When this true-crime story first appeared in 1980, it made the New York Times bestseller list within weeks. Two decades later, it's being rereleased in conjunction with a film version produced by DreamWorks. In the space of five years, Frank Abagnale passed $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in every state and 26 foreign countries. He did it by pioneering implausible and brazen scams, such as impersonating a Pan Am pilot (puddle jumping around the world in the cockpit, even taking over the controls). He also played the role of a pediatrician and faked his way into the position of temporary resident supervisor at a hospital in Georgia. Posing as a lawyer, he conned his way into a position in a state attorney general's office, and he taught a semester of college-level sociology with a purloined degree from Columbia University.

Excellent read - fun - and a good learning experience

I have had the pleasure of hearing Frank Abagnale talk several times - once as part of a seminar for the American Banker's Association (ABA), and once for the Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL). He is as captivating in person as he is on the page, and in the meeting at the AAL he spoke a little more about losing his father while he was still on the run. He cried there, on stage, and as he spoke, so did a goodly part of the audience as well.

I also read this book a long time BEFORE the movie was made. The movie is good, but this is better. Get this first.

This book captures his spirit, his spunk, and is a great read. You wonder at the "scruples" that he holds to, and the girls he mets (and cons!). The one girl he was ready to marry - turns him in after he comes clean with her. He just barely escapes getting caught, and cries over a lost love.

A great quote are these lines, which is used in the front leaf:

A psychological evaluation by a University of Virginia criminologist-psychiatrist concluded that I had a very low criminal threshold. In other words, I had no business being a crook in the first place.

How does one impersonate a Pan-Am Pilot, a Lawyer, a Pediatrician, and more? Read this book. The best part is that it's all true.

Fascinating settings, outrageous outcomes

As a light, trip-through-the-tulips novel, Catch Me could hardly be more entertaining. Settings are great, the chases engaging, and the outcomes outrageous. As a truly informative document, though, this novel leaves a little to be desired. Heavy concentration is on forgeries, a blatantly, overtly illegal act. Much of the other activities described also fall into that category: the airline pilot, the lawyer, the college prof., etc.What America must face is the fact of modern day cons becoming more and more "legal." Yes, this trend is proceeding at an alarming pace, making it necessary for everyone among us to be better informed of these developments. For pure education on the subject of schemes, scams, and frauds, as practiced, present-day, Les Henderson's Crimes of Persuasion is second to none.Highly recommended for all "fine print" detectives, who want to nail down the specifics of how so many cons are carried out.

Catch Me If You Can

Frank Abagnale jr. is a criminal master mind. He finds quick scams to make fast large amounts of money. For him to scam, he must study and plan out how to do so with out getting caught. Like a tiger studing a deers moves before he attacks. Abagnale started his scamming at a young age. His first victum was his own father. He faked many important jobs. It was his way of survival on this earth.