompanied him as a wanted felon. So many things were left out of the movie that the book details fabulously. We learn about his days as a sociology teacher, his nights as a doctor, and how he really passed the bar. Along the way, readers follow Frank's clever train-of-thought, learning a few things about check fraud along the way (which are discussed in just the right amount so that it isn't boring but interesting). His intimate moments were also exciting to read, as he recanted how his persuasion and confidence helped him fulfill his libidinous desires. What I also personally liked was that all of Frank's intimate details were described in such a sexy and non-gratuitous nature, leaving the dirty stuff to the imagination. Finally, the book ends with a lasting impression of Frank's months in the French prison. Here, the glorified image of the con man is put into a greater and more realistic perspective, symbolic of how Frank grew up to see his consequences, and how he began thinking about some of the individuals he hurt. It also puts a moral imprint on the book, suggesting that there are repercussions to a selfishly hedonistic lifestyle. In all, an extremely entertaining novel that was hard to put down. This is definitely a great summer read, and a good recommendation to those who dislike reading -- they'll be hooked on this one till the very end!
Rating:
Summary: Almost unbelievable -- rivetting!
Review: I would say that this book pushes the ability for the reader to suspend their disbelief... except that it is all true! This is the kind of book that you don't want to put down. The main character (the author) manages to pull off an incredible series of frauds, at an incredibly young age. After reading this book, I felt the urge to learn as much as I could about this man, and started doing research on the web for more information. A fascinating story about an incredible person...
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