Catch Me If You Can

Rating:
Summary: Catch "this book" If You Can
Review: "Read this book. No, truly, read this book"-Tom Hanks

No one said it better than acclaimed actor Tom Hanks. Catch Me If You Can is one of the most entertaining books of the twentieth century. Never before have I read a book where I laughed so hard. Abagnale successfully mixes comedy with action to hook the reader from beginning to end.

The book starts with Frank W. Abagnale, Jr., a 16 year old boy in a pretty well off family. However, his mother leaves his father and takes the kids with her. Franks feels sorry for his lonely father, so he moves in with him. Within a few months, Frank has already stole $3,400 from different gas stations. As soon as he "earns" enough money, Frank moves out and enters the real world.

The rest of the book deals with Frank's (or "Robert's") hilarious stints as a pilot, lawyer, doctor, FBI agent, and college professor. What makes the book even funnier, is the amount of money he steals and the people he encounters.

I read this book as often as possible and never get bored of it. The only problem with the book is towards the end, which gets kind of depressing. However, overall, this is the greatest book I have ever read and hope that Abagnale's other book is just as good.

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Summary: Frank Abganale, a true hero to all crooks in the world
Review: I found Catch me if you can by Frank W. Abagnale not funny as much as it was amusing to read. The book depicts the life of a thief in a way that allows the readers to think that being a criminal is not a crime, but rather it's just a temporary fun. This book seems so unrealistic that while reading the book, I kept asking myself the genre of the novel. Difficult tests like passing the bar exam and flying a plane that people study tremendously to pass seem so easy and almost made it seem like education was unnecessary. Frank W. Abagnale passed the bar exam, became a teacher, and became a medical practitioner all with a high school education. This book mocks the people who overachieve by trying too hard.
Catch me if you can is a casual, easy reading book that will cause the readers to begin thinking about living the life of Frank W. Abagnale, which should never be tried since lot has changed since the sixties.
Anyone who wishes to be a crook, this will be a guideline to anyone who wants to be a crook and a taste of reality for all those overachievers.
This man is truly a hero to all criminals in the world.

Rating:
Summary: "Catch Me If You Can" Catches the Audience
Review: I found Frank W. Abagnale's Catch Me If You Can a book, which kept the reader truly involved. While reading the novel I never wanted to put it down. Abagnale spares no details about his escapades growing up as a teenager during the 60's. He recounts the story of how he went from a high school dropout to the world's most daring con man. Nothing was held back in the description of each plan and how he pulled of the hundreds of robberies. If anyone is interested in passing fake checks they created, this is the book to read. Abagnale goes into detail explaining what each number on a check stands for. All of this information made me wonder if I could pass fake checks I made. It was this thought which led me to this surprise that he was allowed to print all of this information. More enjoyable then the explanations of how to pass fake checks was the descriptions of each encounter between Abagnale and authority. I found it amazing he was able to get past security guards and security systems. Perhaps what I enjoyed most was the fast-pace at which the novel moved. I felt as though I just begun when I reached the last page. In only 277 pages Abagnale held the jobs of a pilot for more than one airline, worked as a lawyer in an office and courtroom, worked in a hospital as a doctor, and taught at a college out west. It is truly amazing what he managed to accomplish without a high school degree. I wish I knew I could do that so I didn't need to finish high school. Maybe he has the right idea. In conclusion, Frank Abagnale accomplished tons by dong very little. I would recommend this book to anybody who is interested in an amusing story, especially someone hoping to become a criminal anytime soon.

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Summary: Incredible, all the more so because it's nonfiction!
Review: I'm old enough to remember this story from when it came around for the first time, about a bazillion years ago. But I only heard about it then; I didn't read it. This time I read it, and wow, what a story. This guy, obviously loaded with charm, guts, and savy aplenty, was probably the biggest swindler and impersonater the world has ever known. He passed himself off as a doctor, a pilot, a professor, and a lawyer, all on the basis of a glib tongue, a demeanor that inspired trust, and a 10th grade education!
Now totally reformed and earning a great living helping to catch people such as he used to be, he's still as charming as ever.
Talk about a con artist. You just can't help but admire his chutzpah - and see? We're all going out and buying his book. So he's winning all over again!
Enjoy it.

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Summary: What a brain!!!
Review: This book is certainly one of the most unique stories you will ever read! As much as I cannot back the moral, the characteristic of the story though is superb, shocking, exiting, breathtaking and very well written. I listened to a radio interview with Frank, and I must say he sounds exactly as the character in the book! He is very sharp, humorous and well spoken. No wonder why the FBI decided to keep such a brain rather than letting it rot in a cell.

Rating:
Summary: A lively and fun romp
Review: My impressions of this book are expressed by two thoughts.

The first thought I had in reading this book was, "wow, why didn't they put more of this in the movie." Many of you may have seen the recentTom Hanks-Leonardo DiCaprio vehicle based on this book, as I did, and may be curious about the actual story it is based on. And while seeing the movie first does mean that some of the surprises in the book are no longer surprises, you realize just how amazing and rich Mr. Abagnale's experiences really were. Things that are minor parts of the movie are fleshed out here, and some things that were altogether absent are truly amazing tales. His experiences in prison towards the end of the book are especially vivid.

The second thought I had on reading this book was "Frank Abagnale is astoundingly, astoundingly intelligent." You realize that for this man to pull off wehat he did, even iuf he was eventually caught, reflects a great deal of street smarts and quick thinking. But more than that, the man has a phenomenal memory and in general is very intelligent, passing the bar exam without going to law school being a great example of this. His intelligence and wit comes through in the writing style, and is supremely evident from some of his experiences.

Overall, while this man was a crook, and has since paid his debt to society, the story that this book tells is one of fun and adventure with a relatively light-hearted and easy-going feeling. Yes, Mr. Abagnale had some bad experiences, and yes his prison experiences border on gruesome, but as you can tell from reading the dust jacket, the tale ends relatively happily and over all he has learned his lessons. Read this book and you will enjoy it, wish you could do what he did, maybe even be inspired by it...though I wouldn't recommend following in his footsteps. A great and fast read, overall, that is well-told and well-written.

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Summary: Don't watch the movie. READ THE BOOK!! It's AWESOME!!
Review: If it was real, well I have only to say that my hat goes off for you Mr. Abagnale..
This is one of the best books I've ever read in my life, it's funny, ingenious and much, much better than the movie.. The adventures described by Mr. Abagnale take you directly into the trouble he went to get what he wanted, pure determination, a lot of brains and just plain mischief is what makes the story great.
I truly advise that you read this book, for it will soon be a classical!! Enjoy!!

Rating:
Summary: Buy it if you can
Review: This is a good example of how brilliance tends to get bored. We all know people with average intelligence that find decent success by performing mundane tasks, studying endless bland materials, and rising slowly through an organization. Well, Frank Abagnale wasn't one of them. He wanted to make money fast, and at the age of 16 he started his career as a prolific con man with numerous schemes and identities. Abagnale tried a little of everything. He posed as an airline pilot, doctor, lawyer, and college professor, but he made most of his money with counterfeit checks. The funniest part is that he did it all to pick up girls.

The descriptive book tells a great story about a man who found weaknesses in a system and exploited them. Tired of routine, Frank was constantly thinking up brand new schemes and they all worked. He even had a good hunch as to when something was getting dangerous and he would move on. His incredible run lasted four years and his memories of capture and imprisonment are just as compelling.

I was a big fan of the movie last year, but the book tells a different but equally interesting story. The movie was full of composite characters and a parallel story between con man and FBI agent. The book is just a straightforward telling of how one man fooled the system. It's well written. You should fly through it in no time.

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Summary: The misadventures of a real genius
Review: I saw Frank Abagnale at a conference in 1997. After listening to him speak for three hours to a group of Accountants, I knew just about every way a person could fake a check... and get away with it.

He began by explaining that there is no real punishment for money crimes, most get off with light sentances in minimum security prisons or no sentances at all. And it is so EASY to fake a check. I was most impressed by his confident attitude and matter of fact approach. He has spent a lifetime in the study of check fraud (and other frauds) and has come full circle. The purpose of his life now: to teach others how to protect themselves from getting conned.

I love this guy... and I loved his book! It's a real roller coaster ride that takes you through his life as a young man... where he basically just made up whatever life he wanted to live. Not only did he have courage beyond the extraordinary, but he had exceptional luck in many cases. A deadly combination to those in his path.

I think what I liked most about this story is the fact that in spite of his breaking the law... there is a great lesson in it. You can accomplish anything you want in life if you have high confidence and a strong character (and a little luck).

Get this book and read it. You will not be disappointed. (note: it is quite different from the movie and in my opinion, much better.)

Rating:
Summary: A Guilty Pleasure
Review: Catch Me If You Can is an entertaining book. It is not well written, there are obvious fabrications, and Frank Abagnale comes off as a egotistic chauvinist, but the action is quick and the tales humorous. I would never recommend this book as an educational book or for someone who only likes stories with emotions, deep plots, and well developed characters, because they aren't really present, but it was a great book to relax with and just enjoy for the day or two it takes to read. A very good book for the plane or pool.